Orlando City will return to the MLS regular season this weekend when they host DC United at Exploria Stadium in the 18th round of the campaign. Match day schedules for July 5, 2022 at 02:00 EAT.
The hosts may be the most complicated side in the league this season, as they have rarely been consistent yet can earn enough positive results to remain relevant; they are currently in the fifth position 25 points. Orlando City tends to get the job done at home where they have won five of their last six games and scoring twice in all of their wins.
Orlando City prepare for this fixture off the back of1-1 Open Cup stalemate with Nashville SC in their most recent game. In that match, Orlando City had 60% possession, 23 shots with five of them on target and a goal scored by Rodrigo Schlegel (90+4’). Nashville SC got nine shots with six of them on target and a goal by Hany Mukhtar (52’).
Meanwhile, DC United who previously captured four MLS Cups have fallen on hard times, losing three straight league matches and dropping down into the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They currently hold the worst record in the league and are without a victory in six consecutive domestic encounters. Their form does not get better on the road with the team having won just once in their last six away games.
D.C. United will want to bounce back from 1-3 MLS defeat at the hands of Nashville SC in their previous game. In that match, D.C. United managed 58% possession, eight shots with three of them on target and a goal scored by Taxiarchis Fountas (59′). Nashville got nine shots with five of them on target and goals by Daniel Lovitz (6′) and Hany Mukhtar (45′, 50′).
Orlando City vs. DC United head to head
Each side has won seven times from their 15 head to head encounters between these two teams while one match played out a draw.
- Orlando 2-1 DC United 03/10/21
- DC United 0-1 Orlando 17/05/21
- Orlando 0-1 DC United 16/02/20
- DC United 1-0 Orlando 27/06/19
- Orlando 1-2 DC United 01/04/19
Home
- Orlando 6-5 Nashville
- Cincinnati 1-0 Orlando
- Orlando 2-1 Houston
- New England 1-1 Orlando
- Orlando 1-3 Dallas
Away
- DC United 1-3 Nashville
- Chicago 1-0 DC United
- DC United 1-0 Xelaju
- New York 4-1 DC United
- DC United 2-2 Toronto
Orlando City team news
Boss Óscar Pareja will be without Gastón González who has been sidelined with injuries.
DC United team news
Adrien Perez Moses Nyeman, Chris Odoi-Atsem and Theodore Ku-Dipietro have been ruled out of this game through injuries. Jacob Greene, Hayden Sargis and Bill Hamid are doubts also through injuries.
Prediction and odds
Orlando City won or drew three of the last five games they played, while DC United lost four of the last five fixtures.
- Orlando City Win
- Draw
- Goals over 2.5
