Orlando City has found themselves in a rut in which they can’t seem to escape.

Saturday’s game at New York City FC was just another example where everything that seemed to go wrong, did.

However, much like the rest of the season, the Lions are not looking back at past results, but rather looking forward to their midweek match up when Orlando City travels to take on fourth division side of the NPSL Miami United on Wednesday in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah.

“It’s an important tournament,” said Orlando coach Jason Kreis on Tuesday. “I think often times people misunderstand how important it can be. The fact of the matter is it’s the shortest path to make it to the Concacaf Champions League, which is becoming a really big deal for everyone in MLS. A great opportunity to place yourself at the stage of some of the world’s best, by winning that, so this is the shortest and most direct route to that and so we look at this as an opportunity. It’s also a chance to to win a trophy and were never going to take that situation lightly.”

“We’re going to have a very strong lineup, there’s no doubt about it,” added Kreis. “We obviously have to consider all these things. Flight Saturday, play again next Saturday, play again next Wednesday, so there will be some rotation through all these matches, but we believe in all of our guys and I think it’s going to be a very strong lineup”

Orlando City will take a chartered flight on Thursday from Miami to Vancouver ahead of Saturday’s game at BC Place against the Whitecaps. Orlando’s road swing concludes the following Wednesday on June 13 when the Lions take on the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo at 7:30 p.m.

Injury updates

For the past few weeks, the Lions have had the injury bug bite hard. Dom Dwyer and Lamine Sané have missed the past three and two matches respectively, due to injuries. Kreis says that both are coming along in their rehab.

“Both our day-to-day. Dom now will train fully today with the team so we think that’s heading in a very positive direction. Lamine will not be training fully with the team today, but we are taking him on the road trip with us on the road trip in the belief that he will be ready in the near future.”

Meanwhile, Scott Sutter remains day-to-day with his knee injury he suffered back in April, while Jonathan Spector, who has missed almost two months with concussion symptoms, has been training fully with the team for the past week. Centerback Chris Schuler is also back in training with a cast on his left arm after having surgery to repair a broken bone suffered two weeks ago against the Chicago Fire. All five injured Lions will travel with the team to Miami and subsequently to Vancouver and Montreal as they continue their rehab on the road.

Other notes

• CB Amro Tarek will join the team in Miami on Tuesday night after not making the Egypt National Team World Cup roster. Tarek featured on the bench for Egypt’s last two friendlies, but never saw playing time.

(Photo by Austin David / Orlando Soccer Journal) 

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