A matter of trust
Orlando City looks to each other to advance further in Cup
Orlando City’s push for another victory will continue on Tuesday as the Lions face off against Cavalry FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Inter&Co Stadium, and the match will be carried by FS2.
Orlando City faces a quick turnaround after Saturday’s scoreless home draw against CF Montreal in their MLS opener.
The good news for the Lions is that they come into this matchup already up 3-0 in aggregate after Wednesday’s victory in British Columbia. Tired legs should get a rest as some of the younger players get a chance to show their quality.
“Our staff does great to keep us prepared and keep us ready, and then we also have a deep roster, so we can rotate people and then people can come off the bench if someone’s tired,” said Orlando City defender Kyle Smith. “And I know that I can trust and rely on everyone on this team that they’re going to come off the bench or start and do a great job.”
Despite the advantage, Cavalry won’t be an easy challenge for the Lions. The Canadian side won the CPL Shield in 2023, given to the team with the best regular-season record. It scored 46 goals in 28 games en route to its first Champions Cup berth.
The Canadian side had no problems taking the attack to Orlando in the first leg. The Lions are preparing to deal with a tough side capable of causing a real threat in the attacking third.
“I’m expecting them to come out flying high pressure. They did high press last time and I expect kind of a similar thing with the pressure,” Smith added. “They’re going to try to score goals and throw as many numbers forward; that’s what I expect.”
The Lions struggled to score at the weekend, so they will be looking to get back on the scoresheet to continue to build confidence. A matchup against Inter Miami is looming on Saturday and Orlando will want to head into that with as much positive momentum as possible.