Orlando City SC vs. Columbus Crew SC | 2016 MLS Match Preview

ORLANDO CITY SC vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
Camping World Stadium | Orlando, Florida
Saturday, September 17 | Week #28 | MLS Game #287
7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE, TV27, TWCSC-OH, CW Columbus)

A critical contest in the chase for places in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs kicks off when Orlando City SC play host to Columbus Crew SC on Saturday evening at Camping World Stadium. Orlando City come into the match with a slim hold on their first MLS playoff spot in their second season in the league, sitting right on the red line in sixth place, a point ahead of New England following their 4-2 loss at the LA Galaxy last Sunday to end a two-game road swing. Crew SC are at the foot of the East table in their bid to return to MLS Cup, sitting eight points behind Orlando City after a 3-1 home loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at MAPFRE Stadium last weekend.

• Orlando City SC finished their two-game road swing by seeing their two-game winning run come to an end, falling 4-2 to the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon at StubHub Center. Brek Shea scored for a second consecutive game, his third goal of the season.
• Crew SC suffered their second consecutive defeat, falling 3-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday evening at MAPFRE Stadium. Ola Kamara scored his 11th goal of the season, his first since July 23.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Tony Tchani and Ola Kamara gave Crew SC a first-half lead, but Kevin Molino and Cyle Larin scored five minutes apart in the second half for Orlando City to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw July 23 at MAPFRE Stadium.
• The teams met three times in Orlando City’s inaugural MLS season, each winning once at home. OCSC won 5-2 in Orlando on Aug. 1 in the final meeting between the teams; they also reached a 2-2 draw there on May 30. Crew SC won the lone match at MAPFRE Stadium, a 3-0 win April 18.

REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Sean Hurd; AR2 (opposite): Danny Thornberry; 4th: Ted Unkel
MLS Career: 61 games; FC/gm: 26.8; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 7; pens: 16

SUSPENDED: ORL: David Mateos (caution accumulation; through Sept. 18) … CLB: Tony Tchani (through Sept. 18)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: ORL: Carlos Rivas, Brek Shea
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: ORL: Servando Carrasco, Seb Hines
DISABLED LIST: CLB: Matt Pacifici, Ben Swanson (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (4 meetings): Orlando City 1 win, 9 goals … Crew SC 1 win, 9 goals … Ties 2
AT ORLANDO (2 meetings): Orlando City 1 win, 7 goals … Crew SC 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 1

2016 (MLS):
7/23: CLB 2, ORL 2 (Tchani 20; O. Kamara 51+ -- Molino 65; Larin 69)

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Tony Tchani and Ola Kamara gave Crew SC a first-half lead, but Kevin Molino and Cyle Larin scored five minutes apart in the second half for Orlando City to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw July 23 at MAPFRE Stadium.
• The teams met three times in Orlando City’s inaugural MLS season, each winning once at home. OCSC won 5-2 in Orlando on Aug. 1 in the final meeting between the teams; they also reached a 2-2 draw there on May 30. Crew SC won the lone match at MAPFRE Stadium, a 3-0 win April 18.
• Coaches record: Gregg Berhalter vs. ORL: P4 W1 L1 T2 … Jason Kreis vs. CLB: P14 W4 L8 T2

LAST MEETING:

• Crew SC took the lead in the 20th minute, when Tony Tchani burst into the Orlando City penalty area and slotted a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Joe Bendik. The lead was then doubled when Ola Kamara converted a penalty kick.
• But Orlando City pulled even with goals five minutes apart midway through the second half. In the 65th minute, Kaka took a corner and Kevin Molino knocked it in after a scramble in the box. Five minutes later, Molino curled a cross into the box and Cyle Larin nodded it home to leave honors level.
• COLUMBUS CREW SC (4-2-3-1): Steve Clark - Harrison Afful, Michael Parkhurst, Tyson Wahl, Corey Ashe - Wil Trapp, Tony Tchani - Cedrick Mabwati (Ethan Finlay 59), Mohammed Saeid (Federico Higuain 71), Justin Meram (Dilly Duka 83) - Ola Kamara.
• ORLANDO CITY SC (4-2-3-1): Joseph Bendik - Kevin Alston, Seb Hines, David Mateos, Luke Boden - Darwin Ceren, Servando Carrasco (Cristian Higuita 66) - Hadji Barry (Carlos Rivas 60), Julio Baptista (Kaka 60), Kevin Molino - Cyle Larin.