Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Convert Two Penalties to Win
Orlando City scores twice from the spot to come from behind.

Finally, the Lions got some luck. Orlando City scored twice from the penalty spot, including one six minutes into stoppage time to defeat the Columbus Crew and snap a 13-game winless streak. Yoshimar Yotún and Sacha Kljestan converted from the spot after Federico Higuain had staked the visitors to a 1-0 lead off a free kick in front of an announced crowd of 23,642 in the home finale at Orlando City Stadium.
The method of victory was ironic, given the result the last time these two teams met, when Columbus was erroneously awarded a penalty that allowed the Crew to tie the game late and win it in stoppage time.
“Obviously delighted to get the win,” Head Coach James O’Connor said. “I think it was very important today just to try to win. For the players, especially the supporters, it was important that we give a good performance and get three points. So, pleased that we were able to do that.”
It was just the second win under James O’Connor and the club’s second win in the last 24 matches. The Lions scored more than one goal in a game for the first time since a Sept. 1 draw against Philadelphia, seven games ago.
O’Connor played a similar lineup to Wednesday, bringing Mohamed El-Munir and Yotún into the lineup, pushing Will Johnson into the midfield in place of Tony Rocha, and removing Chris Mueller to make way for Yoshi.
The graphic above aside, the Lions played a three-man back line of Shane O’Neill, Lamine Sané, and Carlos Ascues, with Scott Sutter and El-Munir playing as wingbacks in the midfield.
Former Lion Justin Meram did not play in the match due to a gentleman’s agreement made when the winger was sent back to Columbus from Orlando earlier this season.
The game began slowly with a ton of back passes by both teams as they probed for openings in each other’s defense. Uri Rosell launched a shot from distance that fizzed over the net in the second minute and Columbus looked to be in good shape two minutes later on a terrible back pass from Sacha Kljestan that the defense was able to break up before it became a Crew scoring opportunity.
Yotún tried to catch Zack Steffen off his line in the 14th minute, but his shot from midfield wasn’t close.
The Crew then fashioned a ton of corner kicks and Adam Grinwis made a terrific save in the 16th minute to deny Jonathan Mensah’s header from point-blank range. That save became necessary only because Grinwis’ punch attempt on the corner cross from Higuain was not effective and popped right back up in the air in the penalty area.
Two minutes later, off another corner, Gyasi Zardes fired a shot that Grinwis saved and Sutter cleared off the line as it trickled toward the goal.
In the 19th minute, a good buildup through midfield led to Kljestan sending Sutter down the right and his shot was just wide of goal. Dom Dwyer did well to hold up play for Kljestan to release Sutter on the play but the shot went awry. Steffen made a great diving save to stop a Johnson shot from outside the area in the 22nd minute.
El-Munir gifted Zardes a scoring chance in the 27th with a poor pass attempt, but O’Neill did well to make a sliding block to shield Grinwis from having to make a save.
The game got a bit chippy in the late stages of the first half, starting with a Mensah yellow card for an elbow to Dwyer’s face, which cut the Orlando striker open. The play probably should have gone to review but it didn’t appear any video review took place. A few minutes later, after Dwyer was fouled again, he got a yellow of his own for throwing a shoulder into Mensah as he ran past the Crew defender.
El-Munir forced a Steffen save in the 38th minute on a half-volley shot from the left.
Artur’s weak shot from distance right at Grinwis was the last chance for either side in a scoreless first half. The Crew held a 54%-46% advantage in possession and a 6-5 edge in shots (3-2 on target).
The first good opportunity of the second half came in the 50th minute, when El-Munir cut into the area, but instead of shooting, he peeled back and the Lions eventually lost the ball. The Lions were ruing that chance moments later when Higuain put the Crew up.
O’Neill committed a foul just above the area and Higuain stepped up to take the free kick. Grinwis set up his wall to defend the near post and he defended the back post. The kick sailed just inches over Uri Rosell’s head — the Spaniard didn’t jump on the play — and curled just inside the near post to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 54th minute.
