Lions eager to kick off key stretch with a win

The next five days will be a defining period for Orlando City.

The Lions will play back-toroad back matches, facing Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday and FC Dallas on Sunday. Sporting KC sits second in the Western Conference table, with Dallas one point back in the No. 3 slot.

Flying high off a six-game unbeaten streak, Orlando City now faces one of the toughest stretches of the regular season.

“Kansas City is a dominant team,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “We know their ways to do things. It’s one of the best teams in the West and we will have a week that will certainly put some different challenges for us.”

The first matchup features two strong coaches who have enjoyed long tenures in MLS.

Pareja took his first head coaching job a few years after Peter Vermes was hired to lead Kansas City.

During the past decade, Vermes built a recognizable system of play in Kansas City — a

4-4-3 structure that holds a high pressing line and tries to establish dominant possession within the opening minutes.

In many ways, this matches the tempo and style of Pareja’s system in Orlando. It sets up a battle through the midfield, as both teams look to control movement and possession in the gut of the field.

Breakout homegrown star Gianluca Busio helps fuel Kansas City’s energy and creativity. Strikers Johnny Russel and Alan Pulido have shown their ability to finish for Sporting, but the test for the Lions will start in the midfield.

“I think we have to play like we played before,” Orlando City midfielder Júnior Urso said. “We have to put our heart on the field, we have to fight for every ball. When we have the ball, we have to be relaxed and be calm and keep the ball because we have a good team to make this transition from behind to attacking.”

Sporting KC is a dangerous opponent, but it has shown weaknesses throughout the past month of play. The team most recently suffered a frustrating 3-2 loss at home against FC Dallas, going on a 2-3-2 skid since the MLS is Back Tournament.

For the Lions, a road win would add to the momentum created since the team resumed regular season play.

This stretch of matches comes at a critical point for Orlando City. The team has done well to stitch together both a winning and unbeaten streak, capped by a 4-1 win over Chicago on Saturday.

But the remainder of the team’s Phase Two schedule — which the league announced on Tuesday — will up the ante for the Lions.

In the next 11 games, Orlando City will face opponents in playoff contention, including New York City FC and the Columbus Crew, which currently leads race for the Supporters Shield.

Orlando City has a 98% chance to make the playoffs for the first time in club history, according to FiveThirtyEight.com.

Pareja and the Lions say reaching postseason isn’t enough.

After falling one game short of a trophy in the MLS is Back Tournament, the team is focused on earning the best seeding for the postseason — and picking up a Supporters Shield along the way.

As a result, winning points on the road is critical.

“It’s an important game because we don’t play in our home,” Urso said. “We have to prove we are a good team outside. We have respect with Kansas [City] but if you want to be champions you have to play against every team and try to win.”