Leagues Cup: Orlando City vs CF Montréal
When: Friday, 8:00 p.m
Where: INTER&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: 96.9 the Game FM, (English)
Everything you need to know for the Lions' Leagues Cup opener vs CF Montréal in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestones
- Martín Ojeda can set a new club record with a goal contribution on Friday night against Montréal, which would mark seven consecutive games in which the Argentine has delivered either a goal or an assist. Ojeda currently shares the record with Daryl Dike, who scored or assisted in six straight games to conclude the 2021 season.
- Ramiro Enrique became the fourth player in Orlando City history to score in four straight games with his goal against NYCFC, joining Dom Dwyer, Nani, and Daryl Dike in accomplishing the feat. Only Dike managed a goal in a fifth straight in that 2021 run.
- Nico Lodeiro has 10 assists in all competitions this year, putting him two shy of the all competitions record, which is also 12, held jointly by Pereyra in 2023 and Torres in 2022.
- Pedro Gallese is three saves away from 400 as Orlando City goalkeeper.
Stats & Storylines
- Orlando City failed to score multiple goals in a game for the first time in more than a month this past weekend, drawing 1-1 with expansion rival New York City FC. The Lions remain unbeaten in the month of July with just one loss in their last eight games.
- With nine games to play in the regular season, Orlando sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Toronto FC for the final guaranteed slot in the playoff field.
- The focus now turns to Leagues Cup, a month-long World Cup-style tournament involving all 47 teams in MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX. Due to finishing second in the Supporters’ Shield standings in 2023, the Lions get to host both of their group stage games. CF Montréal visits this Friday, while Liga MX side Atlético San Luis comes to town on Sunday, August 4. Draws end in a penalty shootout, with the winner taking two points rather than one. The top two teams in the group move on to the knockout rounds.
- Last season, Orlando City won its group in dramatic fashion, beating Santos Laguna 3-2 in the deciding match on a 92nd-minute winner from Wilder Cartagena. The Lions then fell 3-1 at Inter Miami in the Round of 32. Due to the structure of the bracket, Orlando cannot face Miami until the semifinals this season.
- With Duncan McGuire at the Olympics, the two players on Orlando’s roster who scored in last year’s Leagues Cup are the club’s defensive midfielders: Cartagena and César Araújo, who scored against Miami.
Series History
All-time vs. CF Montréal - 9-10-5, -3 GD (4-4-3, 0 GD home)
2015 - D 2-2 (A), L 2-0 (A), W 2-1 (H)
2016 - W 2-1 (H), W 1-4 (A), L 0-1 (H)
2017 - D 3-3 (H), L 2-1 (A)
2018 - L 3-0 (A), L 0-2 (H)
2019 - L 1-3 (H), W 0-3 (A)
2020 - W 1-0 (N/MLS is Back), W 0-1 (A*)
2021 - L 2-4 (H), D 1-1 (H), W 0-2 (A)
2022 - W 2-0 (H), L 4-1 (A), L 2-0 (A/MLS Cup Playoffs)
2023 - L 2-0 (A), W 3-0 (H)
2024 - D 0-0 (H), D 2-2 (A)
*game played at Red Bull Arena due to COVID-19 pandemic
Meet the opponent: CF Montréal
- Orlando City and CF Montréal face off for the third time this season on Friday night after sharing the points in both of their regular season encounters. The teams played to a scoreless draw in the MLS regular season opener in Orlando on February 24, then battled to a thrilling 2-2 finish at the Stade Saputo on April 20.
- Orlando came from behind twice in the latter game, scoring in six minutes or fewer after each Montréal goal. Ariel Lassiter appeared to have it won for the hosts in the 88th minute, but Iván Angulo earned the point back for the Lions in stoppage time.
- The Lions have a 309 minute shutout streak against CF Montréal at Inter&Co Stadium going back to October 2021. Orlando’s current three-game unbeaten streak at home against Montréal is their longest in the series’ history.
- Facundo Torres has two goals against Montréal in his career, netting in last year’s 3-0 home win and scoring a penalty in the April 20 game this season.
- Montréal sits a point below the playoff line with a 6-10-9 record so far this season. Striker Sunusi Ibrahim leads the side with six goals, while longtime Orlando City villain Josef Martínez has five goals and three assists in just 883 minutes.
- A major issue for Montréal this year is a leaky defense – the Canadian side has conceded 49 goals in the 2024 regular season, second-most in the Eastern Conference and fourth-most in MLS.
