Orlando City
Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Get First Ever Win in California on a Facundo Torres Goal
The last time Orlando City played the LA Galaxy, the Los Angeleenos came into Exploria Stadium and smash-and-grabbed a 1-0 win despite being dominated by the hosts. The Lions (2-1-1, 7 points) returned the favor today at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles with a 1-0 road win over the Galaxy (2-2-0, 6 points) on an early Facundo Torres goal.
It was Orlando’s first ever win in the state of California and may have erased some of the bad taste from being victimized a week ago by FC Cincinnati at home on a similar smash-and-grab. The Lions held their concentration for 95 minutes, weathering 20 shots and an incredible number of set pieces to keep LA’s offense quiet.
“Today we showed a lot of things that we liked and we’re looking (to build on), which is our character, and willingness, and our braveness to be a team that can go away and get results and be strong at home,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We’re very pleased. I think we won a game against a very good rival in a difficult place. Our boys did a fantastic job.”
Pareja made one change from the team that dominated — but lost — at home to Cincinnati a week ago, inserting defensive midfielder Sebas Mendez for Alexandre Pato. Pedro Gallese had the usual back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan in front of him. Cesar Araujo, Junior Urso, and Sebas Mendez were deployed to slow down the Galaxy attack, while Mauricio Pereyra was the main facilitator for Torres and Ercan Kara.
Urso played as a false winger and Pareja said that although Araujo has been playing well and learning the league quickly, he wanted to give him some help for this match against LA’s tough attacking players.
“Today (we were) playing against a very good team with good players,” Pareja said. “That’s why we decided to reinforce the middle. We thought it was obvious that some territory would be conceded to LA, but sometimes you have to choose. I would like to see more control with the ball and the way we want to do things.”
The Galaxy were on the front foot from the jump, working the ball around the perimeter and looking to slip balls through or over to Chicharito and Kevin Cabral in the middle. Sometimes they’d try balls over the top from Victor Vazquez and came close to connecting a few times. Rayan Raveloson took the game’s first shot from the top of the area and Jansson got a piece of it to deflect it out for a corner on a dangerous early chance in the third minute.
Jansson did well to deny a dangerous cross from Julian Araujo a minute later when a cross from Vazquez found the fullback sneaking toward the back post. Orlando did well to clear multiple LA set pieces to keep the game scoreless, and that allowed the Lions to strike first.
Torres opened the scoring in the ninth minute in transition. Ruan sent Kara down the right flank and the Designated Player picked out a perfect cross for the onrushing Uruguayan to nod home for his first MLS goal on Orlando’s first shot attempt. It was Kara’s first MLS assist as well.
🚨 First MLS goal for Facundo Torres! 🚨
An early opener for @OrlandoCitySC in LA. pic.twitter.com/5RC6NLfy77
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 19, 2022
“Kara was able to get the ball high up the field and I knew that he was going to put it in, so I needed to anticipate where he was going to put the ball and try to find the space in (between) the defenders,” Torres said through a club interpeter. “Thankfully I was able to get up, and now we’re taking a goal and three points home as I go back to Uruguay for the international window.”
Torres said he feels the chemistry starting to build with Kara up top after the Austrian international’s return from injury.
“We’re all kind of integrating into this team, especially with Ercan being able to come in and go a few more minutes and adjust with everyone,” Torres said. “It provides a respite for us in the attack. A lot of us in the attack are a little bit on the smaller side. So, having someone out there that’s big and physical gives us a respite and we’re able to create a lot of options behind the defense with that. It’s coming along and I think we’re on a good path.”
Orlando was bolstered by the go-ahead goal and created a couple more opportunities. Ruan bombed down the right in the 12th minute in plenty of space but his cross attempt was well behind his attacking teammates. In the 15th minute, Kara looked to be in position to double the lead but he was run down from behind by Raheem Edwards at the last second while teeing up a shot. He could have perhaps played in Urso instead for a better chance.
