After thrashing Chicago Fire 4-1, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC hit the road for the first time in four games to face Western Conference high-flyers Sporting Kansas City.
Going 1-1-2 in four away games so far this season, this midweek visit to Children’s Mercy Park comes just four days before a Pareja reunion at FC Dallas.
With no sign of the 2020 MLS schedule slowing down, a reborn Orlando City SC are relishing the challenge however.
By no means their best against Chicago Fire, the free-scoring Lions still managed to win by a three-goal margin in a simply crazy encounter!
Hitting the woodwork, seeing two goals ruled out by VAR and missing one of two penalties, Chicago Fire will still be wondering how they lost 4-1.
But it’s the mark of a great team when you can win when not playing at your best.
Indeed, Oscar Pareja wouldn’t have been happy with the ease at which Chicago Fire created multiple opportunities.
However, he would’ve taken great encouragement from Chris Mueller‘s goal and assist, Pedro Gallese‘s game changing stops, and City’s overall ruthlessness when chances presented themselves.
Ultimately, Orlando City SC are currently enjoying their best ever start to any MLS season with 22 points from 12 games.
Now six games unbeaten, a joint-record streak for City, Pareja’s side are also the highest goalscorers in the Eastern Conference (23).
Currently third in the Eastern Conference, Orlando City SC now face the Western Conference’s second-placed side, Sporting Kansas City.
Enjoying a positive season so far, Peter Vermes’ side have gone 6-2-4 as they look to make up for the disappointment of not reaching the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Sporting Kansas City vs Orlando City SC – 2015/19 head-to-head stats
Only facing Sporting Kansas City once a season of course, Orlando City SC last played Peter Vermes’ side at Exploria Stadium in August 2019.
With Tesho Akindele‘s goal earning James O’Connor‘s side a crucial 1-0 victory, this sealed a two-game winning streak at home.
Boosting our chances of qualifying for the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, sadly this was Orlando City SC‘s final victory of a bitterly disappointing campaign.
In the eight games that followed (“In The Hunt” sigh), Orlando City SC flatlined, drawing four and losing four of these make or break fixtures.
Orlando City SC 1 Sporting Kansas City 0 – Highlights – August 14, 2019 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
There is complete mirror imagery across the wins, draws and losses columns in this particular game series.
In five years of MLS head-to-head action, this cross-conference affair has produced tightly fought encounters.
Reaching the MLS Cup Playoffs in FOUR of the FIVE seasons that Orlando City SC have been in the big league, SKC is a highly experienced opponent.
Managing Sporting Kansas City since 2009, Peter Vermes’ side know what they’re doing at this level.
So much so that they currently sit second in the Western Conference standings with 20 points from 12 games played.
With Johnny Russell (5), Gadi Kinda (4), Khiry Shelton (4) and Alan Pulido (4) leading the goal charge, the latter SKC man has four assists too.
You know those hard fought MLS head-to-heads we were just talking about?
When you drill down into the individual results since 2015, you can see just how closely fought SKC versus Orlando City SC fixtures are.
- Sporting Kansas City 2 Orlando City SC 1 (May 2016)
- Sporting Kansas City 1 Orlando City SC 0 (September 2018)
- Orlando City SC 1 Sporting Kansas City 0 (August 2019)
As you can see, in THREE of the FIVE league head-to-heads so far, the games were separated by just one goal.
Besides SKC’s 3-1 win over City in 2015, the 2017 result was a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium demonstrating again how these cross-conference sides are so evenly matched.
Sporting Kansas City 1 Orlando City SC 0 – Highlights – September 8, 2018 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Sporting Kansas City form
With their big 2020 signing Alan Pulido out of the team lately, Scottish international Johnny Russell has been doing his bit in front of goal.
Playing as the right winger in a 4-3-3 for Vermes’ side, Russell has THREE goals in his last TWO SKC appearances.
Bagging a brace last time out in a 2-3 home loss to FC Dallas, he also scored against Minnesota United (1-0) a game prior.
Orlando City SC form
Orlando City SC’s 2020 improvement can be put down to many factors. But a key component has been Chris Mueller‘s contributions.
A fan favourite at Exploria Stadium, Cash is now having more of an impact in a purple jersey than ever before.
Right now, only Seattle Sounders’ Raúl Ruidíaz has been directly involved in more goals (EIGHT – 6 goals, 2 assists) than Chris Mueller (SEVEN – 3 goals, 4 assists).
Opening the scoring against Chicago Fire before assisting Nani who doubled the Lions’ lead, Mueller’s hopes of USMNT recognition are improving by the week.
Orlando City SC 4 Chicago Fire 1 – Highlights – September 19, 2020 (Credit: Major League Soccer)