Orlando City SC vs. D.C. United: Preview, time, and how to watch
D.C. United and Orlando City SC both head into tonight’s match fresh off wins on the road and looking to extend their win streaks.
The Black-and-Red took all three points when they paid a visit to former head coach Hernán Losada’s new team, CF Montréal, last weekend. Newcomer Lewis O’Brien notched the game-winner in the 46′ taking D.C. to a 1-0 victory.
The Lions found themselves pitted against the Loons in Match Week 8. Orlando claimed the win and three points on the road when Duncan McGuire scored the deciding goal – the first of his Orlando City career – for a 2-1 win over Minnesota.
While D.C. has been pragmatic in play, to be most effective, they need to start using the ball to open up space to create chances for their attackers. When trying to build from the back, the Black-and-Red have struggled with turnovers, defense, and transitions. Head coach Wayne Rooney has been working to implement this system for about a year now in the District, and the pressure is on the Black-and-Red to perform and move up the table.
Tonight it will be all about capitalizing on chances for D.C. United. Wayne Rooney said, “I think the previous game against Orlando, I thought we were very good, in control of the game well, and ultimately we didn’t take our chances which cost us winning the game. I think if we perform the way we did in the previous game, and I think we’ll be okay.”
Check out D.C.’s last visit to Orlando:
Key Player: Lewis O’Brien
O’Brien has shown himself to be an incredibly effective player, able to make a near-immediate impact for the Black-and-Red. His go-ahead-goal against Montréal snagged three points for D.C. and restored a measure of confidence heading into this week’s match against Orlando. Rooney said to the media this week, “I think he’s come in, and he’s been great for us. I think his energy, both on and off the pitch, is infectious. I think he’s very a very down-to-earth young man who wants to learn, wants to improve, wants to get better, and very quick to take information in which you give him.”
Watch Out For: Duncan McGuire
McGuire is considered to be Orlando’s most effective number nine this year as the team struggles to identify their striker of choice. He scored the equalizer during Orlando and D.C.’s last meet-up at Audi Field and the game-winner against Minnesota last week. McGuire is able to occupy center backs off the ball and use his physicality to Orlando’s advantage on the pitch.
Challenges: The Black-and-Red head into their second road match in a row and will have to work hard to keep up the momentum away from home.
Previously: The last meeting between D.C. United and Orlando City SC ended in a 1-1 draw at Audi Field despite a strong performance from the Black-and-Red.
Orlando City Availability:
Out: Michael Halliday (right thigh)
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Brendan Hines-Ike (foot), Martin Rodriguez (knee), Nigel Robertha (ankle), Derrick Williams (thigh), Mohanad Jeahze (thigh)
Location: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Lukasz Szpala
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Featured image courtesy of D.C. United and Hannah Wagner
From Buenos Aires: I’ll be watching dutifully from the José Luis Restaurant. I haven’t missed any of the four matches that have occurred during my trip. Frankly, I’m all in for Apple MLS.
But I haven’t been able to make Paramount + work for Spirit matches yet.
I hope you are having the best trip! Don’t worry, Paramount+ wasn’t kind to any of us last week for the NCC match!
Wouldn’t be surprised if both games are postponed, the weather is ridiculous for both athletes and fans alike, and it’s happening from Florida to DC
Nats are playing outdoors in Minneapolis against the Twins and according to the forecast its currently 33 degrees F out.
There’s supposed of to be lightning around Gametime in DC at least. We’ll see.
OGDC hosting the Utah Warriors is on weather delay until 3:30 at Segra. The 4th place team the in the East taking on the 4th place team in the West.
OGDC has now been pushed back to 3:50
OGDC did kick off at 3:50. Dominating start to the match so far. Only in the 13′ and up 14-0. Let’s see if they can keep it up.
Utah use a quick break on an Old Glory turnover to score a try. The try is not converted, so its 14-5 to Old Glory up over Utah in the 19′.
