Orlando City (2-4-3, 9 points) vs FC Cincinnati (5-2-3, 18 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: INTER&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (free)
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Everything you need to know for the Lions match hosting Cincinnati in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestones
- Duncan McGuire became the 8th Lion in the club’s MLS era to reach 20 goals with his strike against Toronto FC this past Saturday night. McGuire’s next goal will tie him with Tesho Akindele for seventh on the club’s all-time scoring charts, and a brace would put him even with Chris Mueller in sixth.
- McGuire is two appearances away from 50 for Orlando City in all competitions. He is the second-fastest player in club history to reach 20 goals, only trailing Cyle Larin, who reached the 20-goal mark in just 31 appearances.
- Pedro Gallese’s next win will be his 50th in MLS and his 60th overall for Orlando City.
Stats & Storylines
- Orlando City suffered a difficult defeat over the weekend, conceding twice in three minutes to go from a 1-0 win to a 2-1 loss to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium. The match marked the first time the Lions lost a game in which they led in the 87th minute or later since July 31, 2022, when two stoppage time concessions sunk Orlando against D.C. United.
- The Lions now embark on one of the most difficult stretches of their season. Orlando will face four of the East’s six best teams by points per game over their next five, including visits from Cincinnati, Miami, and Columbus and a trip to Philadelphia. The fifth game is a flight across the country to play San Jose on two days rest on May 18.
- After this stretch of matches, the Lions wrap up their run before the June international break with back-to-back road games in a week at Chicago and the New York Red Bulls.
- Duncan McGuire continued his strong season with his fifth goal in all competitions on Saturday night. McGuire had a second goal called back due to offsides just before halftime. McGuire has 20 goals in just over 2500 minutes as a professional.
- The Lions will look to avoid back-to-back home defeats for the first time in more than a calendar year. Orlando dropped three straight at home last March through April before going on a run of 15 straight matches without a loss at Inter&Co Stadium.
Series History
All-time vs. FC Cincinnati - 4-2-3, +7 GD (2-1-1, +6 GD home)
MLS only vs. FC Cincinnati - Same
- 2019 - W 5-1 (H), D 1-1 (A)
- 2021 - W 3-0 (H), D 1-1 (A), W 0-1 (A)
- 2022 - L 1-2 (H), L 1-0 (A)
- 2023 - D 0-0 (H), W 0-1 (A)
Meet the opponent: Toronto FC
- Outside of a 2022 sweep, Orlando City have handled business against FC Cincinnati since the latter’s arrival in MLS in 2019, including taking four points off the Garys in their 2023 Supporters Shield campaign. Cincinnati and Orlando finished 1-2 in the MLS overall standings last season.
- The only goal scored in the series last season came from Facundo Torres at TQL Stadium, with the Lions surviving a second-half stoppage-time red card to win 1-0 in Cincy in early September. That game marked Cincinnati’s first home loss of 2023, snapping a run of 20 consecutive games without defeat in all competitions (not including penalty shootouts) for the Orange and Blue in southwest Ohio.
- Cincinnati star Luciano Acosta made history this past weekend, becoming FCC’s all-time leading goalscorer with his 44th tally in Orange and Blue in a 2-1 victory over Colorado. Acosta won the 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP on the back of a 17 G/14 A season, captaining Cincy to the Supporters Shield.
- Acosta has three goals in his career against Orlando City, all coming in the same match in 2018 for D.C. United. He has two assists but no goals against the Lions in Cincinnati colors.
- 2023 stars Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey) and Álvaro Barreal (Cruzeiro) have departed the club, replaced by 19 year-old Venezuelan youth international Kevin Kelsy and Vasco da Gama loanee Luca Orellano, respectively. Kelsy was signed just before the close of the primary transfer window last week, while Orellano has started all but one game this year for Cincy, notching a goal and an assist.
- Also new for 2024 in Cincinnati are former Atlanta United and U.S. international center back Miles Robinson, former Inter Miami right back DeAndre Yedlin, and 2018 MLS Rookie of the Year Corey Baird.
