KISSIMMEE, Fla. —  It's been a tough last few weeks for Orlando City. Five of Orlando City SC's last seven matches have been on the road, including last Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup match in Naples, Florida.
Just this past week, the team played three matches, two being away from home.
Even though the games are coming thick and fast, Interim Head Coach MartÃn Perelman is relishing the amount of games for his side.
"The thing I most like is to play," Perelman said at Orlando Health Training Ground at Osceola Heritage Park on Monday. "I like this type of micro cycles. I love the competition, because the competition is the best way of training yourself."
That mentality will be tested again on Wednesday night, when Orlando City hosts Charlotte FC at Inter&Co Stadium, a fixture that has carried a bit extra over the past two seasons. The two clubs have met in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2023 and 2024, with Orlando eliminating Charlotte in Round One of both postseasons.
Wednesday's regular-season meeting marks the first matchup between the sides since July of last year, which saw Marco Pašalić score the game-tying goal in a 2-2 draw in Charlotte. This year, Dean Smith's side comes into Orlando on the heels of a big result against New York City FC, their offense clicking with Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas scoring in a 2-1 win.
"I think we both know each other really well," Perelman said. "They have been doing a good job for the last year. We respect them like we respect every opponent, and we will have our plan and our strategy and our team here at home."
For Orlando, the encouraging storyline heading into Wednesday is on the defensive end. The Lions have shown improvement in recent matches, with the addition of captain Robin Jansson back into the squad, after he missed the first six matches fo the season. Now, the Lions will look to find success on the other end of the pitch.
"I think we organize the team, it's never enough. We always need to improve things, and we are in that part," Perelman said. "But the structure is there. In the offensive side as well, we are working, and hopefully we can get the shape we want and that we are used to, because in this club, we have been scoring a lot for the last two years."
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Inter&Co Stadium, with the match available on Apple TV.
Odds and Ends:
- Defender David Brekalo, midfielder Eduard Atuesta, and forward Marco Pašalić missed out on training, while defender Griffin Dorsey was working off to the side.