Columbus didn’t have the lead long. Johnson headed a cross into the area in the 56th minute and defender Gaston Sauro had his arm out away from his body. The ball hit his hand as he swiped at Dwyer running past him and Kevin Stott immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Yotún stepped up to the ball and chipped a cheeky shot over Steffen to make it 1-1 at the 57-minute mark.
“This was my third PK on the season and I had already done one on each side,” Yotún said after the match through an interpreter. “I know that goalkeepers pay attention ahead of games to the players that do PKs, as well as what sides they tend to go through. So I just made a decision and it went through.”
The Lions then controlled much of the second half, turning the possession around and out-shooting the Crew, 11-2, after halftime (5-1 on target).
Amro Tarek replaced Ascues a minute later, as the Peruvian was experiencing some quad tightness by halftime and was struggling in the second half. As well as Ascues was playing, Tarek was just as good, making several vital defensive plays as the Crew — needing points to clinch a playoff spot — pressed to regain the lead.
Yotún made the pass of the game with a long ball in the 63rd minute to El-Munir that completely unlocked the defense. Mo centered the ball for an oncoming Kljestan, who saw his shot get partially blocked and roll in on Steffen, who smothered it before any Lions could pounce on the loose ball.
Johnson sent a shot on frame in the 68th that forced a good diving stop from Steffen. It was Johnson’s last involvement as he departed for Mueller in the 72nd minute.
Higuain had a golden opportunity to fire the Crew back into the lead in the 74th minute. A cross from the left side was deflected through the area and fell for the Argentine, who chested it down and fired on the half volley. However, Higuain didn’t hit his shot cleanly and sliced it well over the bar.
Yotún sent a curling effort on goal in the 78th that again required a diving save from Steffen, who saw Orlando take 10 shots from outside the box. El-Munir (wide) and Mueller (right at Steffen) wasted shots in the 81st minute, as Orlando controlled play and Columbus looked to counter.
The game seemed destined for a draw when a laser blast from Sutter hit the woodwork in the 90th minute. Steffen may have gotten a touch to it before it found the frame.
Sutter then had a free header in the 93rd off a corner kick but sent his shot wide.
The four minutes of stoppage time indicated by the fourth official had just expired when Mueller — who had a tough game, to be honest — paid off his hard work by drawing a second penalty. The rookie drove toward the end line and then cut back, getting caught by Crew and USMNT midfielder Wil Trapp and Stott again immediately signaled to the spot.
Kljestan wanted this one and in the 96th minute he sent Steffen the wrong way and scored the game-winning goal.
“I wanted to take the first one, but Yoshi said he wanted it,” Kljestan said of the two penalties. “He’s been successful and I’ve missed one already this season. So, I gave him the ball and he scored a beautiful one. Second one I just stepped up, the goalie went the wrong way and I just passed it in the corner.”
The Lions and Crew finished just about even on possession for the game (Columbus with a slight edge at 50.2% to 49.8%) and Orlando City led in shots (16-8), shots on goal (7-4), and passing accuracy (85.5%-83.1%).
Both O’Connor and Kljestan said after the match that the Lions didn’t make any real second-half adjustments. They just played better.
“I think when you look at the second half we were getting into some areas that were causing them some problems,” O’Connor said.
Orlando City is now 3-1-0 in home finales during the MLS era.
“It was a nice feeling for us to give back to the fans,” Kljestan said. A lot of the fans stuck by us through the whole season. Let’s be honest, it was a pretty miserable year. So, for them to come out, be loud again today, be very supportive and behind the team and for us to win, it just felt good for us to give them back something.”
The Lions will close out their season next Sunday on the road against Kljestan’s old team, the New York Red Bulls.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 road draw against CF Montreal?

Orlando City played its first international road match of the 2025 season as the Lions faced off against CF Montreal in the club’s third-longest road trip by distance (approx. 1,432 miles). For the third straight week, Orlando boasted a clean sheet, but after facing the bottom dwellers of the Eastern Conference, the Lions were only able to bring one point back to the Sunshine State following a 0-0 draw. In a match without much flow and produced another 10-man finish for OCSC, Orlando appeared to play without much gusto.
Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances to see who made the grade and who can improve heading into the final match of April.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — Gallese stood tall against extended pressure for much of the match against CF Montreal. Facing a desperate squad that had only scored four goals on the season, Montreal looked for multiple breakthrough moments, which El Pulpo was able to sniff out. His distribution left a bit to be desired, as he had a 68.6% passing rate on his 35 attempts while completing 13 of his 24 long balls. He racked up six total saves on the night and showcased quick reactions in the first half on a Dante Sealy attempt, and in the second half he was able to parry away a Caden Clark shot that likely was destined for the back of the net. The end result now marks three straight clean sheets for the Peruvian No. 1.
D, Kyle Smith, 5 — With the suspension of Rodrigo Schlegel, Head Coach Oscar Pareja elected to bring Kyle Smith into the starting lineup at left back and shift David Brekalo to center back. Smith picked up a careless early yellow card early, which likely played a much bigger role in the outcome of the match than met the eye at the time of infringement. He was substituted off at halftime for Rafael Santos in a move designed to protect against picking up that second yellow…the move backfired as Orlando was not destined to finish the match with 11 men and Santos was the player picking up two yellows for aggressive fouls. In 45 minutes of action, Smith touched the ball 31 times and completed 87.5% of his 24 passes but failed to complete either of his two long-ball attempts. Prior to being pulled from the match, Smith recorded one tackle, one interception, and a clearance on the defensive side of the field.
D, David Brekalo, 7.5 — Brekalo was channeling his inner Schlehgel as he played the primary antagonist role to Prince Owusu throughout the match, getting under the forward’s skin and having to be separated from the German-born striker multiple times throughout the match. He logged 60 touches, completed 83.3% of his 48 passes, and completed two of his four long-ball attempts. To speak to the frustrating role that Brekalo played throughout the match, he was fouled a team-high four times while committing only one. Defensively, he added one tackle, three clearances, and blocked a shot. This now marks three straight full match appearances for Brekalo, which is a reassuring sign as the Slovenian has had issues in the injury department during his young tenure in Orlando. With Santos out next Saturday and Schlegel returning, I expect him to slot back into the starting left-back role against Atlanta.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The captain put in a solid effort in the middle of the back line, often functioning as the final safety valve to snuff out the “high-flying” Montreal attack. His body took the toll late in the match as American Caden Clark lowered his shoulder into the chest of the Beefy Sweede during an aerial challenge in front of Gallese. Jansson got back to his feet and was able to see out the match. He logged a team-high 70 touches and completed 80.3% of his team-high 61 passes and six of his 12 long-ball attempts, mirroring Brekalo’s 50% success rate in attempting to unlock the Orlando City attack over the top. Defensively, Jansson recorded two interceptions and a team-high five clearances. If I had one knock on his effort against Montreal, it’s that there were a few careless giveaways when facing the high press of the home squad, which luckily for Orlando City never amounted to much in terms of goal-scoring chances.
D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman had a mostly quiet match against CF Montreal, but settled in throughout the match after being exposed on the outside early by Dante Sealy. He touched the ball 43 times and completed 81.5% of his 27 passes. He logged one key pass and was unsuccessful on all three of his long balls. Freeman did not attempt any crosses against Montreal. Defensively, the young Lion contributed one tackle and two clearances. Offensively, Freeman managed one shot, which was off target. As the offense has ground to a complete halt, there appears to be a clear need for Freeman and Marco Pasalic to regain their chemistry and how they run off of one another down the right side of the field.
MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson reprised his role in the midfield, filling in for Edward Atuesta. I thought after a strong outing last week by Thorhallsson and Joran Gerbet, this week’s match told a different tale, as Orlando struggled to maintain possession and allowed Montreal to control the middle of the pitch. Thorhallsson touched the ball 42 times and completed 87.9% of his 33 passes. Offensively, Thorhallsson did not record a meaningful statistic, and on the defensive side, he tied Gerbet with a team-high four tackles while also contributing two clearances and one blocked shot.
MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — Gerbet, like his counterpart, is getting an extended run in the starting 11, which will hopefully pay off dividends as the season progresses. I thought Gerbet was the more effective of the defensive pivot duo, hence the 0.5 bump on his player grade compared to Dagur Dan. Gerbet logged 53 touches and completed 93.9% of his 33 passes. He logged one shot, which was off target, and he did his best impression of Araujo by suffering three fouls. He tied for the team high in tackles with four and logged an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot. The part of his game that needs improvement is the next-level vision when it comes to his passing ability, a skill which will hopefully continue to develop throughout the season.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo has now turned in back-to-back solid efforts, which is a massive improvement from where his form was just three to four weeks ago. His hustle hasn’t translated into goals yet, but he was the lone offensive piece who played with any type of edge against Montreal. He touched the ball 50 times and completed 82.4% of his 34 passes. He was unsuccessful on his two crosses, completed one of two long balls, and added two key passes. Offensively, he put one of his two shots on target and did well to track back on defense when Montreal looked to get out on the break, contributing two tackles.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda did a lot of little things right but failed to unlock the offense in any meaningful way and was not individually threatening offensively. He logged 47 touches and completed a team-best, 95.2% of his 42 passes. He tied Angulo for the team lead with two key passes and completed three of his four long-ball attempts. Defensively, he logged one clearance, and as mentioned above, offensively did not do much to strike fear into the Canadian club, failing to record a shot attempt. Ojeda was whistled for a team-high two offside infractions and seemed to express moments of frustration where it appeared that he was not on the same page as his teammates.
MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — The early Major League Soccer season has seemed to be all feast or famine for Pasalic, as he opened the season with a brace, failed to score against Toronto and New York City FC, then found the back of the net against the Red Bulls and D.C. United, and is now sporting a four-game drought in the goal-scoring department. It seems like the beginning of his tenure in MLS is progressing the way that many who come from overseas often do, with multiple adjustments needing to be made to gain comfort. Against Montreal, Pasalic touched the ball 40 times and completed a team-worst 58.3% of his 24 passes. Defensively, Pasalic contributed one clearance. Offensively, in 73 minutes of action, Pasalic still led the squad with three shot attempts but only managed to put one on target. I enjoyed seeing him cut the ball back outside and force a tight-angle shot with his right foot, as it is important to sprinkle in some attempts with the right to keep the defenders honest. Hopefully, a return to the friendly confines of Central Florida will help wash away his offensive drought next week against Atlanta.
F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel, like many of his offensive counterparts, appeared to be just ever so slightly off in his timing and positioning, failing to either send in the correct pass or to get onto the end of things in a timely manner. He touched the ball 50 times and completed 69.7% of his 33 passes, which included one key pass. He was unsuccessful on all three of his crossing attempts. Offensively, he managed two shots, which both were off target. The statistics here don’t tell the whole story, as Muriel did not miss by much on one of his attempts, making a perfect delayed run into the box and running onto the end of a brilliant ball that was cut back into the middle of the danger area from the end line. Additionally, for what it’s worth, Muriel also likely earned a penalty kick which was neither called nor reviewed…PRO refs are going to PRO. Defensively, he contributed one clearance.
Substitutes
D, Rafael Santos (46′), 4.5 — I certainly wish I could avoid giving Santos a grade as his dreadful start to the season continued. He was the substitute who was supposed to protect Smith from picking up his second yellow…only to turn around and pick up two yellow cards in 16 minutes. Santos exited the match and forced Orlando to play with 10 men for the final 15 minutes of the game, plus stoppage time. He recorded 18 touches and completed 33.3% of his nine passes. Santos logged two tackles and one interception on defense, but it is his sending off that will be remembered from this match.
F, Duncan McGuire (73′), 5.5 — I thought we might see more of McGuire in this game than we did, but at the same time, the flow of the game took McGuire’s legs out from under him as Santos’ red card came three minutes after the American striker had entered. McGuire was only on the ball eight times and completed 33.3% of six total passes. He likely did far more defending than he planned on, with Montreal attacking to try to earn the win after securing the man advantage. He logged one clearance on defense.
D, Thomas Williams (80′), N/A — Williams made his 2025 season debut in the 80th minute, replacing Muriel as Pareja looked to solidify the defense and at least escape the Great White North with a draw. He played well enough over the final 10 and was not caught out of position while contributing a tackle, one interception, and three clearances.
