After a valiant yet painful 2-1 defeat at leaders New England Revolution, Orlando City SC now visit Nashville SC looking to end a four-game losing streak.
With our hopes of qualifying for the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs now hanging in the balance, the Lions need to stop the rot.
Before Saturday’s game at Gillette Stadium, pundits and some Orlando City SC supporters thought Revs would blow us away.
In reality, Oscar Pareja‘s City side battled hard and could’ve gone under after Adam Buksa’s ninth minute opener.
This wasn’t the case.
Albeit against the run of play, Orlando City SC equalised through Daryl Dike‘s powerful strike just nine minutes later.
At full-time, New England Revolution and Orlando City SC both had 13 shots each, with just one on target for Revs, and three on target for City.
So how on earth did we conspire to lose the game you may ask?
Through shooting ourselves in the foot, not once but twice.
When you’re in a slump, seemingly everything goes against you and that’s what Orlando City SC are unfortunately experiencing right now.
After Dike’s equaliser, on 35 minutes, Tajon Buchanan’s wicked cross was cannoned into our own goal by Rodrigo Schlegel.
When your luck’s out, it’s out!
Fast forward to 75 minutes and even more heartache when Nani saw his feeble penalty saved by Matt Turner.
A huge moment in our season, not only was it a huge opportunity wasted but also the second time in as many head-to-heads that Turner has thwarted Nani from the spot.
Cue anger and frustration from an Orlando City SC fanbase that has lost faith in our captain – from 12 yards anyway!
Also missing a penalty in the 2021 MLS All-Star Game, it appears Nani has lost all composure and confidence on penalty kicks.
The positive from Saturday? That we battled hard and deserved a draw, and that Jhegson Méndez is back fit and looked sharp.
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s game at Nashville SC, it’s another difficult road trip for the Lions.
Currently placed second in the East, Gary Smith’s side have lost the fewest amount of games (3) in MLS this term.
Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 2020/21 head-to-head stats
In truth, Orlando City SC did well to pick up a road point at Nashville SC back on August 18.
Losing the fewest games (3) in all of MLS this season, Gary Smith’s team look strong.
This is despite only being one-and-three-quarter seasons into Major League Soccer.
In a quintessential game of two halves, Orlando City SC made Nashville SC pay for spurning several first-half opportunities.
In the 58th minute, Antônio Carlos rose high above the Nashville SC defence to head home a dime of a Mauricio Pereyra free-kick.
After that, Tesho Akindele almost snatched the lead after hitting Joe Willis’ bar in the 75th minute.
City had to be content with a point at Nissan Stadium, Tennessee.
Nashville SC 1 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – August 18, 2021 (Credit: Nashville Soccer Club)
In this young Eastern Conference game series, both Nashville SC and Orlando City SC have enjoyed one victory each.
The two games played at Nissan Stadium produced the same result (1-1) in September 2020 and August 2021.
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.
A highly competitive game series, BOTH Nashville SC and Orlando City SC have scored in all FOUR MLS head-to-heads.
Back on 2020 MLS Decision Day, City had already sealed MLS Cup Playoffs qualification but Nashville SC rained on our parade.
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)
Nashville SC form
Only one-and-three-quarter seasons into their MLS journey, Gary Smith’s Nashville SC look like they’ve been here for longer.
One of the most impressive expansion franchises in recent memory, Smith himself is a former MLS Cup winner with Colorado Rapids in 2010.
Perhaps this knowhow is the reason his Nashville SC side are undefeated in TWENTY-THREE of their last TWENTY-SIX league fixtures.
Only losing to New York Red Bulls (2-0), Inter Miami (2-1) and Toronto FC (2-1) all season long, the Tennessee side have the joint-second meanest defence in Major League Soccer.
Conceding 24 goals (like Colorado Rapids) and only bettered by Seattle Sounders (21), Nashville SC have lost the fewest amount of games (3) however.
Orlando City SC form
Taking a deeper dive into Orlando City SC‘s EIGHT defeats so far this season, one thing is clear.
Oscar Pareja isn’t managing to successfully turn around first-half deficits so easily.
The Lions have been losing at half-time in SIX of their EIGHT MLS defeats so far this season.
In the FOUR consecutive defeats we’ve just experienced, we’ve been losing at half-time in all of them.
Of course, confidence is down right now but whatever the half-time team talk is, it’s unfortunately not translating into comebacks.
That’s why it’s so important that Orlando City SC score the first goal at Nashville SC so they have something to protect.
In short, we’ve had too many mountains to climb, both physically and mentally, of late.
New England Revolution 2 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – September 25, 2021 (Credit: Major League Soccer)