May 8, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Orlando City SC News Release
The Need to Know:
Date & Time: Tuesday, May 9, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, NC
Competition: Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Where to Watch/Listen:
Broadcast: CBS Sports Golazo Network
The Story:
The Lions begin their first match of their U.S. Open Cup Championship defense on the road, squaring off against fellow MLS club Charlotte FC.
The Lions are the current reigning champions of the U.S. Open Cup, winning the title in 2022 after defeating Sacramento Republic FC in a 3-0 shutout victory at Exploria Stadium.
This matchup marks the second of the Club’s three-game road stretch and their first on the road in Open Cup play since 2019, having played all six matches a year ago in The City Beautiful.
Quote of the Week:
“The [Open Cup] is a cup that brings a lot of pride once you win it. This league doesn’t allow you to bounce back because you have just one game where you either keep going or stop the competition. The concentration and the dedication for the [U.S. Open Cup] game, in this case tomorrow, has to be 100%. Sometimes teams take it lightly and then after the game you regret it because you didn’t want to lose it. Instead, you want to be part of those finals. My advice to the players is to leave every single match as it was the last. Every single match means a lot for their career, our club, and our fans. It does not matter if it’s a [U.S. Open] Cup game, a league game, or an international competition. We have the responsibility to defend a jersey. Whether it is a cup, it’s a Wednesday game, or it is a Saturday league game. We have to perform and try to win games.”
– Head Coach Oscar Pareja
Current Form:
Lions’ Last Match: CF Montréal 2, Orlando City 0 (5/6/23, Stade Saputo)
Goal-Scorers: Robin Jansson (OG), Romell Quioto
Charlotte’s Last Match: Charlotte FC 3, NYCFC 2 (5/6/23, Bank of America Stadium)
Goal-Scorers: Enzo Copetti (2), Richard Ledezma (OG); Gabriel Pereira, Santiago Rodríguez
Against the Opposition:
Series Record: 2-1-0 (Home: 1-1-0, Away: 1-0-0)
Last Matchup: CLT 2, ORL 1 (3/18/23, Exploria Stadium)
Next Up: Orlando City at Columbus Crew
Date & Time: Saturday May 13, 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Lower.com Field; Columbus, OH.
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV | 96.9 The Game | Acción 97.9 FM
Competition: MLS Regular Season
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