KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Even before last weekend's match ended, Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja knew his squad would be tested in their next game.
With the international window occurring during the next two matches, the Lions would be without goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, midfielder Wilder Cartagena and forward Facundo Torres, who are with their respective national teams during this time.
In addition, defenders Antônio Carlos and Kyle Smith both received their fifth yellow cards of the season against the Colorado Rapids, meaning they will be suspended for this weekend's matchup against a surging New England Revolution (7:30 p.m. kickoff | TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
"The youngsters are growing and they have much more experience now," Pareja said of his team, "They're more confident to be part of the starting lineups. So we have no excuses. We're good. We should be fighting for three points in New England is not a thought in our minds that can slow us. We have a good roster we have a good team, and we keep moving forward."
One of those youngsters that has returned to the team after spending the last few weeks with the US U-20 National Team at the U-20 World Cup in Argentina is defender Mikey Halliday.
Halliday started half the matches the US played and was part of a backline that did not allow a goal during the group stages, the only team at the tournament to do so.
"It was good," he said. "Definitely a cool experience. It feels surreal when you're there just playing in a World Cup. It's definitely a big moment in your career. It came to an end shorter than we wanted to, wish we could have gone further, but it was definitely good. I enjoyed it."
As for the Lions' opponents this weekend, the Revolution come into this matchup unbeaten in their last four games, including a win over Inter Miami last weekend.
“New England is a good team," Pareja said. "They have good players and a very experienced coach. Like always, it’s a different story, and the context always helps us see the game, but I don't think you can dictate what is going to happen. We're building our game against New England like always. This time we hope we can get there and bring [back] three points.”
In their MLS tenure, the Lions have still yet to beat the Revolution in Foxborough, going 0-5-2 since 2015 at Gillette Stadium.
Odds and ends
- Forward Gastón González is "training very well" according to Pareja. The winger started training fully this week and is on a timeline to come back to the team soon after suffering an injury back on May 21.
- Defender Luca Petrasso played in Orlando City B's match over the weekend, a 4-0 win over FC Cincinnati II. He played 59 minutes and assisted on the third goal of the match scored by Shak Mohammed. He will be available for this weekend's match in Foxborough.
Don't miss Kickoff -60, airing one hour before Orlando City's match against New York, exclusively on the LionNation App. Join host Gabrielle Amado and Orlando City’s English-language radio talents Evan Weston and Paul Shaw as they break down the upcoming match, with special guests appearing regularly throughout the season.
Fans can download the LionNation App at the link here.
