Orlando City vs. Minnesota United: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Come from Behind in Road Win

Orlando City fell behind in the second half but goals by Ivan Angulo and Duncan McGuire brought the Lions back for a 2-1 win over Minnesota United at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN. Orlando (3-2-2, 11 points) stayed unbeaten on the road at 2-0-1 on the young MLS season and got its first regular-season win against Minnesota United (3-2-2, 11 points).

The home side was the more likely to win for most of the game, but after falling behind, Orlando showed plenty of fight and worked two excellent team goals to steal all three points from former OCSC manager Adrian Heath and the Loons in Minnesota.

“Very, very good victory, and the credit for this group of players who overcame this moment,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Coming to Minnesota and getting this win is very important for for our group. But the most important part was when we were losing one-zero, and the courage of the players just brought it back into the game, tied it up, and then after that, just with the same ambition go and look for the three points, and that’s what what I highlight the most — that effort — and we’re very proud of them.”

Pareja changed the team’s shape for this match-up, starting Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Rodrigo Schlegel. The midfield consisted of Angulo and Gaston Gonzalez outside, with no true fullbacks on the pitch. Cesar Araujo and Mauricio Pereyra played centrally, with an attacking line of Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique.

The first half was one to forget for the Lions, as they looked like a team not used to playing in the shape they were in. The Loons got a golden opportunity in the opening minutes as a result. A simple ball over the top was misplayed by Jansson, who allowed Mender Garcia to get in behind him down Minnesota’s right side. Garcia found a wide-open Bongokuhle Hlongwane in front of goal but his first touch was terrible and the ball skipped harmlessly off his feet and out for a goal kick in the second minute.

The Loons racked up six first-half corners and didn’t do much with them, although the ball did ping around dangerously a few times. At least three of those corners were preventable but poor touches on clearance attempts by Schlegel and Gonzalez gifted those set pieces to the hosts. Multiple attacks that ended in corners were set up by careless Orlando passes in the attacking third that the Loons turned into transition opportunities.

One of those set pieces fell to Kervin Arriaga at the top of the box but the central midfielder fired his shot wide.

Gallese made a near-post save on Hlongwane in the 18th minute and DJ Taylor volleyed well off target off a corner moments later.

“The first 15 minutes we suffered a little until we settled in the game, and then after that I thought we dominated in many, many parts in the match. And we created situations and we contained them as well in the moments they attacked us,” Pareja said.

Orlando got a half chance of its own in the 25th minute when Angulo fizzed in a cross that Enrique went down to get but he couldn’t hit the target. In the 32nd minute, Ojeda had an opportunity from the top of the box but missed high as the Lions continued to waste the few chances they had in the opening half. Three minutes later, Gonzalez had it at the top of the box but he took too long to shoot and it was easily blocked.

The biggest save of the half came in the 41st minute when a shot by Jeong Sang Bin took a deflection. Gallese was able to make the sprawling save.

Orlando City held more of the possession (53.1%-46.9%) but did little with it. The Loons out-shot the Lions (9-5) and had more shots on target (2-0), and corners (6-3). OCSC had a slight edge in passing accuracy (82.2%-81.9%) but that’s deceiving because a lot of that was passing around between defenders and central midfielders. In the attacking third, the Lions were simply poor.

Pareja made no changes at the break and Hlongwane continued to be a threat down Minnesota’s left, overpowering Angulo or simply beating him out wide. The first chance of the half nearly came in the 49th minute but Hlongwane hit the outside netting and the play was offside anyway.

Orlando had a good buildup in the 53rd minute that ended with the ball on Enrique’s foot at the top of the area. The U22 Initiative striker took an extra touch, however, and that allowed Michael Boxall to get back and deflect his shot out for a corner.

Five minutes later, the hosts broke through. Hassani Dotson got down the right side and just managed to beat Jansson to get his cross through the top of the six. Hlongwane beat Angulo to the goal line and just tapped it over the line to make it 1-0 in the 58th minute.

Less than 10 minutes later, the Lions responded with a beautiful team goal that started in the back. Antonio Carlos switched play from the right to Gonzalez on the left. The young Argentine cut inside and passed off to Ojeda, who in turn dropped it back for Pereyra. The captain sent a diagonal ball to send Gonzalez down the left flank toward the end line and his cross fizzed through the box to Angulo on the other side. Angulo smashed it past Dayne St. Clair for his second goal of the season, leveling things in the 66th minute.

“I think just looking for those connections and the natural movements that we can help with,” Pareja said of the difference in the attack tonight. “Positioning the players is not an easy job but we understand that we have urgency to get those things done. If we have the willingness of the players as they showed today one more time, I think that we’re going to get there.”

Hlongwane again created some danger in the 81st minute, beating Angulo to the end line and cutting a pass back for Robin Lod. The Minnesota winger got under his shot and it sailed over the bar. Three minutes later, Taylor found space and smashed a shot into the stands.

Gallese made the save of the game in the 85th minute. Luis Amarilla fed a ball through for Franco Fragapane, who got behind the defense. The shot was hard but Gallese came out a bit and made himself big, blocking it with his midsection.

It was a vital stop because the Lions took the lead three minutes later. Substitutes Luca Petrasso and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked the ball smartly up the touchline on the left side and the Icelandic midfielder eventually slipped Torres toward the end line. Torres sent a cross that was over McGuire in the middle but it fell for Angulo on the far side. This time Angulo tried to chip St. Clair but his effort hit the crossbar. It fell into the path of the waiting McGuire, who nodded home the winner in the 88th minute.

“It was a great team buildup,” McGuire said of the goal. “Ball went slightly over my head on the cross. Angulo, I saw him flick it up and I didn’t know if it was going to off the crossbar or over the goal or in the goal. I just decided to get myself in a good position to where I thought a bounce could be, and it luckily came right to my head and I tucked it away, which was nice.”

“He wants to fight for every single ball,” Pareja said of McGuire. “That brings us energy and we appreciate a lot those characteristics and that willingness of the players. He understands his weaknesses and he’s trying very hard by training on correcting them and improving, but his heart is always there.”

Pareja said he had been considering bringing Ercan Kara into the match instead of McGuire, as the Austrian has finally recovered from his thigh injury and was on the substitute’s bench. But he went with McGuire after Angulo tied the match.

“At that moment when we tied the game, we needed just that explosion from Duncan and the help that he can give us without the ball,” Pareja said.

Orlando City survived a late free kick from just outside their defensive penalty area and held on for all three points.

The Lions finished the match with more possession (55.7%-44.3%) and passed more accurately (82.2%-81%), but the hosts had more shots (17-12), shots on target (4-2), and corners (8-6).

In the end, the Lions were slightly more clinical, which is not something that has often been written about the team this season through seven matches. Orlando got some big saves from Gallese, which helped keep the Lions in it until the attack could string together a couple of brilliant passing sequences that created the goals.

The Lions return home next Saturday when they welcome D.C. United to Exploria Stadium.