Two places separate Orlando City and Charlotte FC in the Eastern Conference going into Wednesday night's gameweek 32 MLS action at Inter&Co Stadium.
The Lions have found some recent form to leapfrog the visiting side, whose last league victory was in mid-July.
Match preview
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Despite suffering a post-Leagues Cup hangover against Sporting Kansas City, Orlando have rebounded with two 3-0 victories against Nashville and New England Revolution to eliminate that setback at the backend of August.
A 3-0 reverse in Kansas saw the Lions fire blanks for the first time in the competition since losing 1-0 against the New York Red Bulls in early June, but Oscar Pareja's men have rediscovered their goalscoring touch with six goals in their last two matches.
The upshot of consecutive MLS victories means the Florida-based club have risen to fifth in the Eastern Conference on 40 points, jointly with New York City FC and two clear of the recently leapfrogged Charlotte, whom they seek to defeat for a third straight triumph.
Another win for Pareja's men would be their third on the trot, a streak previously achieved before the Leagues Cup when they notched four on the spin in July.
Success against Charlotte potentially takes Orlando level on 43 points with the fourth-placed Red Bulls, who are not in midweek action having played a game more.
The away side hope recent match-ups against Wednesday's opponent count for something as they seek to arrest a prolonged slide in performances and results.
Dean Smith's men have not only been defeated in consecutive MLS fixtures but are on a five-match sequence without maximum points (three draws) heading into this week's trip to Orlando.
The Crown last tasted league triumph in mid-July when they stunned the Eastern Conference's second-placed side FC Cincinnati 3-1, although that away success remains their only victory in eight MLS games.
Despite going four unbeaten in all competitions against the Lions, last falling to a loss in March 2023, the North Carolina side face an uphill task to extend their undefeated run against Orlando to five.
Having recently been leapfrogged by their mid-week opponents in the race to end in the playoff spots, Charlotte could slide to eighth if Toronto FC, currently two points adrift, beat Columbus Crew on Wednesday.
Even though Smith's men have played one fewer game than the eighth-placed side, dropping into the wild-card places will be far from ideal for the Crown in the regular season's final weeks.
Team News
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Orlando City suffered no fresh injury issue in the 3-0 success over New England, meaning Mason Stajduhar (leg) could be the Lions' only absentee against Charlotte.
Facundo Torres has netted three of the home side's six goals in recent wins over Nashville and the Revs and the forward aims to add to 11 MLS goals in the mid-week fixture.
Patrick Agyemang, absent against Montreal due to a foot injury, will be assessed by the visiting side, who could also be without Jere Uronen, following the left-back's late withdrawal in the 2-1 loss.
If seven-goal forward Agyemang is not passed fit, Smith will hope Liel Abada (four) and Kerwin Calderon Vargas (five) come up trumps, while Karol Swiderski seeks to add a third since returning from his Hellas Verona loan.
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Thorhallsson, Schlegel, Jansson, Santos; Araujo, Cartegena; Torres, Ojeda, Angulo; Enrique
Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Kahlina; Byrne, Malanda, Ream, Lindsey; Westwood, Diani; Abada, Biel, Vargas; Swiderski
We say: Orlando City 2-1 Charlotte FC
Despite entering this fixture on a four-match winless run against Charlotte, Orlando's five-game undefeated sequence on home turf (four wins) means the hosts are backed to beat Smith's team.
Although the away side have a knack for scoring on their travels, underscored by finding the net in nine of their last 10 road matches, they could fall to back-to-back away losses against an in-form opponent.
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