Match Preview: Orlando and Nashville go Face to Face to Solidify Their Position in the Eastern Conference
Orlando City SC and Nashville SC hope to further solidify their spot in MLS's Eastern Conference
It’s yet another tough game this weekend for Orlando City Soccer Club; with Inter Miami right on their heels (and with three games in hand), the Lions will hope to pick up more points from Nashville SC who are tied with Orlando on points. Orlando, who are coming off a Leagues Cup win in Carson, CA, are showing no signs of slowing down. Nashville on the other hand, have hit a bit of a rough patch in their season. The Boys in Gold have lost their last three MLS matches and have only scored one goal from open play in those games. Both teams are very even with Nashville only having the edge in the standings via an additional win on their record.
Orlando City seem to have the wind in their sails for this game. Not only is their recent form better, their record inside Nashville’s GEODIS Park is perfect with a 3-0-0 record. The trio of Designated Players, Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel, and Marco Pasalic, remain the best in the league. More specifically, the most prolific of those three, Ojeda smells blood in the water for the MVP race and will be highly motivated to record further goal contributions. As far as their defense is concerned, Orlando look to remain as solid as ever with the heroic Pedro Gallese and ever-present Robin Jansson. The primary challenge for the Lions tonight will be managing the minutes of its players as Messi’s Miami will host the team in Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup semi-final.
Despite recent form, Nashville has a lot to be confident about in this game. The team has a great defensive record- 1.1 goals conceded per match- and has the home field advantage. Sam Surrige has become an iconic player in Nashville since joining in 2023. The Englishman has scored 18 goals this season and is just behind Lionel Messi in the golden boot race. Former MLS MVP, Hany Mukhtar is as dangerous as ever. The German has 18 goal contributions this season which is already more than his record in 2024. For Nashville, the key will be to disrupt the play between Orlando’s DP trio. Jeisson Palacios and Walker Zimmerman will need to be organized and give them very little time to find openings in behind the backline.
With only six matchdays left in MLS, this game will be a tremendous test of will for these two teams. I can see Orlando playing more conservatively with their current slate of matches while Nashville try to get their attack back into prime form.
Kick-off at GEODIS Park is scheduled for 8:30PM EST and will exclusively stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.