D, Zakaria Taifi (85′), N/A — Taifi also made his season (and MLS) debut, recording four touches and one clearance, helping see out the match
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s latest scoreless draw. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montréal: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montréal.

Games with no goals are usually due to excellent defenses or misfiring offenses, and Saturday night’s game against Montréal was definitely more the latter. The Lions earned their third straight shutout on defense, a major improvement after starting the season defending much like a sieve, but on Saturday their opponents only rarely threatened and Orlando City looked no better, despite being amongst the league leaders in goals scored going into this game. Here are my five takeaways from the match.
There’s No ‘O’ in Easter
Orlando City’s offense, if you can call it that, looked completely lackluster throughout the match. Playing down a man for the final 14 minutes contributed to the lack of offense at the end of the game, but the first 76 minutes were not that much better. The passing and crossing were not crisp, the offense was only able to generate two shots on target, and the decision making throughout the game was poor at best. None of the three Designated Players seemed really engaged in this game, and without much contribution from them — and with no Eduard Atuesta on the field once again — the offense just never really threatened, and a completely winnable game went begging. Our friends at fbref.com have been tracking expected goals (xG) since 2018 in MLS, and Orlando City’s 0.32 xG in this match is in the bottom 5% for the Lions during the past seven years. Not great, Bob.
Yellow, Unfortunately, is an Easter Color
Rafael Santos entered the game at halftime, and exited the game barely 30 minutes later after what was probably one of his worst games as a Lion. In between, he completed only 37.5% of his passes, lost his man several times on defense, and picked up two yellow cards, effectively ending any chance Orlando City had of getting a goal and coming home with three points. Montréal was aggressively attacking the right side of the field, with 45% of the hosts’ touches coming on the right third of the field, according to whoscored.com, and Santos was unable to defend without fouling, forcing Orlando City into bringing on Thomas Williams and Zakaria Taifi and go to five players in the back to try to hold off the lowest-scoring offense in MLS from getting a late goal.
El Pulpo Needed All His Limbs to Keep the Lions in the Game
I just wrote about how Montréal has scored the fewest goals in all of MLS, but the hosts had the better opportunities in this game and Pedro Gallese made several big stops to keep the score tied. Gallese denied Dante Sealy in the first half at full stretch, saved a shot that deflected in the opposite direction off of Joran Gerbet early in the second half, and then got a hand on a Caden Clark shot right after Santos had been dismissed. All of those very easily could have been goals if not for an excellent game by the Peruvian No. 1. Gallese commanded the box and was locked in throughout the night, looking every bit the stalwart goalkeeper he has been for the past six seasons.
Orlando City’s Bench Looked a Lot Like OCB
When the gameday roster was announced I did a triple take when I looked at who was listed on the bench, because I could not believe how thin Orlando City’s roster is that there were six players dressed who will likely play more minutes with OCB than Orlando City this year. It was no surprise that the first two players off the bench were Santos and Duncan McGuire, two established Lions, but after they entered, the rest of the bench had very little experience. However, with injuries and Rodrigo Schlegel suspended for this game, they were the only players available. I thought both Williams and Taifi played well during their limited minutes, helping the Lions kill off the game in their season (and in Taifi’s case, MLS) debuts.
Iván Angulo was Orlando City’s Best Offensive Player
Respectfully, this is not a good thing, considering the Lions played all three of their Designated Players and McGuire in the game, but of all the attacking players, I thought Angulo was by far the best against Montréal. His shooting was not great, but his playmaking was better than that of all of his teammates, and his speed created chances that none of his other teammates could have created. His work rate was unparalleled, as usual, and for the final minutes of the game he actually shifted more into a striker role at the top of what looked like a 5-3-1, and there were some counterattack chances that could have been created for him had any of his fellow attacking teammates also come ready to play a good ball forward.
Those are my takeaways from a game that bookended a terrible day for both of Orlando’s top teams, as the Pride lost at home to a Washington Spirit team missing six starters and then Orlando City came out and played a dud of a match in Canada. Keeping a clean sheet is nice, especially when playing down a player (again) for more than 10 minutes at the end of the game, but that is a game that Orlando City should have won going away with how poor Montréal is, and it feels much more like two points dropped than one point gained — even on the road and playing with 10 men.
