On Sunday, Orlando City will face off against New York City FC, as one of many MLS Heineken Rivalry Week matches. While Orlando City and New York City FC (NYCFC) might not be your typical rivalry, it has a history stretching back to before their inaugural MLS seasons even started.
The animosity between these two teams began in their inaugural preseason, when Orlando City received the first pick in both the MLS Expansion Draft and the MLS SuperDraft, which gave them the eventual MLS Rookie of the Year, Cyle Larin. NYCFC received the top spot in MLS Allocation Rankings, which they used to acquire Mix Diskerud.