In a clash that brings together two teams with long unbeaten streaks in the current MLS season, Orlando City will face the New England Revolution in a match that promises strong emotions with a view to qualifying for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Orlando City enjoys a season of strong recovery
Orlando City were having one of the worst defenses in the MLS with 12 goals conceded in six games, leaving the team far behind their real potential. However, coach Oscar Pareja managed to make the necessary adjustments to the tactical system and has now racked up an impressive five consecutive games without conceding a goal.
However, the promising team from Florida still needs to fine-tune its attack, as four of their five recent MLS matches have ended in goalless draws, the only exception being a 3-0 win over Atlanta United. Unbeaten since March 9, Orlando City are only seven points behind the leaders.
Despite the goalless draw against Chicago Fire, there are no expectations of changes in the starting line-up for Saturday. In other words, 16-year-old Gustavo Caraballo is likely to remain on the bench even though he scored twice in the win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
New England Revolution is the most solid defense since early April
Meanwhile, the New England Revolution managed to maintain their run of four wins in a row thanks to a goal in the 88th minute to beat Rhode Island 2-1 in a match that was more difficult than previously thought in the second round of the US Open Cup.
It's also worth noting that the most recent clash was the only one in which Caleb Porter's side conceded goals, as all four of their wins in the MLS came with a clean sheet. It's precisely because of this that New England boast the best defensive record in their division and have won their last three away games.
Due to the familiarity shown in recent games, coach Leonardo Campana intends to keep the same starting line-up for this weekend. However, five players (Brayan Ceballos, Matt Polster, Will Sands, Mamadou Fofana and Luca Langoni) are on suspension if they receive yellow cards.