MLS Orlando City SC

Lions Return Home to Face Chicago

Published on May 25, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Orlando City SC News Release


ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando City SC (6-4-1, 19 points) looks to return to its winning ways when the Chicago Fire (3-6-2, 11 points) come to town on Saturday, May 26. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium.

The match will be locally televised on WRDQ TV27 and YouTube TV. It will also be broadcast on Real Radio 104.1 FM in English and La Nueva 990 AM in Spanish.

"I do think there's a little sense of urgency right now about trying to make sure this weekend we get all three points and we don't go on any type of slide," Lions head coach Jason Kreis said. "[Chicago is] going to have some real urgency about their situation. They lost their last two in a row and so I know they've had some rumblings about disappointments in the locker room, disappointments in performances, so we expect an emotional team to come at us on Saturday. For us, it's been a big focus of ours to be more stable in the games in the beginning, to be more on top of things in the beginning of matches."

The Lions will be without Yoshimar Yotún (Peru) and Amro Tarek (Egypt), who have both joined their respective national teams for World Cup warm-up friendlies.

City is coming off a 2-1 defeat at Toronto on Friday. Jay Chapman started the scoring in the 63rd minute and the Lions answered with Cristian Higuita scoring his second goal of the season 10 minutes later. The sides remained level until the 86th minute when Ryan Telfer put the Reds ahead for good off a first-time volley.

Dom Dwyer remains the top scorer for the Lions and is tied for third in the league with six goals this season. Yotún and Chris Mueller follow with three goals apiece. Yotún also leads the Lions and is tied for third in MLS with five assists.

Chicago is coming off two consecutive losses, most recently falling to Houston 3-2 at home on Saturday. The Fire held a 2-1 lead until two second half-goals from Alberth Ellis in the 56th and 74th minutes completed the comeback for the Dynamo.

Nemanja Nikoli? leads the Fire with six goals this season and Bastian Schweinsteiger leads the team with four assists. The match will mark the regular-season return of defender Rafael Ramos, who was traded to Chicago on Jan. 18 in exchange for Cam Lindley.

Saturday's game will be the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season. The Lions will travel to Toyota Park on Sept. 16. It will also be City's last home match until June 23, as it begins a three-game road trip following Saturday's contest.

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