Orlando City (11-10-7, 40 points) vs Charlotte FC (10-10-8, 38 points)
When: Wednesday, 8:15 p.m
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free), Fox Sports 1
Radio: 96.9 The Game, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch on Wednesday as the Lions host Charlotte FC:
A Royal Rumble in Orlando
Orlando City SC and Charlotte FC don’t have a long history against one another, but the all-time series is as close as one can imagine. Since the two teams started facing off in 2022, the Lions and Charlotte have played to a 2-2-2 stalemate across all competitions and 2-1-2 in MLS contests, including a 2-2 draw on June 19 earlier this season. Orlando City forwards Duncan McGuire and Facundo Torres led the way, each scoring a goal in the second half to tie the match after falling behind a goal on two separate occasions. Wednesday night’s match will go a long way in determining playoff positioning, with the Lions currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and two points ahead of Charlotte FC, who holds the seventh spot in the standings.
Defend The Den
The Lions enter the final stretch of the 2024 MLS regular season with six matches left to play. Three of Orlando City’s final six matches will take place in downtown Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium. Entering Wednesday’s match with Charlotte, the Lions are undefeated at Inter&Co Stadium in their last eight games, dating back to June 15, and have outscored their opposition 21-5 across those eight contests. Forward Facundo Torres has scored seven times in that undefeated run, and the Lions have tallied goals in six-straight MLS home matches.
Historic Summer of Facu
It’s no secret that Orlando City thrives when forward Facundo Torres is at the top of his game, but opponents haven’t been able to slow down the Uruguayan as of late. Torres has scored in the last two matches for the Lions and has eight goals in the last 10 MLS matches dating back to June 22, with Orlando City posting a 7-2-1 record over that same span. Against the Revolution this past Saturday, Torres scored his 15th goal of the season across all competitions, also marking his 42nd goal all-time, bringing him within two goals of former Lion Cyle Larin (44) for most in Club history.
Charging into the Playoffs
The Lions made a significant charge in playoff positioning this past weekend, with several games around the league going their way. Orlando City entered the weekend in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and with a 3-0 over New England, the Lions now have 40 points on the season. The Club rose from seventh to fifth thanks to a Charlotte FC loss against CF Montréal and a New York City FC draw with D.C. United. The Lions and NYCFC are tied with 40 points and a plus-four goal differential each, but Orlando has the advantage with 45 goals scored against New York City’s 41. The Lions are three points behind the New York Red Bulls for fourth place and home advantage in the Round One best-of-three series, with a game left in hand on the Red Bulls.
Getting It Done from the Sideline
With the win last Saturday against the New England Revolution, Head Coach Oscar Pareja tied Dominic Kinnear for fifth-most wins in MLS history (170). The Colombian also holds the second-most wins out of any active head coach in Major League Soccer. Since joining Orlando City ahead of the 2020 season, Pareja has led the Lions to a 79-52-52 record and a playoff appearance in each season. The Lions also won their first title in their MLS era in 2022 by winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Milestone Tracker:
- Duncan McGuire is tied with Dom Dwyer (24) for fifth on Orlando City’s all-time scoring list and is one goal away from tying Kaká (25) for fourth.
- Facundo Torres (24) is one assist away from passing Chris Mueller (24) for third on the Club’s all-time assist chart and two away from tying former captain Nani (26) for second.
- Torres also sits just two goals away from the all-time Club record set by Cyle Larin (44) across all competitions.
