Orlando City SC have been on a roll of late, and they’ll look to keep it going when they host Toronto FC on Saturday.
Orlando (9-11-4, 31 points) has won two straight and is riding a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) after a 3-2 victory against Atlanta United on Wednesday. The current run comes after a stretch that saw the club go 2-3-2 in its previous seven games across all competition.
Orlando’s recent success has helped the club move into sixth place in the Eastern Conference table, tied in points with seventh-place FC Cincinnati but holding the advantage of an extra win (though also playing one more game).
“We needed those three points, so, pretty big win for the boys. I think we deserve it,” midfielder Joran Gerbet said. “… I felt for the most part we did control the game. So, a huge win for us on the road, especially a derby against Atlanta, so that’s what we needed moving forward.”
After just their third road win (3-7-2 away from home), the Lions are back on their home pitch, where they’ve posted a solid 6-4-2 record. Their final 10 MLS games after Saturday are evenly split between home and road.
Antoine Griezmann’s brace led the way for Orlando on Wednesday, with his second tally standing as the difference in the score. His two goals moved him into second on the team with seven, four behind leader Martin Ojeda.
Toronto (6-7-11, 29 points) arrives in the Sunshine State with a chance to leapfrog Orlando. The team currently is 10th in the East, just below the cutoff line for a play-in spot.
“Everything feels like a playoff game right now,” coach Robin Fraser said.
The Reds have kept themselves in the playoff hunt over the past month and half thanks to a seven-game unbeaten streak (3-0-4). They’ve lost just once in their past 10 games (3-1-6).
Toronto is coming off an impressive 2-1 win against Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC on Wednesday.
“I feel like this is a group that as we grow and we evolve, we get more confident,” Fraser said.
–Field Level Media
