Orlando City can win their first-ever away fixture in the MLS Cup playoffs when they head to GEODIS Park for game two of their best-of-three series against Nashville SC on Tuesday.
A goal four minutes from the interval in match one was enough to propel the Lions to a 1-0 victory, the first in their history in normal time.
Match preview
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For over a month, the Boys in Gold have been in a scoring slump, and that continued in Orlando last Monday as they failed to find the back of the net for the fifth time in their last six domestic encounters.
Nashville have one more chance to fix those attacking deficiencies and they may want to draw on their experience at the Leagues Cup earlier this year, when they faced elimination five times, emerging victorious on four occasions.
This upcoming game will be the first playoff encounter at GEODIS Park, while the Boys in Gold have won their only two post-season fixtures played in the Music City by a combined score of 6-1, including a 3-1 triumph versus Orlando City in 2021.
Even though Gary Smith's men have gone on to lose four of their last five playoff games, each of those defeats were right there for the taking, losing once in extra time, once in a penalty shootout and twice by a single goal.
They enter this game in a home slump, winning just one of their previous six matches played at GEODIS Park (3-2 win over the New England Revolution), scoring a goal or fewer in all but one of those games.
The Boys in Gold have won every playoff encounter when netting in the second half, though that has only happened on two previous occasions (a 3-0 win over Inter Miami in 2020 and a 3-1 victory against Orlando in 2021).
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It was not the most convincing victory for Orlando in the first match of this series, but in the end, the Lions did enough to earn their first-ever clean sheet in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Defensively, Oscar Pareja's side have been well-organised and compact down the stretch of the season, conceding in only one of their last five MLS fixtures.
A victory would not only be the first for this franchise away from home but it would also advance them into the Eastern Conference Semi-finals for just the second time in club history (2020 was the first).
During the 2023 regular season, the Lions performed well away from home, winning nine times altogether, the most in MLS.
If they can triumph in this upcoming encounter, that would extend their MLS winning run to six matches, equalling the longest in club history set between March and May 2018.
That 2021 playoff defeat versus the Boys in Gold is the only time the Lions have lost a match against them in the Music City, with Orlando winning their lone visit to GEODIS Park last month by a score of 1-0.
Team News
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In the opening match of this series, Nashville were without Nick DePuy due to a lower-body injury, while Smith made one change to his starting 11 as Jacob Shaffelburg played on the wing instead of Randall Leal.
Anibal Godoy led the Boys in Gold with 36 accurate passes in their previous outing, Jacob Shaffelburg had a 100% pass accuracy, Sam Surridge was first in expected goal for Nashville (0.6), while Walker Zimmerman led them in duels won with three.
Hany Mukhtar was first on the team with five shots, three of which were on target, though the 2022 MLS Golden Boot winner is goalless in his last seven league fixtures, while he, Daniel Lovitz, Zimmerman and Joe Willis have begun every playoff encounter in club history.
The Lions might be missing Jack Lynn for this one as he is dealing with an issue in his left thigh, while Favian Loyola could be out after injuring his left arm.
It was a series of firsts for Orlando City in match one, with Wilder Cartagena picking up his first playoff goal, Cesar Araujo had his first post-season assist and Pedro Gallese collected his first career playoff clean sheet.
Duncan McGuire, who scored 13 goals during the regular season, one fewer than Facundo Torres for the most on the team, had the only strike in their previous visit to GEODIS Park, thanks to a nice setup from Martin Ojeda.
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Moore, Zimmerman, Maher, Lovitz; Muyl, Davis, Godoy, Shaffelburg; Picault, Mukhtar
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Thorhallsson, Schlegel, Jansson, Santos; Araujo, Cartagena; Torres, Pereyra, Angulo; McGuire
We say: Nashville SC 1-1 Orlando City (Orlando City wins on penalties)
For as good as the Nashville backline have been all season, they have not been able to get it together anywhere else on the field, and that has to be a cause for concern as they face elimination.
The Lions are a scrappy and resilient bunch who have shown poise away from home and made their chances count, and we believe they will maintain that composure when needed in this match.
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