- Philadelphia has tied three straight matches
- Orlando has lost two of three
- Neither team has scored more than two goals in their last five outings
The Philadelphia Union will take on Orlando City SC in the US Open Cup Round of 32 this week as each squad looks to advance in the bracket.
The match will kick off Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET inside Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Philadelphia Union at Orlando City Odds
Open Cup odds have Orlando City as a +110 favorite to win the match, while Philadelphia is +200, despite the latter holding a point advantage in the Major League Soccer table. There are +240 odds on the score being level at the end of regulation.
Bettors are getting positive odds across the board, which means that the game is expected to be tight throughout.
Philadelphia Union at Orlando City Information
- Competition: U.S. Open Cup
- Orlando, Florida
- Time: Tuesday, 9 May 2022, 7:00 p.m. ET
- How to watch: ESPN+
Philadelphia Union looking to rebound
The Philadelphia Union started its domestic campaign in a fairly immaculate run of form, but since then, they have managed to take just three points from their last four matches, drawing three times and losing once during this stretch, This has been a massive disappointment to a team that won five straight matches after beginning the season with a draw and has fairly lofty Open Cup predictions.
Despite the drop in results, the team has not necessarily been outright performing worse, they have just been misfiring in key moments and are not as stingy in front of goal as they were early in the season, nor as they were during last year’s regular-season when they finished second in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia has two highly capable goal-scorers in Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza, though they are in the middle of the pack in terms of total team goals scored. In contrast, Phili is tied for the fewest-conceded goals in the east, and tied for the third-fewest goals against in the entire league. This is their path to success, as despite having the two goal-men up front, they are not predicated around overwhelming offensive potency.
Because this is the Open Cup, the Union can be expected to rotate its squad, though the degree to which depends on the inclination of the manager. This is the team’s debut in this competition, so there is no recent precedent to indicate how exactly they will line up.
Orlando City SC’s quest for glory
Orlando finished sixth in last year’s MLS East, though they currently occupy the fourth spot in 2022 and are quickly improving— this has not fallen upon quiet ears, as soccer odds pages have Orlando as the favorite in the impending tie. They have a record of 5-2-4 in the league and are not as adept at pulling out results consistently, but they are electric if nothing else. The club also has four wins in its last six matches, including a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Open Cup.
Orlando can be up and down and has had its share of injuries, but they play with intent in the attacking third and often create end-to-end matches, which is why there is so much variability in their results. They are not the best prospect in long-term betting, but in terms of one-and-done competitions, they can thrive.
Orlando does not have a constant goal threat but does have a spread of players that can convert opportunities, which makes them easier but also less predictable to defend against. Alexandre Pato has the largest name recognition and scored from the penalty spot in the result against Tampa Bay, and he could feature again this week.
Gaston Gonzalez and Antonio Carlos will miss the event with injuries, while the rest of the team could also be rotated to bring fresh legs into the fold.
Philadelphia Unions at Orlando City Picks and Prediction
The impending matchup between the Philadelphia Union and Orlando City SC is intriguing because of the inherent differences between the squad.
Phili has not appeared in the competition this season, so there are no Open Cp stats to judge them by. Orlando, meanwhile, is not consistent but has the ceiling to perform well in tournaments such as this one.
The Union certainly has the higher pedigree and is more solid from top to bottom, so the fact that soccer picks and odds alike are favoring Orlando is a bit of a surprise— enough of a surprise to warrant betting against the oddsmakers and siding with Phili, whose odds are too good to pass up on. It is hard to bet against the better team without a legitimate reason, so ignore the fact they have not won in three matches and instead focus on the fact that they have not lost in three matches.
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