Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Complete Season Sweep of Fire
The Lions roared back from 1-0 down and became just the second team to beat the Fire at Soldier Field this season.

Orlando City fell behind early in the second half but rallied to score three consecutive goals in an 18-minute span to douse the Fire 3-1 at Soldier Field. The Lions (11-6-7, 40 points) got goals from Wilder Cartagena, Ivan Angulo, and Facundo Torres — the latter from the penalty spot — to become just the second visiting team to beat Chicago (8-8-8, 32 points) this season. Two would-be Giorgios Koutsios goals for the hosts didn’t count, as the first was overturned for an offside after video review and the second was blown dead for a handball on the Chicago striker.
The Lions improved to 6-3-3 on the road this season and not only completed a season sweep of the Fire, but also completed an Orlando sweep of Chicago on the night, as the Pride had demolished the Red Stars 5-0 at home earlier this evening.
“We’re very happy with the victory, very proud of the players,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The second half, Chicago had a reaction, and after they started leading the score, I thought our boys showed a lot of character and control again of the game, and then we scored goals.”
Pareja had mostly the usual lineup but had to make a couple of changes on the back line. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena played central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.
Antonio Carlos picked up an undisclosed knock late in training late in the week.
Chicago’s defense created problems for Orlando City throughout much of the first half and when it didn’t, the Lions simply passed the ball off line or into areas without teammates. It was a disjointed-looking attack for most of the opening 45 minutes as a result, and it nearly cost Orlando at the other end on transition opportunities.
It started in the first minute when Gallese had to come well off his line to cut off a centering pass after Angulo had given the ball away in the attacking half.
Chicago came close in the 16th minute when Brian Gutierrez got his foot to a cross by former Orlando City SuperDraft pick Jonathan Dean, however, he got under the shot and put it over the bar from about 10 yards away.
The Fire appeared to open the scoring in the 25th minute. Pereyra was swarmed and gave the ball away in the attacking third and Xherdan Shaqiri sent Guitierrez forward into the attack. Schlegel gambled and lost, trying to break up the counter before it started and Gutierrez sent it to his right for Giorgios Koutsias to slip into the empty net. However, the Chicago striker didn’t check his run quite enough and after video review, the goal was overturned for offside by the slimmest margin.
McGuire had a go at goal in the 28th minute after a good long ball from Pereyra was headed on by Torres. The shot was awkward and it was blocked by the defense anyway.
In the 30th minute, Angulo again gave the ball away to ignite the Chicago counter. The defense sagged away from Shaqiri so he fired a shot that forced a diving save by Gallese.
Two minutes later, Cartagena nearly scored a worldie. The Peruvian sent a gorgeous curling ball that was headed into the upper 90 on the right side. Spencer Richey got his fingertips to it and that was just enough to send it inches wide of the top corner.
“That goalkeeper was just so impressive today, and to be able to make that save, it was incredible,” Cartagena said through a club interpeter. “I just kind of wanted to have a hit, and when I saw the way it was going, I was excited. And then he came over and he somehow pulled off that save.”
Koutsias sent a looping header right at Gallese off a Shaqiri cross in the 37th minute as the Fire continued to produce the better scoring chances.
Orlando got a foothold on the match in the dying moments of the opening half. Torres sent a shot over the bar from distance in the 38th minute. Three minutes later, Angulo got down the left side of the penalty area and fired but Richey made the save.
Koutsias embarrassingly missed a shot over the bar in the 45th minute from close range but he was offside on Shaqiri’s pass anyway.
Torres got cleaned out by Richey in the box in stoppage time but because the goalkeeper got a slight deflection to the ball after Torres got to it first, there was no penalty awarded.
Orlando City failed to do anything useful with a couple of late set pieces and the teams went into the break scoreless.
Orlando City dominated possession in the first half (56.6%-43.4%), passed more accurately (87.1%-85.4%), and won more corners (4-1). But the Lions’ sloppiness in the final third allowed Chicago to lead in shots (6-4) on counterattacking opportunities. Each team put two shots on target.
“We felt that we had control in the first half,” Pareja said. “I thought we had the volume and we created some options. But we needed to be more dangerous in the last third. The chat in the half was we can have the control we had, but we need to be dangerous in the box. And the boys started scoring those three goals, showing us that they made things happen, and it’s good because it’s not easy to come to Chicago and score three goals. It’s a very difficult place to play.”
The hosts grabbed the lead just after the restart off a foul by Thorhallsson. There wasn’t much in his challenge but the free kick set up the opening goal. The Lions were able to clear the initial ball after Gallese did well to get down and block a blistering cross/shot from Mauricio Pineda. However, the recycled ball found Pineda again on the right and he smashed an unstoppable shot past Gallese and just inside the left post to make it 1-0 in the 47th minute.
The Lions wasted no time pulling the goal back. Schlegel won Orlando City a corner, roaming forward from his center back position. Torres put in a good cross and the Fire failed to pick up Cartagena right in front. It was an easy matter of heading the cross on target and it had a ton of pace on it to give Richey no shot at robbing Cartagena a second time. It was the Peruvian’s first MLS goal.
“We went down right out of halftime with a goal that we think was kind of against the run of play, that wasn’t necessarily deserved to concede in that way,” Cartagena said. “But then Rodrigo picked his head up, and we were able to win a corner after a great play like that. And then Facu has been hitting the corners really well today, and when he crossed that ball in…obviously a little bit of luck that it just kind of fell to me in the right spot. I was able to get my head on it and get the goal, and just really kind of put confidence back into my teammates going into the rest of the game.”
The Fire tried to pull that goal back quickly, winning a corner just moments after Orlando scored. But Angulo cleared the danger and then one-upped himself moments later. Santos picked up the remnants of a Torres cross that was blocked and sent another dangerous ball into the area. Araujo rose to meet it and knocked it into the path of Angulo, who headed it home to make it 2-1 in the 54th minute.
Torres and Gaston Gimenez exchanged yellow cards over the next few minutes as the game settled down a bit.
Koutsias then thought he’d tied the game in the 60th minute. A ball into the box from Gutierrez found the foot of Angulo, who tried to clear. He knocked the ball off Cartagena, however, and it fell kindly for Koutsias, but it hit his arm as he turned and shot it into the net. The referee blew it dead and the video assistant referee’s check confirmed the call, much to Chicago’s chagrin.
Trailing, the Fire sent Kei Kamara and Fabian Herbers on for more attacking power. But instead, it was Orlando City that got the next goal.
Thorhallsson danced his way into the top of the area and Miguel Navarro got a foot in late, sending the Icelandic fullback/winger to the ground. Lukasz Szpala pointed to the spot and the VAR upheld the call.
Torres stepped up to the penalty spot and smashed a shot into the upper left corner as Richey dove the other way. It was Torres’ third goal against the Fire this season and his first since the Lions beat the Fire at home on July 1.
Herbers came within inches of pulling a goal back in the 72nd minute, sending a shot fizzing just wide of the left post after the Fire had dispossessed Pereyra.
Junior Urso made his season debut for the Lions in the 79th minute, as he and Martin Ojeda replaced Angulo and Pereyra. The Fire also sent on Kacper Przybylko for Gimenez in the same substitution window.
Despite the Fire throwing numbers forward, the best chance to score the rest of the way fell to Orlando substitute Ramiro Enrique. Fellow sub Michael Halliday sent a good ball into the area for Ojeda. The Argentine dropped it off for Enrique, who blasted a shot over the bar in the 90th minute.
Much of the rest of the game was spent with Orlando repelling the Fire before they could get the ball into any dangerous spots. After six minutes of stoppage time, the victory was secured.
With the Lions protecting the lead for much of the second half, the Fire finished with more possession (53%-47%), shots (11-10), and passing accuracy (85.5%-81.8%). Orlando City ended up with more shots on target (5-4), and corner kicks (6-3).
“We’re very happy,” Cartagena said. “We knew going into this game that it was important to get the win, especially after the hit we took in the Leagues Cup. And 15 days of really hard work with this group — I think the group came in with good energy — but it was a win that we feel like we deserved based on the work that we put in these last few weeks. Happy for the goal obviously, but even prouder of the victory as a team.”
