Flashback Friday: Orlando City Shook the Earthquakes Five Years Ago Today

Today, we’re going to take things all the way back to five years ago on this very day. At that time, I was finishing up my senior year of undergrad, and Orlando City had a very different looking roster than what we see today. So different, in fact, that not a single player who was on the teamsheet for Orlando City’s home match with the San Jose Earthquakes is still with the club. Let’s rewind.

The day was April 21, 2018, and Orlando City had a match at Exploria Stadium against the San Jose Earthquakes. The Jason Kreis-led Lions were entering the game on a three-match winning streak and were looking to keep rolling against the visiting Earthquakes. The starting XI on the day featured Joe Bendik in goal with a back four comprised of Mohamed El-Munir, Amro Tarek, Lamine Sane, and Will Johnson. Cristian Higuita and Yoshimar Yotun played as the two holding midfielders while Stefano Pinho, Sacha Kljestan and Chris Mueller made up the attacking midfield, and Dom Dwyer got the nod up top.

Orlando did not hesitate in getting on the scoreboard. Yotun played an absolute peach of a cross-field ball for Cash. The rookie took the ball down on his chest, beat his man out wide and carried the ball into the box, where he showed outstanding poise to take his time and put the ball into the roof of the net past the helpless Andrew Tarbell barely into the second minute of the match. At the time, it was the fastest goal in club history, although that mark has since been beaten by Tesho Akindele when he scored after just 33 seconds against FC Cincinnati back in May of 2021. Regardless, it sent Exploria Stadium into rapture. Just drink this in.

The first half fun wasn’t finished there though. In the 35th minute, Dwyer held the ball up well at midfield and found Yoshi. The Peruvian played an outstanding pass with the outside of his foot that found Mueller perfectly in space down the right channel, with that side of the defense nowhere to be found. The Money Badger again kept his calm and his head up, and took one touch before sliding the ball to the center of the box for Kljestan to slide home and double the Lions’ lead.

That’s not to say the half was devoid of danger for San Jose. Danny Hoesen rocked the crossbar with a shot just a minute later, and Amro Tarek cleared a dangerous header shortly afterward before Bendik saved a tricky shot from Florian Jungwirth. More on Jungwirth later.

With 69 minutes played, substitute Justin Meram carved open the Earthquake defense from the center circle with a ball that was laid perfectly in stride for Dwyer. All Dom had to do was take a touch around Tarbell and finish into the empty net, and that’s exactly what he did. It was Dom’s 100th professional goal and OCSC looked to be in cruise control.

The Lion-mobile could have done with a trip to an auto shop however, because the hosts very nearly let the game slip away down the stretch. In the 78th minute, Chris Wondolowski flicked a header towards goal from a corner kick. Bendik palmed it onto the woodwork but it fell kindly for Jungwirth on the doorstep, and he was too close to miss. San Jose had a goal back.

Orlando kept hunting a fourth goal though, and the Lions had several opportunities to get it. Johnson and Kljestan each had decent chances that they couldn’t convert, but the game looked to be iced for good when Dwyer was brought down in the box on 86 minutes. Meram stepped up to the spot but his kick was at chest height and too close to Tarbell, who guessed correctly and got his top hand to the ball to deny OCSC’s off-season signing.

Not ideal, but far from the end of the world, although things got much nervier in the 90th minute. The Earthquakes again scored from a corner, and this time it was Jungwirth who flicked the ball on and perfectly into the inside netting at the far post to give San Jose hope. Fortunately, the four minutes of stoppage time passed largely without incident, and the good guys hung on for a 3-2 victory. That made it four wins in a row for Orlando and the team’s third straight win at home.

The Mane Land’s Alek Pierce awarded Chris Mueller with the Man of the Match award in his Player Grades piece with an 8.5 out of 10 for his two goal contributions. Lamine Sane and Yoshi Yotun were the other two high performers, as Sane got an 8 and Yotun a 7.5 with a yellow card the only black mark on his day.

Hopefully the Lions are able to get another win at Exploria Stadium on Saturday, just over five years on from the victory over San Jose, although ideally it won’t be quite as nervy of an affair. Do you have any standout memories from this match? If you do, be sure to share them down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!