Soccer <\/p>\n
Toluca reinstated their place among the most feared teams in Concacaf last season, winning the LIGA MX Clausura and ensuing Campe\u00f3n de Campeones matchup against Mexican powerhouse Club Am\u00e9rica.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
But those titles will not faze Orlando City<\/a>, who are excited at the prospect of eliminating such a prestigious side in Wednesday night’s Leagues Cup<\/a> quarterfinal at the LA Galaxy<\/a>‘s Dignity Health Sports Park (8:50 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cWe were able and lucky to be here, to come back and continue to compete against the best. But that\u2019s also because we are some of the best,\u201d head coach Oscar Pareja said in Spanish.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a club that has grown greatly. We are facing the champion of the Mexican league; it\u2019s a very historic team. But we want to be ambitious, we want to win Leagues Cup. We don\u2019t want to just play it \u2026 The boys are very focused on what they have to do, and we will continue at our very highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Orlando\u2019s prolific attack has fueled their strong season, co-leading MLS in goals (53) and tallying nine times in Leagues Cup Phase One, good for third-most in the tournament.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been led by midfielder Mart\u00edn Ojeda<\/a>, a Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate who has registered 17g\/18a across all competitions and tallied a goal contribution in 15 consecutive matches.<\/p>\n “[Ojeda] is having the best possible season and he has been contributing towards, not just the team, but any forwards playing with him,” applauded DP striker Luis Muriel.<\/p>\n “He’s going to bring the best and bring amazing gameplay. It’s up to me to leverage that because he has, right now, this amazing aura.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Mart\u00edn Ojeda with the ???? blast to give @OrlandoCitySC<\/a> the advantage on Necaxa ???? pic.twitter.com\/tPLdu4R9Yz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n On the backs of their stars, Orlando have shot up the Eastern Conference table into fourth place and are riding a four-game winning streak across all competitions.<\/p>\n Muriel<\/a>, specifically, has used the tournament as a springboard, netting three goals and recently dominating in a 4-1 Florida Derby<\/a> rout of Inter Miami CF<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re a forward player, when you\u2019re a striker, you live for the goals,\u201d said Muriel. \u201cSo, when they come, this is something that feeds you so much energy. You just want to keep increasing those numbers.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, we have our eyes set on tomorrow\u2019s game and I am hoping it\u2019ll come with many goals and, of course, victory.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Orlando navigated Leagues Cup Phase One with relative ease, thrashing Mexican sides Atlas and Necaxa by a combined 8-2 scoreline.<\/p>\n That said, the Lions won’t take Toluca lightly, knowing full well the threat Alexis Vega, Paulinho & Co. offer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know the importance of our rival,\u201d stated Muriel in Spanish. \u201cOf course, our rivals are champions of the Mexican league. They have excellent players all around.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than worrying about just one particular player, we need to be very aware of how strong the team is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n With a second trophy in the club\u2019s MLS history up for grabs, and the tournament’s top three finishers earning a 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> spot, Pareja reinforced how important a victory would be.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe the sense of urgency has to be continuous,\u201d said Pareja. “It is part of our method. The boys are always expressing that \u2026 But yes, it\u2019s true that this has taken us to a very important moment in both our league and Leagues Cup, opening up this possibility of making it to the final round and defeating the top Mexican teams, which by the way is going to be lifting the spirit of the team even more.<\/p>\n \u201cSo yes, we are in urgency mode right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Added Muriel: \u201cI think the relevance of this game is enormous. It\u2019s not just a match; it\u2019s life or death in this cup. It\u2019s either move on or stay there.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGoals galore<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Strong form<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Toluca test<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Knockout stakes<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n