After inclement weather caused its rematch with Philadelphia to be postponed to Sunday, Orlando City is now facing yet another travel delay. The team got stuck in Philadelphia on Sunday due to “plane troubles,” according to a league spokesman. The team was expected to travel home Monday, with hopes of the having the players back in Orlando by the afternoon.
This means that the Lions have now lost two days of recovery. Orlando City will take Monday as a travel day and return to practice on Tuesday, with only one day to prepare before facing off against New York City FC on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup.
The Open Cup has been a major priority for head coach James O’Connor throughout the season. The team will now face off against New York City FC — which has only two losses this season, the most recent coming over the weekend to Portland — with half as much time to rest or prepare as it expected.