Last night, Orlando City SC earned yet another important victory, defeating Charlotte FC 2-0 at Inter&Co Stadium to continue our impressive form with a third consecutive home shutout. This crucial win propelled the Lions into fourth place in the Eastern Conference – our highest position all season – and extended our hopes of home field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Building on the momentum from recent home wins over Nashville SC (3-0) and New England Revolution (3-0), Facundo Torres netted his 12th goal of the MLS regular season with a sublime finish early in the second-half, followed by a composed chip from Duncan McGuire in the dying minutes. The match marked Orlando City SC’s first victory over Charlotte FC in five meetings and showcased the Lions’ growing defensive resilience and attacking precision.
Orlando City SC head into Saturday’s clash with 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup champions Columbus Crew full of confidence, having leapfrogged New York Red Bulls into fourth place, though level on points (43) with the New Jersey side. However, the road trip to Lower.com Field won’t be easy. Facing Wilfried Nancy’s formidable side, widely regarded as the best-coached team in MLS, Oscar Pareja’s Lions will be without the suspended César Araújo.
With both teams in strong form with playoff positions at stake, this encounter promises to be a significant test of Orlando City SC’s late-season push. Right now, Lower.com Field is THE ultimate acid test among MLS fortresses and this game will examine how City might fare against top-quality opposition in the post-season. Crew enter this game fresh off a 0-2 win at Toronto FC last night, though they lost their last home match 0-4 to Seattle Sounders on September 7. That result, however, came with an asterisk. Crew were shorthanded due to international call-ups and with no goalkeeper on the bench, Sean Zawadzki had to play in net for the entire second-half after Abraham Romero’s red card in first-half stoppage time. Continue reading