Orlando City can make some history at the expense of Charlotte FC. A win or draw will leave the team at 11 games unbeaten this season and just one away from equalling the club record for longest sequence of games without defeat, set in 2020. The time is ripe, even if the results have lacked excitement. In the meantime, the other team is having problems with Charlotte, which is in a losing spurt with three straight defeats and anxious not to drop out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
The home side has been showing solidity all the while, even if not quite dazzling. The previous ten-game unbeaten run includes six draws and a mere three wins. That is showing solidity but at the same time pointing towards not being able to win games. Scoring, especially in the third end, has been the biggest challenge. Orlando played 0-0 in four out of the previous six matches.
Strength at Inter&Co Stadium
The numbers at home give Orlando even more confidence. The team has had 14 goals in the last five home games and has lost none of them. This amount of offense has been worth it, even with so many home draws. The Lions have had three or more goals in 13 of the last 28 regular season games since June 2024. Despite this, in two of them the team did not win.
With Ojeda, the attack includes Marco Pasalic, five goals and two assists, and Luis Muriel, four goals and three assists. When the three play together in unison, the Lions' attacking firepower can be enormous.
Charlotte's problematic stretch
Charlotte FC arrives in Orlando under duress. Having begun the season well, six wins, two draws and one loss, the team has lost the previous three and raised the warning flag. The defense, which was strong at the time, collapsed: six goals conceded in the previous two games. The most recent loss was away to Nashville and exposed the drop in form on the field.
The other team, too, possesses good statistics. Charlotte has scored 19 goals from 12 matches, but no single player has more than four for the tournament. Winger Liel Abada leads the way here. Many players have shared the goals, and that is perhaps a good thing, but reflects the absence of a clear point of reference in attack.
Pep Biel, one of the hardest-working players on the team, has been impressive with three goals and six assists. Signed as a Designated Player in 2024, he now plays as a TAM player but still gives good statistics. However, overall performance has declined, and Biel alone was not able to single-handedly propel the attack.
Match history
Orlando and Charlotte have played each other six times in the MLS regular season, with a decisive edge for the Lions. Orlando has three victories, two draws and just one victory for Charlotte. That single victory for the North Carolina team was in March 2023, at Inter&Co Stadium, with Kerwin Vargas scoring in the 37th minute.
Orlando has been the one in control of the series ever since, including the most recent one in the playoffs. That leaves Charlotte with more pressure as they take the field trying to end a losing streak on the road.