ORLANDO – There might be four weeks left before the official start of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, but the full flavor of the occasion will come to central Florida this weekend when the Montreal Impact visit the Citrus Bowl on Saturday to take on Orlando City SC (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
Orlando City have bought into the win-or-bust concept heading into this Eastern Conference affair. The Lions know they have to begin to make up the point difference the Impact have on them in the standings, and anything less than a win against the sixth-placed club wiill not be enough, not with just three games left in the season for Orlando and Montreal holding a four-point cushion and two games in hand.
As a result, Orlando City are fully focused on trying to get the job done at home this weekend in front of what could be a crowd of 45,000-plus.
“Everybody knows the significance of this game,” Kaka said after training on Tuesday. “We have the whole week to prepare and be ready for this. We know it does not just depend on us [for the playoffs], but everything we can do, we will do.
“And this is a good moment for us. The team is very confident after three wins and we have three games left. If we have 45,000 voices shouting for us on Saturday, it is great motivation and it is going to be a great occasion.”
Striker Cyle Larin, fresh off of claiming the rookie goal-scoring record with his hat-trick vs. the New York Red Bulls last Friday, also iterated this week how vital this game is to Orlando's postseason hopes. But what will make the moment even more unique for him, however, is that he will have a chance to go up against a player who was his hero as a kid – Didier Drogba.
“It does feel like a playoff game,” Larin said. “It is so important for us if we want to continue our current run. The supporters will be there for us the whole game, and that makes a lot of difference. The atmosphere should be great.
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“And playing against my favorite player in the world gives me even more incentive. I will probably have some jitters to start with as Drogba is the player I grew up watching most of all. I might just stare at him for a couple of seconds to take it in, but then I will be looking to score. It would definitely add something to the feeling if I did.”
Head coach Adrian Heath revved his men up for victory in New York last week by insisting it would bring out a massive crowd for the Impact showdown, and the players responded with arguably their best display of the season. Now he believes the stage is set for a major occasion
“This is a huge game, no question about that. We have an exciting week ahead of us,” he insisted. “If we were to win this one and peg the gap back to just a point, Montreal have some tough games to come, and it would put us in with a shout.
“Our supporters have been incredible at home this year, and it has been mentioned by all the teams that have played here. It is just the atmosphere that it generates, and it is something we can feed off.”
