After the All-Star game midweek, the Columbus Crew now face Orlando City SC in their last MLS match before the Leagues Cup break. The Crew comes into the contest after a home win last Saturday against D.C. United, keeping the Black & Gold within touching distance of the top of the Eastern Conference. Daniel Gazdag scored his first in a Columbus shirt, while unlikely hero Lassi Lappalainen added another to push the good guys to victory last week.

The Black & Gold face a much tougher test as Orlando City travels to the capital city, sitting just six points behind Columbus in the Eastern Conference. With Inter Miami’s ability to make up ground thanks to their games in hand, this match could be pivotal when determining the top 4 seeds for the playoffs. Here’s everything the Black & Gold faithful need to know and look for heading into an important Futbol Friday Night. 

Orlando City at a glance:

League Form: W-L-D-D-L

Record: 10-8-6 (36 points)

Leading Scorer: Martin Ojeda (12 goals)

Assist Leader: Martin Ojeda (7 assists)

Player to watch: Martin Ojeda

With 12 goals and seven assists in league play, the 26-year-old Argentine has quietly become a key contributor in Orlando City’s attacking setup. After joining Orlando from Godoy Cruz as a high-profile Designated Player in early 2023, Ojeda needed time to adapt to the physicality and tempo of Major League Soccer. Now in his third season, he’s carved out a consistent role as a chance creator and set-piece specialist. Typically deployed in central midfield, Ojeda prefers to come inside onto his favored right foot, where he can either thread incisive passes or shoot from range. His delivery on dead balls—corners, free kicks, and wide service—is among the best in the league, making him a constant threat even when not directly involved in build-up play. While not the flashiest player on the pitch, Ojeda’s vision, technical quality, and set-piece precision make him an invaluable piece in Orlando’s attacking puzzle.

How Orlando City Play:

Oscar Pareja is in year six at the helm in Orlando and has been instrumental in their turnaround as a contender in the Eastern Conference. Pareja’s MLS experience and know-how have been thoroughly passed on to his players, many of whom have been in Orlando with Pareja for multiple seasons. This has given Orlando plenty of cohesion and continuity allowing them to once again compete in the East, as well as handle their current poor run of form. Pareja’s side has plenty of talent, when you combine that with Pareja’s tactical system and you can see why teams rarely have an easy day at the office against the Lions. 

In possession, Orlando shifts from their “on paper” 4-2-3-1 formation into a 3-5-2, vaguely similar to the Crew. Orlando does this by pushing 20-year-old USMNT starlet Alex Freeman into advanced wide positions while the rest of the back four slide centrally to make a back three. The two central midfielders typically operate close to the back three to help retain possession. The winger on Freeman’s side will tuck into central midfield to roam free with Ojeda, while the winger on the opposite side stays high and wide. Orlando’s possession strategy is to maintain simple possession before kick-starting attacks by playing direct balls in behind or combining in central areas to penetrate their opponents’ defense. 

When defending, Orlando prefers to defend in a 4-4-2 formation to try and frustrate their opponents in possession. Last week against New England, Orlando’s 4-4-2 was more of a 4-2-4 in order to apply pressure to New England’s back three and force the ball inside. Pareja may very well change this idea against the Crew, but regardless, look for Orlando to defend with a back four and defend ¾ of the way up the field as much as possible. 

How the Crew can win:

The Crew needs to build their gap against Orlando to make sure they have home-field advantage in the playoffs. The best way to do this is by taking care of business on Friday. Here’s how Columbus can earn three more points at home. 

1. Find Space in the Middle Third: No matter how Orlando defends, the Crew are going to have a significant numbers advantage in the middle part of the field. Look for the Crew to find players in this space who can turn and drive play forward quickly. 
2. Defend in Transition: Counterpressing and rest defense will be crucial for the Black & Gold on Saturday. With the Crew expected to control much of the possession, Orlando will likely look to exploit transition moments. To limit that threat, Columbus must be sharp in immediately stopping counterattacks and ending them effectively. Doing so will allow the Crew to keep Orlando pinned back and neutralize their most dangerous attacking avenue.
3. Score First: The Crew is really hard to beat. They’re harder to beat when they score first. They’re even harder to beat when they score first at home. Look for the Crew to make a point to start games better and gain control early.