Field Level Media
23 Jul 2022, 03:25 GMT+10
The Philadelphia Union will head south to take on Orlando City on Saturday night for the first meeting of the season between the Eastern Conference foes.
Orlando City (8-7-6, 30 points) have won only once in their last six meetings with the Union, but they did earn a tie in three of the other five matchups. The Lions have scored a goal in each of their last 12 meetings with the Union.
The Union (10-2-9, 39 points) are riding a three-game winning streak and are unbeaten in their last four. They defeated the New England Revolution last Saturday 2-1 at home. Philadelphia's defense is the best in the league, allowing only 15 goals through 21 games, and is getting a boost with the return of defender Jack Elliott after a two-game injury absence.
"He is back, which is great," head coach Jim Curtin said. "We have the best center backs in the league. Jack and Jakob (Glesnes) for me are All-Star, Best XI players. And they are leading the best defense in the league, so to get him back is huge."
Philadelphia, which is 4-2-4 on the road, might be getting a key defender back but captain Alejandro Bedoya is suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.
The Lions, who are 5-5-0 at home, have tied their last two matches, including a 1-1 decision at Atlanta United on Sunday. Mauricio Pereyra opened the scoring in the 10th minute, but Orlando City gave up the equalizer in the 71st minute.
Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja was glad to grab the road point.
"Obviously, there's a lot of things that we would like to get better," Pareja said. "But in this stage of the season, this amount of games, the point is very valuable for us against a rival."
The Lions made a big move to help bolster their attack, whose 26 goals leave them tied for ninth in the conference. Orlando acquired forward Nicholas Gioacchini from Stade Malherbe Caen in France.
Gioacchini was a member of the 2021 Gold Cup-winning U.S. Men's National Team and could factor into the team's 2022 World Cup roster. He has three goals and two assists in eight games with the USMNT.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government is preparing to revise its influential dietary advice, with a significant shift: dropping the...
ZURICH, Switzerland: The U.S. saw an extraordinary rise in wealth last year, with more than 1,000 people crossing into millionaire...
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The city that prides itself on being a beacon of peace and justice—home to institutions like the International...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Since taking office in December 2023, Argentine President Javier Milei has implemented sweeping austerity...
LEMBATA, Indonesia: Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted dramatically on June 18, generating substantial ash and smoke plumes....
MADRID, Spain: A routine oversight by Spain's power grid operator, REE, has been identified as the trigger behind the large-scale blackout...
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The city that prides itself on being a beacon of peace and justice—home to institutions like the International...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Fine Gael Senator Mark Duffy says new laws to regulate vaping products will help make them less attractive to young...
MADRID, Spain: A routine oversight by Spain's power grid operator, REE, has been identified as the trigger behind the large-scale blackout...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Egyptian authorities released Paul Murphy, TD, from the People Before Profit party after his second detention on June...
DUBLIN, Ireland: In a significant demonstration outside Leinster House in Dublin, hundreds of housing protesters voiced their frustration...
PARIS, France: The Paris Airshow kicked off on June 16, attracting attention with expected aircraft orders, but overshadowed by the...