Orlando City returns home for its first meeting ever against St. Louis City on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Exploria Stadium.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/7/25
Lions draw on the road, OCB falls to Chattanooga FC, USWNT beats Brazil, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work while catching up with friends over the weekend at a Cubs game. Our Lions picked up a draw in Philadelphia, and OCB lost, while the Pride was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty of cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Draw Philadelphia Union on the Road
Orlando City and the Philadelphia Union split the points in a scoreless draw at Subaru Park Saturday. The Lions’ back line posted a shutout for the first time this season, but the league’s best attack couldn’t find the back of the net for the first time. Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made four saves to earn his first clean sheet of the season. Orlando’s best chance came in the 70th minute when Martin Ojeda set up Luis Muriel, and he ripped his shot on goal, but Union goalkeeper Andre Blake made a clutch save. The Lions finished the season series winless against the Union but took four out of six possible points in their two-game road trip against the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia. Orlando City also extended its unbeaten run to four matches. Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on the New York Red Bulls.
OCB Falls to Chattanooga FC on the Road
Orlando City B fell 2-0 to Chattanooga FC Saturday at Finley Stadium. It was the Young Lions’ first loss of the season. Shak Mohammed, Thomas Williams, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo were all unavailable for OCB as they were with the first team in Philadelphia. After a scoreless first half, Chattanooga FC’s Daniel Mangarov and Keegan Ancelin scored in the second half to seal the win. It will be a quick turnaround as OCB will be back in action on Wednesday to face New England Revolution II at Osceola County Stadium.
USWNT Defeat Brazil in Friendly
The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Brazil 2-0 Saturday at SoFi Stadium in an international friendly. It was the first meeting between the two sides since the 2024 Paris Olympics final won by the USWNT last summer. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was on the bench for the USWNT but did not play. Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina played 81 minutes for the Brazilians, captaining the side, while former Pride midfielder Adriana played 90 minutes. Trinity Rodman scored the opening goal five minutes into the match to put the USWNT on top. In the second half, the USWNT earned a penalty kick, and Lindsey Heaps converted from the spot. The USWNT will face Brazil again Tuesday night at PayPal Park.
MLS Weekend Recap
The weekend’s slate of Major League Soccer matches ended with some notable results. Charlotte FC needed two late goals from Wilfried Zaha and Idan Toklomati in the second half to complete a comeback and beat Nashville SC 2-1. The Columbus Crew edged CF Montreal 2-1, while the New York Red Bulls defeated the Chicago Fire 2-1. Real Salt Lake, Sporting Kansas City, and the Vancouver Whitecaps all won 2-0 matches over the LA Galaxy, St. Louis City, and the Colorado Rapids, respectively. San Diego FC cruised to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders as Chucky Lozano scored his first goal in MLS. FC Cincinnati and the Houston Dynamo won 1-0 over the New England Revolution and LAFC, respectively. Atlanta United and FC Dallas ended in a 1-1 draw, while Austin FC and the Portland Timbers ended scoreless. On Sunday, Minnesota United beat New York City FC 2-1. Josef Martinez scored a hat trick as the San Jose Earthquakes dominated D.C. United 6-1, and the Inter Miami and Toronto FC match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Pride players Sams and Angelina swapped jerseys over the weekend after the international friendly match between the USWNT and Brazil.
- Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman was carted off the field in a neck brace following a bicycle kick to the face during the Charlotte FC match on Saturday, but he has been released from the hospital.
- Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne announced on social media Friday he is leaving the club.
- Paris Saint-Germain defeated Angers 1-0 over the weekend to clinch the Ligue 1 title for the 13th time. PSG won the league with six matches remaining.
- Two Americans continue their stellar form in the EFL Championship as Haji Wright scored his fourth goal in three matches for Coventry City in his side’s 2-1 loss to Burnley. Josh Sargent scored his 14th goal of the season for Norwich City in a 2-1 loss to Plymouth Argyle over the weekend.
- Southampton became the first club to be relegated from the Premier League this season after a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur Sunday. With seven matches remaining, the Saints suffered the earliest relegation in Premier League history.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at Philadelphia?

In a matchup of the two highest-scoring teams in Major League Soccer, of course there were zero goals between the two teams as Orlando City went on the road and took one point home after a hard fought and physical 0-0 draw against Philadelphia. The Lions earned that point without their normal starting central defensive pairing, and while they had some excellent chances to get a goal and take all three points, they will likely be quite happy with the road draw.
It was not a pretty game and will not be a game anyone is likely to want to tell their grandkids, or kids, or friends, or coworkers about, but all road points are important, and Orlando City added another one at Subaru Park.
