In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke with Ben Miller of The Mane Land to learn more about Orlando City SC, New York City FC's opponent for the second time this season. Here is your NYCFC vs Orlando City preview.
• League Form: W-W-W-W-L
• Record: 9W, 6D, 9L | 33 points, 7th place
• Scoring Leader: Facundo Torres, 8 goals
• Assist Leader: Nicolás Lodeiro, 6 assists
1. Orlando is rolling
Hudson River Blue: Since losing 4-2 to NYCFC on June 28, Orlando has won four straight matches and sits seventh in the Eastern Conference, four points off a top-five spot. What’s been working so well for Orlando now, and how can head coach Óscar Pareja continue to get the best out of his team?
Ben Miller: I think part of it has to do with the quality of opposition. Toronto, DC, New England, and Nashville have all been struggling in various ways when Orlando has come up against them. Still, you can only beat the team in front of you, and the Lions have been doing that. Being able to choose from almost the full complement of players has also helped, as Oscar Pareja has been able to go back to his preferred 4-2-3-1, and is no longer forced to deploy guys like Facundo Torres, Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda out of position. That's helped get the two DP's going, and it's given Orlando a spark.
