Defeated 3-1 at New England Revolution, the hectic mid-season schedule heats up with Orlando City SC returning home to face Philadelphia Union at Exploria Stadium this Wednesday.
Comfortably beaten by the better side in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Revs are now undefeated in their last 10 MLS head-to-heads with City who saw their six-game unbeaten streak ended by well-taken Emmanuel Boateng, Gustavo Bou and Carles Gil second-half goals.
There was a glimmer of hope when substitute Duncan McGuire made it 2-1 with a towering leap and header on 80 minutes, but it wasn’t to be.
A game interrupted by several international call-ups and suspensions, Orlando City SC still fielded a competitive eleven – at least on paper.
With Mason Stajduhar, Michael Halliday, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe Martins, and Martín Ojeda all starting, Revs were already unbeaten at Gillette Stadium this year.
A tough proposition, New England Revolution were the protagonist all evening. They bossed possession 59% to 41% with captain Carles Gil a constant menace throughout.
In the end, Bruce Arena’s side had far more attacking ingenuity and quality in the final third.
With City steady in the first-half in Foxborough, the timing of Emmanuel Boateng’s 51st minute strike was brutal.
The Ghanaian connected perfectly after Mason Stajduhar parried away a dangerous Gustavo Bou cross.
The mountain became even bigger to climb by 69 minutes.
After more attacking impetus from Orlando City SC who chased an equaliser, Revs’ second goal came against the run of play.
Gustavo Bou unleashed a fierce left-footed strike outside the Lions’ 18-yard box.
Mason Stajduhar had no chance with the ball perfectly cannoned inside his side netting.
It’s true; Orlando City SC could’ve capitulated by this point.
However, they rallied and had that aforementioned glimmer of hope when Duncan McGuire scored his fifth City goal on 80 minutes.
With the game stretched, Carles Gil extinguished any chance of a comeback by 85 minutes.
Making it 3-1 late on, the talented Spaniard has been a goalscoring nemesis to Orlando City SC over the years.
By extension, New England Revolution remain a real bogey side to the Lions – now unbeaten in the last 10 league meetings.
With no time to feel sorry for ourselves, Jim Curtin’s Philadelphia Union come to town this Wednesday.
Going 9-3-5 so far this season, Union are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Notoriously a difficult opponent, Orlando City SC did however get the better of Union in this year’s first head-to-head, a 1-2 victory at Subaru Park back in March.
Orlando City SC vs Philadelphia Union
Last 3 head-to-heads
- July 23, 2022: Orlando City SC 0 Philadelphia Union 1 (MLS)
- September 10, 2022: Philadelphia Union 5 Orlando City SC 1 (MLS)
- March 25, 2023: Philadelphia Union 1 Orlando City SC 2 (MLS)
2015/23 head-to-head stats
- It was 1-2 to Orlando the last time the sides met (March 2023)
- Played Union 17 times in MLS – Orlando 5, Draws 4, Union 8
- Both sides have scored in 9 of the last 10 head-to-heads across all competitions
- Orlando last earned back-to-back home victories in MLS back in September – October 2022
- Union have won 7 of their last 9 MLS fixtures
…
Watching the game
Orlando City SC vs Philadelphia Union will be shown live on Apple TV at 00:30 (GMT) on Thursday, June 22.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC‘s 2023 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
…
Support Orlando City UK
Passionate about what we do, Orlando City UK content will always be free. The most important thing for us is sharing our love of Orlando City SC with you all and donations are by no means expected. However, if you enjoy our content, a token towards the regular maintenance of Orlando City UK is hugely appreciated!
