Orlando City is on
Orlando City had little time to prep for TFC
a 5-match winning streak, and has its defense to thank.
When Carlos Rivas’ slingshot curled into the net and Kaká jumped into the arms of fans after scoring a goal in his first game back from injury, Orlando City was in the midst of arguably its best performance of the year.
The Lions held Colorado to one shot on goal, tying a league record, controlled possession and kept a clean sheet, walking out with another three points and atop the league table.
There was little time to celebrate, however, with two days of rest and one training session before the team hopped on a plane to Canada. Orlando City (6-1-0, 18 points) hopes to continue its win streak despite less-than-ideal preparation time when it plays Toronto FC (3-1-4, 13 points) at 7:30 p.m. tonight at BMO Field.
Lions coach Jason Kreis didn’t blink, calling the game “the most difficult challenge we could face in the league at this moment.”
“To go to an away match against Toronto, in their form right now with Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco in particular, presents us some real problems,” Kreis said. “Our team is very familiar with them, having played them in preseason.
“I think our team is very aware of what we’re going into and I think we’re ready. From a physical stand point, of course I’d like to have a few more days to rest. I’d like to have a few more days to tactically prepare, but I think our
group is ready.”
Altidore, a U.S. men’s national team standout, and his Italian teammate Giovinco, the 2015 league MVP, have combined for four goals in the last two games, helping Toronto out of a stagnant stretch of opening matches that included four draws, a win and a loss.
Kreis drew comparisons between Altidore and Orlando City striker Cyle Larin, saying they’re alike in size and stature and in the way they are perceived by many as “typical box strikers,” though Kreis believes both contribute far more to their teams than just goals inside the box.
In addition to a preseason match, which Toronto dominated, Lions midfielder Will Johnson and goalkeeper Joe Bendik both previously played for the Reds.
Bendik was able to provide more insight on Toronto for his teammates and said it’s not just Altidore and Giovinco they need to watch.
“It’s those two and their wing backs and then whoever is playing in the middle, whether it’s [Armando] Cooper, [Jonathan] Osorio,” Bendik said. “When [forward Tosaint] Ricketts comes on, he kind of makes everything turn for them. You can see that with their combinations.
“Confident team, especially at home. They like to get their wingbacks really high and really try to batter down on teams. For us, we have to stay compact, be able to weather what they have for the first half.”
Toronto also plays a 3-5-2 formation, which can be difficult to defend. With three at the back instead of four, it also means TFC can be vulnerable on the counterattack if Orlando City is able to force turnovers.
Team captain Kaká is now firmly back in the game-day roster and likely will start in Toronto to supplement the attack. And the Lions' defense is being touted as one of the best in the league, though it will need to perform after getting little time to recover, study and train.
“They’re a good team,” Lions left back Donny Toia said. “They’ve shown that the past couple of years. They move the ball nice and they like to find their forwards. If we keep them in front of us the whole time, I think we’ll be OK.”
U.S. qualifier
Orlando City Stadium will host a critical U.S. men’s national team World Cup qualifier match against Panama in October, according to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl.