PREVIEW: Orlando City Returns Home to Host Chicago Fire FC
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando City SC (8-4-7, 31 points) take on Chicago Fire FC (5-9-5, 20 points) on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET with coverage set to begin on FOX35 PLUS at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In addition to being locally broadcast on FOX35 PLUS, Saturday’s match, presented by Ford, will also be available to stream on LionNation TV, while being transmitted on Real Radio 104.1 in English and Acción 97.9 FM, 810 AM in Spanish. Tickets are available here or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.
Saturday will serve as the first of a three-game home stint for the Lions, their longest such slate of matches in The City Beautiful this season, along with Chicago’s first visit to downtown Orlando since Sept. 19, 2020, a match that resulted in a 4-1 victory for the home side behind goals from Chris Mueller, Nani, Júnior Urso and Benji Michel.
City comes into the contest following a 1-1 draw on Wednesday at Nashville SC. C.J. Sapong gave the home side the lead heading into the break, but the Lions were able to find an equalizer off the head of defender Antonio Carlos following a perfectly-lofted ball from Mauricio Pereyra.
Nani leads the Lions with nine goals this season, followed by Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel each with three. Pereyra leads the side with eight assists, followed by Nani with six.
Chicago enters the match looking to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Inter Miami on Wednesday night. The Fire found the back of the net on both sides of the half with finishes from Francisco Calvo and Luka Stojanovic in the 40th and 48th minutes, respectively, but a 93rd-minute game-winner from Miami’s Rodolfo Pizarro sent the visitors home empty-handed.
Stojanovic leads the Fire with seven goals this season, four of which have come in the Fire’s last three contests, while Álavro Medrán leads the side in assists with five.
Following Saturday’s match, Orlando City will face Inter Miami on Friday, August 27th at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET with tickets available here or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.