Orlando City hosts hot Union in U.S. Open Cup
There’s no time for Orlando City to dwell on its Saturday loss.
Just three days after falling at CF Montreal 4-1, the Lions are back home, hosting the best team in the MLS Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union.
The Tuesday 7 p.m. game, however, will be in the Round of 32 for the U.S. Open Cup. If Orlando triumphs, it will have three more games to win before reaching the championship match later in the year.
“There is a responsibility that we have as a group, whether that’s the players or coaches,” coach Oscar Pareja said after Saturday’s match. “We have to move on and prepare for this next one. We have to prove that we’re not the team we presented in our last match, and we have to turn the page.
“Our focus is on Philadelphia with this game in front of us in the middle of the week, and we have to be prepared for that.”
Orlando won its first match of the tournament April 20 as Alexandre Pato and Junior Urso led the Lions to a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship.
This will be the first time the Lions and Union will face each other this year, with two league matches coming up in July and September. Orlando beat Philly one of the two times they met in league play last year, winning its home match 2-1.
With both teams having played this past weekend, expect to see heavily rotated lineups for Orlando and Philly.
During his weekly media availability, Union coach Jim Curtin said that at least seven bench players would be starting against Orlando on Tuesday night.
“This is a chance where that depth gets tested,” Curtin said. “You’ll get to see some guys showcase themselves for more minutes.”
Orlando will need to shake off its last few performances, including two out of its previous three games that were both losses by
three goals.
“We have to think like, ‘I want to win; this is my food. And we are hungry for that,’ ” midfielder Urso said last week. “Let’s try to do our best on the field.
“This is our dream. Let’s prove to everyone we can be on the top in the final.”
The Lions also saw the debut of new midfielder Jake Mulraney on Saturday, who came in for Benji Michel in the 57th minute. Mulraney was acquired from Atlanta United last Thursday for $200,000 in general allocation money, spread out over the next two years.
“I’m just really happy to be here,” Mulraney said after the match. “When I heard I was getting traded to Orlando, I was instantly excited.
“Just from being in the training room today, I see there’s a real togetherness in the team, and that makes me happy.”