With just one point dividing them, both Orlando City and New York Red Bulls will be keen on picking up all three points as they clash at the Citrus Bowl on Friday evening. The hosts presently sit in fourth place on ten points, whilst the visitors find themselves in a very disappointing eighth.
However, so congested are things in the middle of the table that should the Red Bulls win, they could find themselves in the top half of the table. Conversely, the Lions could plummet into the bottom half should they end up on the losing end in tomorrow evening's match.
Orlando City
Orlando City will have two more additional reasons for wanting to win this match. For starters, this will be the second time in just two weeks that the Lions will be facing off against the Red Bulls. And the first ended on a rather sour note - especially if one is a fan of the team hailing from Florida.
In that game, Adrian Heath's men went from leading to finding themselves finishing the game empty-handed as the Red Bulls rallied from behind to snatch a 3-2 win. The Lions would have felt especially annoyed with that result due to a controversial call that did not go their way when they had a 1-0 lead. Furthermore, they will be coming into this match without a win in their past four games (two losses and two draws) so will be seeking, naturally to amend this in order to keep themselves hot on the tails of the top three sides in the Eastern Conference.
Despite this, Orlando have been quite solid at home. So far they are unbeaten in their past ten matches, and Heath will be pleased that two of his key players will likely be able to return to action on Friday. Cyle Larin is a definite to feature in the starting XI after a spell on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Kaka could also play some part after recovering from a groin injury which will certainly inject some creativity into the team's attack.
New York Red Bulls
As for the New York Red Bulls, things appear to be finally on the up and up for Jesse Marsch's troops. Injuries had definitely not helped his side's cause, as the team had struggled to establish themselves at the start of this season. The Red Bulls had lost six out of their first seven games, but now will be coming into this game having beaten Orlando and arrive in Florida having cruised to a confidence-boosting 4-0 win over Dallas last week.
A third consecutive win will certainly help their cause, and should they pick up three points, it would mark the first time they have won on the road since the start of the 2016 campaign. Marsch, however, will still have to contend with injuries to key players. Although Gideon Baah has made a good recovery, Friday's match comes too soon for him to return to action, and the same applies for others including Gonzalo Veron and Connor Lade.
Which channel is broadcasting Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls on TV or Online?
Not able to make it to the Citrus Bowl for this Friday evening fixture? No problem. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together plenty of options to tune in via TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some choices for fans residing in the following places:
- In the USA at 19.00 EST on: MLS Live, SiriusXM FC, Univision Deportes USA
- In the UK at 00.00 BST (Saturday) on: Sky Sports 1/HD UK, SKY GO Extra, Sky Go UK
- In Canada at 19.00 ET on: MLS Live
Live elsewhere? Check our special Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls broadcast page viewing page for viewing times and options for your current locations.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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