Orlando City (7-4-5, 26 points) at New England Revolution (8-3-6, 30 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Everything you need to know for Orlando City at New England Revolution in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestone watch
-- With a win or draw this weekend, Orlando City will have its longest unbeaten run (seven games) since July 30 to September 4, 2021.
-- By defeating Colorado last weekend, Orlando won consecutive games for the first time this season. The Lions’ last won three games in a row in August 2022, a run of five straight victories that culminated in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
-- Pedro Gallese celebrated his 100th Orlando City appearance in style, recording his second consecutive clean sheet against the Rapids. Gallese has 44 wins and 27 clean sheets in his Lions career.
Stats and storylines
-- Orlando City will be severely short-handed this weekend against New England. Already down three starters due to international duty (Facundo Torres, Uruguay; Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, Peru), the Lions will also be without Antonio Carlos and Kyle Smith, both of whom picked up yellow card accumulation suspensions.
-- Mason Stajduhar started in goal during Gallese’s last absence, picking up a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union on the road on March 25. Stajduhar has a 5-3-5 record in 13 starts in all competitions, including just one loss in MLS regular season play.
-- Spanish youth international midfielder Alejandro Granados made Orlando City history on Saturday night when he debuted in the 89th minute. At 17 years and 11 days, Granados became the youngest player to appear in an MLS match for the Lions. Granados was an MLS NEXT All-Star last season and is fresh off a terrific run with Spain to the U17 Euro semifinals.
Series history
All-time vs. New England - 3-7-7, -10 GD (0-5-2, - GD away)
MLS only vs. New England - 2-6-7, -9 GD (0-5-2, - GD away)
- 2015 - D 2-2 (H), L 3-0 (A)
- 2016 - D 2-2 (H), D 2-2 (A), W 3-1 (H)
- 2017 - L 4-0 (A), W 6-1 (H)
- 2018 - D 3-3 (H), L 2-0 (A)
- 2019 - W 2-1 a.e.t. (H/USOC), L 4-1 (A), D 3-3 (H)
- 2020 - L 1-3 (H/MLS Cup Playoffs)
- 2021 - L 2-1 (A), D 2-2 (H)
- 2022 - D 1-1 (A), L 0-3 (H)
Meet the opponent: New England Revolution
-- Orlando City has badly struggled with New England historically. The Lions have not beaten the Revs in any competition since the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16, when Benji Michel scored his first professional goal and Tesho Akindele pocketed a second to help the Lions to an extra-time victory.
-- Orlando’s last win over New England in MLS play was all the way back in September 2017, when the Lions scored a club-record six goals after an early Revs red card. The Lions have never won at Gillette Stadium in seven tries, the most matches the club has played in any venue without a victory.
-- While the Revs won’t be quite as short-handed as Orlando City, they will be without star goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who was called into the Serbian national team for games against Jordan and Bulgaria. Petrovic will be a major loss – he has a sterling .759 SV% since joining New England last summer and has saved five of 16 penalty kicks.
-- New England is led by 2021 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Carles Gil, who has 2 G/5 A in six MLS games against Orlando City. The Revs also sport former USMNT forward Jozy Altidore, who has scored seven times in ten appearances against the Lions.