All I can say is I hope the Easter Bunny brought some baskets filled with goal-inducing purple jelly beans for all the Orlando City players and the Lions get back on track at home against Atlanta next week.
Let us know your thoughts about the Montréal match in the comments below.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Final Score 0-0 as 10-Man Lions Toothless Yet Again
It was Rafael Santos’ turn to get sent off this week as the Lions played to their third consecutive scoreless draw.

For the third consecutive match, Orlando City had enough chances to score to win a game, but failed to be clinical enough to do so. The Lions (3-2-4, 13 points) also saw a defender sent off in the second half with a second yellow card for a second consecutive game as they drew CF Montreal (0-6-3, 3 points) 0-0 at Stade Saputo tonight. While it ran Orlando City’s unbeaten run to six games (2-0-4), it was also the team’s third straight without a win.
Orlando continued to either miss the net or fire at the goalkeeper for the third consecutive game, while Rafael Santos was the man who put his team in a bad spot during a game in which Rodrigo Schlegel was suspended for doing the same a week ago.
“I seriously(saw) in the first half, 20 minutes, of the intention that we brought here to play against Montreal, where we sequenced it well and we created some chances,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And the second half, it was the same until the red card came.”
Pareja’s lineup was again shorthanded, as Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith — entering the starting XI in place of the suspended Schlegel — Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Alex Freeman. Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson once again started in central midfield, with neither starter on the bench after both were available a week ago. The attacking line was made up of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Luis Muriel up top.
Orlando played well for the first five minutes of the first half and the final 10 minutes of the opening period, but most of what came in between consisted of turnovers, poor passing, and a general lack of rhythm. Muriel got the game’s first shot away in the second minute as he found space just outside the area, but he was leaning back when he shot and his effort was always rising wastefully over the bar. Three minutes later, Freeman got on the ball in the box, shook off his defender, and smacked his shot into the outside netting.
Dante Sealy was a threat down the left for Montreal throughout the first half. That started early when he got down the left but slipped as he tried to send in a shot or a cross that ended up on top of Gallese’s net in the sixth minute. Two minutes later, Montreal tried to work a give-and-go in the Lions’ box but Gallese was able to pounce on the loose centering pass before a Montreal player could arrive.
Angulo cut in from the left in the 13th minute and tried his luck from the top of the area, but the Colombian sent his shot straight at goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
Montreal nearly scored in the 19th minute when Sealy fired a shot from just outside the left corner of the box. Gallese got a fist to it to knock it wide for a corner.
Sealy scored on the recycle of the ensuing corner but the flag came up immediately. Samuel Piette was offside and stayed in Gallese’s line of vision, preventing the Peruvian from getting a look at Sealy’s shot. The play was reviewed and the no-goal call was upheld.
Nathan Saliba sent a shot well over the bar on a free kick in the 26th minute after Gerbet turned over the ball and Thorhallsson compounded the problem by fouling near the right corner of the box. Sealy and Prince Owusu each got half chances moments later but couldn’t get shots on frame out of them. Gallese then made an acrobatic catch on a corner kick cross in the 32nd that likely prevented a tap-in at the back post for Montreal.
The Lions started creating again at the end of the half after a spell of not giving the ball away cheaply. Muriel took a nice pass from Ojeda in the 43rd minute but missed the target from inside the left side of the box.
Pasalic then fired with his weaker right foot in the 44th minute but Sirois was able to fight it off.
Angulo fired wide from the top of the box in stoppage time, as the Lions continued to waste opportunities. After a poor corner kick cross was cut out by the back line, the fifth consecutive wasteful half by the OCSC attack was over.
The hosts held the halftime advantage in possession (53.8%-46.2%), passing accuracy (85%-83.4%), and corners (4-0, although Orlando literally ended the first half with a corner that was cleared by Montreal, so I’m not sure what the official scorer was doing late in the half). The Lions mustered more shots (6-2) and shots on target (2-0 — again, Gallese made a good save in the first half on Sealy, so it’s anyone’s guess what the statisticians were doing during the first period).
