Orlando City will look to continue their dominance over DC United when the two sides meet for an MLS clash at the Inter & Co Stadium on Sunday.
The Lions have won their last two encounters against the Black-and-Red Eagles and will be aiming to secure a third consecutive victory over them for only the second time, having previously achieved this feat between 2016 and 2017.
Match preview
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Orlando City twice took the lead but were pegged back on both occasions, settling for a 2-2 draw away at the New York Red Bulls, a result that meant they are now winless in two matches.
The Lions have claimed just one victory in four MLS games this season—a 4-2 home win against Toronto FC—while suffering two defeats and recording one draw, leaving them 11th in the Eastern Conference with four points.
Defensive frailties have been Orlando’s main concern, with Oscar Pareja‘s side conceding 10 goals in just four matches—the joint-most in the league alongside Toronto—despite finding the net 11 times themselves.
Meetings between Orlando and DC United at the Inter & Co Stadium typically produce a winner, with the Lions winning five and losing four of their 10 encounters at home, with only one ending in a draw.
Orlando will hope to replicate their dominance from last season, when they scored eight goals and conceded only two against DC United – however, their shaky start to this campaign could pose a significant challenge to maintaining that superiority.
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DC United, meanwhile, have been the draw specialists of the early 2025 MLS season, sharing the spoils in three of their four matches so far – however, remaining unbeaten in their first four fixtures is a promising sign, as the last time they achieved this, in 2019, they went on to reach the playoffs.
The Black-and-Red Eagles began their campaign with consecutive 2-2 draws against Toronto and Chicago Fire before securing their first and only win so far—a 2-1 victory over Kansas City.
In their most recent outing, Troy Lesesne‘s men failed to score for the first time this season, playing out a goalless draw against CF Montreal despite registering 15 attempts, six of which were on target, leaving the manager frustrated.
DC United have played just one away match this season but are unbeaten in their last three away games, dating back to the previous campaign, with two wins and a draw.
Team News
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Orlando will be without Favian Loyola and Nico Rodriguez, who are both sidelined with thigh injuries, while Duncan McGuire (shoulder) remain doubtful for this fixture.
Additionally, the Lions will be missing three players due to international duty, as David Brekalo has joined up with the Slovenia national team, while goalkeeper Pedro Gallese is representing Peru, and Colin Guske is away with the USA U18 squad.
Marco Pasalic has been Orlando’s standout performer in attack, netting three goals this season—more than any of his teammates, and he will be the man to watch once again.
DC United, meanwhile, are contending with injuries to Conner Antey (knee) and Jackson Hopkins (ankle), while Hakim Karamoko (abdomen) and Randall Leal (thigh) are also unavailable.
On the international front, Matti Peltola is away with the Finland national team, while Kye Rowles has linked up with Australia.
Christian Benteke, who has already scored three goals this season, will be eager to return to the scoresheet after drawing a blank for the first time this season in the draw against Montreal.
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Freeman, Schlegel, Jansson, Smith; Gerbet, Atuesta; Pasalic, Ojeda, Angulo; Muriel
DC United possible starting lineup:
Jun-hong; Herrera, Bartlett, Rowles, Schnegg; Kijima, Enow; Stroud, Pirani, Peglow; Benteke
We say: Orlando City 1-2 DC United
Orlando have been strong in attack, but their defensive frailties could prove costly against a resilient DC United side that has mastered the art of avoiding defeat, even when not securing victory, and given the visitors’ superior defensive solidity, we believe they have the edge and are likely to come out on top in this encounter.
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