Old Glory on a fast break through the line and #10 of Utah in an attempt to intercept the final pass preventing a try earning himself a yellow card. And as it prevented the try and he was the last defender its a penalty try to Old Glory its an automatic 7 points. OGDC 21 Utah 5.
24-17 at half and Old Glory is leading.
Ooo boy this 2nd half has been rough. OGDC absorb 30 mins of pressure inside their own 22 and finally give up a try that Utah didn’t convert. Then they immediately scored and converted to make it 31-22. Then they turned Utah over and with a fast break the man we just signed on Thursday dots it down to make it 36-22 and the try isn’t converted. About 3 mins of play left.
Final score Old Glory DC wins 36-22 the win is 4 points, bonus point for 4 or more tries. That puts them at 25 points and into 2nd place in the east for now pending the rest of the weekend. They have their 2nd bye next weekend. The next game is nationally televised on FS2 on May 6 at 8pm EDT when they visit Dallas.
Four of Taxi’s 12 goals in MLS have come against Orlando. Two of Chris Durkin’s 3 goals in MLS have come against Orlando. I’m looking for Durkin to get a start and Taxi to finally break his duck for this season.
Durkin is on the bench to start tonight, as we’re going with the three in the back that we used against Montreal. Palsson is the right center back, and Ruan is the right wingback. Taxi does get the start.
As Goff points out, 7 of the 9 substitutes on the bench are homegrowns (and Pines is in the starting lineup). That includes Durkin and Najar on the bench. Rooney’s vaunted willingness to play youngsters isn’t really in evidence in the starting lineup, but he’s going to look to them to be difference makers off the bench.
How much of this is up to Rooney though? With Robertha, Rodriguez, Williams, BHI, Jeahze injured the only decision he made was Akimboni over Sargis.
This season Rooney has really been preferring veterans over young players whenever he can. The fact that he hasn’t been using all of his substitutes also shows, to me at least, that he’s reluctant to put them in high pressure situations. If he continues to do that then I worry it’s going to hold back some of the youngsters.
He could have conceivably played some of them in the starting lineup. Durkin or Najar would have been the top choices, but Ku and Akinmboni have had starts this year too. Hard to fault him with going with the same lineup that picked up a win on the road last week.
Called it.
Well, we’re sticking with the lineup that got us some traction in the second half vs Montreal, and that makes sense. The only downside is, the lineup is very heavy on players we won’t be building on for particularly long due to age. If things go wrong, we’ll be leaning heavily on homegrowns, who won’t learn much from the experience but how to play frenzied, desperate soccer. All that said, let’s see how our veterans stack up against a competent, motivated team, which Montreal surely wasn’t
They just said that Ruan is second all-time in games started for Orlando. I didn’t realize he was that integral to their team.
Coincidentally, DC United’s player who’s second all-time in games started (outfield edition) is also playing tonight, in Steve Birnbaum.
Our throw-ins have been exerable so far.
Ruan’s now on a yellow great….and Palsson has shown repeatedly he’s slow tonight.
So Ruan goes straight up, Gonzalez runs into his elbow and Ruan gets a yellow? Classic MLS officiating there. Crowd yells made that card there.
TAXI!!!
Textbook counter by DC, great finish by Taxi!
Can only keep Taxi off the scoresheet so long, and a case of confused defending off a simple attack gets him a chance that he buries near post.
1-0 DC
Taxi is baaaaaaack! How’d you all like that? 🔥
Wayne’s cleanshaven. Was the missus in town?
She was at Easter I think
Lewis O’Brien started that goal sequence, winning the ball off Orlando. I’m really not sure how we’re going to replace him.
O’Brien coughs the ball up in midfield, leading to Orlando’s equalizer. Welp.
Is he worth probably a DP transfer fee to keep him in the summer?
He makes me wish that Klich was a TAM player, I’ll just say that. His giveaway was pretty bad, but I’m a fan of his game.
And Orlando ties it up….after a bad first touch from Canouse
O’Brien’s touch.
Correction it was O’Brien that had the bad first touch that got stolen
To be fair, they look very similar from afar.
Orlando’s only chances have been on bad passing from Miller. They capitalize that time.
