ORLANDO, Fla. (August 25, 2016) – Four days after its match against Toronto FC, Orlando City SC (5-7-13, 28 points) hosts 2015 expansion rival New York City FC (11-7-8, 41 points) on Sunday, Aug. 28, as part of Heineken Rivalry Week. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium.
The match will be nationally televised on Fox Sports 1 and transmitted on Real Radio 104.1 FM in English and on La Grande 1030 AM in Spanish.
It will also kickoff Orlando City SC’s #NeverHuntAlone ticket promotion. Fans can purchase two tickets for just $40 to any of the Lions’ last four home games. For more information, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com/Hunt.
"Good team. Very well organized. We know it’s a team that likes to build out of the back, likes to pressure the ball when they lose it so we’ll be prepared for those things,” Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “[It’s] another home match for us in which we’re looking to improve. From my point of view it’s another opportunity to show improvement and to hopefully get three points in a critical time in our season.”
Orlando City Takes on NYCFC Sunday Night
The Lions are seeking their seventh point in their third match against NYC and the first in Orlando this season. Cyle Larin’s header in the seventh minute and Joe Bendik’s five-save performance sealed three points for the Lions on March 18 at Yankee Stadium. Then on May 29, Kevin Molino set up Júlio Baptista’s first MLS goal and equalized in stoppage time. The Lions have won two of the past three against NYC dating back to last year. This is Kreis’ first match against his former team. Kreis led NYCFC through its inaugural MLS season.
Larin scored his 13th goal of the season and Bendik made five show-stopping saves Wednesday against Toronto but Jozy Altidore’s 86th-minute strike sealed the win for the Reds. It was City’s second of three games in a nine-day stretch.
Bendik’s five saves moved him into the league lead with 94 this season. Larin is tied for fourth in the MLS Golden Boot race and has done his damage in more than 200 fewer minutes than any of the top five scorers. Larin also has the highest shooting percentage of anyone in the top-10. The 21-year-old Canadian has six career goals against NYC, including his first career hat-trick and a game-winning brace on Oct. 16, 2015.
NYC has seven days off between games after last Saturday’s 1-0 win over the LA Galaxy. David Villa tapped home Ronald Matarrita’s rebound in the sixth minute and Josh Saunders made a single save to earn his seventh clean sheet of the season.
Villa leads NYC with 16 goals and has three in his last two games. Thomas McNamara and Andrea Pirlo have nine assists each while Saunders has 72 saves on 117 shots faced this season.
Orlando City has 10 days before its next game in Montreal on Wednesday, Sept. 7, before heading to Carson, Calif., to take on the Galaxy on Sunday, Sept. 11. The Lions return to Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17, when they host the Columbus Crew. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
