2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 15
Orlando City SC vs. New York Red Bulls
Exploria Stadium – Orlando
October 3 – 4:30 PM ET
LIVE: FOX, FOX Deportes
STREAMING: FOX Sports App in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Orlando City SC return home with their league-best eight-match unbeaten streak when they host a New York Red Bulls team with back-to-back decisive wins under their belt when the Eastern Conference rivals clash at Exploria Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Orlando City SC (7W-2L-5D) played FC Dallas to a 0-0 draw at Toyota Stadium Sunday night, while the Red Bulls (6W-6L-2D) blasted the Montreal Impact 4-1 at Red Bull Arena.
In their last meeting in Orlando, Brian White slotted home a Kaku service in the first half and the Red Bulls benefitted from kind bounces off the woodwork in a 1-0 victory last July.
Orlando City SC
A three-match winning streak was snapped, but the Lions extended an unbeaten run to eight with a 0-0 draw in Oscar Pareja's competitive return to Frisco. Orlando, forced to play the final 21 minutes with 10 men after midfielder Jhegson Mendez was shown two yellow cards in the space of five second-half minutes, were disappointed to not take all three points.
“When you go away and play against good teams and you walk it out with a tie and it’s not enough, that just gives me good sensations about this team,” Pareja said after the match. “One of our best games, the way that I wanted them to play and the way we all wanted to do the things, without a doubt one of the best ones. But not finishing in the last third, we didn’t have the solutions, but that will come.”
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Dom Dwyer (F) - knee injury
- OUT: Joao Moutinho (D) - groin injury
- OUT: Uri Rosell (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Tesho Akindele (F) - undisclosed injury
- Suspended: Jhegson Sebastian Mendez (M)
- Suspended after next caution: Joao Moutinho (D)
- International duty: None
New York Red Bulls
The Red Bulls followed up a 4-1 win over Inter Miami in Fort Lauderdale with a victory by the same scoreline over the Montreal Impact Sunday at Red Bull Arena. Tom Barlow scored his first two goals of the year, Kaku and Danny Royer were dangerous throughout and the Red Bulls responded positively from an early deficit. Still, interim coach Bradley Carnell thinks its too early to say the team has turned the corner.
“No, I mean turning the corner is really going on a big run of five, six, seven, eight games,” Carnell said Sunday night on a video conference call. “We would like to get that going, bu it’s a mindset. We have a young group of guys and not that anyone is drifting away in the clouds just yet. They know what a couple of months it’s been, it’s been really frustrating … we’re just trying to keep everyone grounded and enjoying the moment."
Are Carnell's days numbered in charge of the club? The BBC reports the MLS club has made a formal approach to Championship side Barnsley to land Gerhard Struber as their next head coach.
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Patrick Seagrist (D) - groin injury
- OUT: Amro Tarek (D) - thigh injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Sean Davis (M) - knee injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Ryan Meara (GK) - hip flexor
- QUESTIONABLE: Mark Rzatkowski (M) - hip injury
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
Series Matchup at Orlando City SC
- Orlando City SC: 2 wins, 6 goals
- Red Bulls: 2 wins, 7 goals
- 1 draw
Officials
- Referee: Fotis Bazakos
- Assistant Referees: Eric Weisbrod, Cory Richardson
- 4th Official: Ismail Elfath
- VAR: Kyle Longville
