Everything you need to know for Orlando City’s Round 1 playoff match against Nashville SC in “The Road Ahead” driven by Audi:
Round 1: Orlando City vs. Nashville SC
When: 7:00 PM on Monday
Where: Orlando, Florida’s Exploria Stadium
Apple TV: MLS Season Pass
Radio stations: Acción 97.9 FM in Spanish and 96.9 The Game in English
Milestone watch
— After a brace off the bench on Decision Day against Toronto FC, Duncan McGuire stands at 15 goals for the season in all competitions, just three goals away from tying Cyle Larin for the club’s single-season record. Larin scored 18 times between MLS and the U.S. Open Cup in 2015.
— Orlando City is seeking its first playoff victory since 2020 when the Lions famously knocked off New York City FC in penalties with Rodrigo Schlegel in net.
— If Orlando prevails in the Nashville series, it will have won 20 games this season overall, including the Leagues Cup victory over Santos Laguna.
Statistics and plot lines
Orlando City will play Nashville SC on Monday night to start its MLS Cup quest. The Lions are participating in the postseason for the fourth straight year.
— Orlando City set new club records at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season for:
- Wins (18)
- Points (63)
- Away wins (9) and points (31)
- Goal difference (+16)
- Fewest goals allowed (39)
— Since June 1, the Lions have been the MLS’ top team, posting a 13-3-4 record in their final 20 regular-season games. Upon their return from the Leagues Cup break, Orlando went 8-1-2.
— McGuire had a tremendous finish to the season, scoring in each of his final three games and finishing with 5 G and 1 A in his final five games. During the international break in October, the youngster also scored a goal for the United States U23 squad.
The opening round is now a best-of-three series, which is new for 2023. If neither team advances after two games, a third game will be played at Exploria Stadium on Sunday, November 12, at 5 p.m. ET. Nashville will host the second game at Geodis Park on Tuesday, November 7 at 9 p.m. ET.
All best-of-three matchups will now end in a 90-minute penalty kick shootout under the new format. Orlando City has won all eight of its penalty shootouts; their most recent victory came against Houston Dynamo in the Leagues Cup group stage of this year. The squad last missed a penalty kick on August 31, 2022 (Mauricio Pereyra vs. Seattle), and they haven’t missed one since 2023.
Between efforts in shootouts and attempts during live games, Facundo Torres has a 9-for-9 record on penalty kicks in his Orlando City career. During the regular season of Orlando City in 2023, Torres took every penalty kick and scored for the team.
SERIES HISTORY
All-time vs. Nashville – 2-3-5, -2 GD (1-2-2, -1 GD home)
- 2020 – W 3-1 (H), D 1-1 (A), L 2-3 (H)
- 2021 – D 1-1 (A), D 2-2 (A), D 1-1 (H), L 3-1 (A/MLS Cup Playoffs)
- 2022 – D 1-1 (6-5) (H/USOC)
- 2023 – L 0-2 (H), W 0-1 (A)
Face the opposition: SC Nashville
— On October 4, Orlando City defeated Nashville at Geodis Park to snap an eight-match losing streak. Duncan McGuire’s goal late in the first half was all the Lions needed to score; against Orlando’s formidable defence, the home team could only register 0.38 anticipated goals.
— After each team advanced past the other once, this will be Orlando and Nashville’s third knockout match. Hany Mukhtar scored the game-winning goal as Nashville defeated Orlando 3-1 at Nissan Stadium (the team’s previous home before moving to Geodis Park) in the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs. Rodrigo Schlegel’s 94th-minute equaliser preserved the day for the Lions, and the following summer Orlando knocked Nashville from the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on penalties. Later that year, Orlando would win the trophy.
— Mukhtar has seven goals and five assists in ten games versus Orlando City, but his run of four straight victories over the Lions came to an end when Nashville was defeated earlier this month.
— In seven appearances versus Nashville, Mauricio Pereyra has five assists. In the contest on October 4, Pereyra provided the supplementary assist on McGuire’s goal.