Round One of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs has arrived and Orlando City will be looking to make the most of its draw against Nashville to start what the club hopes will be a deep playoff run.
Kickoff at Exploria Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. (FS1, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+).
Please, Orlando City, bring us our first real championship | Commentary
The new playoff format means the Lions must win in a best-of-three series against a heated rival. The two sides met twice in the regular season, with the away sides winning each matchup.
The Lions have been one of the hottest teams in MLS during the last few months, but that won’t matter if they can’t carry that momentum forward. Coach Oscar Pareja believes his team is ready to rise to the challenge.
“We are very aware that this is a new beginning, this is a new term, and we know who we are,” he said. “Most important is that we can focus on this moment and think about the present, and the present is Nashville.”
Expectations are high for the second-seeded Lions and talisman Facundo Torres will be expected to reach another level, too. His 14 league goals led the team and was a personal best for the young forward, and he knows how vital his scoring form will be in the playoffs.
“I’ve been able to have that complete year, that full year of already being here, already being adjusted, and I’m having a really great year so far,” Torres said. “So being able to enter into the playoffs like this and with the rhythm that we have, I’m looking forward to it.”
On the injury front, midfielder Favian Loyola (left arm) and forward Jack Lynn (left thigh) are ruled out for Orlando City. Midfielder Randall Leal (lower body injury) is questionable for Nashville.
