Orlando City SC vs. DC United | 2016 MLS Match Preview

ORLANDO CITY SC vs. D.C. UNITED
Camping World Stadium | Orlando, Florida
Sunday, Oct. 23 | Week #33 | MLS Game #335
4 pm ET (MLS LIVE, ABC7, TV27)

Playoff placing in the Eastern Conference is on the line when Orlando City SC play host to D.C. United in the season finale at Camping World Stadium on Decision Day. Orlando City will be completing their 2016 season with the match, out of playoff contention, returning home after snapping a five-game winless run with a 2-0 win at Philadelphia Union last weekend. D.C. United come into the game riding a four-game winning streak, following their 3-1 win against New York City FC at RFK Stadium last weekend, aiming to secure a home-field berth for the Knockout Round, which they can achieve for certain with a win in Orlando.

• Orlando City put an end to a five-game winless run, with four defeats over that span, in a 2-0 win at Philadelphia Union on Sunday afternoon. Carlos Rivas and Julio Baptista hit the back of the net for OCSC following back-to-back offensive shutouts.
• United won their fourth game in a row, defeating New York City FC 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium. It matches the club’s longest winning streak in league play since winning six in a row in 2007.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Patrick Mullins scored a pair of goals, and his college teammate Taylor Kemp added three assists, as United strolled to a 4-1 win Sept. 24 at RFK Stadium.
• The teams met three times in Orlando City’s inaugural MLS campaign. The teams split the two meetings in Orlando, both by 1-0 scorelines, United winning on April 3 in the first meeting ever, and Orlando City claiming the win June 14. United has won both meetings at RFK Stadium after a 2-1 win there last May 13.

REFEREE: Juan Guzman. AR1 (bench): Sean Hurd; AR2 (opposite): Cameron Blanchard; 4th: Mark Kadlecik
MLS Career: 77 games; FC/gm: 25.3; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 24; pens: 17

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: ORL: Jose Aja -- DC: Luciano Acosta, Rob Vincent
DISABLED LIST: DC: Chris Rolfe (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (4 meetings): Orlando City 1 win, 3 goals -- United 3 wins, 7 goals -- Ties 0
AT ORLANDO (2 meetings): Orlando City 1 win, 1 goal -- United 1 win, 1 goal -- Ties 0

• Coaches record: Jason Kreis vs. DC: P15 W6 L6 D3 -- Ben Olsen vs. ORL: P4 W2 L1 D0

LAST MEETING:
9/24: DC 4, ORL 1 (Mullins 34, 53; Sam 51; Buescher 90 -- Baptista 72)

• United opened the scoring in the 34th minute. Taylor Kemp received a nifty backheel from Patrick Nyarko in the left side of the area and drove in a low cross which Patrick Mullins turned home from the doorstep for the first goal.
• The lead was doubled six minutes after the second half restart as Lloyd Sam headed home a Kemp cross from the left flank. Then it was 3-0 just two minutes later when Mullins received a pass from Nyarko in the left of the box and put home an angled shot inside the back post.
• Orlando City were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute when Antonio Nocerino was sent off with a straight red card from referee Sorin Stoica after elbowing Mullins in the chest. But the visitors pulled a goal back six minutes later in impressive fashion through a Julio Baptista free kick, which sailed past the wall, straight down off the bar and into the roof of the net.
• But United sealed the win when Lamar Neagle in the final minute of regulation time when Lamar Neagle slipped in a pass for Julian Buescher to drive home for his first MLS goal.
• D.C. UNITED (4-1-4-1): Bill Hamid - Nick DeLeon, Steve Birnbaum, Bobby Boswell, Taylor Kemp - Marcelo Sarvas (Julian Buscher 23) - Lloyd Sam (Luke Mishu 82), Luciano Acosta, Rob Vincent, Patrick Nyarko (Lamar Neagle 77) - Patrick Mullins.
• ORLANDO CITY SC (4-2-3-1): Joseph Bendik - Kevin Alston, Jose Aja, David Mateos, Michael Ambrose - Antonio Nocerino (ejected 66), Servando Carrasco (Cristian Higuita 64) - Matias Perez Garcia, Kaka (Julio Baptista 64), Kevin Molino - Cyle Larin (Tony Rocha 73).