Orlando City (4-6-5, 17 points) at New York Red Bulls (7-3-5, 26 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m
Where: Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Radio: Real Radio 104.1, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch on Saturday when Orlando City SC take on the New York Red Bulls:
Last Time Out
Last time Orlando City SC and the New York Red Bulls met was on March 30th earlier this season at INTER&Co Stadium. The Lions were able to snag a point at home against the Red Bulls thanks to a late own goal from New York’s Noah Eile. Prior to that, the last time the Lions and Red Bulls took each other on at Red Bull Arena, Orlando City was able to take the 3-0 win over New York through a first-half strike from Iván Angulo and a second-half brace from Facundo Torres. The Lions remain undefeated against the Red Bulls in their last five meetings.
El Cuervo’s Favorite
The New York Red Bulls are one of Facundo Torres’ favorite teams in Major League Soccer to play against, statistically. El Cuervo has tallied five total goals against the New Jersey-based side in Major League Soccer play, including a second-half brace against the Red Bulls in his last visit to Red Bull Arena, marking the most goals he scored against any team for Orlando City across all competitions. The Uruguayan attacker will look to continue that trend this weekend after scoring his second goal of the MLS campaign in the Club’s last match against Chicago Fire FC.
Road Warriors
The Lions have once again been a force to be reckoned with when playing away matches in MLS so far this season. Orlando City picked up its fifth consecutive result in Major League Soccer this year away from INTER&Co Stadium, taking a 1-1 draw at Chicago Fire FC at the midweek. Over that five-match span, Orlando City holds a 3-0-2 record against the opposition and has scored 10 goals to average two goals scored per road match in that time frame.
Rounding Second
Uruguayan forward Facundo Torres scored his second goal of the 2024 MLS campaign in Orlando City’s midweek matchup against Chicago Fire FC earlier this week. The tally marked his fifth goal across all competitions this year, his 25th regular-season goal for the Lions all-time and his 32nd finish for Orlando City across all competitions, giving him sole possession of second place on the Club’s all-time scoring list and passing former Orlando City captain Nani on the chart.
Going International
After Saturday’s matchup with the New York Red Bulls, Orlando City is expected to lose numerous players to international call-ups for the FIFA international window and future summer tournaments, with a potential for more call-ups in the near future. Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and midfielder Wilder Cartagena have been selected to represent their native Peru at this summer’s Copa America in the United States, while defender David Brekalo has been called-up by Slovenia for the UEFA European Championship. In addition, forward Duncan McGuire has been called-in to the USMNT’s U-23 pre-Olympic camp for the next window.
Milestone Tracker:
- Duncan McGuire is one goal away from tying Chris Mueller (22) for sixth on Orlando City’s all-time scoring list
- Rodrigo Schlegel is two appearances away from 100 in Major League Soccer action
- Ramiro Enrique is two appearances away from 50 across all competitions for Orlando City
