DC United vs. Orlando City SC | 2018 US Open Cup Match Preview

Dylan Butler

DC United vs. Orlando City SC
2018 U.S. Open Cup - Round of 16
Maryland SoccerPlex - Boyds, Md.
June 20 - 7 pm ET

Eastern Conference foes D.C. United and Orlando City SC meet for the first time in the U.S. Open Cup, with their Round of 16 encounter set for Wednesday night at Maryland SoccerPlex.

In the Fourth Round, D.C. United needed a penalty kick shootout to solve North Carolina FC, while the Lions roared in a 3-0 victory over host Miami United.

DC United

Homegrown midfielder Ian Harkes gave United a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute, banging home a close-range finish, but North Carolina leveled six minutes from full time on Marios Lomis’ side volley.

D.C. buried four shots during the shootout and David Ousted denied Kyle Bekker as United survived and advanced, 4-3, in the shootout.

Back in league play on Wednesday after a 2-1 loss at Seattle, D.C. United played Toronto FC to a wild 4-4 draw at BMO Field. Yamil Asad and Paul Arriola scored five minutes apart and Darren Mattocks struck at the stroke of halftime to send D.C to a commanding three-goal lead at the break.

After TFC leveled three minutes from full time, Asad had his second goal of the game in the 90th minute, but Nick Hagglund struck in the second minute of stoppage time to ensure both teams earned a point.

“There have been some times this year where we’ve had teams on the ropes and we haven’t been able to capture all the points and that starts to add up,” United coach Ben Olsen said. “That’s something we need to learn as a group.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Taylor Kemp (groin injury), M - Russell Canouse (knee injury), D - Chris Odoi-Atsem (calf injury), M - Ulises Segura (knee injury), D - Nick DeLeon (knee injury), D - Kofi Opare (ankle injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: David Ousted — Oniel Fisher, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Joseph Mora — Chris Durkin — Zoltan Stieber, Paul Arriola, Luciano Acosta, Yamil Asad — Darren Mattocks

Notes: United are 39-16 in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches. … In the Fourth Round win over North Carolina, Dane Kelly, Bruno Miranda and Jalen Robinson made their first starts of 2018.

Orlando City SC

Sacha Kljestan assisted on goals by Stefano Pinho, Dillon Powers and PC as Orlando City SC cruised to a 3-0 win over NPSL side Miami United FC in the Fourth Round.

It would prove to be Jason Kreis’ last win as Lions coach.

Orlando City SC were reduced to 10 men and were victimized by Alphonso Davies, who had a goal and three assists, in a 5-2 loss at Vancouver and then fell at Montreal, 3-0, on Wednesday night to extend a franchise-worst six-game losing streak.

Two days later, the club announced Kreis was let go as coach, with assistant coach Bobby Murphy taking over on an interim basis.

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: M - Yoshi Yotun
Injury Report: OUT: GK - Mason Stajduhar (Localized Ewing Sarcoma), D - Scott Sutter (knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Lamine Sane (knee injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Joe Bendik — RJ Allen, Jonathan Spector, Tony Rocha, Mohamed El-Munir — Dillon Powers, Uri Rosell — Josue Colman, Sacha Kljestan, PC — Stefano Pinho

Notes: Kljestan’s three assists were the most by a Lions player in a single game since Kaká on Sept. 25, 2015, at the New York Red Bulls in MLS play. … Lions captain Jonathan Spector made his first appearance since April 8 against Miami. Spector played the first half before being replaced by Chris Schuler.

All-Time in U.S. Open Cup

Overall: D.C. United 39 wins … 113 goals … Orlando City SC 4 wins … 14 goals
This is the first U.S. Open Cup meeting between D.C. United and Orlando City SC

Dylan Butler -

@Dylan_Butler

D.C. United Orlando City SC