Two back-to-back wins see the Columbus Crew head to the most magical place on earth to take on Orlando City SC as they hit the midway point of their six-game road stretch. To help us get a better understanding of the mighty Lions of Orlando, Ben Miller of The Mane Land was kind enough to answer some of the hard hitting questions.

Massive Report:  Orlando City is sitting in 10th place in the East, just one point out of the play-in position. How do you think the Lions have fared so far in the season?

The Mane Land:  There have definitely been some growing pains this season, especially after the team did so well last year and finished second in the Supporters Shield race. A combination of Concacaf Champions Cup play, injuries, and integrating new faces means Orlando has had a slightly sputtering start to the year. Like you said though, OCSC is just a point out of the play-in places, and has taken seven points from its last three games, so there are signs that things are headed in the right direction.

MR: Duncan Maguire… will he play? If not, who will take his place? 

TML: McGuire did a non-contact session away from the rest of the team on Thursday morning, so I doubt we’ll see him on Saturday. It’ll be very interesting to see how Pareja lines up, as he’s used a 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 in the last three matches instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 due to a combination of injuries and suspensions. If its a 4-2-3-1, then expect to see Luis Muriel as the lone striker. If he goes with two up top, then it’ll likely be Muriel alongside Jack Lynn, or potentially Martin Ojeda.

MR: Last year, the Columbus Crew lost to a miraculous comeback by Orlando, before returning and defeating the Lions in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. What did the Lions learn in the offseason from the loss, and have they applied it to the regular season?

TML:  I think the team recognized that it needs to be better at creating in the “half-court”. It tried to address some creative issues by going out and getting Nicolas Lodeiro and Muriel, both of whom are proven playmakers. Things are still fully coming together in that department, and the team as a whole doesn’t look as potent as it did during the back half of last season, but the Lions started a bit slow in 2023 as well, so it’ll be interesting to see if the team can come together and make a run up the table.

MR:  What takeaways came from the 1-0 win over San Jose, and how do you think the Lions will fare against a Crew side without Cucho Hernandez? 

TML: The biggest thing was getting a second straight clean sheet when deploying the team in a 3-5-2. Pareja first used it in a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Union where Philly took a whopping 29 shots. The Lions won, but obviously those sort of numbers aren’t sustainable. Things have been much tighter at the back in the subsequent games against Inter Miami, a 0-0 draw, and the 1-0 victory over San Jose. Pareja seems to have found another way to line up his team and still get results, and that versatility is always a nice thing to have. 

MR: Keys to getting a victory over a Columbus, and also key players to look out for? 

TML: Orlando has really struggled with giving up early goals at times this season. They need to come out strong and focused, and not let one in early, and maintain that focus throughout the match, as they’ve also been prone to making some sloppy defensive mistakes that we didn’t really see much last year. As for players to watch, Muriel is at the top of the list for me. He can take players on in the open field or tight spaces, thread neat passes that plenty of other players don’t see, and knows where the goal is. Orlando really needs more out of Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda, if one or both of them can get going then this team will be a lot better off.

Thank you again to Ben Miller of The Mane Land for giving us an inside scoop on Orlando City SC. Kickoff from Inter&Co Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT. You can watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV or follow along with live updates on Massive Report Twitter (@MassiveReport).