Looking to avoid back-to-back losses to the newest teams in the MLS, Orlando City attempts to right themselves Wednesday night at the expense of goal-starved Nashville SC.
The Lions (2-2-2) were denied a second Florida derby victory over expansion side Inter Miami, falling 3-2 on the road Sunday. Rookie Daryl Dike scored his first MLS goal, and Nani provided late hope Orlando City could steal a point and spoil the home debut of the Herons, but the early defensive lapses proved too much to overcome.
"Tonight's game we'll go with the sour of knowing we weren't sharp in our defensive third as a group," Orlando City manager Oscar Pareja told the club's official website. "A couple of crosses where Miami scored a goal is something that hurt us. All-in-all though, I have to say as well that we respect our ways. We scored two goals and we couldn't tie the game at the end."
Finding a source of scoring beyond Nani and Christopher Mueller, who have combined for eight goals, could be a key in the Lions reaching the playoffs for the first time in club history after reaching the MLS Is Back tournament final. The fifth overall pick in the SuperDraft, the 20-year-old Dike rewarded Pareja's confidence in his first MLS start by landing on the scoresheet in the 16th minute.
"I was a little bit nervous, you know, I mean it's my first game," Dike told the Orlando Sentinel. "But the coaches and all the players, they kind of motivated me the whole time, telling me to relax, giving me tips, giving me pointers. They'd all been there, they all know exactly what's going on inside my head."
The club has also opted to allow a limited number of fans to attend this match, requiring fans to wear masks while inside the stadium among other measures being taken.
Nashville SC (1-3-1) is playing its fifth consecutive road game after beginning MLS life with a 2-1 loss to Atlanta United back in February. Though Music City claimed four points in two road matches versus FC Dallas to make up for not being able to play in the MLS Is Back tournament due to a COVID-19 outbreak, they were not able to sustain that momentum Sunday, losing 2-0 to the Five Stripes.
Coach Gary Smith watched his side's goalless drought stretch to 184 minutes since David Accam's match-winner Aug. 12, but he also stressed his side is doing the things the right way that could result in points down the road.
"If you're saying an expansion team, what immediately springs to mind is a team that is lacking cohesion and understanding and structure," Smith told Nashville SC's official website. "I don't think that's us. What we're looking at here is a group that in ridiculously strange circumstances we've been stop, start, lots and lots of time off from each other. We're going to take some time obviously to find a real pinnacle of our play in any department."
The defense also has not been half-bad - Music City have yielded only five goals through their five matches - but they have also led for only four of a possible 450 minutes heading into their first meeting with Orlando City.