Orlando City
Orlando City copes with life on road
players get used to life on the road.
ORLANDO CITY AT MONTREAL, WED., 7:30, WRDQ-27
By the time Orlando City’s current road trip is over, it will have been nearly a month since the Lions played a match in Orlando.
The club is in the middle of a five-match road trip, its longest since joining MLS in 2015. The trip consists of three MLS matches and two in the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The entire team traveled for the middle section of the road trip – matches against Miami United, Vancouver and Montreal.
The Lions (6-7-1, 19 points) play the Impact at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Stade Saputo.
“I think we’re anticipating everybody getting an opportunity at some point,” said right back Will Johnson before the club left Orlando. “It’s about taking it
when you get it. Being on the road will be nice. I think we’re ready for it. It’ll be good to get our group back together, get guys healthy, get back on the road, spend some time together.
“It’s similar to preseason in a way where you get to have more meals together and kind of reconnect after a long stretch here.”
For Rookie Chris Mueller, not having to sit in an airport before flying to Vancouver was a big plus. The club took a chartered flight to Canada’s west coast.
“Just doing all the little things right,” Mueller said after Saturday’s match against the Whitecaps. “Eating right. The training staff is doing really well at making sure we’re just feeling good all the time.”
The Open Cup matches are ones Orlando City officials elected not to host, citing the schedules of both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride.
Pitch recovery could also play a factor. Orlando City groundkeeper Matt Bruderek on June 9 posted a picture of the grass at Orlando City Stadium with the caption, “What a difference a week makes.” In one picture, there are obvious patches of brown. The playing surface looks pristine in the other.
If the Lions hosted their fourth-round Open Cup match against Miami United, a match would have been played at Orlando City Stadium on June 6.
Orlando City plays its next Open Cup match on June 20 against D.C. United to close out the road trip.
Pulse tributes
Orlando City SC recently announced the “Pride in Our City” initiative to honor the 49 victims killed in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.
“Pride in Our City” – which combines efforts from the Orlando Pride of the NWSL and Orlando City in MLS – will donate a portion of sales from tickets and special merchandise to five local nonprofits: One Orlando Alliance, The Dru Project, onePULSE Foundation, Zebra Coalition and Contigo Fund.
Each organization will get a special ticket sales link, and $5 from every ticket purchased via the link will donated to the respective nonprofit. The links for each organization can be found here.
“Pride in Our City” merchandise is now available in The Den – the stadium’s merchandise store – and online. Orlando City SC will donate 25 percent of sales from the merchandise to the five nonprofits.
Orlando City Stadium’s doors will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. today so fans can visit the 49 rainbow seats in section 12, which honor the victims from the shooting.
The Pride will wear rainbow numbers on their jerseys for their June 16 match against Sky Blue FC. Those jerseys will be auctioned off after the match and proceeds will go to the Orlando City Foundation “for use in LGBTQ+-related initiatives.” “June 12 is a difficult day for our community to think about and one that will stay with us forever,” said Orlando City SC CEO Alex Leitão in a news release. “We hope to always use our platform as a sports club to bring people together to show our pride in our city and each other.”
The Orlando Magic will participate in today’s Orlando United Day.
Magic officials said the team will donate $25,000 to the onePULSE Foundation.
Also, team employees will volunteer in Central Florida, helping non-profit organizations such as Clean the World, One Blood, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, United Against Poverty and the Zebra Coalition.
“The Orlando Magic want to honor all those who lost their lives and the many who were so greatly impacted by this horrific tragedy,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a statement. “We join with our fellow Orlandoans in showing our support for this great city and all of its residents. We are united in our efforts to spread love and light throughout our community.”