SANFORD, Fla. — Orlando City plays its season finale against Chicago Sunday, pushing for a home win to close a 2019 season filled with improvement and missed opportunities.
Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. But ahead of the match, Orlando coach James O’Connor and his players said the standings wouldn’t affect the way the team has prepared for Chicago.
“I think both teams are going to come in with the same intensity,” Lions rookie Benji Michel said. “It’s a game of soccer. It’s our jobs. … We’re gonna do what we gotta do.”
For Orlando City, the difference between a win and a loss could translate to a four-spot swing in the final conference table. The Lions sit in the No. 11 slot in the Eastern Conference. A loss would keep the team in the same place, but a win could push Orlando City as high as No. 8, one spot below the playoff cutoff line.
The Lions also have an opportunity to balance out their record at Exploria Stadium. Entering Sunday, the team is 6-7-3 at home. Orlando City has posted the same number of losses on the road as it has at home, which has been a major detractor for the club this year.
“We want to win and we want to protect our home,” Orlando City defender Kyle Smith said. “It’s very important that we get this win for the fans, for the club. That’s why we play, we play for them. We want to give that to them.”
Orlando City has a chance to break a seven-game winless streak. The team’s last win came at home — a 1-0 victory over Sporting KC. However, that win came almost two months ago at the start of August.
The Lions continue to focus on finishing chances. The team scored one or fewer goals during five of its seven winless games despite taking shots in the double digits.
“We’ve had multiple games where we’ve had really good chance creation,” O’Connor said. “It’s then been the execution. The final piece of trying to add it all together, that’s the next step for us in the offseason.”
Orlando and Chicago faced off at the start of the season, with the Lions dropping an early lead in stoppage time despite playing a man up due to a red card. In many ways, that match was reflective of a pattern throughout the season — games full of strong execution marred by a late-game lack of focus.
For the Lions, Sunday’s match offers the opportunity to ease some of the disappointment from their failure to deliver during key moments.
“We want to finish the season on a positive,” O’Connor said. “People will say there’s not a lot to play for, it’s a nothing game. But I think there is. For us, it’s making sure we all go out and finish it off with a way that we can have some pride.”
Scouting report
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire, 4 p.m.
Where: Exploria Stadium
Watch: WRBW-Channel 65, Youtube TV, ESPN+
The Buzz: Orlando City fell behind early on the road against FC Cincinnati, but a stoppage time equalizer gave the team a 1-1 draw. … Benji Michel scored the equalizing goal in the 91st minute. … Chicago fired back and forth with Toronto FC to settle for a 2-2 draw, with Jozy Altidore and Omar Gonzalez netting goals. … Nani leads Orlando City in scoring with 12 goals, while also pacing the Lions with 10 assists. … The Chicago attack is led by CJ Sapong with 12 goals, while Nicolás Gaitán has added 12 assists.