Tip FC Cincinnati - Orlando City SC

Cincinnati clash with Orlando City at the TQL stadium. The hosts have done remarkably well to contend for a play off spot after three straight unsuccessful campaigns. The arrival of coach Pat Noonan has revitalised the club and the transformation of players such as Junior Moreno and Luciano Acosta (who returned from Covid leave in the last game) have pushed the home team to eighth place, level with Charlotte who occupies the last play off spot. They are not experiencing their best of runs recently however, with just one win and three losses in their last five games. They have also conceded in all of their said five games, so defence needs to be ironed out slightly. At the TQL stadium, Noonan’s team have had mixed fortunes. They have two wins in their last five (albeit one coming against lower league opposition Pittsburgh in the cup) and are remarkably the worst home team in the MLS Eastern Division, despite pushing for a play off spot.

 

Orlando City are enjoying an excellent start to the campaign, which sees them currently occupy fourth place. They were on a four game winless run however in the league, before Sunday’s victory over Houston Dynamo. They tend to perform well away from home, having only lost once in their last eight games away. They have also managed to keep a clean sheet in half of these games. Despite starting the season excellently, defence has let them down in recent games, with both teams to score featuring in all of their last five games and in eight of their last nine. They have also never lost against Cincinnati in the three times they have met at the TQL stadium.