After a tired 0-1 home loss to Philadelphia Union, but a triumphant 5-1 win over New York Red Bulls in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semi-final, Orlando City SC now conclude a busy July by visiting D.C. United for Wayne Rooney’s first game in charge.
Currently fifth in the Eastern Conference but perilously just two points above the red line, Orlando City SC have failed to put winning streaks together all season long.
Only managing back-to-back MLS victories once this year, a transitional season is turning out to be more of a struggle than first imagined.
Looking back on last weekend, the 0-1 Philadelphia Union loss wasn’t wasn’t without controversy.
In the end, two critical decisions from Alex Chilowicz and Jair Marrufo (VAR) went Jim Curtin’s sides’ way.
On 39 minutes, Dániel Gazdag opened the scoring. His strike was initially flagged offside but was awarded after a lengthy review.
The real sore decision occurred late on in stoppage time, however.
In the 94th minute, goalscorer Gazdag tugged Antônio Carlos‘ shirt in the Union penalty area following a Facundo Torres corner.
Wrestling Antônio Carlos off balance, unsteadying the Brazilian from getting a header on Andre Blake’s goal, it looked every bit a penalty – in any league on any continent.
With Alex Chilowicz again consulting VAR, Orlando City SC supporters expected the awarding of a penalty to be a mere formality.
Upon returning from the VAR screen, Chilowicz gestured no penalty in a bamboozling, infuriating decision.
After the game, an MLS statement said: “The referee determined that Antônio Carlos pulled the shirt of Gazdag first”, negating the penalty claim.
However, replays show that it was indeed Dániel Gazdag who initiated the bodily contact.
Despite this clear injustice, Orlando City SC should be looking inward at their own performances, and ineptitude, too.
On 28 minutes, Facundo Torres missed a glaring opportunity, bending a left-footed strike wide with Andre Blake’s goal at his mercy.
A goal that would’ve set the tone for the match, chances like this simply need to be converted.
In MLS, the Lions have struggled in front of goal all season long and Orlando City SC supporters are going to have to buckle up for a bumpy 12-game finish to this stop-start 2022 MLS campaign.
As for Sunday’s opponents D.C. United, the Black and Red lost 1-2 at home to CF Montréal last weekend.
A game overseen by Chad Ashton as new head coach Wayne Rooney waited for his U.S. visa, D.C. are currently rock bottom of the Eastern Conference.
D.C. United vs Orlando City SC – 2015/22 head-to-head stats
Meeting D.C. United as recently as July 4, the Black and Red ruined Orlando City SC supporters’ Independence Day with a crazy 3-5 victory.
Inflicting City’s fifth home league defeat in only eight home games, the night belonged to Taxiarchis Fountas.
Scoring a hat-trick within just 51 minutes, the 2022 MLS All-Star put D.C. into a seemingly unassailable 0-3 lead.
Facundo Torres was subbed in at half-time to help turn the tide.
And turn the tide he did. The Uruguayan rooted Rafael Romo for a sweet 57th minute consolation strike (1-3) before assisting an Ercan Kara header on 66 minutes (2-3).
With the wind in Orlando City SC‘s sails, Kirmani Smith’s 74th minute breakaway goal (2-4) was a sucker punch, but wait?
After Alexandre Pato tucked home an 80th minute penalty (3-4), you wondered, could City salvage a point from a simply ludicrous game?
Robin Jansson and Ercan Kara then went oh so close to beating D.C. United stopper Rafael Romo.
This was before a stoppage time Nigel Robertha strike (3-5) capped an away win D.C. United will never forget.
Orlando City SC 3 D.C. United 5 – Highlights – July 4, 2022 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
D.C. United’s recent 3-5 victory over Orlando City SC edged them ahead in this Eastern Conference game series.
Holding SEVEN victories to City’s SIX right now, there’s been only ONE draw since our 2015 MLS debut.
On the Lions’ last visit to Audi Field in May 2021, the Lions ran out 0-1 winners.
Mauricio Pereyra‘s solitary strike settled the score for Orlando City SC‘s first ever victory at the Buzzard Point venue.
Cushioning a fantastically weighted through ball from Kyle Smith into the path of Tesho Akindele, Akindele returned it before Pereyra swept it past Jon Kempin.
Sustaining a lot of D.C. United pressure throughout the 90, Oscar Pareja‘s side held on before jubilant scenes in the away locker room.
D.C. United 0 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – May 16, 2021 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
In recent seasons, when Orlando City SC have faced D.C. United, games have been decided by the narrowest margin.
In FIVE the last SIX D.C. United vs Orlando City SC / Orlando City SC vs D.C. United head-to-heads, the games have been separated by just ONE goal.
After a run of three straight defeats to Ben Olsen’s D.C. United (3-2, 1-2, 1-0), City defeated Hernán Losada’s D.C. United not once but twice in 2021 (0-1, 2-1).
Considering Orlando City SC almost salvaged a 0-3 deficit to D.C. at the start of July, you can appreciate how competitive games between this duo are.
D.C. United form
The reason Wayne Rooney was hired as D.C. United head coach was to arrest a simply horrible run of form in MLS.
Indeed, the Black and Red have failed to win TEN of their last ELEVEN Major League Soccer fixtures. They’ve gone 1-3-7 in this streak.
This form ultimately means D.C. United find themselves rock bottom of the Eastern Conference right now.
The depressing thing is that the one game D.C. won in this wretched run was that crazy 3-5 victory at Orlando City SC on July 4.
Orlando City SC form
Struggling to score enough this season, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC have needed to attempt the high risk strategy of winning MLS games by the odd goal.
This is no sustainable way to maintain qualification to the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. Right now, City simply require better conversion and more goals.
Across our last FOUR MLS fixtures, all FOUR games have ended either 1-0 / 0-1 or 1-1, demonstrating that we give little away but frustratingly can’t seize the initiative to kill teams off.
After the 5-1 demolition of New York Red Bulls in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semi-final on Wednesday, you wonder where this ruthless streak has been all season long?
Orlando City SC 0 Philadelphia Union 1 – Highlights – July 23, 2022 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
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Don’t forget, D.C. United vs Orlando City SC will be shown LIVE on Sky Sports Football at the early time of 22:00 (GMT) on Sunday evening.
You can view our TV Fixture Tracker by clicking here.
GOOD NEWS 🚨 | @dcunited 🆚 @OrlandoCitySC will be shown LIVE on @SkySports Football at the early time of 10PM this Sunday. 😄📺⚽👏🏽
VIEW TV TRACKER 📺: https://t.co/KV9JvpAA0o#OCTwitter #DCvORL #LetsFly #OrlandoCity #MLSUK pic.twitter.com/PclR4ND2y3
— Orlando City UK (@Orlando_CityUK) July 26, 2022
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