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Arresting a three-game losing streak in fantastic style with a thumping 5-1 victory over FC Cincinnati, James O’Connor‘s Orlando City SC now face LA Galaxy at home.
A game taking place under the Friday night lights at Orlando City Stadium, this is a big opportunity for the Lions to build momentum with Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended from this fixture.
While casual attendees would’ve loved to see the Swedish icon come to town, the 37-year-old’s absence hands a huge boost to Orlando City SC with Ibrahimovic scoring a hat-trick in a 4-3 win over the Lions last July.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is serving the second of a two-game suspension after a bizarre incident on May 11 where he appeared to grab the neck of New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson in what was deemed violent conduct.
Starting this season in prolific form with nine goals so far, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s side badly missed the Swede in a shock 0-1 loss to Western Conference’s bottom side Colorado Rapids last Sunday.
Perhaps this a great time to be facing the illustrious five-time MLS Cup champions with that Colorado Rapids defeat tallying four consecutive losses for the Carson-based side.
Trouble in paradise maybe but there will be no room for sympathy from Orlando City SC who appeared to be back to their best in a must win game against fellow Eastern Conference strugglers FC Cincinnati.
After the frustration of conceding an early Darren Mattocks goal, the Lions roared back into action scoring four second-half goals following a Tesho Akindele equaliser to put big smiles back on City supporters’ faces.
The response was even more impressive considering the game was played in 90°F Central Florida heat, not to mention James O’Connor‘s side were contesting their third game in just seven days following tough away tests at Atlanta United and Seattle Sounders.
A fantastic team performance, the reintroduction of Nani following injury was vital and hopefully the UEFA Euro 2016 winner can inspire another quick-fire victory with LA Galaxy still playing without their own influential talisman.
2015/18 head-to-head stats
Travelling to StubHub Center is a daunting task at the best of times and Orlando City SC gave LA Galaxy a real hard fight the last time the sides met in July 2018.
Arriving in California on the back of a two-game losing streak, pundits weren’t giving the Lions a prayer but they took the lead in Carson three times before eventually being pegged back by a rampant Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The veteran Swede scored a hat-trick on the night with 67th and 71st minute strikes finally overcoming Orlando City SC‘s stiff resistance.
The Lions had set the pace going ahead three times through Cristian Higuita, a Michaël Ciani own goal and Dom Dwyer.
LA Galaxy 4 Orlando City SC 3 – Highlights – July 29, 2018 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Given the vast travelling distance involved from California to the Florida peninsula (2,516 miles to be precise), it’s unsurprising that home field advantage has reigned supreme in this game series so far.
Orlando City SC have twice defeated LA Galaxy in Central Florida previously, namely a landmark headline grabbing 4-0 victory over Galaxy at the Citrus Bowl in our inaugural 2015 season.
After that, Jason Kreis oversaw a narrow 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy in April 2017 when Will Johnson and Cyle Larin goals helped the Lions to their fourth victory in just five MLS games in a scintillating start to that campaign.
Over at StubHub Center, LA Galaxy have struck four twice with the other head-to-head ending in a 4-2 win for the hosts in September 2016 with Giovani dos Santos (x2), Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane on the scoresheet.
Orlando City SC 2 LA Galaxy 1 – Highlights – April 15, 2017 (Credit: LA Galaxy)
Orlando City SC form
Any side aiming to reach the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs needs to be winning home games and fortunately, Orlando City SC are now managing to put a decent home winning streak together.
Defeating Colorado Rapids (4-3), Vancouver Whitecaps (1-0) and FC Cincinnati (4-3) over the past two months, James O’Connor‘s side are starting to make Orlando City Stadium a fortress again.
Nevertheless, Orlando City SC need to arrest their slow starts to home games with the Lions often caught in the bad habit of conceding first and then being forced to chase the game.
While LA Galaxy will be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Galaxy roster still boasts more than capable stars such as Jonathan dos Santos, Sebastian Lletget, Emmanuel Boateng and exciting Manchester City loanee Uriel Antuna.
With his brace against FC Cincinnati taking him to seven goals in Orlando City SC purple, who can deny the impact of Nani right now?
Scoring FIVE goals over Orlando City SC‘s last THREE home fixtures in Major League Soccer, the Portuguese star bagged a brace on two of those occasions against Colorado Rapids and then FC Cincinnati last time out.
With the Lions captain leading by example and inspiring others around him, Orlando City SC are far more of a potent side with the former Manchester United man in the starting eleven.
Despite his influence, James O’Connor and the Lions coaching staff will have to monitor his minutes as the season drags on considering he started the Portuguese Primeira Liga season with Sporting Lisbon in August 2018.
LA Galaxy form
It would appear this is a great time to be facing LA Galaxy with the Carson side uncharacteristically losing their last FOUR consecutive MLS fixtures.
Currently in his debut season in charge at StubHub Center, Argentine head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto is facing his first big pressure in charge of the five-time MLS Cup champions.
Helping Colorado Rapids to a shock first victory of the season last Sunday (0-1), Galaxy were defeated by New York Red Bulls (3-2), Columbus Crew (3-1) and New York City FC (0-2) prior to their latest defeat.
Travelling long distance to Central Florida where they are winless so far, not to mention playing without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, this appears a great opportunity for Orlando City SC to boost their morale and push up the Eastern Conference standings.
LA Galaxy 0 Colorado Rapids 1 – Highlights – May 19, 2019 (Credit: Major League Soccer)