Two sides separated by three points in the middle of the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference will do battle on Saturday, as Orlando City welcome DC United to Florida.
After seven league outings, the hosts sit seventh in the division with 11 points on the board, while their visitors find themselves 11th after a game more.
Match preview
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After reaching the MLS Cup playoffs and dropping out in the first round last season, Orlando City have experienced a mixed start to the new campaign, in which they are yet to establish any real consistency.
In their seven league games thus far, the Lions have managed 11 points, having started with a victory and two draws in the league before dropping out of the CONCACAF Champions League by the barest of margins against Tigres and suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Charlotte FC.
Oscar Pareja's side would bounce back with a 2-1 triumph away at Philadelphia Union, courtesy of early goals from Martin Ojeda and Ivan Angulo, any potential momentum was halted by a 2-0 home defeat to Nashville SC at the beginning of April, with Fafa Picault and Hany Mukhtar netting the goals for the visiting team.
Left disappointed by two defeats in the previous three games, leaving them on eight points from six matches, the Florida outfit most recently travelled to take on Minnesota United last weekend, and they would again make a return to winning ways, despite going 1-0 down following Bongokuhle Hlongwane's opener on the hour mark, as Angulo quickly levelled the scores before Duncan McGuire netted the decisive goal in the 88th minute to secure a third three-point haul of the season for his side.
While they will know they are far from their best at present, having not yet strung two victories together this term, Orlando City will be encouraged by the fact that they do reside in the playoff spots at this early stage of the campaign and will now be keen to put a run of results together, starting with a second straight win this weekend.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, will travel to Orlando hoping to go level on points with their hosts and potentially climb into the top seven after experiencing a tough start to their own term.
DC United did make a winning start to the MLS campaign against Toronto in February, but they would then fail to put another victory on the board in the next six attempts.
In that spell, Wayne Rooney's men added just two points to their tally, courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Saturday's opponents, as Chris Durkin levelled the scored for DC United in the 80th minute after McGuire had Orlando ahead, and a goalless stalemate against Chicago Fire, before the rut culminated in a 2-0 defeat at home to Columbus Crew.
Keen to put an end to their concerning run, with just five points on the board from seven league games, the Black-and-Red most recently travelled to take on CF Montreal last weekend, and after Lewis O'Brien put them ahead at the beginning of the second half, Rooney's side stood strong to see out a crucial victory.
With that triumph keeping them within touching distance of the playoff spots, Rooney's men will be desperate to make it two in a row on Saturday and continue their climb towards the top seven.
Team News
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Orlando City may look to come into the weekend's contest with an unchanged starting XI from their win over Minnesota United, although Duncan McGuire certainly has a case to come into the attack from the outset after coming off the bench to net his second goal of the season and seal their victory in that game.
It is in defence where they have impressed thus far, and Pareja should certainly deploy an unaltered back four featuring Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson and Luca Petrasso.
Felipe Martins and Cesar Araujo will line up in the engine room, and Mauricio Pereyra is a key man in an advanced midfield role, while Martin Ojeda and Ivan Angulo will keep their places on the wings, having each netted two of the Lions' seven MLS goals so far this season.
DC United, meanwhile, may also be unchanged after their crucial win last time out, and Lewis O'Brien will again play a key role in midfield, having got on the scoresheet last time out in his second game for the Black-and-Red after joining on loan from Nottingham Forest.
With O'Brien and former Leeds United man Mateusz Klich, they have plenty of quality in midfield, while Christian Benteke is a danger man up front, having notched up three MLS goals so far this term.
He will be joined in a front two by Taxiarchis Fountas, while at the other end of the pitch, Donovan Pines and Steve Birnbaum will again partner up in the middle of the back four after their clean sheet last time out.
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Smith, Schlegel, Jansson, Petrasso; Martins, Araujo; Ojeda, Pereyra, Angulo; McGuire
DC United possible starting lineup:
Miller; Palsson, Pines, Birnbaum, Jeahze; Teixeira, Canouse, O'Brien, Klich; Benteke, Fountas
We say: Orlando City 1-1 DC United
DC United will be rejuvenated following their return to winning ways last time out, and with more quality than the recent winless run suggests, we think they have enough to pick up a result away at an Orlando City side who are yet to reach their full potential this term.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
