A clash in styles awaits Saturday night at Exploria Stadium, as Orlando City SC (No. 2) host the Columbus Crew (No. 3) in a single-elimination Eastern Conference Semifinal.
How to watch and stream
When
- Saturday, Nov. 25 | 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT
Where
- Exploria Stadium | Orlando, Florida
The winner of this Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs showdown reaches the Eastern Conference Final on Dec. 2, meeting the winner of FC Cincinnati (No. 1) vs. Philadelphia Union (No. 4).
If Conference Semifinals are tied after regulation time, two 15-minute extra time periods are played in their entirety. Then, if the score remains level, teams participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine who advances.
- Round One: 2-0 series win vs. Nashville SC
Orlando, via goals from midfielder Wilder Cartagena and winger Iván Angulo, swept Nashville with 1-0 results in their Round One series. Star goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, Cartagena’s Peruvian international teammate, posted seven saves as their top-five defense engineered back-to-back shutouts.
The Lions, winners of six straight games, can score in bunches if needed. Doing so likely requires big-game performances from rookie striker Duncan McGuire and Uruguay international Facundo Torres, who combined for 27g/7a in the regular season. Mauricio Pereyra, the club’s captain, and Martín Ojeda, a wintertime DP signing who’s become a super-sub, are other prime candidates after combing for 22 assists in the regular season.
Whoever steps up for head coach Óscar Pareja’s team, it’s in pursuit of Orlando’s first-ever Eastern Conference Final appearance. They’re also second in line to host MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 9, should they remain in contention.
- Round One: 2-1 series win vs. Atlanta United
Columbus, the league’s highest-scoring team (67 goals) in the regular season, scored eight goals in their Round One series vs. Atlanta. Star striker Cucho Hernández, aiding his return to Colombia’s national team, had 3g/1a to lead the way. And Diego Rossi, their summertime DP replacement for Lucas Zelarayán, might be finding his groove after posting 1g/3a.
But head coach Wilfried Nancy’s possession-dominant system contains flaws as well. The Crew were middling on the road this year (4W-8L-5D) and are susceptible to an imbalance between attack and defense, as Atlanta exposed in their 4-2 victory (Match 2) that forced a do-or-die Match 3 (4-2 Columbus win).
The Crew certainly have enough firepower to win MLS Cup, as they did in 2020, and boast a dynamite midfield duo of Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris. But will their willingness to throw numbers forward be their Achilles’ heel?