RAHEEM TO THE RESCUE ❌#LAGalaxy x #LAvORL ✨ pic.twitter.com/FlH0NcsNNR
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) March 19, 2022
Less than a minute later, Chicharito nearly tied the game. He sent a spinning shot on target but Gallese did well to make a save. Cabral couldn’t make good contact with the rebound, allowing the goalkeeper to collect it.
The Galaxy had some near misses on shots and crosses as the first half wound down. A cross was inches in front of Cabral in the six in the 35th minute. LA won multiple corners down the stretch as Orlando struggled to hold possession and to hold the hosts at bay.
Cabral went down a bit easily in the 44th minute on a minor bump by Ruan on a ball over the top. The referee not only bought it, giving LA a free kick just outside the area but also booked Orlando’s right back. Douglas Costa hit the ensuing free kick into the wall.
Orlando got one more decent look in the second minute of stoppage time, with Torres blasting a shot from outside the area that sliced wide of the goal.
LA dominated the stat sheet at halftime, with more possession (60%-40%), shots (10-3), shots on target (2-1), corners (5-0), and passing accuracy (90.2%-82.9%).
The second half was much more of the same, as the hosts won another corner within 30 seconds of the restart en route to seven in the second half and 12 in the match. That’s not even counting a number of set pieces that weren’t corner kicks. Somehow, the Orlando defense held firm.
Efrain Alvarez had a go just moments into the second half but couldn’t get his shot on frame.
The Lions nearly created something off the mounting number of set pieces in the 52nd minute. Orlando got forward in transition after clearing a corner and Araujo fired a shot toward goal but a desperation slide by a defender knocked the ball out for an Orlando corner. Carlos got his head on the ensuing set piece delivery from Pereyra but the cross was behind him and he could only harmlessly pop it well over the goal.
After Orlando dealt with two more quick corners from the Galaxy, the Lions created a chance at the other end when Urso slipped Ruan down the right side of the area. With Kara in the middle and Torres running at the back post, the right back sent his cross harmlessly at the keeper instead of across the top of the six, wasting a chance to double the lead in the 56th minute.
A moment later, that looked like it would cost Orlando when Moutinho gave the ball away in his own defensive third. Carlos cleared the dangerous cross in from the wing to snuff out the danger.
Chicharito laid a pass off for Cabral at the top of the area in the 59th minute but the Galaxy forward whiffed badly on his swing and made a mess of the shot. Two minutes later, Edwards fired from the left corner of the box but missed wide of the far post. LA had a great passing sequence moments later to free up a shot for Chicharito at the top of the area but his effort skipped a foot wide of the left post.
SO CLOSE.
Chicharito is knocking on the door ⚽️🚪 pic.twitter.com/WzEldFv4r8
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) March 19, 2022
Former Lion Sacha Kljestan came on in the second half and fizzed a shot over Gallese’s goal in the 73rd minute from distance.
Orlando finally fashioned another decent chance in the 77th but substitute Kyle Smith hit his shot at goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. A minute later, Alvarez skipped past Moutinho in the corner and fizzed a shot across the front of goal that hit Gallese but the keeper was able to smother it, preventing it from bouncing in or dangerously out in front.
EFRA 😤
Getting closer … pic.twitter.com/dUW0Re2SD4
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) March 19, 2022
Neither team got a clear-cut look the rest of the way. Chicharito skied a header well over from the top of the area on a good cross in and the Lions did well to waste most of the five minutes of stoppage time. The lone exception was when sub Benji Michel tried to take on Julian Araujo at the corner of the box rather than taking the ball to the corner. He lost control and teammate Cesar Araujo took a tactical foul — and a yellow card — that he ordinarily wouldn’t have had to take.
Moments later, the Lions had their victory.
Like the Lions a week ago, LA led in every statistical category but the most important one at full time. The Galaxy had more possession (62.8%-37.2%), shots (20-6), shots on target (3-2), corners (12-2), and passing accuracy (89%-82.2%).
“I was very proud of the players,” Pareja said. “The full squad had a terrific week of training, trying to bounce back from that result we had at home. That control that we had defensively and the concentration today was first class against a good rival.”
The Lions will be out west again in their next game as Orlando City visits the Portland Timbers next Sunday. That is also an afternoon start, at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s shootout loss to Charlotte FC.