I have my purple pen out and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 (MotM) — This was El Pulpo’s best game all season, as he was in command of the box all night long and kept Orlando City in the game with his four saves and quick reactions to come off his line. Philadelphia had several chances from close range, and while they may not have taken those chances as well as they would have liked, they did take them from areas that led to 2.04 expected goals (according to fotmob.com), but thanks to the Peruvian netminder, instead of two goals, the Union scored zero goals — the first clean sheet of the season for both Gallese and Orlando City. The one drawback was that Gallese once again received a yellow card for time wasting, but it was probably worth it, as Orlando City needed every second they could get towards the end of the game.
D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo played left back for the second game in a row, but this time in a starting capacity, and the Slovenian international was solid, though not spectacular. His role was a hybrid one, as the Lions looked to get Alex Freeman high when possible, with Brekalo playing as a standard left back at times and as a left center back when needed. There were a few scary instances in the second half when Martín Ojeda shifted out to the left. Ojeda is less adept at playing wing defensively than ivan Angulo and he and Brekalo sometimes weren’t communicating effectively, allowing the Union to get down the wing. Pareja recognized that and inserted Kyle Smith, which stabilized things. Brekalo looked much more at ease once he moved into the middle as part of a center back triumvirate, and he played well to see out the final minutes and earn the Lions their first shutout of the season. He finished with two tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block on defense, and he completed 76.5% of his passes, which was second highest on the team.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain looked more himself in this match, and while he still does not seem fully back to his regal Beefy Swede-ness, this was a solid game for Jansson in the back. He will owe his goalkeeper a massive thank you, however, for saving him in the early minutes of the second half, when he and defensive partner Rodrigo Schlegel let Bruno Damiani split them and have a chance from right in front of the net. Jansson had nearly identical defensive stats as Brekalo, with two tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block on defense, and on offense he was second on the team with 31 completed passes, completing them at a 73.8% clip. He also received a yellow card near the end of the first half but did not let that affect his play, as he completed the full 90 minutes without another issue.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — The Argentinean made the play that brought the biggest smile to my face, as after Mikael Uhre tried to draw a penalty in second-half stoppage time, Schlegel got right in his face to call him out for flopping, showing the fiery spirit that he never fails to bring to the field every time he plays. Schlegel was the more active of the two center backs on the night, completing a team-high 34 passes, although at a less-than-ideal 65.4% rate, taking one shot and contributing one tackle and a team-high 13 clearances — more than double the clearances of any other player on the field. Schlegel also suffered a team-high four fouls and showed an immense work rate for the entire match.
D, Alex Freeman, 6 — The Homegrown Player continues to impress on the right side of the defense, and there is no more competition anymore for that position. It is clearly his and his alone. With Brekalo in the left back role it allowed Freeman to push forward even more than usual, as there were times in the second half when I wondered if Orlando City was playing five in the back or if the Lions had shifted Freeman up to take on Marco Pašalić’s right side role once the latter had subbed out. As he does nearly every week, Freeman contributed on both sides of the ball, logging four tackles, one interception, four clearances, and one blocked shot on defense, and completing 14 passes, with one key pass on the offensive side of the field. His completion rate was an ugly 43.8%, but none of the turnovers came back to haunt the team, and Freeman’s recovery speed continues to look as fast as anyone’s in the league.
MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet continues to show that he was another excellent draft pick by the Orlando City front office, as he earned his second start in this match and went the full 90 minutes. The Clemson product led the team with a 78.6% passing completion rate, and his partnership with Dagur Dan Thórhallsson was a solid one in the middle of the field. Gerbet worked hard on the defensive side of the ball, blocking a team-high four shots, and he also contributed two tackles and two interceptions. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta were not on the injury report, but both picked up tightness late in the week, so there was little time for Pareja to prepare his central midfield for this match. It says something that the moment was not too big for him going against the team that had scored the second-most goals in MLS entering the game.
MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 6 — Thórhallsson is on pace to play every field position at some point this season, as the Icelandic Army knife stepped in and went the full 90 in his first start with Orlando City as a central defensive midfielder. Thórhallsson acquitted himself nicely next to midfield partner Gerbet, and the two unexpected starters kept the Union off the scoresheet, even though the Union had nearly two-thirds of the possession. Thórhallsson logged two tackles, four clearances, and one blocked shot on defense, as well as picking up a yellow card, and as was to be expected in his more reserved role, he only completed 22 passes, passing at a 73.3% clip.
