Playoff Positioning at Stake for Orlando City

Published on August 2, 2011 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orlando City SC News Release


ORLANDO - Wednesday night begins the final home stretch of matches for the Orlando City Lions. Just three matches remain in the USL PRO regular season. The Lions have already booked their place in the postseason, but seeding in the packed American Division remains up for grabs. A win in tomorrow's match will bring Orlando within one point of guaranteeing a top 2 finish and playing the divisional semifinals at home. Kickoff for Wednesday's match at the Citrus Bowl is set for 7:30 pm.

Wednesday's opponent is American Division rival Charleston Battery. Orlando and Charleston are familiar with each other, having played each other twice in the last two months. City won the first meeting, a June 21st U.S. Open Cup match, 1-0 on a Rob Valentino header. The Battery returned the favor in league play on July 9th, taking advantage of a tired Lions side playing their second match in 24 hours. The 1-0 loss to Charleston was just the third in league play for Orlando.

Both squads are fighting for playoff positioning. Orlando City sits at the top of both the American Division and USL PRO with 42 points, but holds just a three point lead on second place Wilmington. Charleston currently holds the fourth and final playoff spot in the American Division, but Charlotte is just three points behind with a game in hand. Orlando could deal a severe blow to Charleston's playoff chances with a victory.

The Lion follow up Wednesday's clash with Charleston with another on Saturday. A combined four points (one win, one draw) will guarantee Orlando City at least the #2 seed in the American Division and a home playoff game in the first round, the divisional semifinals. If Orlando City wins both matches, they will clinch the top seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, including the USL PRO Championship Game.

Wednesday's match was not part of the original USL PRO schedule. The match was originally scheduled for June 29 versus Sevilla FC Puerto Rico, but was rescheduled following the league reorganization in May. Tickets for the June 29 match are still valid for tomorrow's match. Tickets are still on sale for the match, and start at just $12. Please direct all questions regarding tickets to the Orlando City ticket office (855-ORL-CITY).

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 2, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central