Clean tackle on O’Brien leads to an easy breakaway and goal.
We’re all tied up
I’m a bit concerned that Canouse is being left alone to cover acres of space. O’Brien needs to remember what worked last time, the two of them generally playing a bit deeper in a double pivot. Maybe Rooney wants him further forward, but from a formational standpoint, doesn’t make sense
Orlando’s fans not happy with the ref
Can’t stand it when keepers are rewarded with a free kick because they came to a ball they shouldn’t have and didn’t get it.
Is it just me or does Orlando love attacking down their right flank our left?
Palsson bemuses me sometimes with his lack of quality. How is this a TAM player?
Is it a bit that the Orlando fans yell “You suck, asshole!” on goal kicks, and then the stadium announcer asks them to refrain from using foul language? He sounded like he was winking at them.
Klich with a very silly and pointless yellow, his 4th of the season. Guess what I’m saying is, he’s gonna serve that accumulation suspension real soon.
Not good Taxi is down holding his knee
Taxi is now in 25th place (tied with Birnbaum, Nick DeLeon, and Patrick Mullins) on the all-time DC United scoring list.
Half. DC looked comfortable in this game until Orlando’s goal. Need to keep staying organized and move as a team. That’s exactly how they forced the counter to score. Orlando is making DC’s midfield, mainly Klich and O’Brien, overcommit and they are seizing the space behind. Also, DC has been surprisingly reluctant to attack down their left flank. This has been the case throughout the season. I figured santos would help but that does appear to be the case.
I think their reluctance is partially about the pace, or lack thereof, of Santos but is also just poor passing. They tried several long through balls to release runners but the passes were slow and too soft. Pines short passing is decent but his medium-long isn’t great. Combine this with Canouse not being as comfortable passing to his left and we just see more success passing to the right.
Good point. They seem to really look to spring Ruan and use his pace whenever they can.
Rough touch by O’Brien led to the Orlando goal, but why is Birnbaum backing up there? He was three steps behind the rest of the line and kept McGuire onside.
Overall Birnbaum has been decent and nought but he’s just not good at holding a high line. He needs to be on a low block team.
Well, the kickoff play didn’t work this week. Alas.
My problem with this is the lack of control in the middle. Rooney needs to fix the dynamic between the middle three of Canouse, O’Brien, and Klich to shut down the opposition and make that our engine room, or we’ll continue to see chaos.
It’s almost like Klich and O’Brien are being told to push up and Canouse is being told to hold back which leaves this gap between the three midfielders. DC is stretching so far forward when they have the ball that it’s hard to pass and easy to counter against when they lose the ball.
Yep, it’s a formation you never see because it doesn’t work. The two DM’s are needed in those spaces cuz the gaps between the defenders in a back three. But we’re up now, let’s see if we figure it out
It’s been disturbing how disconnected the three of them are. They look like they’re on different teams at points.
PINES! And there’s no way VAR can take that away from him…I don’t think…
The flop defeats them. Sic semper flopperis
Pines gets a headed goal!!! It’s a sorta not a miracle!
Ruan off and Najar on
Benteke!
Dammit, I must have a hell of a delay
Benteke with a filthy bit of skill on that goal! Fantastic finish!
We have a two goal lead, now we need control. Come on, boys, and come on, Rooney….
We just got super lucky
Gotta say, Orlando got a lot of floppy, whiny players
DC being too passive right now. Orlando has had some big chances. Need to get some possession and calm this game down.
Canouse picks up a yellow. One of Canouse or Kilch needs to come off. That’s 2 of our 3 CMs that have yellows.
DC is really pinned back right now. Rooney needs to make either a tactical or personnel change. Orlando is going straight through the midfield and with Ruan off there’s no real counterattack threat.
I kind of think he’s saving a lot of the bench for the Open Cup match.
So Ruan gets a yellow but the Orlando player doens’t?
Tyler Miller’s passing has been kind of uncharacteristically off today, but he’s been terrific in goal!
Think we’re seeing what his passing will be like in a more deep-lying formation.