Minnesota United at Orlando City
When: 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500 ESPN
Weather: 83 degrees, partly cloudy, 14 mph north wind
Betting line: Orlando minus-115; draw plus-280; MNUFC plus-265
Series history: MNUFC is 2-1-1 against Orlando City in MLS. Loons suffered their first loss, 2-1, to the Lions at Allianz Field last April.
Synopsis: Interim head coach Cameron Knowles will lead the Loons first team for the last time before permanent head coach Eric Ramsay arrives this weekend. Knowles has impressed with the players’ buy-in to new high pressing style and earn points despite a shorthanded roster.
Form: Minnesota United (1-0-1) have four points through two games, but weren’t as strong in a 1-1 draw with MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew last Saturday. Orlando City (0-1-1) advanced to Eastern Conference semifinal last year, but are scoreless through two MLS games. They had a scoreless draw with Montreal and were demolished 5-0 by Lionel Messi and Inter Miami last weekend. Orlando played to a scoreless home draw with Mexican giant Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup last Tuesday and must go to Monterrey for a difficult second leg on Tuesday.
Quote: “It’s challenging,” Wil Trapp said of Orlando’s schedule. “There are more games. There is more travel. There is rotation in squad. And it all comes pretty quick, so I don’t read too much into maybe some of the league form.”
Projected XI: In a 4-3-3 formation, LW Caden Clark, CF Teemu Pukki, RW Sang Bin Jeong; CM Hassani Dotson, CM Kervin Arriaga, CM Wil Trapp; LB Joseph Rosales, CB Micky Tapias, CB Michael Boxall, RB DJ Taylor; GK Dayne St. Clair.
Absences: Bongi Hlongwane (fitness) and Robin Lod are available to play, but seem more likely to come off the bench. Emanuel Reynoso (knee) and Franco Fragapane (calf) remain out. Loons are hopeful Reynoso can make his season debut against LAFC next Saturday. Orlando attacker Facundo Torres, who led Lions with 14 goals last season, fell hard on his shoulder and exited the Tigres tie in the 60th minute. MLS availability reports have not yet been issued.
Opinion: Restrictive rules from MLS hurt a club’s ability to make call-ups from second teams, while stifling players’ development. Look no further than Lakeville South graduate Loic Mesanvi. The 20-year-old winger had only two chances to be called up for MLS games this season, and those opportunities are exhausted after the opening two matches.
Scouting point: Orlando forward Duncan McGuire had 13 goals as a rookie last season and the 21-year-old Nebraska native’s movement has impressed Knowles since McGuire played for Creighton. “He is a real handful,” Knowles said. “His ability to score … and his ability to look to run in behind and stretch the game.”
Key player: South Korean winger Jeong, who MLS clocked as the fastest player (22.5 mph) in the league in the opening week, flashed again versus the Crew. He had a handful of successful dribbles (including nutmegs), four shot-creating actions and 0.5 expected assists.
Prediction: MLS clubs juggling Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS play often start slow in league games. Orlando is yet another example. This combination serves as the Loons’ chance to get a result against a top preseason pick in the East. After nearly connecting for a goal against Columbus, Jeong dishes for a Pukki finish in a 1-1 draw.
Leave a Reply