Orlando City seeks to bounce back vs. Toronto FC
Orlando City’s playoff push has taken a hit, with the club mired in a two-match losing streak.
The Lions (12-12-6, 42 points) hope to break out of their recent struggles when they host Toronto FC (9-15-7, 34 points) Saturday (7:30 p.m.) at Exploria Stadium.
It’s been a disappointing stretch for Orlando City, which sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, tied with FC Cincinnati (42 points) and one point ahead of Columbus Crew (41). The Lions lost to the Philadelphia Union, 5-1 on Sept. 10 and then dropped a 1-0 decision to Atlanta United Wednesday.
“We know we should have won that game,” said City defender João Moutinho. “I feel like we controlled [the match] for the most part and created some chances, but we weren’t able to score. It is what it is. We lost that one and we’re on the next one.”
Added midfielder Júnior Urso: “Wednesday night was really bad for us. We played well, but we didn’t get the three points. It’s difficult to forget what’s happened, but we must try and think about tomorrow (Saturday) because we have an important game again.”
Orlando City, which previously defeated Toronto 1-0 on May 14, has lost two consecutive games since claiming the Open Cup on Sept. 7.
“We need to focus more throughout the 90 minutes of the game,” Moutinho said of the club’s recent downturn.
Toronto FC has lost two straight and four of the last five matches, including a 4-2 loss to Atlanta United last Saturday.
Orlando City has a week off before a road contest against New York City FC on Sunday, Oct. 2.
Lynn loaned out to San Antonio
Orlando City forward Jack Lynn has been loaned out to San Antonio FC of the USL Championship for the remainder of the 2022 season with the right of recall.
“Jack has done well with us this season and has shown us a nose for goal, high potential and a strong work ethic,” said EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi. “We’re excited about the opportunities of this loan for Jack to get even more competitive minutes and experiences in this last portion of the 2022 season.”
Lynn, 22, has made four appearances for the Lions and previously started 16 of 17 games for Orlando City B in the MLS NEXT Pro this season. He scored 15 goals with four assists.
San Antonio FC, which sits in first place in the Western Conference, has already qualified for the USL Championship playoffs with six games remaining in the regular season.
