Leagues Cup: Orlando City (1-0-0) vs Atlético de San Luis (0-1-0)
When: Sunday, 8:00 p.m
Where: INTER&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: 96.9 the Game FM, (English)
Here are five storylines to watch on Sunday as the Lions host Mexican side Atlético San Luis in Leagues Cup group play:
A Record Day, Again
Orlando City had two players, once again, set and tie a couple of Club records in the Lions’ last Leagues Cup Group Stage match a 4-1 win against CF Montréal. With a goal just before halftime, forward Ramiro Enrique tied former Lion Daryl Dike for most consecutive games with a goal across all competitions with five in as many games. A goal on Sunday against Atlético San Luis would set the record outright. Also adding a tally of his own in 57th minute, midfielder Martín Ojeda made his seventh goal contribution in as many contests, passing forward Daryl Dike for the most consecutive by an Orlando City player.
The Breakdown
The Lions have a number of different ways on Sunday that they can secure their advancement to the Leagues Cup Round of 32. The Lions will not only advance, but win the group, if they win the match against Atlético San Luis outright or draw with any point securing the group for Orlando. With any of those results, Atlético San Luis would exit the tournament, with Montréal advancing in second place. The Lions would even secure the group with a 1-0 loss against San Luis.
Summer of Facu Continues
The Summer of Facu showed out once again in the Lions’ 4-1 win over CF Montréal last time out for City, with forward Facundo Torres scoring the game-winning goal in the 37th minute and then providing the assist on Ramiro Enrique’s goal in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. Torres holds seven goals and five assists tallied since June 19, contributing to nearly half (12/26) of the Club’s overall goal tally in that span. The Uruguayan winger has multiple goal contributions in five of his last nine contests.
First Meetings
Orlando City’s final Group Stage opponent in Leagues Cup 2024 is one that the Lions have never faced in official competition prior to Sunday’s meeting. The Lions will host Atlético San Luis from Liga MX for the first time in history, also marking the first time that Orlando City has played an official match against a team from Mexico that isn’t Tigres UANL or Santos Laguna. Atlético San Luis is a relatively new club, founded in 2013 by San Luis Potosí businessman Jacobo Payán. Following Atlético Madrid’s further investment in the club in 2017, San Luis rose quickly to earn promotion to Liga MX in 2019 just before promotion and relegation was suspended indefinitely in Mexico.
Orlando’s Omaha Olympian
Orlando City Forward Duncan McGuire, who became the Lions’ first-ever Olympian and the United States Men’s Olympic Team wrapped up Group Stage action earlier this week, taking second in their group and advancing to the knockout rounds for the first time since the 2000 Olympic Games hosted in Sydney. McGuire and the U.S. Olympic team took on Morocco’s Olympic team in the Quarterfinals of the competition, falling to the side and ending their Olympic run on Friday. McGuire appeared in all four of the U.S. Olympic team’s matchups, starting their first two games of the competition.
Milestone Tracker:
- Duncan McGuire is one goal away from tying Dom Dwyer (24) for fifth on Orlando City’s all-time scoring list and two goals away from tying Kaká (25) for fourth
- Facundo Torres (22) is one assist away from tying Chris Mueller (24) for third on the Club’s all-time assist chart and two assists away passing him
- Torres also sits just five goals away from the all-time Club record set by Cyle Larin (44) across all competitions
