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Orlando City’s season opener against D.C. United will involve a bit of guesswork for both clubs.
Even when teams return most of their players from previous seasons, it can be tough to prepare for the first match of the season – the only recent scouting available comes from preseason matches. Both D.C. United and Orlando City have embraced massive roster overhauls.
This means both clubs are preparing for Saturday’s season opener somewhat blind. The Lions take on D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. in Orlando City Stadium and the game will be broadcast locally on WRDQ-Channel 27.
“Opening games are interesting,” Lions midfielder Will Johnson said.
“You’re never quite sure what to expect, but you’re a little more hyped up. A little more adrenaline. You’ve just got to adjust on the fly. We’ve got guys who’ve played in the league now for quite a few years who will help out the younger guys and kind of fix things on the fly, if that’s what we need.
“We feel good about where we are, the preparation we’ve had, the information we’ve been able to obtain and we’re ready.”
United’s roster revamp started during last season’s summer transfer window. The club – which finished 2017 with a league-worst minus-29 goal differential – brought in players like U.S national team midfielder Paul Arriola, 19-year-old Bolivanian forward Bruno Miranda, defensive midfielder Russell Canouse and attacking midfielder Zoltán Stieber.
The offseason additions of attackers Darren Mattocks from Portland and Yamil Asad from Atlanta mean this year’s squad will look nothing like the one that lost twice to Orlando City last season.
Kreis said this D.C. United side presents dangerous attacking threats. That’s a bit of a reversal from last season, considering D.C. United scored just 31 goals in 2017, tied for worst in MLS.
“Preseason matches, let’s face it, they look different than real matches,” Kreis said. “The players know they can’t go 100 miles per hour and put in 100 percent so things oftentimes look very different once the first whistle blows for the real game.
“We do our best to scout their preseason games. We have a pretty good idea of what they’re trying to do and the truth of the matter is this is a home game. We need to be focused on ourselves, first and foremost.”
No. 10 Luciano Acosta, who had five goals and five assists for United last season, is suspended.
“As I said, for me, 80 percent of our energy and focus is going to be on our guys and playing our game in our stadium,” Kreis said.
D.C. United faces a challenging fixture list to start the season. The club won’t play a game in its new home stadium until July 14. In the meantime, United starts the season with 14 away games and two “home games” that’ll be played at Maryland SoccerPlex and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Orlando City spent the preseason bolstering its roster, but many of the new pieces will miss the season opener. Attacking midfielder Josué Colmán is out with a quad contusion. Holding midfielder Uri Rosell, who joined the club late in the preseason, isn’t match-ready in terms of fitness. Midfielder Dillion Powers is out due to an ankle injury.
Star striker Dom Dwyer is recovering from a quad strain, though he was running on the training pitch Thursday afternoon alongside Powers.
Plus, Sacha Kljestan, the reigning MLS assist king, will serve the first of a two-game suspension on Saturday.
“Obviously, we know we’ve got some guys who are waiting to come back, but we’re excited about the group we’re going to put out there,” Johnson said. “We think we’ve got a good game plan. We’re excited to see our fans again in our stadium. It’s been a good preseason; we’re just ready to go.”