For Orlando City, the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs has read something akin to the start of the classic Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. In two games, the Lions truly have demonstrated what could be considered “the best of times and the worst of times,” following a 2-0 victory and now a 0-0 (1-3) shootout defeat in Charlotte.
After controlling the first match in the best-of-three series from the opening kick, Orlando City took to the road looking to close out the series. For the first hour of the match, the Lions seemed to be confused as to what the objective of a soccer match is — putting the ball in the net.
What follows are our five takeaways from a disappointing penalty kick defeat.
Gallese Was Excellent
Pedro Gallese, for me, was undoubtedly the Man of the Match, and I thought that he turned in one of his best performances of the season to keep Orlando City level after 90 minutes. On top of making several heroic saves, showcasing all of the acrobatic combinations that we have grown to expect from El Pulpo, Gallese was also instrumental in keeping his back line organized and compact while facing double digit set pieces — mainly corner kicks. Gallese also did not waffle in his decision making, choosing the proper times to come off his line and collect the ball.
After not facing many attempts in Game 1, Gallese was busier in Game 2 and constantly answered the bell. In the postseason, you cannot expect a better performance from a keeper.
Possession Without Purpose
If you just looked at the box score without watching the match, it would seem like the numbers suggest that Orlando controlled the game once again. Orlando won the possession battle 57%-43% and completed almost 150 more passes throughout the match than Charlotte FC completed (520-377). The possession numbers suggested that Orlando was even more in control in the first half (60.4%-39.6%) but statistics can be deceiving, especially if you do absolutely nothing with that possession, as Orlando did until the waining moments of the match.
We often hear that our team wants the possession to have purpose, but for a decent chunk of the game, it appeared as if Orlando was playing to try to protect a 2-0 aggregate score instead of pouncing on the opposition. The Lions are now faced with an elimination game and will have to get back to playing with purpose if they are to advance to the next round.
Offense Where Are You?
Orlando City failed to register a shot attempt in the first half and the Lions looked passive in their desire to get forward. It wasn’t until after the second-half substitutes had established themselves on the pitch that the team started to resemble the potent attacking force that fans saw in Game 1. Home-field advantage is great, but I felt like the passive nature of the team to start the match, which carried over until well after the hour mark, played right into Charlotte FC’s hands and game plan. The offense has to be better in Game 3 if Orlando City is to advance, and let’s be honest, it could hardly be much worse than three shot attempts and only one on target.
Offside? Are we Sure?
I try to take results at face value and not dwell on what could have been as there are so many individual decisions that occur in a match that it is hard to pinpoint one moment and say that it was the deciding action or call. Against Charlotte FC, in the waning moments of the match, second-half substitute Nico Lodeiro took a ball from Luis Muriel and slotted it into the box for Facundo Torres, who just needed a little space before he found the back of the net. In my living room, I literally jumped for joy only to have my wife point out the assistant referee and his stupid offside flag. As Dr. Seuss might say, “I do not like your stupid flag, I wish you kept it in a bag.” But the assistant referee did not keep it in the bag. He called Lodeiro offside in the buildup by what looked like the slightest of margins and the video assistant referee upheld the call.
I have watched the replay multiple times on Apple TV, although I have been hard pressed to see a clip of it anywhere online, and the more I watched it, the less convinced I am that Lodeiro was in an offside position. To me, I actually thought it was USMNT defender Tim Ream who kept Lodeiro onside. Nonetheless, the goal did not count, but if it had, this series would almost certainly be over.
Penalty Kick Woes
Game 2 against Charlotte FC demonstrated the dangers of what can happen during the playoffs if you don’t win in regulation. Finding success in penalty kick shootouts is not a given right in MLS, and while Orlando has enjoyed itself during trophy runs in the past, like in the buildup to the U.S. Open Cup victory, the same could not be said about the performance in Charlotte. Lodeiro and Jansson both missed to start things off and while Lodeiro’s attempt was at least on frame, it was a poor attempt. The team plane might land back in Florida before Jansson’s sky-high attempt comes back down to Earth. I do not want to see another shootout in the series, and I want to be very clear to the universe that I do not want to see another shootout, because I want Orlando City to win by a score of 4-1 in Game 3.
Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s Game 2 loss against Charlotte FC. The Lions will have a week to recover and retool before looking to close out the series at home on Nov. 9. What things stood out most to you from the match? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 0-0 (1-3) as Lions’ Offense a No-Show in North Carolina
Orlando City was substandard offensively in every way on the road in Charlotte, falling in the Lions’ worst penalty performance ever.
Orlando City played tentatively and tense in Game 2 against Charlotte FC, creating next to nothing offensively except a late goal that was controversially flagged for an offside in the buildup, playing to a 0-0 road draw at Bank of America Stadium. The hosts then blew the Lions away 3-1 in a subpar penalty shootout, tying the series at 1-1 and sending it back to Orlando for a deciding Game 3 on Nov. 9.
A usually reliable shootout team produced only one goal on four shots from the spot as the Lions coughed up their lead in the series and all the good vibes from Sunday’s dominant performance. Nico Lodeiro and Duncan McGuire left their penalties too close to Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, and Robin Jansson missed the net badly on his attempt, making him zero for his last two attempts.
All of that could have been avoided had the assistant referee kept his flag down on a controversial call in stoppage time when it appeared Facundo Torres had broken the scoreless deadlock. The play was too close to overturn on review, ultimately sending the match to the penalty spot after a scoreless 90 minutes of normal time and more than 10 added minutes.
“We wanted to be more offensive and create more situations to score, but these games in playoffs are like that,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “It’s tight and the tension of the game was (there) all the time for both teams. “
Pareja’s starting lineup for Game 2 was a carbon copy of Game 1, with Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres, with Ramiro Enrique up top.
The Lions played the first half as if they were trying to protect a 2-0 aggregate rather than winning a second game in a best-of-three series. Orlando turned down chances to get forward, refused to attempt to switch the play quickly, and then started turning the ball over repeatedly to give the hosts opportunities to get forward. Meanwhile, Charlotte started the game as the more physical and aggressive team, racking up several fouls, and escaping punishment for kicking a ball away to prevent one Orlando restart and physically carrying it away from a free kick spot later in the half to prevent another.
The first shot attempt of note came in the ninth minute when Liel Abada fired wide from the top of the area in transition. Charlotte had a decent spell of attacking possession around the quarter hour mark, with Thorhallsson and Jansson doing well to clear crosses into the area.
The first dangerous opportunity came off a Charlotte corner in the 17th minute. Orlando cleared the initial service, but the ball pinged around in the area on the recycle, with Brandt Bronico sending it into traffic. Adilson Malanda’s shot was deflected and fell to Kerwin Vargas, who sent his attempt over the bar, ending the threat.
Abada sent a shot on goal that Gallese saved in the 23rd minute after Cartagena expected a whistle for an obvious handball on Bronico and didn’t get one. The Orlando midfielder let up, allowing the hosts to get forward and create a chance. Schlegel did well to clear a follow-up shot, although it appeared Gallese had it handled.
Orlando didn’t mount any kind of offense in the half, but nearly did so in the 30th minute when Ojeda sent a cross into the box, but none of his teammates were there. Ten minutes later, Ojeda tried to pick, out Enrique in transition. The striker went down under pressure from Tim Ream from behind but there was no foul given.
Gallese made a good save to deny a blast from Vargas in the 43rd minute, and that was the last good look for either side in the half.
At halftime, Orlando City had the edge in possession (60.4%-39.6%) and passing accuracy (89.3%-83%), but accomplished nothing over the opening 45 minutes. As the only side interested in trying to score a goal, Charlotte had more shots (7-0), shots on target (2-0), and corners (2-0).
“They’re playing at home on their field. Obviously we all know that they have the urgency that this is a must-win game, and we knew they were going to come out aggressive,” Pareja said. “The fact is we sustained that pressure but we couldn’t hurt them when we had the ball. I think it’s probably what we missed today. But the game plan was the same. It’s just that the games are not the same.”
