Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City: Only a Point Separates These Two Teams on the Table

●      Philadelphia Union have won two and lost two of their last four games and are ranked sixth in the Eastern Division

●      Orlando City have won just one out of four games this season and are ranked tenth in the Eastern Division

●      The last time these two sides faced each other at Subaru Park, Philadelphia Union nabbed a commanding 5-1 win

Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City Odds

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Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City Pick

Pick: Philadelphia Union to win (-147)

Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City Predictions

After starting their season with a 4-1 win over Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union tasted defeat against Inter Miami in the second game. They bounced back with a win against Chicago Fire in the third match before suffering a stoppage-time defeat against CF Montreal last weekend.

In the first three games of the season, Orlando City were unbeaten after clinching three points against New York Red Bulls and then drawing against FC Cincinnati and DC United. They suffered their first defeat of the season last week against Charlotte FC.

Only a point separates these two teams on the table. However, the chances of this encounter being a tightly-contested one are low. Considering all aspects, Philadelphia Union will be the outright favorites to win this tie and move further up the table.

Previous Meetings

Philadelphia Union and Orlando City have faced each other on 16 occasions in the MLS. The Union have come out on top on seven occasions, while the Lions have clinched three points on four occasions. Five encounters have ended in draws.

Last season, Philadelphia Union completed the double over Orlando City. At the Exploria Stadium, Daniel Gazdag netted the only goal of the match in the 39th minute to give the visitors a win. Later that season, the Union thrashed the Lions 5-1 at Subaru Park.

Subaru Park is not a happy hunting ground for Orlando City as they have only won twice in nine attempts at the venue against Philadelphia Union, who have won five times. Orlando City’s last win in the Union’s backyard came in the 2018 MLS season.

Philadelphia Union Were Extremely Unlucky in the Last Game 

After narrowly missing out on what could have been their first MLS title last season, Philadelphia Union will be contesting for silverware again this season. However, the start of the new season has been shaky for the 2022 MLS runners-up.

This past weekend, the Philadelphia Union were dealt a cruel blow against CF Montreal. The Union were trailing after just three minutes after Romell Quioto’s penalty put the hosts in front. Mikael Uhre’s second-half brace handed the advantage back to the visitors.

CF Montreal stung the Union in the 90th minute with an equalizer via Nnamdi Offor. The heartbreak for Philadelphia Union worsened deep into stoppage time when Quioto nabbed his second of the game in the 98th minute to win it for CF Montreal.

The Union Can Bounce Back at Their Fortress

Last season, Philadelphia Union did not lose a single game at home. They won 12 out of 17 home games, with the rest ending in draws. They scored 49 goals at Subaru Park and conceded only nine in the process.

Things have not changed this season as the Union have won both their home games and lost both away games. They can extend their unbeaten streak at Subaru Park to 22 games if they dodge defeat against Orlando City.

The last time Philadelphia Union lost a game at home was in December 2021 against New York City FC. With the form Orlando City are in, it seems the Union will comfortably extend their prolific streak.

Coping With the Absence of Blake and Carranza 

On paper, the Philadelphia Union squad looks strong enough to win games. On the pitch, they are almost matching expectations. However, ahead of the next game, there will be a couple of absentees that will cause concern.

Julian Carranza was sent-off in the last match and will serve his suspension against Orlando City. The striker has scored two goals this season and has established a profound partnership with Mikael Uhre, who has also scored two goals.

It will be interesting to see if coach Jim Curtin changes the formation to accommodate another attacking midfielder or if he deploys a young striker alongside Uhre. Additionally, first-choice goalkeeper Andre Blake will also miss the game due to a groin injury.

Playoffs Will Be the Primary Target for Orlando City

Last season, Orlando City managed to clinch the final playoff spot after finishing in seventh place, only two points ahead of Columbus Crew. This season, the team has failed to build momentum that can help them clinch a few points.

However, this season, there are two additional playoff spots in each conference and Orlando City are currently in tenth, just outside the playoff qualification zone. They are right behind the New York Red Bulls, who have the same record as Orlando City.

A win at Subaru Park against Philadelphia Union could be a long shot for Orlando City, but chasing playoff qualification will be their ultimate goal this season with many big teams faltering in the opening stages.

Orlando City Need to Improve Away Form 

On the road last season, Orlando City lost six out of 17 games. They lost more games at home after losing eight out of 17. Recently, their away form is going from bad to worse as the side have failed to register a win in their last five outings.

After nabbing a 2-1 victory against Charlotte FC at the Bank of America Stadium in August last year, Orlando City have not registered a single away win in any competition. In fact, their home record is also dipping as they have already dropped points in their own backyard, twice.

Orlando City are coming into this game against the finalists of last season on the back of a home loss against Charlotte FC and a Round of 16 exit from the CONCACAF Champions League after they lost on away goals against Liga MX side Tigres UANL.

Orlando City Are Winless in the Last Five Games in All Competitions

Orlando City are not just stuttering in the MLS this season. As mentioned earlier, the side were also dumped out of the Champions League recently. That means that Orlando City have now extended their winless streak across all competitions to five games.

However, the side have lost just one game and that came this past weekend when they went down against Charlotte FC at home. In the four games preceding the loss, Orlando City have settled for a draw and that streak has a high chance of extension when they face the Union next.

How to Watch Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City

●      Teams: Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City

●      Location: Subaru Park

●      Time: Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 pm ET

●      How to watch: Univision networks TUDN and UniMas, ESPN Deportes, Telemundo and Fox Deportes