After disappointingly exiting the 2021 Leagues Cup to Santos Laguna (0-1), Orlando City SC head to Nashville SC to resume their MLS regular season campaign.
Slipping to fourth in the Eastern Conference, City have worryingly only won two of their last nine fixtures (all competitions) with performances and momentum stagnating of late.
The 2021 Leagues Cup defeat to Santos Laguna was particularly frustrating.
By no means our worst performance of the season (the 5-0 loss at New York City FC wins that), Orlando City SC still lacked genuine cutting edge throughout.
Our potent-looking attacking foursome of Chris Mueller, Mauricio Pereyra, Nani and Tesho Akindele were easily stifled by an organised, resolute and savvy Santos Laguna side.
Despite the small 0-1 margin, Santos Laguna looked comfortable for long spells and this provides some genuine cause for concern.
Elsewhere, Orlando City SC also recently dropped four points to lowly Eastern Conference sides Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati.
Sides that Oscar Pareja‘s team should be beating, all these reasons underline this Nashville SC game as super important.
Not only in terms of kick-starting our mid-season but the fact that Nashville SC sit just one point above the Lions in the Eastern Conference having played a game more.
Winning at Nissan Stadium won’t be an easy task however – far from it.
Gary Smith’s side have lost the fewest amount of games (2) in all of Major League Soccer this season.
Drawing the most games (10) however, the Tennessee side are a tough nut to crack, especially at home.
Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 2020 head-to-head stats
The last time Orlando City SC faced Nashville SC, it was the Lions’ final regular season game before the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Already sealing our passage to the post-season before this 2020 MLS Decision Day matchup, we were hoping to sign off in style.
Unfortunately, a talented Nashville SC side had other ideas.
In a topsy turvy game, the visitors twice overturned an Orlando City SC lead to steal away all three points near the death.
With Daniel Lovitz and Hany Mukhtar goals cancelling out Daryl Dike and Nani‘s strikes, Jhonder Cádiz scored a point-blank header in stoppage time to break the Lions’ hearts.
Looking back, it took Nashville SC just five minutes (88th minute to the 93rd minute) to completely overturn their 2-1 deficit.
Orlando City SC 2 Nashville SC 3 – Highlights – November 8, 2020 (Credit: Nashville Soccer Club)
In this young Eastern Conference game series, there’s mirror imagery across the win, draw and loss columns.
Both Nashville SC and Orlando City SC have already enjoyed bragging rights over each other, with one draw played out too.
In both sides’ inaugural meeting in August 2020, 20-year-old Daryl Dike was only just announcing himself as the hottest new talent out of college.
Bagging a brace in a 3-1 victory at Exploria Stadium, he set a new MLS rookie record with three goals in his first two career starts.
Besides the two Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC games we’ve already mentioned, the other result was a 1-1 draw at Nissan Stadium in September 2020.
Earning a 1-1 draw in Music City, Benji Michel gave Oscar Pareja‘s side a 17th minute lead with a sublime strike from long range.
It was undoubtedly one of City’s best goals of the season.
This goal meant we’ve seen A GOAL IN THE FIRST 20 MINUTES in all THREE MLS HEAD-TO-HEADS so far.
As the story went, Randall Leal unfortunately equalised just two minutes after the half-time interval.
Nashville SC 1 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – September 2, 2020 (Credit: Nashville Soccer Club)
Nashville SC form
The bad news for Orlando City SC heading into this one is that our former USL striker C. J. Sapong is in red hot form.
Indeed, the 32-year-old veteran forward has scored THREE goals in his last TWO MLS appearances for Nashville SC.
Scoring in a 2-1 defeat at Inter Miami on August 8, he bagged a brace against D.C. United in a 5-2 victory last Sunday.
Always seemingly raising his game when facing the Lions, C. J. Sapong has FIVE career MLS goals against Orlando City SC.
Nashville SC 5 D.C. United 2 – Highlights – August 15, 2021 (Credit: Nashville Soccer Club)
Orlando City SC form
Going 3-3-3 on the road so far this season, Orlando City SC have managed to score in EIGHT of their NINE away fixtures.
Always a good trait to score in enemy territory, Oscar Pareja‘s side will need to conjure their fluid attacking flair again.
Lacking this in recent games against Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati and Santos Laguna, let’s hope the boys bring their shooting boots in Tennessee.