Charlotte quickly got a look at goal after the restart when Santos whiffed on an easy-looking ball at his feet and Vargas picked it up and fired. Gallese got down to make the stop in the 46th minute. Three minutes later, it was Torres’ turn to cough up the ball. The Uruguayan left a soft pass attempt too close to Vargas, who quickly found Patrick Agyemang. The Charlotte striker sent his header right at Gallese.
Ojeda sent in a cross in the 52nd minute that he left too close to Kahlina for an easy catch.
A minute later, Charlotte won a corner. Ashley Westwood got his head to the back-post cross but could only get a piece of it, heading it softly wide.
Pareja sent McGuire on for an ineffective Enrique in the 56th minute to get the offense going, but Charlotte quickly won a corner and Andrew Privett headed it softly wide. Vargas knocked heads with Privett when the two arrived at the ball at the same time, and they continued after treatment.
The Lions finally attempted a shot in the 65th minute. Thorhallsson cut inside and had a go, but his effort was deflected behind by the defense for an Orlando corner. Despite generating no offense all night, the Lions played the corner short, quickly passed it backward near midfield, and then sent in a lazy lob of an entry ball for Kahlina to catch.
Agyemang nearly got in behind two minutes later. Jansson did well to make a vital sliding challenge in the box to knock it out for a corner. Nothing came from that or another corner moments later, sandwiched around an unsuccessful Orlando corner at the other end.
Another corner kick was cleared outside the area in the 74th minute, falling for Nathan Byrne, who blasted his shot into the stands.
The Lions got their only shot on target of the night in the 83rd minute. Left with time and space just outside the area, Angulo sent in a shot, but it didn’t have a lot on it and sailed right at Kahlina.
A couple more wasted Charlotte corners and the game headed into an indicated nine minutes of stoppage time that ended up being a bit longer than that.
Torres looked to have finally broken the ice in the fifth minute of stoppage time. A good ball from Luis Muriel sent Lodeiro down the left. Lodeiro found Torres in the middle and the Uruguayan blasted the shot into the net, but the flag came up after the ball went in. The replay showed Lodeiro was about even with the last defender. His arm, which is not a part of the body that an attacker can score with, may have been beyond the closest defender, but Ream’s foot may have been keeping him on.
It was one of those plays that probably would have stood regardless of how it was called on the field, so it was fortunate for Charlotte that the flag came up.
“We have seen it already multiple times. Don’t understand why, knowing the ruling, why the team was flagged up without (it) just being so obvious,” Pareja said of the play. “And after we reviewed it, I have to say that I didn’t see it clear that it was an offside. Nothing that I say now is going to change that.”
That was the final attack and the game went to penalties.
Orlando City held the advantage in possession (55.3%-44.7%) and passing accuracy (86.7%-83.2%), while Charlotte had more shots (13-2), shots on target (3-1), and corners (11-3).
“I think they did a really good job of really sitting and waiting and staying compact together and trying to hit us on the counterattack, which they did very well,” Schlegel said. “You know, they’re a really strong team and a really physical team, so when they were defending us, they used that to their advantage. We have to take this week to fix those mistakes that we had today and really get stronger, so that way we can be the best team out there on Saturday and advance to the next round.”
“I think that we could have done much better after we extended our game to the middle third and then create some chances and put Charlotte in more difficult situations,” Pareja said. “But it was the game that was proposed for Charlotte, just waiting for any error and counterattack. At that moment we preferred just to have the control and see if we can break those lines in a different manner, but it really was tense for both teams. It was again very tight in the middle, not much spaces, and that’s very clear that we couldn’t break that line the way we wanted.”
Lodeiro was the first Orlando shooter and unfortunately he didn’t set the tone. Lodeiro’s shot was too close to Kahlina and a good height for the keeper. Kahlina guessed correctly and saved it.
After Agyemang scored for Charlotte, Jansson sent his penalty way over the bar to effectively end things. Karol Swiderski hit his penalty to give the hosts a commanding 2-0 lead after two rounds.
