1 - Old Crewmates

Orlando City F Justin Meram and Minnesota M Ethan Finlay were teammates at Columbus Crew SC for 5 and a half years from 2012 to 2017. From 2014 to August 2017, the duo combined for 13 MLS goals, including 6 game-winners. Meram scored the goal on Finlay’s first MLS assist on May 31, 2014 (Finlay didn’t register a goal or assist in 817 minutes in 2012 and 2013). Finlay was traded to Minnesota on Aug. 9, 2017; Meram was traded to Orlando City on Jan. 29.



Additional former teammates in tonight’s matchup include Minnesota D Collen Warner and City D Chris Schuler, who both played under Jason Kreis at Real Salt Lake in 2010 and 2011. Warner was also teammates with Lions GK Joe Bendik at Toronto FC in 2015. MIN F Abu Danladi and City GK Earl Edwards, Jr. were teammates at UCLA in 2014. United M Johan Venegas played with City D Donny Toia in Montreal in 2015 and 2016.



2 - For the History Books

Lions GK Joe Bendik’s next Start will tie him with Kaká for 2nd-most in City MLS history with 69. Cyle Larin is the all-time leader with 77 Games Started. Bendik also made Club history on March 3 with his spectacular penalty kick save on Darren Mattocks. That save was Bendik’s 3rd as a Lion and the 4th of his MLS career. It was also the 4th PK save in Club history (Bendik: 4/3/16 vs. Adi, POR; 9/7/16 vs. Droga, MTL; Tally Hall: 8/16/15 vs. Martins, SEA).



3 - Stoppage Time Stéfano

Lions F Stéfano Pinho scored the stoppage-time equalizer on March 3. It was City’s 4th stoppage-time goal in 4 Opening Day matches. It was also Pinho’s 4th goal in 2 games at Orlando City Stadium after notching the first hat-trick in Stadium history on June 14, 2017 with Miami FC.



Pinho played for Minnesota United in the NASL in 2016, scoring 5 goals and 1 assist in 25 NASL matches and making 2 appearances in U.S. Open Cup. Pinho won the NASL Golden Boot in 2015 and 2017.



4 - Going For Goal

Minnesota United is 1 of 3 teams Orlando City has never scored on in MLS play, after the Loons defeated the Lions 1-0 in May 2017. The other 2 teams include FC Dallas (0-2-1 all-time) and 2018 expansion side LAFC.



5 - #Lampstrong

When Orlando City and Minnesota United played a preseason training scrimmage at Sylvan Lake Park on Feb. 10, United GK Matt Lampson took a photo and spoke brie y with Lions GK Mason Stajduhar, who is battling Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Lampson has been cancer free for 10 years after beating Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a senior in high school. Lampson then established the LampStrong Foundation, which “provides difference-making financial, emotional and motivational support to cancer patients and their families.”



Stajduhar had this to say about their conversation: “I got a couple texts from guys that I obviously knew who they were but had never texted them before. Matt was one of them. That was really cool to hear his story and some of the things he would say I could relate to like ‘this happened.’ ‘This happened to you too?’ ‘Yeah.’ Similar experiences and stuff like that. That was cool.” Stajdu-

har is focused on beating cancer but says he would like to establish a similar foundation in the future.



The Lions are 0-2-1 vs. Lampson in MLS play and have scored just 1 goal, which was assisted by Kevin Molino (scored by Cyle Larin on March 11, 2016 vs. Chicago).



6 - Orlando City's Last...

Direct Free Kick goal: Sept. 24, 2016 @ D.C. United (Júlio Baptista) at Home: March 8, 2015 vs. NYCFC (Kaká)

Indirect Free Kick goal: Oct. 22, 2017 @ Philadelphia (Dom Dwyer from Yoshimar Yotún)

at Home: Sept. 27, 2017 vs. New England (Antonio Nocerino from Yoshimar Yotún)

Penalty Kick goal: Sept. 7, 2016 @ Montreal (Kaká)

at Home: Aug. 28, 2016 vs. NYCFC (Kaká)

Own-goal in favor: May 15, 2016 @ Sporting KC (Jimmy Medranda) at Home: Aug. 29, 2015 vs. Chicago (Eric Gehrig)

Multi-goal game: Sept. 27, 2017 vs. New England (W, 6-1) on Road: Sept. 16, 2017 @ Atlanta (D, 3-3)



7 - Looney Tunes

M Harrison Heath was acquired by Minnesota for a 2019 4th-round pick from Atlanta, who acquired Heath from Orlando City for a 2019 4th-round pick in December 2016.



8 - The Grand Return

Adrian Heath coached Orlando City through 178 MLS, USL Pro and U.S. Open Cup games from 2011 to 2016. Kevin Molino is the Club’s 2nd leading scorer including the USL Pro days, with 41 goals in MLS, U.S. Open Cup and USL Pro. Ian Fuller played 3 years in USL Pro for City and he and Mark Watson were both assistant coaches during 2015 and 2016.