Santos replaced Smith to start the second, as the veteran was on a yellow card since the third minute. Nothing much changed, as Orlando continued to give the ball away cheaply and spend time absorbing pressure. The Lions conceded a long-range free kick just seconds after the restart but Gallese caught the long entry ball.
Owusu nodded down a ball for Caden Clark moments later but Orlando’s defense cleared. After a failed corner by Orlando, Montreal came back on the attack but George Campbell got frustrated and tried a shot from extreme range that Gallese caught on a hop in the 59th minute.
A minute after that attempt, the Lions had a legitimate call for a penalty. A wayward pass was picked off by Angulo, who knocked it toward Muriel. Campbell took Muriel completely out from behind but referee Fotis Bazakos made no call, and the hosts took the free kick quickly to get away with the foul in the box.
“I’m so angry and I’m so frustrated,” Pareja said about the lack of a call or a review. “How, with our technology, and with the VAR…how is it not a PK? Please! I mean, it is so clear. And when I came back to the locker room and I saw the play, that increased our frustration. It was not right. It was a clear PK against Luis.”
In the 62nd minute, Gerbet was left in space outside the area. The rookie fired a shot that fizzed over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Pasalic missed the target again from the top of the box.
Gallese made a difficult save in the 69th minute on a Clark shot that bounced off of Gerbet and changed directions. The goalkeeper was able to maintain his balance just enough to stay on his feet and make the stop.
The game dramatically changed in Montreal’s favor in the 76th minute when an Orlando attack evaporated and Sealy looked to counter. There was some contact from behind by Santos and Bazakos gave the left back a second yellow, putting Orlando down a man for the second consecutive game. Santos was three-quarters of the field away from his goal and had no business making contact, but he made the selfish play trying to win back the ball. While Sealy did a good job of selling it, the Brazilian knew he was on a yellow card and had to be careful — and he wasn’t.
“Very frustrating, because that’s not what you plan during the week, playing with ten,” Pareja said. “And at some point, especially when you’re going away, they get an advantage that is not necessary.”
Shortly after the sending off, Orlando City had a golden opportunity on the counter. Angulo took the ball up the left and had second-half sub Duncan McGuire breaking toward goal on the other side. The Colombian tried to pick out McGuire, but could not get his final pass correct, and Montreal broke the other way. That led to a shot by Clark that was denied by a good save by Gallese.
“Very happy with the confidence that Pedro is acquiring again, is getting back to it,” Pareja said. “Not that we want to let the other team take too many shots, but when we need him the most, he appears, and that’s great for us.”
Orlando sacrificed attacking players for defensive ones, trying to preserve a road point. Thomas Williams entered the match for Muriel and Zakaria Taifi came on for Ojeda down the stretch.
The Lions gave up a couple of half chances and a few set pieces, but they did not break down in the end. The whistle finally blew on the club’s third consecutive scoreless draw — a frustrating one considering it came against a team with two points on the season.
Montreal finished with the advantage in possession (55.2%-44.8%), shots (13-9), shots on target (7-2), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (83.7%-78.1%).
“I mean little bit frustrated, if I’m completely honest,” Thorhallsson said about his thoughts on the match overall. “It’s always good to have clean sheet. But we were scoring a lot and conceding a lot at the same time, but now we’re keeping the goal clean and not scoring a lot, so we need to find the balance. But a good point on the road since we got a red card. Of course, zero-zero’s fine on the road, but we have to start winning games.”
“I saw the team fighting a lot, and obviously we’re concerned about not scoring goals, but the other side is a good balance defensively, and we want to keep that,” Pareja said. “But in order to add three points, we have to score goals. We have to get back to that. But I like the attitude of the team. I thought we fought hard. I like the youngsters that are coming and helping us, also the guys that are occupied in the midfielder positions that help us a lot. So, a bunch of positive things. I know it seems like one point is not enough at this stage, but I know where we going, and we will keep pushing.”
The Lions return home a week from tonight to host Atlanta United in the first of two meetings against their northern neighbors this season.
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