FLORIDA IS PURPLE!!! 😈😤 But you knew that already! Orlando City SC enter Saturday’s clash with Sporting Kansas City fresh off a statement 4-1 demolition of Inter Miami. We may be up to fourth, but the East is as tight as a packed Wall on derby day – so every point from here is massive!
The goals are flowing, Martín Ojeda is in MVP form, and Luis Muriel has his mojo back – so things bode well. Opponents Sporting Kansas City are winless in four, but we’ve stumbled against beatable sides before. If we maintain our current form though, there’s every reason to believe we can secure a top four home playoff spot.
Last time out
Last Saturday, Orlando City SC’s three Designated Players all scored in a dominant 4-1 win over Inter Miami at Inter&Co Stadium. In front of a raucous sell-out crowd of 25,046, City celebrated Oscar Pareja’s birthday with their first-ever season sweep of The Herons! Not only leapfrogging them in the Eastern Conference, we extended Miami’s winless streak at Inter&Co to eight matches (0-4-4). 😏💪🏽 Miami slayer Luis Muriel scored twice, while Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić added one each. Muriel struck inside the opening 2 minutes, netting City’s fastest goal of the season. But Yannick Bright equalised soon after. Muriel then restored our lead early in the second-half before Ojeda and Pašalić sealed the win. Now just three goals shy of Cyle Larin’s single-season goalscoring record (17), Ojeda’s goal contribution streak now spans 11 straight MLS matches (6 goals, 10 assists). It’s actually 14 straight across all competitions. Ultimately, he’s now tied third for the longest streak in MLS history. Across all competitions, Tincho now has 34 contributions (17 goals, 17 assists) this season – a remarkable tally indeed! Elsewhere, Alex Freeman assisted for the second straight game, while Pedro Gallese made an audacious save to deny Luis Suárez from downtown. With 21 shots (12 on target) and sharp second-half finishing, Oscar Pareja’s side showed attacking flair and defensive grit. It was a statement rivalry win that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Last head-to-head
On August 24, 2024, Orlando City SC lost 3-0 at Sporting Kansas City, bringing our five-game unbeaten run to a crashing halt. Failing to register a single shot on target – even after SKC were reduced to 10 men with 35 minutes to play – this was a tough watch. Oscar Pareja’s side started brightly, with early chances for Facundo Torres, Ramiro Enrique, and Martín Ojeda. But a string of poor finishes let the hosts off the hook. SKC capitalised on our sloppiness, with Jake Davis smashing home the opener just before half-time. And then early in the second-half, a ruthless counter-attack saw Dániel Sallói double the lead. Although Papi introduced Duncan McGuire and Luis Muriel in search of a response, the Lions showed little urgency or cohesion. Even after Willy Agada was sent off for a reckless high boot on Torres, Orlando failed to make the man advantage count. Instead, Rémi Walter struck a third in stoppage time to cap off a truly miserable night.
What’s at stake this time?
After 26 games, Orlando City SC (44 points) have climbed to fourth in the East – but the table’s tight. Fifth-placed Columbus Crew sit level with us (44) despite not playing last weekend, and sixth-placed Inter Miami (42) still hold three games in hand. That makes every point from here huge. With Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati, and Nashville SC all dropping points last weekend, the gap to first-placed Union is just 7 points. The good news? The Lions are firing on all cylinders, scoring in 19 straight matches across all competitions since our 0-0 draw at Chicago Fire on May 3. In fact, City have scored three or more goals in 12 of 31 games this year. Having now scored 50 regular season goals, this ties us with Inter Miami and San Diego FC for the league lead. Under Papi, we’ve made a habit of finishing regular seasons strong, and this year looks no different. With Sporting Kansas City winless in their last four (0-1-3), our mission for Saturday is clear. Keep the goals flowing, keep the winning streak alive, and tighten our grip on a top four home playoff spot.
Opposition danger men
🇷🇸 Dejan Joveljić (13 goals, 2 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇭🇺 Dániel Sallói (6 goals, 4 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇲🇽 Santiago Muñoz (3 goals, 1 assist – 2025 MLS)
New opposition faces
🇺🇸 Kerry Zavagnin (interim head coach)
🇺🇸 Ian James (Sporting Kansas City II)
🇺🇸 Jack Kortkamp (Sporting Kansas City Academy)
🇺🇸 Jacob Bartlett (Sporting Kansas City II)
🇺🇸 Mason Toye (Portland Timbers)
🇷🇸 Dejan Joveljić (LA Galaxy)
🇪🇸 Manu García (Aris Thessaloniki)
🇷🇺 Shapi Suleymanov (Aris Thessaloniki)
🇺🇸 Jansen Miller (2025 MLS SuperDraft)
🇺🇸 Andrew Brody (Real Salt Lake)
🇲🇽 Santiago Muñoz (Santos Laguna)
🇲🇽 Alán Montes (on loan from Necaxa)
Injuries
🇵🇪 Wilder Cartagena (right leg) – SEI
🇫🇷 Joran Gerbet (thigh) – questionable
🇺🇸 Duncan McGuire (shoulder) – out
🇯🇵 Yutaro Tsukada (knee) – SEI
🇪🇸 Joaquín Fernández (hamstring) – out
🇪🇸 Manu García (quad) – out
🇧🇪 Logan Ndenbe (hamstring) – out
🇩🇪 Erik Thommy (hip) – out
*SEI – Season-Ending Injury List (Unavailable)
Suspensions
🇺🇾 César Araújo – one game (yellow card accumulation)
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Orlando City SC vs Sporting Kansas City
Last 3 head-to-heads
- September 23, 2020: Sporting Kansas City 1 Orlando City SC 2 (MLS)
- April 23, 2021: Sporting Kansas City 1 Orlando City SC 1 (MLS)
- August 24, 2024: Sporting Kansas City 3 Orlando City SC 0 (MLS)
2015/24 head-to-head stats
- It was 3-0 to SKC the last time the sides met (August 2024)
- Played SKC 8 times in MLS – Orlando 3, Draws 2, SKC 3
- Four of 8 MLS head-to-heads have been separated by ONE goal
- Orlando have taken the lead in 4 of their last 5 MLS fixtures
- SKC have failed to score in their last 2 MLS fixtures
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Watching the game
Orlando City SC vs Sporting Kansas City will be shown live on Apple TV at 00:30 (GMT) on Sunday, August 17.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC’s 2025 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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