By Kyle Foley
Orlando Sentinel Correspondent
The second round of the MLS Cup playoffs is within reach for Orlando City after its 1-0 home win in Game 1 a week ago against Nashville.
Orlando City takes on Nashville SC at GEODIS Park on Tuesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. and the game will be carried on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
Orlando City comes into Game 2 riding a five-game winning streak, including a pair of 1-0 wins over Nashville. Playing on the road shouldn’t faze the Lions because they won a league-best nine games away from home during the regular season.
For Orlando coach Oscar Pareja, however, past results do not matter in this three-game series. He has been urging his team to take everything one game at a time, and so far it has been paying off.
“Without using too much the context of the games or predicting the future is for the players every single day that we have to live one day at a time, one game at a time, and this series is the same,” Pareja said. “We have a big responsibility to prepare for a game that can advance to the next phase, but we had to go and play them, and surely it is going to be a big challenge.”
The challenge for Orlando is that Nashville enters this game on the verge of elimination. Pareja expects his team to come up against a hungry and physical side but feels that the Lions are prepared to see a different side of Nashville.
“Winning the game, things happen. We close this series and if they don’t do it, they’re out,” Pareja added. “It’s always that they want to extend the series one more game, so there’s surely some behaviors in the field that may change and we are preparing for that.”
On the injury front, midfielder Favian Loyola (left arm) and forward Jack Lynn (left thigh) are ruled out for the Lions. Nashville midfielder Randall Leal (lower body injury) is questionable.
