Orlando City SC vs Charlotte FC Prediction: A possible draw on the cards

The match between Orlando City SC and Charlotte FC in the MLS Eastern Conference on September 19, 2024, is a game bound to be well contested. Orlando, who sit in 5th position, aims to hold on firmly to a playoff spot, while Charlotte lies in 7th position and is fighting to secure one of those final playoff positions. With both teams coming into this match with a contrasting run of form, this may well be a tactical game and a very important one in the context of their aspirations for playoffs.

Orlando have been in some good form, too, as they have recorded three wins from their last five matches. Their most recent win was an emphatic 3-0 home success over New England, where they bossed possession 54% and created several big chances - 3. There was one standout performer in the game in Rafael Santos, who scored a goal while contributing to the defense with 2 clearances and 2 tackles. The other goals-one each by Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire-made it clear that Orlando's attack is slowly beginning to fire at the most important time in the season.

The stats have Orlando tough in the duels with 59% in their last game, and they boast an impressive record of scoring first in 5 of their last 7 games. They also tend to keep games clean with fewer bookings, under 4.5 cards in 4 of their last 5, and corners in the game, under 10.5 corners in 7 of their last 8. This points to a well-disciplined team, not giving away too many fouls or being very aggressive.

Orlando will most probably keep their regular 4-2-3-1 configuration, which allows a decent balance between defense and offense. In the last outing, they showed that Orlando could easily control the tempo of the game, having 54% ball possession in their favour; thirdly, they are effective in converting big chances as three big chances came their way in the last outing. Rafael Santos has proved to be an influential attacker who not only makes recoveries at the back but also provides threat from upfront positions. The duo of Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire provides more firepower in attack, with Torres creating those attacking opportunities through his dribbling and vision. Orlando will look to expose Charlotte's weakness in the defensive duel, considering that Charlotte has not been good at winning duels, coming off a game where it managed only 43% in such situations.

Defensively, Orlando will need to be disciplined and aware of Charlotte's counter-attacking potential. The fact that they won 74% of their defensive tackles in the last game insinuates that they could hold their shape effectively against Charlotte's transition play.

Charlotte FC comes into this game with only one win in the last five games. During the last game, lost 2-1 against Montreal, their best-rated player of the match was Kristijan Kahlina, the team's goalkeeper; he made 6 critical saves, of which 5 saves came inside the box. With this loss, the big chances created by Charlotte are 2, but they surely lack sharpness in front of the goal with just 1 shot on target.

Charlotte's recent matches have been low-scoring games, as 5 out of their last 6 matches saw under 2.5 goals. They are also fairly disciplined - not one yellow card in the last match and consistently hitting under 4.5 cards in 6 successive matches. Not that they do much better, but at least they have kept matches close lately, as 9 of their last 9 matches have also seen under 10.5 corners.

Charlotte will also line up in a similar 4-2-3-1 setup but will be more reactive in their tactics as they focus on counterattacks and speedy transitions. Given Orlando's possession-based nature of play, Charlotte can be expected to drop deep and invite pressure while trying to break through using the wings. While Charlotte has been defensively solid over the past couple of games, keeping matches tight, the inability to pose an attacking threat-one shot on target in their last match-could become a big concern.

Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina will again be between the posts, expected to once again lead the backline coming after his spectacular shot-stopping ability when his team earned a draw against Inter Miami in their last outing. His command of the box, where he made 6 saves in that game, will prove critical to neutralizing an Orlando attack that is gaining momentum. Against Orlando, Charlotte will need to do better duel-winning percentage-wise, having only managed 43% in the last outing, and be more clinical with their chances if they hope to avoid yet another defeat.

A look at the head-to-head record between these teams suggests this has been a finely balanced rivalry, with each side picking up 2 wins apiece, while their last two meetings have ended in draws. Recent meetings have seen Charlotte with the upper hand as they are unbeaten in the last 4 meetings while opening the scoring in 4 of the last 5. When finding each other, both sides usually tend to score as 5 of the last 6 meetings between them have seen goals for both sides.

Given the recent form, head-to-head, and tactical approaches, this seems to be a tight, low-scoring affair with both teams enjoying their strengths and weaknesses. While Orlando enjoys the best form at home and attacking momentum, Charlotte's defensive organization and its counter-attacking ability make them dangerous.

Both teams tend to have sequences of matches with less than 10.5 corners on a regular basis, even in recent head-to-head matches.

Also, five of the last six meetings between the sides have seen both teams find the back of the net.

Finally, both sides avoid disciplinary problems as Orlando and Charlotte have consistently completed their games with less than 4.5 cards.

• Under 10 Corners @ 1.651 Odds
• GG (Yes) @ 1.68 Odds
• Correct Score 1-1 @ 7.50 Odds