Orlando is without a shutout in the last five games. Colorado, MLS’s worst team, with just seven points, was the last club the Lions held goalless. Since then, Orlando was bounced on the road twice, drawn twice, and suffered its first home loss of the season to Eastern rivals NYCFC. The Lions’ strong defensive start is becoming a distant memory. And while the old sports cliché that “winning cures all ills” may be true, OCSC sorely needs to earn a clean sheet on the road in Minnesota.
With all of the praises Orlando’s new-look defense attracted after the first handful of results, the team has still managed only three clean sheets this season — although that’s on pace to beat the five of last season.