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3 things to know before the Revs face Orlando City

Orlando likes to score and two other things you need to know.

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Revolution travel to the Sunshine State to face Orlando City SC on Sunday. Here's what you need to know before kickoff:

  1. Orlando has scored in all five of their games this year. Brek Shea. Kevin Molino. Adrian Winter. Cyle Larin. That's a pretty attack-oriented roster and I haven't even named former FIFA Player of the Year Kaka. Orlando is a team that likes to attack as made evident by their nine total goals, which ties them for third-most in the league. This is not an easy team to track since they love to push the ball forward with quick, smart passes. The Revs will need to be sharp defensively if they're going to keep Orlando off the board.
  2. Orlando likes to score during the first and last 15 minutes. Orlando City has scored three of their nine goals in the first 15 minutes. Interestingly, the team has scored the same amount during the final 15 minutes. What this means is that the visitors will have to be ready to play from start to finish. The opening 15 minutes, a period during which the Revs have only conceded once, will be particularly important since an Orlando tally would only pump up the crowd even more.
  3. Sunday is Larin's birthday and he's looking to return to the field. Last week, Orlando was forced to play without their leading scorer as Larin was sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Canadian forward has been spotted at training this week and coach Adrian Heath stated that he's "hopeful" that Larin will be back to face the Revs. The UConn product broke the scoring record for a rookie last season by collecting 17 goals. This year he has already amassed three goals, proving that he's a talent on the rise. Larin has only played against the Revolution once, but he does have an impressive scoring rate, finishing his only shot on target. Larin's status for Sunday will be an important storyline to follow as he would change the complexion of the match.