Leagues Cup: Orlando City vs Cruz Azul
When: Friday, 7:300 p.m
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM, (English)
Everything you need to know for the Lions' Leagues Cup match vs Cruz Azul in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestones
- Ramiro Enrique has scored in six consecutive games, the longest individual streak in Orlando City history. Enrique will look to extend his record on Friday against Cruz Azul.
- Facundo Torres’ assist against Atlético San Luis was his 24th for the club, matching Chris Mueller for third in Orlando City history. Torres is two assists away from tying Nani for second on the all-time charts.
- Orlando City is unbeaten in seven after defeating San Luis on penalty kicks on Sunday night. The Lions have only gone more than seven straight without a loss once, their club-record 12-game unbeaten run in 2020. A result against Cruz Azul would bring the current streak to second in club history.
- Nicolás Lodeiro’s next assist will tie the club’s single season record of 12, set by Torres in 2022 and Mauricio Pereyra in 2023.
Stats & Storylines
- Orlando City topped its Leagues Cup group for the second consecutive season, overcoming a first half red card to draw Atlético San Luis 1-1 and snag the extra point on penalties on Sunday night. The Lions ended the group stage with five points, just as they did in 2023.
- The Lions moved to 9-0 all-time in penalty shootouts, converting all five of their spot kicks. Pedro Gallese saved Léo Bonatini’s effort in the fourth round and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson finished the final kick to clinch Orlando’s victory. Orlando is 6-0 in penalty shootouts under Oscar Pareja.
- Facundo Torres ended the group stage with one goal and two assists in the two games. Torres has 7 G/6 A in his last ten appearances and is up to 20 goal contributions in all competitions in 2024 (12 G/8 A).
- Martín Ojeda saw his club-record run of seven straight games with a goal contribution snapped against San Luis, but it would have continued had it been an MLS regular season game – his cross set up Torres’ assist for Enrique’s goal, but Leagues Cup does not count secondary assists.
- Orlando City is set up to host the majority of their games the rest of the way in Leagues Cup. Due to finishing 2nd in the Supporters’ Shield standings last season, the Lions are seeded fourth overall, meaning they receive hosting priority over all teams except FC Cincinnati and the reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew. Club América is also ahead of Orlando in the seeding, but América’s hub privileges run out after the semifinal round and Orlando cannot face them until the final, meaning Inter&Co Stadium would host.
- Should Orlando advance past Cruz Azul, it will host the winner of D.C. United and Mazatlán. Potential quarterfinal opponents include FC Cincinnati, Santos Laguna, CF Montréal, and the Philadelphia Union.
Series History
All-time vs. Cruz Azul - First meeting
Meet the opponent: Cruz Azul
- Just like last year, when Orlando City ran into Inter Miami in the Round of 32, the Lions are faced with a marquee opponent in the opening game of the knockouts. Cruz Azul was a finalist in the Liga MX 2024 Clausura and features one of the most expensive rosters in North American soccer.
- Cruz Azul was founded in 1927 as the official sport of Mexico City-based cement company Cemento Cruz Azul. The club played amateur soccer for more than three decades before transitioning to professional status in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They were promoted to the top division in 1964 and have remained there ever since.
- Nicknamed La Máquina (“The Machine), Cruz Azul is one of the most successful clubs in Mexican soccer history, winning eight Liga MX titles, six CONCACAF Champions Cup titles, and a North American treble in 1997. The 21st century hasn’t been as kind, as Cruz Azul lost six Liga MX finals before finally breaking a 23-year title drought with the 2021 Clausura crown.
- Cruz Azul had a brutal 2023, finishing 16th in the Apertura and missing the liguilla in both seasons, before rebounding brilliantly in the 2024 Clausura. La Máquina finished second in the table and went all the way to the final, falling 2-1 on aggregate to Club América.
- In an attempt to get over the top and return to championship glory, Cruz Azul spent more than $20 million this summer reinforcing the roster. Around half of that sum went to former Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, who scored 24 goals in 43 games for the Five Stripes before departing for Mexico City last month. Giakoumakis has two goals in his first five appearances for Cruz Azul.
- La Máquina also splashed the cash on defensive midfielder Luis Romo (from Monterrey), wingback Jorge Sánchez (from Ajax), and central midfielder Andrés Montaño (from Mazatlán) this summer. Transfermarkt rates Cruz Azul’s squad as the fourth-most valuable in Liga MX, behind Club América, Monterrey, and Toluca.
