Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, Round 2: Match Preview, Starting XIs, Predictions and More

Thanks to a quirk in their 2016 schedule, Orlando City (2-2-3, 9 points) will head to Foxborough on Saturday for a rematch with the New England Revolution (1-2-6, 9 points) less than two weeks after the clubs' first meeting of the season.

That game ended in a controversial 2-2 draw, after a handball that wasn't called set up Kevin Molino for what looked like the match winner, until Orlando was incorrectly assessed a handball in its own box just minutes later. Confusion reigned when the officials awarded the Revs a free kick, only to change that to a penalty, which Lee Nguyen slotted home for the equalizer.

It still makes my head hurt. See for yourself:

Starting XI and Lineup Predictions:

Orlando City:

The biggest roster news for Orlando City this week involved shipping Aurélien Collin to the New York Red Bulls for a fourth-round SuperDraft pick in 2017, though this won't have an impact on the starting lineup for Saturday's match. Injuries have caused Adrian Heath plenty of headaches in the starting XI this season, though the gaffer should have close to a first-choice lineup against the Revs.

With Antonio Nocerino back in action following a one-game suspension and Kaká looking primed to return from a minor groin injury, the Lions should be able to count on improved play with the former AC Milan teammates back on the pitch.

Molino and Adrian Winter have both shown flashes this season in the attacking midfield, so look for them to lineup alongside -- hopefully -- Kaká on Saturday night.

New England Revolution:

Orlando can expect two major changes from the Revs since their first meeting of the season just 12 days ago. Defender Chris Tierney will be out on Saturday with a right knee sprain, meaning we should see Donnie Smith at left back for the second game in a row.

And the fact that a soccer team from Boston has a guy named Donnie Smith in the starting lineup makes me happier than I can put into words.

But the bigger news may be Teal Bunbury's absence after suffering a leg injury last weekend. Bunbury is listed as questionable, though he didn't play on Wednesday against Portland, but would likely be replaced by Kelyn Rowe in the starting XI if he's unable to go against Orlando.

Player(s) to Watch:

Well, this is awkward, but they're the same guys we talked about two weeks ago.

Nguyen remains the heart and soul of the New England attack, but we focused on him last time. So let's take a look at Juan Agudelo, who seems likely to start up top for the Revs after Charlie Davies went down with a groin injury on Wednesday against Portland while Teal Bunbury has been dealing with a hamstring issue of late.

Agudelo, a 23-year-old American international, is still searching for his first goal of 2016, but has notched seven goals for New England in each of the past two seasons. For more on the forward, we'll flash back to our scouting report for the Revs prior to the first meeting of the season on April 17:

Agudelo has great pace and is an excellent fit in New England's three-forward system. Agudelo makes dangerous runs and has good 1-v-1 skills. He is a physical player who has no problem using his body to shield and win 50-50 balls. His weakness is a lack of composure inside the box. He often takes two touches within the penalty area when only one is needed. His play is very similar to Orlando City's Kevin Molino, with the exception that Molino is a better passer.

Prediction: Orlando City 2, New England Revolution 1

At this point, it might make more sense to predict how exactly the officiating is going to cost Orlando points, but if I've got to pick a result then I'm going to ride with the Lions.

New England hasn't discovered its offensive mojo since its last clash with Orlando, and I don't see why the Revs would bust out the goals while playing on short rest. Orlando should benefit from the return of Kaká and I expect the club to pick up all three points on the road this weekend.