Muriel had no trouble with his penalty to get Orlando on the board, but Westwood answered, pushing Orlando to the brink. The Lions’ fourth shooter was McGuire, who hit it hard but left his shot far too close to the goalkeeper, and Kahlina made the save, ending the game.
“At the end, we could have won it,” Pareja said. “(The penalty shootout) It’s obviously frustration, but it’s part of this game. It’s something that I don’t want to stick with, and the players have to have the positivism and the courage that we always have to finish our game at home.”
“Obviously, not the result that we wanted tonight and a difficult way to have the final,” Schlegel said. “We’re a little bit angry at the result, because we felt like we played a really good game. We were driving the game at times, but we weren’t able to score that goal, and they were able to take the victory in penalties. So, certainly something to discuss this week. But yeah, we’re heated, and focusing on Saturday now.”
The Lions will host Charlotte on Saturday, Nov. 9 in a winner-take-all Game 3. The winner advances to the Eastern Conference semifinals, while the loser is done for the season. Like tonight’s game, a draw would immediately go to penalties.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions visit North Carolina looking to close out their first-round series.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Friday night playoff matchup between Orlando City (1-0) and Charlotte FC (0-1) at Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the second time the teams have met in the postseason, having played Sunday in this best-of-three, first-round series.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 3-1-2 in the regular-season series and 4-2-2 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 1-0-2 on the road in the regular season and 1-1-2 at Charlotte in all competitions. These games are usually close, as every game between the two teams (aside from the draws) had been decided by a single goal until the two most recent clashes, including Orlando City’s 2-0 home win Sunday. Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.
The teams also met a month and a half ago on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.
The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Martin Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.
Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of last year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.
The teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.
Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.
Overview
These teams were separated by only one point in the standings after the 34-game regular season. The Lions (15-12-7, 52 points) needed their three points this season against Charlotte (14-11-9, 51 points) to finish in the home playoff places for the first round.
The Lions finished 8-6-3 away from home in the regular season, finishing with a slightly better road record than home record. Orlando won its last two games on the road in the regular season, picking up victories in Dallas and Cincinnati.
Charlotte’s Game 1 loss in this series was the team’s first since dropping that Sept. 18 match in Orlando, going 4-0-1, with the only draw coming on the road against Inter Miami, 1-1. Tonight’s hosts finished the regular season with a home record of 9-3-5, with only three teams in the Eastern Conference capturing more victories on their home patches.
Although Orlando scored twice in each meeting with Charlotte this season, tonight’s visitors have the best defensive record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best defense in MLS, allowing just 37 goals in 34 games during the regular season.
As usual against Charlotte, Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, who posted 119 saves on the season and tied for the league lead in minutes played (3,060). Charlotte also has a strong back line that includes U.S. international Tim Ream. The key to beating Charlotte is to get some goals on the board, as the visitors’ offense has found the net just 46 times this season — tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference — although it had scored 14 during its unbeaten run prior to Game 1 and had been held under two goals just once since getting shut out in Orlando in September before Sunday happened.
“Grateful for that first game and the effort of the players. We know this series is open still and we have to go to Charlotte and win our game in order to advance to the next one,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “But we’re focused on this first step. Going in with the same personality and same energy, the boys are very optimistic, but we’re preparing the best we can.”
The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg). Charlotte will be without Pep Biel (suspension).
Match Content
- Our most recent epsidode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for today’s match, as well as a preview of the game.
- Our Ben Miller presented his three keys to victory for Orlando City in this match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.
Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.
Bench: Javier Otero, Kyle Smith, Michael Halliday, David Brekalo, Felipe, Heine Bruseth, Nico Lodeiro, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.
Charlotte FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.
Defenders: Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne.
Midfielders: Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Djibril Diani.
Forwards: Liel Abada, Patrick Agyemang, Kerwin Vargas.
Bench: David Bingham, Jere Uronen, Jaylin Lindsey, Bill Tuiloma, Iuri Tavares, Junior Urso, Tyger Smalls, Jamie Paterson, Karol Swiderski.
Referees
REF: Guido Gonzales Jr.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Pierre-Luc Lauziere.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: Eric Weisbrod.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Bank of America Stadium — Charlotte, NC.
TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the match. Go City!
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