Orlando City (7-5-5, 26 points) vs Philadelphia Union (9-5-3, 30 points)
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Last Go Around
The Lions last faced the Union on March 25, taking a 2-1 victory from Subaru Park in what served as the side’s first road win of the year. That match saw Iván Angulo and Martín Ojeda score for the Lions, the first for the Club for the former and the second in as many contests for the latter at the time. Goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar also started in between the sticks for the Lions, picking up his first win of 2023, with the Homegrown netminder expected to get the nod once again on Wednesday.
Running on Duncan
2023 MLS SuperDraft selection Duncan McGuire found the back of the net for the fifth time this campaign for the Lions over the weekend, now tied with teammates Facundo Torres and Ercan Kara for the team lead in all competitions. McGuire’s five goals leads all SuperDraft picks from this year’s class, with the Lions selecting the Creighton-product at sixth overall this past December.
Homegrown Helpers
Defender Mikey Halliday made his return to the Lions’ lineup over the weekend after missing the side’s previous four contests while away with the U.S. U-20 National Team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The Homegrown defender made an impact on both ends for the side, tallying his second assist of his professional career on McGuire’s second-half finish.
Back In the Fold
The Lions will be without four players due to international duty on Wednesday, with goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, midfielders Wilder Cartagena and Facundo Torres, as well as forward Wilfredo Rivera set to miss their second-consecutive match for the side. However, the side will look to welcome back defenders Kyle Smith and Antonio Carlos into the fold, with the two returning from yellow card accumulation suspensions at the midweek. In addition, defender Luca Petrasso made his return from injury for the side in New England on Saturday, entering the match in the 78th minute to log his first minutes for the Lions since April 15.
In the 407
Wednesday will see the Lions look to maintain a four-game unbeaten streak in The City Beautiful dating back to April 29, with the side having taken a pair of 2-0 shutout victories along with a pair of 1-1 draws in that span. The Lions defeated the Colorado Rapids in their last outing at Exploria Stadium, with Facundo Torres and Ramiro Enrique each finding the back of the net in that contest, the latter netting his first goal for the Club.
Milestone Tracker
- Kyle Smith’s next appearance will serve as his 125th for the Club in all competitions. Smith’s next start will also serve as his 80th in all competitions in purple.
- Mauricio Pereyra’s next appearance will see him make his 115th in all competitions.
- Rodrigo Schlegel sits three appearances away from his 90th in Orlando in all competitions.
- Ercan Kara sits three appearances away from 50 in all competitions as a Lion.
