Continuity

Last week against Sporting KC, Orlando City used an unchanged back line for the 6th time this season and the first under HC James O’Connor. Captain D Jonathan Spector lined up at left back, D Carlos Ascues and D Shane O’Neill were the center backs and D Scott Sutter was the right back. It was the same back line O’Connor rolled out against Philadelphia on Sept. 1.

The other unchanged back lines included March 3 and 10 (El-Munir, Tarek, Spector, Sutter); April 21 and 29 (El-Munir, Tarek, Sané, Johnson); May 13 and 18 (El-Munir, Tarek, Sané, Johnson); and on June 20, 23 and 30 (Tarek, Sané, Spector).



Where’s Rafa?

The last time these 2 teams met, former Lions D Rafael Ramos was with the Chicago Fire. But on Aug. 6, Chicago and Ramos mutually terminated the contract and Ramos signed with FC Twente (Netherlands). Ramos has 1 assist in 4 second-division appearances with Twente.



The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Toyota Park is 1 of 3 road venues in which Orlando City has a winning record all-time in MLS competition. The Lions are 2-1-1 in Bridgeview, Ill. in MLS play and are 1-0-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids) and 1-0-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium (Real Salt Lake).

Orlando City enters the match on an 8-game winless streak, but Chicago enters the match on a 9-game winless streak in MLS. The Fire snapped an 8-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw at Columbus on Aug. 23.

While that draw snapped Chicago’s winless streak in MLS, the Fire went to Germany to play Bayern Munich in a Bastian Schweinsteiger testimonial match on Aug. 28 and lost 4-0. Schweinsteiger captained the Fire in the first half before changing kits and scoring for Bayern in the second half.



Milestone Tracker

M Cristian Higuita’s next start will be his 77th for City in MLS, tying F Cyle Larin for the all-time Club record. GK Joe Bendik is the Club’s all-time leader with 89 MLS games started.

- Higuita is also 6 appearances from becoming the first player in Club history to appear in 100 matches across all competitions in the MLS era. Higuita has made 91 MLS appearances and 3 in the U.S. Open Cup for City. The Lions have 7 games regular-season remaining in 2018.

- M Yoshi Yotún’s next MLS assist will be his 11th of the season and pass M Kaká (10 in 2016) for the most in a single season in Club history.

- F Dom Dwyer’s next MLS goal will be his 13th of the season and pass F Cyle Larin (12 in 2017) for 3rd-most in a single season in Club history. Larin holds the top 2 spots with 14 in 2016 and 17 in 2015.

- M Sacha Kljestan’s next assist will be the 91st of his MLS regular-season career, tying M Cobi Jones for 8th-most in MLS history.

- M Will Johnson’s next appearance will be his 50th for City in MLS. He will become the 9th Lion to pass that milestone (Higuita 91, Bendik 90, Larin 87, Rivas 78, Kaká 75, Carrasco 58, Hines 55, Nocerino 52)

- Orlando City is 6 goals away from its 200th all-time goal across all competitions (MLS era).