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Orlando City Vs Colorado Rapids: 3 things to watch for – Can Nani deliver?

By Connor Dittmeier

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Orlando City forward Chris Mueller (9) stops the ball from going out of play during the soccer match between the Montreal Impact and the Orlando City Lions on March 16, 2019, at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Orlando City forward Chris Mueller (9) stops the ball from going out of play during the soccer match between the Montreal Impact and the Orlando City Lions on March 16, 2019, at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Orlando City, Chris Mueller
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 16: Orlando City forward Chris Mueller (9) stops the ball from going out of play during the soccer match between the Montreal Impact and the Orlando City Lions on March 16, 2019, at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Orlando City SC will look to get back to winning ways when the Colorado Rapids come to the Orlando City Stadium. Here are three things to watch.

Orlando City SC will host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night in the hopes of extending their undefeated run over the guests. This will be only the fifth meeting for the two sides since Orlando City joined the MLS for the 2015 season.

The Lions will attempt to get back to winning ways after a bitter loss to D.C. United. Colorado, on the other hand, are looking to notch their first win of the still young MLS season.

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Here are three things to watch for when the game gets underway at Orlando City Stadium.

New York Red Bulls, Orlando City, Sacha Kljestan
HARRISON, NJ – MARCH 23: Sacha Kljestan #16 of Orlando City celebrates his goal with teammates during 2nd half of the MLS match between Orlando City SC and New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on March 23, 2019 in Harrison, NJ, USA. Orlando City SC won the match with a score of 1 to 0. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) /

3. Can Orlando City SC be more clinical?

Orlando City SC lead the league in Big Chances Created with 12 over the span of the first five games. And yet, the Lions rank 22nd in MLS with an average of only three shots on target per game, accompanied by an average of 1.2 goals scored per game. What is most telling, however, is that they have eight big-chance misses, which represents the crux of the team’s offensive struggles.

Colorado is currently letting in an average of 2.4 goals per match, which highlights an area of opportunity for Orlando City. Anthony Hudson’s side will look to force Orlando to operate through the middle of pitch, where the Lions are at their weakest.

James O’Connor must recognize that his players are by no means playing poorly through their first five games. Rather, the team has just been unable to take advantage of the goal scoring opportunities they find for themselves.

Orlando City SC’s best player this season has arguably been Chris Mueller. Every time Mueller has been on the pitch in a forward position, the Lions are a great deal more threatening in the final third. Mueller has unlocked opponents’ defenses to find chances for his teammates. The young American exhibits the quality to open up more opportunities for Nani to get onto the ball by garnering greater attention himself. Mueller may not be the goalscoring threat that Orlando City SC desire, but by his presence on the pitch, the team is far more dangerous.

Dom Dwyer has been the only reliable scoring threat for Orlando thus far in 2019. He has scored on three occasions over the course of five matches, yet Orlando will need Nani, Mueller and Sacha Kljestan to take on more opportunities. Saturday’s matchup with Colorado at home just might provide the necessary spark that Orlando City SC desperately needs.

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