Orlando City struggled last time out against a DC United side that was down to 10 men for much of the second half, ultimately settling for a 1-1 draw on the road.
The Lions (13-7-9, 48 points) return home to face Nashville SC (15-10-5, 50 points) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., aiming to secure a victory and climb back up the table.
“Nashville has been a challenging team this year. I think the level and the players and all that is happening just shows a team that has more quality, and we recognize that,” Orlando coach Oscar Pareja said. “I think winning the game, we can pass by them. Important game, we understand the magnitude of the compromise that we have over the weekend.”
Orlando faced Nashville on the road with a rotated lineup just a few weeks ago, falling in a disastrous 5-1 defeat. Now the Lions enter this matchup at close to full strength, and the return of Luis Muriel will help with that. The Colombian forward has nine goals and five assists this season, helping lead the line in a much-improved Orlando attack.
Alongside Muriel is star forward Martin Ojeda. With 14 goals and nine assists this season, he is one assist away from hitting double digits in both categories. He will need to be at his best against a Nashville defense that is one of the best in the league, with only 35 goals allowed all season.
Nashville also boasts a wealth of attacking talent, led by the current Golden Boot leader, Sam Surridge. His 21 goals lead the league, and he scored a hat trick against the Philadelphia Union in the US Open Cup on Wednesday. His combination play with Hany Mukhtar (14G, 7A) will be a challenge for goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and his defense to handle, and they will need to be on their toes if they want to earn a much-needed three points.

