Major League Soccer today announced Orlando City SC’s 2020 regular-season schedule through the end of September, as well as Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs qualification and competition format. The schedule sees the Lions face three different teams, with single matchups against Chicago Fire FC, Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas, with the games presented by Orlando Health.
As with the MLS is Back Tournament and Phase One of returning to play in local markets, each team will adhere to comprehensive health and safety protocols, including regular testing of players, coaches and essential staff for COVID-19.
The Lions start off the next slate of matches by hosting Chicago Fire FC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19. The match against the Fire is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, serving as the Club’s first fixture against Chicago in 2020. This match will be open to a limited number of spectators. While fans will have the opportunity to return to Exploria Stadium, the venue will continue to operate at a reduced capacity in order to follow social distancing guidelines. All fans will be required to wear masks when inside the venue, amongst other safety measures.
Following the match against Chicago, the boys in purple head out on the road for consecutive away matches, beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 23, with a cross-conference match at Sporting Kansas City. The match at Children’s Mercy Park is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Saturday, Sept. 27 will see Head Coach Oscar Pareja return to Toyota Stadium for the first time since taking over the helm at City, as the Lions square off against FC Dallas at 8:30 p.m. ET to wrap up the next slate of matches.
City’s match at Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 23 will be televised nationally on FS1, with the games against Chicago and Dallas available locally on Fox 35 Plus, the official TV home of Orlando City SC. Local matches will be called by play-by-play announcer Evan Weston, analyst Miguel Gallardo and sideline reporter Ali Krieger.
The remainder of Orlando City’s 2020 MLS regular-season matches will be announced pending further developments regarding travel protocols.
In addition to announcing regular season match details through September, MLS also today confirmed qualification details and the competition format for the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will again consist of single-elimination matches hosted by the higher-seeded team and follow a straight bracket format through MLS Cup on Dec.12.
As previously announced, in an expansion of the postseason for 2020, 18 clubs will compete in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. Eight teams from the 12-team Western Conference will qualify directly to Round 1. The top six seeds from the 14-team Eastern Conference will qualify directly to Round 1. Eastern Conference seeds 7-10 will each compete in a play-in match (No. 7 vs. No. 10, and No. 8 vs. No. 9) to determine the two additional Eastern Conference teams that will qualify for the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs Round 1.
The lower-seeded advancing team will face the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed in Round 1, while the higher-seeded advancing team will face the Eastern Conference No. 2 seed.
The Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
Upcoming Orlando City Matches:
Date
Opponent
Venue
Time (ET)
Broadcast
Sat., Sept. 19
Chicago Fire FC
Exploria Stadium
7:30 p.m.
Fox 35 Plus
Wed., Sept. 23
Sporting KC
Children’s Mercy Park
7:30 p.m.
FS1
Sun., Sept. 27
FC Dallas
Toyota Stadium
8:30 p.m.
Fox 35 Plus