MF, Iván Angulo, 5 — The Colombian winger brought his usual hustle and effort, but unfortunately also his usual lack of precision, and it was not surprising to see him removed at halftime for Duncan McGuire. Orlando City was clearly playing to try to break out on the counterattack, a style suited to a player of Angulo’s speed, but he could not get anything going while on the field in what was ultimately a forgettable 45 minutes. He contributed three clearances on defense and completed six of his 10 passes, but it was a middling performance, fitting for a player who played the middle amount of minutes of the match.
MF, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda was by far the most dangerous Lion on the field against Philadelphia, and on another night he might have bagged at least one and possibly multiple assists. The best chances Orlando City created all came from Ojeda and his darting runs, as in the first half he put a ball in front of Pašalić, and in the second half in front of Luis Muriel, but both put their shots too close to Andre Blake. The Argentinean Designated Player also contributed two tackles and one interception on defense, but when he moved out to the left, there were some moments of confusion or lack of communication between he and Brekalo. Ojeda on the left helps the team play all three Designated Players and McGuire at the same time, but Ojeda with a left back behind him is a little more risky than Ojeda with two defensive midfielders and center backs behind him. He also took one shot that was blocked before making way for Colin Guske, as the Lions went defense-for-offense in the final minutes.
MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — The Croatian Designated Player had two of the best chances of the game for the Lions, but Blake made a good save on one (albeit because the placement was too central) and Pašalić decided to cross instead of shooting from a tough angle with his weaker right foot on the other. Ojeda’s ball to Pašalić was maybe a quarter step late on the one that led to Blake’s save, but the shot could have been much better. Aside from those two plays, the right winger was pretty quiet on offense, as he only completed 57.1% of his 14 passes and did not make too many attempts to beat defenders off the dribble. He finished with four tackles and three clearances on defense, but in a game when the Lions were struggling for possession and playing without a few key players, it made sense for Pašalić to make way for a defender in the final 20 minutes.
F, Luis Muriel, 6 — What could have been for Muriel, as he had a glorious chance late in the game on a ball played perfectly in front of him by Ojeda, and he just did not get all of it or get it aimed properly to get it by Blake. The Union goalkeeper left him a lot of goal to work with, and Muriel just was not precise enough on that shot. Muriel was active and threatening during his minutes on the field, with two shots and also one key pass, but the quality was just not all the way there in Philadelphia, and Blake did not gift him a goal like John McCarthy did in Los Angeles during the previous game. His beautiful flick on a ball out of the back from Jansson sent Ojeda and Pašalić in for Orlando’s only (glorious) scoring chance in the first half. Muriel added one tackle and one clearance, won four aerial duels, and completed 63.2% of his passes before coming off for Ramiro Enrique in the final minutes of regulation.
Substitutes
F, Duncan McGuire (46′), 5.5 — McGuire entered the game at the beginning of the second half after subbing in for Angulo and took his customary place at the front of the attack as Ojeda shifted out to the left. The Creighton product was generally starved of service during his 45 minutes on the field, as he only had 15 touches and made more of a contribution on defense with two interceptions and three clearances than he did on offense. He did not get any shots off and only completed four of his nine pass attempts, with one key pass. He made a great back-post run and was open for a header attempt that could have broken the stalemate, but alas Ojeda did not see him and took a shot instead.
D, Kyle Smith, (67’), 5.5 — Smith entered the game as a sub for Pašalić but immediately went all the way across the field and played his minutes as a left wingback, as Orlando City went to five in the back as they tried to grind out a point on the road. The Accountant did not have any tackles but he logged one interception and one clearance on defense. On offense, he got into the box to get a headed ball on target on his one shot attempt, but it was a soft one that went right at Blake. Smith completed four of his seven passes, joining so many of his teammates with a lower-than-usual completion percentage (57.1%).
F, Ramiro Enrique, (83’), N/A — The Argentinean came on late for Muriel but had little influence on that game while on the field. Orlando City was defending for most of his minutes, and he only managed four touches. He did go two-for-two on passes with those four touches, but neither led to anything for the Lions.
MF, Colin Guske, (90’), N/A — Guske made his MLS debut in this game, coming in for the final minutes as a replacement for Ojeda. He did not have any touches, but stayed in good position defensively to help keep the Union from grabbing a late goal.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at Philadelphia. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on the Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways
What did we learn from the scoreless draw on the road against the Union?

