Tip Orlando City SC - DC United

Orlando City host DC United, with the home team looking to push even further towards the top end of the Eastern Conference, while the team from Washington are desperately searching for a way to escape the bottom place of the division. It has been a joyful couple of days for Orlando supporters, after their team eliminated Nashville on penalties to secure their place at the semi-finals where they will meet the New York Red Bulls. Their form at the MLS is not immaculate of late however, having won just one of their last five games. There is work to be done defensively for Oscar Pareja’s team, with his side having conceded in seven consecutive games in league and cup. They tend to get the job done at the Exploria Stadium however, having won five of their last six and scoring twice in all of their wins. The downside is that they have also conceded in all of their recent games at home in a run that stretches to eight games in a row.

It has been a season to forget so far for DC United supporters. Winless in their last seven, they occupy the division’s bottom spot having conceded a staggering twenty seven goals in their fifteen MLS games, the league’s worst defensive record. The situation does not get better on the road, with the team from the capital having won just once in their last six away games. However, they seem to find a way of scoring in their travels, having done so in ten of their last twelve. The gamble on Greek forward Taxiarchis Fountas seems to be paying off, with the Greek international having six goals and three assists in the nine matches he has played so far and is their main goal threat at the moment. They have also managed to get on the score sheet in all of their past three meetings at Orlando, winning one and drawing two of those.