- Orlando City have won five of their last ten matches across all competitions (D1, L4). Minnesota United have won just one of their last ten (D4, L5).
- Minnesota United are 1-3-2 at home across all competitions this season, Orlando City are 2-0-2 away.
Orlando are on the up
Minnesota United come into the clash as favourites at 1.73, with Orlando City set at 4.0 and the draw at 4.1, and that seems about right based on recent form. Martin Perelman has brought the Lions more tactical variety and lineup experimentation during his interim period in charge of Orlando City. The Lions have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five matches, a run which they might consider better than Minnesota United's 1-1-3 in the same period, but the Loons are likely to edge it at home, although Orlando's form away from home makes this closer than the odds suggest. That's because Orlando are 2-0-2 on the road across all competitions this year while Minnesota United are 1-3-2 at Allianz Field, USA, so the value does look to lie in Orlando picking up a result.
Minnesota’s new manager is working on his team
New head coach Cameron Knowles has made some progress in pushing the team's defensive line higher up the field and getting his side to press more to win the ball in advanced areas.
Minnesota have played with a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system in recent games that allows them to play through a No. 10 when they have the ball and progress through the center to exploit the transitional moments.
The visitors use a system built around the disciplined holding midfielder and asymmetric overloads in the wide areas to get bodies into the box. There is controlled tempo and localized pressing in the attacking third from Orlando, who will need to come through Minnesota's press on Sunday.
Orlando carry a sting in their away game
Both teams to score is currently 1.44 and Over 2.5 goals is 1.44, so there are no odds on offer that offer value for the bettor, but those markets do suggest this should be open.
The Loons, who have won just once in their last 10, have been struggling to turn good spells of possession into goals and points. They beat CF Atlante 1-0 in the CONCACAF Leagues Cup, drew 0-0 with Real Salt Lake in the MLS, and then lost to Atlanta United by the same score. The Minnesota attack lacks an end-product and that has cost them.
Orlando City's 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake was a similar game in that the score did not tell the whole story. They drew 1-1 with a blunt FC Cincinnati and lost 1-2 to the struggling Chicago Fire in the MLS, but the front three have enough about them to still land a blow.
Antoine Griezmann has scored three of Orlando's eight goals in their last five games, but they do have a reliable end-product in Martin Ojeda, who has 11 goals in 15 MLS appearances this year.
