Orlando City (6-4-5, 23 points) vs Colorado Rapids (2-8-7, 13 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Radio: 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Everything you need to know for Orlando City vs Colorado Rapids in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestone watch
-- Pedro Gallese is set to make his 100th appearance and start for Orlando City this weekend against Colorado. Gallese is Orlando’s all-time MLS-era record holder in clean sheets, wins, and appearances. “El Pulpo” recorded his 26th clean sheet as a Lion last weekend against the New York Red Bulls, giving him twice as many as any other City keeper.
-- A great stat from Orlando City’s Austin David – last week’s game was the first time Oscar Pareja produced an unchanged starting XI and bench since the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020.
-- With last week’s result, Orlando City is unbeaten in five, the club’s longest MLS run without a defeat since it went seven straight without a loss from July 30 to September 4, 2021.
Stats and storylines
-- Facundo Torres broke out with two goals against New York, scoring a penalty kick early in the second half before putting the game away late on the break. Torres doubled his goal tally for the year on the night. Notably, “El Cuervo” got off to a slow start last season before exploding over the summer and ending the year with 13 G/12 A in all competitions.
--Torres and Iván Angulo, who had a goal and an assist, were both named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for their performances against RBNY. Oscar Pareja was named Coach of the Matchday for the second time in three weeks.
-- Torres will look to continue his good form with Uruguay later this month, as legendary new manager Marcelo Bielsa named him to the national team squad for two friendly games on June 14 and 20. Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena were both called into the Peruvian team for the window as well. The three will be available for selection this week before heading out to their national teams.
-- Due to scheduling quirks and the Lions’ participation in the CONCACAF Champions League, Orlando City has played fewer games than any other Eastern Conference team. While currently eighth in the league standings, Orlando is actually fifth in the East on points per game.
Series history
All-time vs. Colorado - 4-1-2, +5 GD (3-0-0, +5 GD home)
MLS only vs. Colorado - Same
- 2015 - W 2-0 (H)
- 2016 - D 0-0 (A)
- 2017 - W 2-0 (H)
- 2018 - W 1-2 (A)
- 2019 - W 4-3 (H)
- 2021 - L 2-1 (A)
- 2022 - D 1-1 (A)
Meet the opponent: Colorado Rapids
-- Orlando City has a better record by points per game against Colorado than against any other MLS club historically. The Lions have never so much as dropped a point to the Rapids at home, last defeating them 4-3 in March 2019. That wild game featured three lead changes, an hour-long weather delay at halftime, and Nani’s first two goals in purple, the latter of which won the match in the 89th minute.
-- The two teams met last year at Dick’s Sporting Goods park in Colorado and played to a 1-1 draw. Facundo Torres scored the opener on a long throw-in for Orlando, but Gyasi Zardes (now of Austin FC) equalized for the Rapids in the second half.
-- Colorado has fallen on hard times in 2023. The club just snapped a five-game losing skid with a 0-0 draw against San Jose last weekend, but the team has just two wins in 17 matches overall and sits dead last in the league in points per game.
-- Irish midfielder Connor Ronan has been a bright spot for the Rapids, assisting on six of the club’s 14 goals this season. Ronan is tied for the league lead in long passes completed among non-goalkeepers.
-- Oscar Pareja’s first head coaching job was with Colorado from 2012-13. Pareja turned the Rapids around and took them to the postseason in his second year before returning to FC Dallas and their top job in 2014.
