Orlando City forward Facundo Torres is targeting a turnaround in the Lions’ home fortunes, starting against LA Galaxy on Saturday.
Since beating the New York Red Bulls in the opening game of the season, Orlando have failed to win at home in 2023.
That run of five games has included three straight losses, with road wins over Philadelphia Union and Minnesota United wedged between those defeats.
Torres scored the winner against the Red Bulls back in February, and knows the time is now for Orlando to correct their home form.
"It's been difficult losses. Not just this week, but so far the ones that we've had on the season," he said.
"We know that we have to be a little bit more. It's not what we'd hoped for at this point in the season, but we continue working with the whole team to continue finding those details that we've been missing recently.
"In the final third, we've gotten good plays where we've been in and around the ball, but we haven't been able to finish those chances yet. And on the defensive side, we've given up some easy ones that have cost us as a team. So we work together to try and solidify those areas.
"We all know what [head coach] Oscar [Pareja] has been asking of us in the plan that he's laid out for us, whether it's guys that have been here or guys that just got here this year.
"The plan that Oscar has laid out has been very clear, and we're all integrated into that. I think what we're missing right now is the chemistry in between the new players and the old players and executing that idea. Like I said, the plan is very clear so now we just need to work together to bring that idea to the field in reality."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando City – Duncan McGuire
McGuire has scored three goals in his first six MLS appearances, including scoring Orlando's last two goals. McGuire has hit the target with all seven shots he's attempted in MLS, the only player to attempt more than three shots with a 100 per cent shooting accuracy this season.
LA Galaxy – Javier Hernandez
Hernandez scored his first goal of the season in the Galaxy's 2-0 win over Austin on Saturday, and will be eager to keep up his form. It was his 38th regular season MLS goal, surpassing Erick Torres to become the second-highest-scoring Mexican international in MLS history, behind only Carlos Vela (72).
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Each side have three wins in their six previous MLS meetings. The last two matches ended 1-0 to the visiting team (one win each) after there were a total of 20 goals scored in the first four games between the Lions and Galaxy.
Orlando have lost 11 regular season home matches since the start of 2022 (W10 D1) after losing a total of 12 home matches over the previous three regular seasons combined (W20 D14 from 2019—21).
The Galaxy have just two points from four away matches this season, though they're unbeaten in their last five away matches against Eastern Conference opposition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 48.2 per cent
LA Galaxy – 25.1 per cent
Draw – 26.7 per cent
Portland Timbers 0-0 FC Dallas: Neville's men held after securing playoff spot
The Portland Timbers were held to a goalless draw by FC Dallas on Sunday, having already clinched an MLS Cup playoff berth by virtue of results elsewhere.
Austin FC's 2-1 defeat to the LA Galaxy on Saturday, which led to the team firing head coach Josh Wolff, ensured they could not overhaul Portland for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot.
The Timbers still went with a strong lineup for their final home game of the regular season but had to settle for a point.
Both Portland and Dallas had their chances, having 19 and 18 shots respectively, with the hosts almost finding a winner in second-half stoppage time as Dario Zuparic's header was cleared off the line.
Perhaps their best opportunity came in the 88th minute, but Dallas goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer pushed Felipe Mora's attempt over the crossbar to preserve the visitors' clean sheet.
Dallas, who had already been eliminated from the playoff race, sit 11th in the West, while Portland missed a chance to close the gap to the automatic qualification spots, which are now out of reach due to seventh-placed Minnesota United boasting two more wins with one game remaining.
Data Debrief: Timbers end playoff exile
Portland enter the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021, having missed out in both of the last two campaigns.
They finished as runners-up when they last made the postseason, while three of their last six playoff appearances have seen them make the MLS Cup Final.
Brighton 3-2 Tottenham: Rutter inspires remarkable Seagulls comeback
Brighton managed a remarkable second-half comeback as Georginio Rutter scored one and played a key role for another in a thrilling 3-2 home victory over Tottenham.
Ange Postecoglou's visitors had won their last five games, including their EFL Cup and Europa League exploits, and started well on Sunday as in-form Brennan Johnson scored for a sixth straight outing.
James Maddison doubled the away side's lead before the interval, aided by Bart Verbruggen's handling blunder, but Yankuba Minteh halved that deficit after the restart with a thumping finish.
Destiny Udogie was somewhat at fault for Minteh's finish, and the Spurs defence again struggled as Rutter restored parity before the hour mark after dancing around a couple of defenders.
Former Leeds United star Rutter then edged past numerous Tottenham charges once more, with his cross deflecting up for Danny Welbeck to head in the 66th-minute winner and seal a memorable turnaround.
Verbruggen was still required to deny Udogie late on, however, as Fabian Hurzeler's side held on for a victory that lifted them to sixth and ended Spurs' impressive winning run.
Data Debrief: Johnson's heroics in vain
Johnson has now scored in each of his last six appearances in all competitions, becoming the first Spurs player to do so since departed talisman Harry Kane between December 2018 and January 2019.
The winger's six goals across 10 appearances this season are also more than he managed in 34 outings for Spurs last campaign, though Johnson's efforts proved ultimately in vain.
Sunday marked the 10th time that Tottenham have lost a Premier League game in which they led by two or more goals – they are the first club to hit double figures for this, and have done so three more times than any other club in the competition's history.
Indeed, this memorable turnaround saw Brighton win a league game after trailing by two or more goals at half-time for the first time since a 3-2 victory against Charlton in the Championship in December 2015.
Ten Hag insists Man Utd 'all on board together' amid future speculation
Erik ten Hag insisted he and Manchester United's hierarchy are "all on board together" following the Red Devils' goalless draw with Aston Villa.
United played out their fourth stalemate in five games across all competitions - losing the other against Tottenham last weekend - as the spoils were shared at Villa Park.
The Red Devils' tally of eight points, which keeps them 14th in the table, is their lowest after the first seven matches of a Premier League season, with their struggles increasing the pressure on Ten Hag.
However, as speculation surrounding his future continues to grow, the Dutchman remains calm on the matter, as he focused on the positive aspects of his side's performance.
When asked if he has spoken to United's board, he told Sky Sports: "We always speak, every week we speak. We are all on board together, on one page, we know what we are working through. It's a long-term process.
"I think it's the fourth clean sheet this season. You saw we had a very good organisation and togetherness. There was good character and good spirit as a team; determined, resilient.
"We almost didn't concede a chance. At the end, they had a big chance [Diogo Dalot blocking Jaden Philogene's stoppage-time attempt], but I think it was almost the only chance.
"We have come through two very tough away games. This is a team, we showed the belief and faith we have."
However, only 19th-place Southampton (four) have scored fewer goals than United (five) so far, while only in 1972-73 (four) have they ever netted fewer in their first seven matches of a top-flight campaign.
Ten Hag acknowledged his players must show a greater cutting edge in attack.
"We have created loads of chances in our seven games, but we have to step up," he added.
"We know, at this moment, we have a lack of goals. In that perspective, it's not a good start. That's an area we have to improve."
Meanwhile, Jonny Evans said he and his team-mates have been affected by the speculation surrounding Ten Hag, but praised the spirit demonstrated by the team.
"It does affect the players. It's on our minds, too," the defender told BBC Match of the Day.
"I think the more experience I've got in my career, I've made sure I do everything to be ready and give everything I can to the team.
"That was the important thing, to show the spirit in the team. Everyone competed as much as they could. That's a pleasing thing to see."
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