D.C.United will play their fourth game of the 2020 preseason against Orlando City SC on Feb. 15. The Black-and-Red are 6-4-1 in the regular season against Orlando and defeated the Florida based club twice in 2019. In their last preseason fixture, D.C. United defeated Louisville City 1-0 on Feb. 6.
The team continues to focus on integrating new additions as they formulate their playing identity for the 2020 MLS Season kicking off in two weeks. In the first three games of preseason, new signing Julian Gressel played in multiple positions across the front line as United try to narrow down his role within the squad. After missing the first part of preseason, Yamil Asad and Edison Flores are working their way back from injuries, while Head Coach Ben Olsen tries to figure out the best way to utilize their talents. Asad was a key player for United in 2018, while Edison Flores arrived for a club record fee on Jan. 13, 2020. Erik Sorga is another new face looking to carve out a role for the 2020 season. The Estonian forward played his first minutes for the Black-and-Red in the 1-0 victory over Louisville City.
After having one of the best defensive records in MLS in 2019, United focused on retaining two key players this offseason. Frédéric Brillant signed a two year contract extension with the Black-and-Red. The Frenchman has formed a solid partnership with Steven Birnbaum over the last two seasons. Following his successful loan spell, Bill Hamid was brought back on a permanent basis. The Homegrown goalkeeper recorded 127 saves and a league-high 14 clean sheets in 2019. Jamaican defender Oniel Fisher returns after missing the entire 2019 season with a knee injury. Paul Arriola played in the match against Louisville, but missed a majority of the first trip to Clearwater while playing with the USMNT for the annual January training camp.
After missing the MLS Cup playoffs in 2019, Orlando City made some major changes. Orlando hired former FC Dallas Head Coach Oscar Pareja. Pareja added some new players in the offseason to fit his style of play. Brazilian midfielder Junior Urso arrived from Corinthians in Brazil, while defender Rodrigo Schlegel joins on loan from Racing Club in Argentina.
The match will take place at 5 PM ET at the University of South Florida.
