Perelman urges Orlando to keep moving forward after 'tough' Cincinnati draw

Orlando City SC's interim head coach Martin Perelman has called on his players to shrug off a frustrating 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati and keep their play-off push on track as they prepare to host the Chicago Fire.

Orlando extended their strong recent home record by coming from behind to salvage a point against Cincinnati at Inter.co Stadium, but Perelman was left disappointed not to take all three. The result leaves Orlando 10th in the Eastern Conference, now just three points adrift of D.C. United in the final play-off berth.

Having guided his side through a strong Leagues Cup run, Perelman saw positives in the way his team approached a demanding fixture against one of the league's most potent attacking outfits.

"Well, it was a very tough team, tough game," Perelman said after the Cincinnati draw. "As we expected against Cincinnati, it's always like this. They have a very strong offence. I think it's one of the best teams in the league attacking, so we knew who we were facing as well.

"We know that we are very strong at home. I think we created chances. At moments, the game was very open. They had chances as well. We always want to win at home. But again, taking into account the opponent, the game and everything, I think the effort of the players was there."

He added: "We need to take the point and move forward because this league is long and we are still there. The standings: we look at the end. We move forward for the next one."

Dangerous Fire on the rise

Chicago arrive in confident mood after sealing a second consecutive 2-1 victory, beating the Portland Timbers thanks to two first-half goals. The Fire, who have reached the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup, sit six points behind Inter Miami and 11 off leaders Nashville SC as they look to keep the pressure on the top two in the East.

Players to watch

Orlando forward Tyrese Spicer has scored in each of his last three MLS matches, netting three goals in total. With top-scorer Martin Ojeda absent, Spicer led the team for shots (six) and expected goals (0.76 xG), while also recording the second-most touches in the opposition box (eight) and creating three chances.

For Chicago, Robin Lod scored his fourth goal of the campaign to open the scoring in the win over Portland. He contested the most duels (10) and got both of his attempts on target.

Match prediction: Chicago Fire win

Chicago have enjoyed the better of recent meetings, going unbeaten in their last three MLS clashes with Orlando. A Lions victory would be their first over the Fire since June 2024.

Orlando are unbeaten in their last five home league matches (W3 D2), though they drew their most recent such fixture. After back-to-back losses following the World Cup break, Chicago have regained their rhythm with two straight wins — though both came at home, and they have lost their last three on the road.

Opta win probability

Orlando City SC – 34.1%  |  Draw – 23.3%  |  Chicago Fire – 42.6%