Orlando, Florida Local News
Orlando City set to take on Charlotte FC in first round of MLS playoffs
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Orlando City’s road to the MLS Cup final will begin at home. Major League Soccer announced on Sunday the dates for the first round of the league playoffs, scheduling the Lions against Charlotte FC on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Inter&Co Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Game 2 is slated at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will return to Orlando on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. For the second consecutive year, the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs will be a best-of-three series. The conference semifinals, conference finals, and championship final will be disputed via single elimination. All matches will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. How the Lions got here Following a slow start to the regular season, Orlando City turned things around during the summer — winning 10 times, losing four games, and tying once during a 15-game stretch to finish the regular season. Much of that was due to the rise of several individual performances that catapulted the Lions up the Eastern Conference standings. Uruguayan star winger Facundo Torres finished with a team-high 18 goals in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and assisting seven times (20-goal contributions) during a 20-game run in all competitions (Leagues Cup and MLS regular season). Torres’ goal tally this season also equaled the team’s single-season goals record (18) and also pushed him to be Orlando’s all-time leading goal scorer after notching his 45th goal in Purple last month. Argentine attacking midfielder Martin Ojeda developed into an important figure for the Lions following an average first year in 2023. Ojeda finished with 4 goals and 12 assists this season, playing mostly as a center-attacking midfielder. When goals seemed dry at the start of the season, Orlando’s forwards came in the second half of the season with Ramiro Enrique tallying eight goals and two assists in 20 games (12 starts) and Duncan McGuire with another double-digit goal season with 10 goals. Looking aheadOrlando City coach Oscar Pareja set his expectations for the playoffs to his players following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta United in the regular season finale. The Lions may have already qualified for the playoffs entering that game and finished securing the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference courtesy of an outside result, but Pareja pointed to the small margin of error that exists heading into the game against Charlotte. “In these instances, if you fall asleep, you’re out,” Pareja said in Spanish. “Those who fall asleep lose. It’s not February when you can take up again, turn the page, and get back into it. Tonight was a big example because we fell asleep and we paid for it, what comes next are games in which there is no tomorrow, it’s the playoffs.”
Orlando City’s road to the MLS Cup final will begin at home.
Major League Soccer announced on Sunday the dates for the first round of the league playoffs, scheduling the Lions against Charlotte FC on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Inter&Co Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
Game 2 is slated at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Game 3, if necessary, will return to Orlando on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
For the second consecutive year, the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs will be a best-of-three series.
The conference semifinals, conference finals, and championship final will be disputed via single elimination.
All matches will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
How the Lions got here
Following a slow start to the regular season, Orlando City turned things around during the summer — winning 10 times, losing four games, and tying once during a 15-game stretch to finish the regular season.
Much of that was due to the rise of several individual performances that catapulted the Lions up the Eastern Conference standings.
Uruguayan star winger Facundo Torres finished with a team-high 18 goals in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and assisting seven times (20-goal contributions) during a 20-game run in all competitions (Leagues Cup and MLS regular season).
Torres’ goal tally this season also equaled the team’s single-season goals record (18) and also pushed him to be Orlando’s all-time leading goal scorer after notching his 45th goal in Purple last month.
Argentine attacking midfielder Martin Ojeda developed into an important figure for the Lions following an average first year in 2023.
Ojeda finished with 4 goals and 12 assists this season, playing mostly as a center-attacking midfielder.
When goals seemed dry at the start of the season, Orlando’s forwards came in the second half of the season with Ramiro Enrique tallying eight goals and two assists in 20 games (12 starts) and Duncan McGuire with another double-digit goal season with 10 goals.
Looking ahead
Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja set his expectations for the playoffs to his players following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta United in the regular season finale.
The Lions may have already qualified for the playoffs entering that game and finished securing the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference courtesy of an outside result, but Pareja pointed to the small margin of error that exists heading into the game against Charlotte.
“In these instances, if you fall asleep, you’re out,” Pareja said in Spanish. “Those who fall asleep lose. It’s not February when you can take up again, turn the page, and get back into it. Tonight was a big example because we fell asleep and we paid for it, what comes next are games in which there is no tomorrow, it’s the playoffs.”
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