There would’ve been a lot of head scratching on Orlando City SC‘s flight back from Dulles to McCoy after the Lions conceded two late stoppage time goals to fall 2-1 at D.C. United.
Now facing New England Revolution at Exploria Stadium, City have now only won one of their last 7 MLS games, perilously sitting above the red line by just a single point.
The most disappointing thing about last Sunday’s 2-1 loss was the fact we’ve seen it all before.
The third time in four MLS games that we’ve blown a half-time lead, our 2022 MLS regular season seems to be passing us by.
Triumphantly reaching the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final of course, that feat seems to be papering over the cracks of a frustrating league campaign.
In the first-half at Audi Field, Orlando City SC absolutely dominated D.C. United on Wayne Rooney’s debut as head coach.
Taking the lead through Júnior Urso‘s beautifully dinked chip, the Lions just couldn’t find a second goal to kill D.C. off.
How often have we been saying that this season?
With Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel worrying the D.C. backline, Michel should’ve made it 0-2 on 38 minutes.
After Facundo Torres kept an attack alive, Michel had Rafael Romo’s goal at his mercy but blazed over from point blank range.
You had the feeling that’d come back to bite Orlando City SC, and bite us it did.
Leading 0-1 at the half, Wayne Rooney’s team-talk seemed to inspire the home side, and Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC frustratingly reverted to being super defensive.
Inviting pressure as we’ve seen multiple times this season, this pressure told late on in stoppage time.
With 91st and 95th minute strikes from Chris Durkin and Taxiarchis Fountas (again!) leaving City absolutely shell-shocked, the Black and Red have now completed a sweep against City in 2022.
Only collecting just 21 points all season, Orlando City SC have embarrassingly handed six of these to the side rock bottom of the Eastern Conference.
As for Saturday’s opponents New England Revolution, Bruce Arena’s side drew 0-0 with Toronto FC last weekend.
Going six games without an MLS victory, Orlando City SC need to arrest their own run of four MLS games without a win.
Orlando City SC vs New England Revolution – 2015/22 head-to-head stats
Last meeting on June 15, New England Revolution and Orlando City SC played out a 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium.
With Revs struggling to replicate their 2021 Supporters’ Shield winning form, this game wasn’t as daunting as before.
Nevertheless, goalscoring nemesis Carles Gil came good against the Lions yet again.
The Spaniard’s beautiful curling effort opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.
Orlando City SC heads didn’t drop however and Robin Jansson equalised 10 minutes before half-time.
Inside Revs’ penalty area, the Swede stole a loose ball from Dylan Borrero before powerfully driving a shot past Djordje Petrović with his left foot from an acute angle.
New England Revolution 1 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – June 15, 2022 (Credit: New England Revolution)
Right now, it’s Revs who hold a four-win advantage over City with SIX victories to the Lions’ TWO.
There are often draws in this fixture with SEVEN played out since 2015 too.
In last season’s home fixture (2-2), Orlando City SC capitulated late on to throw away all three points.
After a Nani strike and Daryl Dike penalty gave Orlando City SC a 2-0 lead by 50 minutes, it all went wrong after the 80th minute mark.
Following some questionable second-half substitutions by Oscar Pareja, an Adam Buksa brace cruelly punished Orlando City SC who still had work to do to reach the post-season.
Orlando City SC 2 New England Revolution 2 – Highlights – October 24, 2021 (Credit: FOX Soccer)
It’s fair to say Orlando City SC are long overdue a victory against New England Revolution.
The Foxborough, Massachusetts side are unbeaten against the Lions in the last EIGHT MLS head-to-heads.
Four meetings ago, Revs painfully eliminated City from the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs (1-3).
Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou (x2) goals killed all the excitement from our incredible penalty shootout triumph over New York City FC a game prior.
This was another genuine character building experience for Oscar Pareja’s band of brothers.
Orlando City SC form
Right now, Orlando City SC just can’t kick the habit of scoring first and then surrendering a hard-earned lead.
At Colorado Rapids (1-1), Atlanta United (1-1) and D.C. United (2-1), City were leading at half-time only to throw away the initiative.
Oscar Pareja‘s game plan to protect slender leads on the road is a high risk strategy that just hasn’t paid off this season.
The Colombian is coming under increasing pressure with sections of the City fanbase frustrated with parking the bus.
In his D.C. post-game presser, Pareja said: “I did not coach them well in the second-half. I could’ve done much more in helping them.”
Accepting the blame, the City players could’ve relieved some pressure off their head coach had they taken their chances in the first-half.
D.C. United 2 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – July 31, 2022 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
New England Revolution form
New England Revolution visit Exploria Stadium after a run of SIX Major League Soccer games without a victory.
Drawing 0-0 at Columbus Crew on July 23, Revs followed that up with another 0-0 home draw to Toronto FC last weekend.
No longer able to call upon Tajon Buchanan and Adam Buksa, losing this firepower would negatively impact any MLS team.
Loaning Jozy Altidore to Mexican side Puebla on July 28, there’s a big onus on new Albanian striker Giacomo Vrioni to hit the ground running.
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