Match Preview: Orlando City vs Charlotte FC

Charlotte FC faceoff against Orlando City in one of the most important matches for the final stretch of the season.

Match: Orlando City vs Charlotte FC

When: Wednesday, September 18

Where: Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, FL

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET

Watch: FS1, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV – How to Watch & Listen

Listen: WFNZ 92.7 FM (English) & WOLS 106.1 FM (Spanish)

For all other radio station affiliates in the Carolinas, click here.

Previous Matches:

Charlotte FC 1 – 2 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer | September 14)

Orlando City 3 – 0 New England Revolution (Major League Soccer | September 14)

Eastern Conference Table: For the full live table, click here.

1. Inter Miami CF – 62 points, 28 GP

2. FC Cincinnati – 52 points, 28 GP

3. Columbus Crew – 50 points, 27 GP

4. New York Red Bulls – 43 points, 29 GP

5. Orlando City SC – 40 points, 28 GP

6. New York City FC – 40 points, 28 GP

7. Charlotte FC – 38 points, 28 GP

8. Toronto FC – 36 points, 29 GP

9. D.C. United – 33 points, 29 GP

---------- Playoff Line ----------

Road Warriors

One of the most significant improvements Charlotte FC has made under the leadership of Dean Smith is their newfound ability to secure points in away matches. While the team began the season with a draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps, they struggled initially, suffering four consecutive losses on the road. However, since mid-May, Charlotte has only lost three of their nine away matches. Their most notable stretch of away performances came just before the Leagues Cup.

"Before the break, we had three of the toughest games you can get – Cincinnati, Miami previous to that, and then it was Columbus and Austin away, and we came through those three away games unbeaten with 5 points and probably should have been more," Smith remarked, reminding his squad of their capabilities and potential.

To put things in perspective, Charlotte is now just two points shy of equaling their entire away record from last season, with three more road games left to play. Facing Orlando at Inter & Co Stadium is always a challenging task, but Charlotte has already managed to win there once. With so much still at stake, Charlotte can draw strength and confidence from their road performances as they head into this critical matchup.

The Opponent

At the start of the season back in February, Orlando City were widely regarded as MLS Cup favorites. However, their campaign got off to a rocky start, as they went winless in their first four matches, causing some of the early-season buzz to fade. Now, as the season draws to a close, Orlando is reclaiming that hype, riding a remarkable stretch of form that has seen them win six of their last eight matches.

Head Coach Óscar Pareja has reinvigorated his squad, thanks in large part to the contributions of Designated Player (DP) winger Facundo Torres, who has netted three goals in their last two outings. Striker Duncan McGuire is also making his mark with eight goals while attacking midfielder Martín Ojeda has enjoyed a breakout MLS season, tallying 10 goal contributions.

Orlando has secured 11 wins this season, though it's worth noting that nine of those victories have come against teams outside the playoff picture, including both of their wins against DC United. In contrast, their record against other Eastern Conference playoff contenders stands at 0 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses, with a goal differential of -11. Despite Orlando’s recent resurgence, Charlotte FC is poised to provide a tough test for The Lions.

The Season So Far

Despite a poor run of form, CLTFC still find themselves in a prime position to achieve their regular season goal of finishing high enough in the table to host a first MLS playoff game in the Queen City. Head Coach Dean Smith has the team in 7^th place in the Eastern Conference through 28 of 34 regular season matches with six games to go.

This summer, the team went on an impressive run on the road. They took down Supporter’s Shield contenders FC Cincinnati 3-1, drew defending champions Columbus Crew 1-1, and then drew Austin FC 2-2, all in the space of eight days.

After a brief Leagues Cup run in which the team beat Cruz Azul in a penalty shootout at home, they were ultimately eliminated in the group stage and were off for three weeks. Since then, their journey to regain that prior has been slow, as they've gone winless in their last three matches.

A relatively disappointing 1-1 draw with the Red Bulls opened up the stretch, followed by an end-to-end 1-0 loss against rivals Atlanta United, and most recently a 2-1 loss against CF Montreal. Now they face Orlando City in one of their most important matches of the season, as they look to get back on track on road against The Lions.