Orlando City SC vs. Sporting Kansas City | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Ben Couch

Orlando City SC vs. Sporting Kansas City
2017 MLS Match Preview
Orlando City Stadium – Orlando, Fla.
Saturday, May 13 – 7 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE

Both Orlando City SC and Sporting Kansas City are coming off double-game weeks, with the Lions dropping a pair on the road and SKC splitting results, first at home (vs. RBNY), then away (vs. MNUFC).

OCSC have established their new home as one of the league's toughest environments, ringing up a league-record five straight wins to open Orlando City Stadium, and could use the home cooking to close the spreading gap between them and East leader Toronto FC. Sporting KC, meanwhile, conceded nearly as many goals on Sunday (2) as they had all season prior (3) and sit on a middling 1-2-2 away record.

Orlando City SC

After reeling off four straight wins (and six of seven overall), Orlando City dropped consecutive results for the first time this season. Kaká and Jose Aja have been working back to full health after multi-week injuries.

Given the success Aja has had playing alongside Jonathan Spector before a hamstring knock elevated Tommy Redding, that could go a long way toward re-establishing the D – especially against a team lacking its leading scorer. Captain Kaká has developed a fine rapport with star forward Cyle Larin, who's banked four of his six goals in front of the home fans, so more strikes could be on the docket.

Suspended: NONE
Int’l Duty: D – Tommy Redding (US; Under-20 World Cup)
Injury Report: OUT: D - Kevin Alston (knee); D - Rafael Ramos (hamstring)

Projected Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond): GK - Joe Bendik – Scott Sutter, Jonathan Spector, Jose Aja, Donny Toia – Antonio Nocerino, Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, Kaká - Cyle Larin, Carlos Rivas

Notes: Following last week’s loss in Houston, Orlando has now conceded four-or-more goals nine times – the most of any MLS team since joining the league in 2015.

Sporting Kansas City

SKC looked great at home against the Red Bulls mid-week, and then less so on the road in Minnesota. Though the Loons seem to have rightened their once-listing ship, being on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat upended the expectations heading in.

Defender Ike Opara – who earned a spot on Matt Doyle's early-season Best XI and more than a stray thought about the USMNT – did not play in that loss. In the 48 regular-season games Opara has started since 2013, Sporting concedes an average of 0.9 goals. In the 98 others, that number jumps 33 percent, to 1.2 goals/game. The quick road to improvement starts there.

Suspended: F – Dom Dwyer (Yellow card accumulation)
Int’l Duty: D – Erik Palmer-Brown
Injury Report: OUT: F – Diego Rubio (torn ACL)

Projected Starting XI (4-3-3): GK: Tim Melia — Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinvoic - Roger Espinoza, Ilie Sanchez, Benny Feilhaber - Gerso Fernandez, Soony Saad, Jimmy Medranda

Notes: Sporting Kansas City conceded multiple goals in their loss against Minnesota last week, snapping an 11-game streak without conceding multiple goals in a single game – allowing only three total during that span.

All-Time Series

The teams have matched up only twice since Orlando City entered the league in 2015, with each team winning at home; OCSC by a 3-1 margin, and SKC, 2-1.