Well it wasn’t a third win in a row, but Orlando City is now unbeaten in four games. The Lions ground out a tense, physical scoreless draw with the Philadelphia Union to keep the taste of defeat out of their mouths a little bit longer. It was a result that didn’t look likely at times, but the team fought hard and deserved the point, if not more. What follows are my thoughts from the match.
Lineup Changes Hold Firm
We were in for a bit of a shocker when the starting lineups got announced, as not just one, but both of Orlando’s starting defensive midfielders were absent from the squad altogether. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta were both unavailable due to tightness that they felt late in the week, so that meant Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Joran Gerbet got the nod in the heart of the OCSC midfield. Another twist saw David Brekalo come in at left back for Rafael Santos, although that was merely a tactical decision by Oscar Pareja, as Santos was available on the bench. There was some understandable hand-wringing upon seeing the changed lineup on the road, but credit should go to Papi and the trio of DDT, Gerbet, and Brekalo, as they filled in ably and helped Orlando nab a valuable point.
The Less Said About the First Half the Better
The majority of the first half did not make for pleasant viewing if you were an Orlando City fan. When the halftime whistle blew the Union had out-possessed Orlando (52.9%-47.1%), outshot the Lions (9-1), and OCSC had compiled a positively putrid 60.5% passing accuracy. Not all of the Philly shots were dangerous, as some were potshots from way downtown, but Orlando had to make a few blocks and rely on a Pedro Gallese save to keep the hosts off the board. Oddly enough, the Lions got the best look of the first half with their only shot of the opening 45 minutes, but aside from that chance it was a period largely defined by poor passing, turnovers in dangerous areas, and a general inability to hold onto the ball for sustained periods of time.
Defense Stands Tall
The disparity in shots, possession, and passing accuracy only grew as the game went on, as the Union finished with 58.2% possession to Orlando’s 41.8%, 20 shots to Orlando’s six, and 80% passing accuracy to the Lions’ 65.9%. If expected goals are your thing, Philly had the better of it there too, with 1.6 xG to OCSC’s 0.6. With all of that being said though, Orlando mostly defended well as a team, and with 20 shots you would think that the Union’s xG would be higher. The fact that it wasn’t is a testament to the Lions’ ability to largely prevent their opponents from creating dangerous chances. Despite the 20 shots that Philly took, only four were on target and Gallese saved them all to keep his first clean sheet of the season. It was strange to see the first shutout of the year come without both starting defensive midfielders and against one of the best teams in the league so far, but soccer is a funny old sport sometimes.
Points Left on the Table?
Itt’s not absurd to make the argument that the Lions should have actually gotten more than a point from this game. Gallese’s 47th-minute save to deny Bruno Damiani was far and away the Union’s best chance of the night, but Marco Pasalic and Luis Muriel arguably each had cleaner looks at goal that they simply couldn’t finish. On the first, Muriel produced another excellent flick to find Ojeda, who in turn found Pasalic exactly where you want him — in space on the right side of the box, but he shot too close to Andre Blake, who saved well. It was Muriel’s turn to do the same in the 70th minute, as he failed to wrap his foot around his shot enough and put it too close to Blake. They were probably the best chances either team had all night, and if they get put away, then we’re hailing a smash-and-grab, three-point effort.
Good Teams Grind Out Results
Despite the wayward finishing, it’s hard to be too ticked off about this result. If you’d told me the Lions would get a shutout draw against the Union without Atuesta and Araujo before kickoff, I’d have taken it no questions asked. It’s never super enjoyable to not see your team score any goals, but the overall defensive performance was wonderful to see from a team that’s been sorely lacking them for most of this young season. It’s too early in the year to say for sure whether Orlando City is a good team or not, but something good teams do is find ways to get results when they aren’t at their best. The Lions certainly weren’t at their best during this one, but managed to get out of Pennsylvania with a hard-earned point and a clean sheet to boot, and that isn’t anything to turn your nose up at.
All in all, I’ll take it. There was plenty of reason to be nervous when the starting XI was announced, but Orlando played a tough defensive game and got a solid point as a result. We can talk about the “what ifs” of the Pasalic and Muriel chances, but at the end of the day, the defense continued its upward trajectory, and the Lions kept pace in a crowded Eastern Conference. Up next is another measuring stick game at home against the New York Red Bulls to see how far OCSC has come since Matchday 4. Vamos Orlando!
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