With the season beginning to slowly wind down, OrlandoCitySC.com took a glimpse at three teams that could possibly give the Lions a run for their money. The soon-to-be MLS side has ventured into each match this season with a target on its backs as the Lions hope to capture another USL PRO title in its final dance in the minor leagues.

Sacramento Republic F.C.

On paper, Sacramento appears to have the most favorable schedule with eight of its 13 remaining games to be played at home. So far this season, Sacramento has proved to be a difficult side to beat at home, holding a 4-0-4 record at Hughes Stadium and Bonney Field.

Sacramento’s impressive attendance numbers have also certainly played a part in their success at home, with the first-year club setting a regular season attendance record of 20,231 for its home opener. The overall attendance record in USL PRO is still held by Orlando City (20,886).

On July 17, Orlando will get to witness the crowd first hand when the league-leader in points, Kevin Molino, guides the Lions into the raucous environment. The Republic FC’s fans will be in full force, energizing their team as they attempt to disrupt Orlando’s impressive unbeaten run so far this season, assuming the Lions’ run continues past the match against Wilmington this weekend.

Richmond Kickers:

Ten points behind league-leading Orlando, Richmond will need some assistance in order to move ahead of City. However, with two match-ups scheduled against the Lions, including both clubs’ final fixture of the regular season, Richmond have room to make up some ground if they manage to finish out their final 11 matches without dropping a point.

Seems unlikely, but let’s not forget that the Kickers were able to capably defeat Orlando City on two occasions in the 2013 regular season. Nevertheless, before they can even begin focusing on either of those games against the current league-leaders, Richmond will have to turn its attention to the club’s upcoming match in California against Sacramento this weekend, which is equally crucial to their title hopes.

LA Galaxy II:

LA Galaxy II has already completed its sole match against the Lions this season, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat at ESPN Wide World of Sports on June 28.

For Los Dos, the race to the regular season title will feature a more treacherous path as more than half of its remaining games will take place on the road where they have struggled mightily. Compared to its impressive 7-2-1 record at Stub Hub Center, LA Galaxy II have managed to produce merely two wins on the road, along with three draws and three losses.

After opening the season with a strong start that saw the Galaxy go toe-to-toe with Orlando for USL PRO’s top spot, LA has since fell behind in the chase. One bright spot for the Galaxy, however, is the fact that they still lead the USL PRO in goals scored. To catch Orlando, they’ll need plenty of them as their final two contests of the regular season feature fixtures against Richmond and Sacramento, making for an interesting final week in league play.