LAFC Face Orlando City Amidst Injury Crisis and Form Contrast

Orlando City’s interim head coach, Martin Perelman, has been impressed with his players’ attitude during the international break. This comes after a heavy defeat to Nashville SC.

Perelman is preparing his team for a clash with Los Angeles FC.

Perelman Praises Orlando’s Attitude

Martin Perelman has been pleased with the attitude of his Orlando City players over the international break.

Orlando suffered a 5-0 hammering at Nashville SC before the two-week hiatus.

That was Perelman’s second game as interim head coach, following a 2-1 win over CF Montreal in his first match after replacing Oscar Pareja.

“It was awesome to have time to train and practice, we really needed it,” he said.

“The players’ attitude is awesome. We are so happy with them.”

Perelman added: “We’re focused on our team, our game – we had a lot of work to do there. We face a good team, with top players, and we will be ready for that, but we’re focused mainly on our team.”

“We’re proud of the roster we have, the effort of our players, and we prepare all of them to be ready for the moment they have the opportunity. If we don’t have a certain player, we trust the guys we have on the roster.”

Orlando’s Injury Concerns and Griezmann Signing

Orlando City are dealing with an injury crisis.

The club have announced the impending signing of Antoine Griezmann.

Form and Statistical Contrasts

Orlando sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with three points.

LAFC are 10 points better off and sit at the top of the West.

  • Orlando have conceded in 22 consecutive matches, the longest streak in club history.
  • It has been almost 300 days since Orlando last kept an MLS clean sheet, doing so in a 1-0 win against the Colorado Rapids in June 2025.
  • Orlando’s -12 goal difference through five matches is the worst at this stage of a season in MLS history.
  • They have conceded 17 times, making them the second team to allow more than 15 goals in their first five matches of a season.

LAFC are the first team in MLS history to keep clean sheets in each of its first five matches of a season.

Only three teams in MLS history have kept clean sheets in six straight games at any point in a season with only one (New York City FC in 2022) doing so in the last 15 years.

LAFC have won seven straight home MLS matches across the regular season and playoffs, outscoring opponents, 15-2, in those matches.

LAFC are unbeaten in four regular-season meetings with Orlando (W3 D1) with both teams scoring in all four games.

This will be Orlando’s first visit to BMO Stadium since July 2018, when they suffered a 4-1 defeat to LAFC.

Son’s Impact for LAFC

Son is yet to score in MLS this season, but has provided two assists.

That leads LAFC’s squad this term, while his 10 key passes are four more than any of his other team-mates have managed.

Goalkeeper Crepeau will be hoping to up his levels of performance and help get Orlando on track.

Martin Perelman has been thrilled with the attitude of his Orlando City players over the intern

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