Orlando is set to face off against the Montreal Impact today in what will be Oscar Pareja's first game in front of the fans. Pareja will look to utilize this game as a way for the players to implement the system he wants them to play. As with any new manager, it takes time for the players to learn the new tactics and no matter how much they train, the best way to learn is to put it into practice. That's all today is. Practice.
Today is also the first day that the fans get to see the new team. With that in mind, I'm fully expecting a lot of the big names to be starting. In doing so, the first-team players will get some much-needed match fitness before our first game of the season. That being said, do expect wholesale changes at halftime or around the 60th minute. We must not forget that this is a preseason game and Pareja will want to give everyone minutes.
Looking at our opponent, Montreal has already played two games as they get ready for their CONCACAF Champions League game against Deportivo Saprissa. They beat DCU 3-1 but fell to Philadelphia 1-0. Since they are two games in and we haven't really had a real preseason fixture yet, expect Montreal to be more fit than us. There is no shame in that though. They started preseason before us and they've played more high-intensity games. This is all about us getting fit and learning the system.
Time: 6:00 PM EST
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Broadcast: N/A
Injuries/Suspensions: N/A
Predicted Score: 2-2
'Til next time, this has been Gavin Rushnell and #VamosOrlando