Orlando will be looking to build on their best MLS finish, coming in second place in the Supporters’ Shield. They beat their previous best finish of sixth place in 2021.
Orlando also came into this game on fantastic form, winning their last four consecutive matches and defeating Nashville 1-0 in that run, courtesy of a Duncan McGuire goal in the 44th minute. However, Orlando has been winless in the post-season since 2020 when the Lions defeated New York City FC on penalties.
Nashville are facing an uphill task this campaign after finishing 12th in the Supporters' Shield. A regression from their ninth-place finish in the Shield last year.
Nashville comes into this fixture much worse off than Orlando, only winning two matches since July 2nd in the MLS and only winning one of their last six matches. However, they have not lost in their last four away matches.
Team News:
Orlando has no new injury concerns going into this playoff season. Favian Loyola (left arm) and Jack Lynn (left thigh) are ruled out for this fixture, but the Lions have no new injuries from their game against Toronto.
Nashville will be without Jacob Shaffelburg (Abdominal injury) and Lukas MacNaughton (Abdominal injury) after they picked up these injuries during their 1-0 Decision Day loss to New York Red Bulls. Nick DePuy (Achilles Tendon injury) is also unavailable for The Boys in Gold.
Players to watch:
From an Orlando perspective, the player to watch going into this game is rookie striker Duncan McGuire.
McGuire comes into this game on fine form after his fantastic double against Toronto meant the rookie finished his season with 13 goals.
McGuire has been nothing short of fantastic for Orlando City this season, having one of the best rookie seasons fans of the MLS have seen.
His brilliant season has been recognized by the league, as he was nominated as one of three finalists for the 2023 Young Player of the Year award. He will certainly be a massive threat for Nashville to handle.
For Nashville, Hany Mukhtar has had yet another fantastic season for the Boys in Gold. Scoring 15 goals grabbing nine assists and playing a pivotal part in Nashville getting to the playoffs.
The German has been influential since joining Nashville in 2019, scoring 67 goals in 130 games for the club.
Playing as a centre-forward mostly for Nashville, Mukhtar is a massive creative threat in attack and Orlando will need to neutralize him in order to avoid defeat in this fixture.
Game Details:
The game will take place at the Exploria Stadium on 30th October 2023, with the game kicking off at 19:00 ET (23:00 BST).
The game is available to watch on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass this evening. The referee for this evening’s fixture is Armando Villarreal.
The two teams will meet again in Nashville at Geodis Park on Tuesday 7th November, in what could be a decisive game for this playoff series.
