Orlando City (3-3-2, 11 points) vs. LA Galaxy (1-4-3, 6 points)
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (subscription required)
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Tickets: View seats
As Orlando City prepares for face LA Galaxy tonight, here's what you need to know ahead of kickoff in The Road Ahead presented by Audi:
Milestone watch
- Facundo Torres’ next appearance for Orlando City will be his 50th in all competitions for the club. Torres has 14 goals and 12 assists in his Lions career, scoring the game-winning goal in both the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final and last year’s Decision Day playoff clincher..
- Pedro Gallese will pass Joe Bendik for the most appearances by an Orlando City goalkeeper (93) if he starts this weekend. Gallese matched Bendik with his start against D.C. United last Saturday.
- Here’s a milestone Orlando City would like to avoid reaching – a loss to the Galaxy would mark the first time the Lions have lost four consecutive home matches in club history. Orlando last lost three in a row at home back in the spring of 2018.
Stats and storylines
- The Lions’ bizarro start to the season continued this past weekend with a home loss to D.C. United. Orlando City has the best road points-per-game in MLS and is one of only two teams without a loss away from home, alongside defending champions LAFC. However, Orlando is also the only team in the league with three home defeats this year.
- Orlando keeps running on Duncan! Rookie striker Duncan McGuire scored for the second consecutive game this past Saturday, slotting home a Martín Ojeda through ball in the first half against D.C. United. McGuire has put all seven of his shots on target in his 247 minutes of MLS play.
- The majority of MLS teams entered the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this week in what is technically the third round of the competition. Orlando, as the defending champions and thus a CONCACAF Champions League entrant, will enter in the Round of 32 against Charlotte FC with the match taking place on either May 9 or May 10.
Series history
All-time vs. LA Galaxy - 3-3-0, +2 GD (2-1-0, + GD home)
MLS only vs. LA Galaxy - Same
2015 - W 4-0 (H)
2016 - L 4-2 (A)
2017 - W 2-1 (H)
2018 - L 4-3 (A)
2019 - L 0-1 (H)
2022 - W 0-1 (A)
Meet the opponent: LA Galaxy
- Orlando City will look to make it two in a row against the Galaxy this weekend, following up on last March’s exciting 1-0 victory in Carson. Facundo Torres scored his first-ever Orlando City goal early in that match, helping the Lions to a huge early season win.
- The series, while only six games long, has seen some thrilling performances. Orlando came out and shellacked the Galaxy 4-0 in the 2015 expansion season, with Kaká and Cyle Larin both on the scoresheet. Larin scored a second half stoppage time winner two years later when the teams met at Exploria Stadium for the first time. In 2018, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first MLS hat trick in a wild 4-3 LA win in California that featured three lead changes.
- Galaxy forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández scored his first goal of the 2023 season last week in a 2-0 win over Austin FC. Chicharito has missed all but three matches this year with a hamstring injury, but looks to be rounding into the form that saw him score 35 goals over the past two seasons. The Mexican international is an all-time legend in his home country, with a record 52 goals for the national team.
- Former Barcelona standout Riqui Puig had a goal and an assist in the Austin game, making the MLS Team of the Matchday. Since joining the league last summer, Puig is in the 95th percentile or higher of all MLS midfielders in shot-creating actions, progressive passes, progressive carries, and successful take-ons, per Football Reference.
