Oscar Pareja wants Orlando City to play like "protagonists" when they travel to the New York Red Bulls in MLS on Saturday.

The two teams met in the Eastern Conference Final last season but have not quite hit their stride in the 2025 season as yet.

Orlando have won just one of their games, losing the other two, and sit fourth from bottom in the early standings of the Eastern Conference.

But Pareja believes coming up against an opponent they know well could be the boost they need to kick-start their season.

"We want to go there and be protagonists in the game," Pareja said.

"We want to win it. We have to be committed with our ways and impose them and see if that can bring us a result. Considering this is a team we know, we can control their approach better.

"A good opportunity for us to bounce back in the result, but an even better opportunity to keep growing as a team and keep gluing together."

NYRB are one point better off than their opponents going into this game, having bounced back from an opening-day loss to FC Cincinnati with a win and a draw.

They struggled against Atlanta United in a 0-0 draw last time out, and they were dealt an injury blow this week with Lewis Morgan out for the next six weeks after having surgery on his knee.

"From the mental side, [he's] in a positive way, in a good spot," Schwarz said.

"He's also very professional now in his rehab with the medical department with all the guys. I'm pretty sure … in the next weeks, hopefully, he's making big steps, and then he'll be ready in six weeks for us."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York Red Bulls – Noah Elie

The Red Bulls failed to hit the target with any of their seven attempts against Atlanta United on Saturday, the first time they have been held without a shot on target in a regular-season match since September 2020 against the Philadelphia Union.

No player had more than one shot in that game, with Noah Elie's proving the best, though his 'big' chance was only worth 0.09 expected goals (xG). He also had 12 final third entries.

Orlando City – Marco Pasalic

There have been 15 goals scored in Orlando City's first three matches this regular season (seven for, eight against). 

Only Marco Pasalic has netted more than once among Orlando players this season (two), while he has also got an assist in his three games so far.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

The Red Bulls have won each of their last two matches against Orlando City, including a 1-0 win in last season's Eastern Conference Final. New York have just one three-match winning streak over Orlando in all competitions, doing so in 2021-22.

They followed a 2-0 win over Nashville SC on March 1 with a scoreless draw at Atlanta United on Saturday. It is the first time the Red Bulls have kept consecutive clean sheets in regular-season play since the start of last season.

As for Orlando, they have lost five of 17 away matches in all competitions since the beginning of April 2024 (W8 D4). Three of the five defeats, including on Saturday, have come at either New York City FC (two) or the Red Bulls (one).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York Red Bulls – 44.2%

Draw – 26.8%

Orlando City – 29%