Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Five Takeaways

Orlando City drew CF Montréal 2-2 on the road at Stade Saputo. It was a dominating first-half performance for the Lions, when the club finally showed some consistency with how potent the players could be up top. While there is a difference in prolificity and potency, it is the first match this campaign where the spark was there from all players in the attack. If the team can continue to find linkups in the final third as they did Saturday night, we might just see the team’s 2023 form return with plenty of 2024 season left to play.

Here are my five takeaways from the draw with the team of Club Foots.

Designated Players Can Score

It took Facundo Torres six matches, but he has finally opened his 2024 scoring account to prove that Orlando City Designated Players do in fact know where the enemy net is. Central midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro dinked a ball forward towards the penalty spot for striker Luis Muriel, who ran on with pace before being brought down in the area for a spot kick. Torres stepped up and continued his four-for-four streak from the penalty spot. While it would be great to see him score in the run of play, this might just be what he needed to really get going for the rest of the year.

Muriel Shows Serie A Spark

When Muriel joined Orlando City from Atalanta in Italy’s top flight, it was never a question of if he would be good enough for MLS but rather when his adjustment period would be over. This might have just been the performance we have been waiting for him to unleash. Throughout the first half, Muriel found the half-spaces to get on the ball as a target striker in holdup play but also making runs into the channel as needed as well. His first half was capped with a 70% passing success rate and ultimately drawing the penalty that leveled the score before the break.

Orlando Needs Nico

When Nicolás Lodeiro replaced his Uruguayan countryman Mauricio Pereyra, it seemed like an instant upgrade despite going up in age to a 35-year-old. However, a slow start in league play seemingly left question marks as to whether it was the right move after all. Lodeiro is part of the problem that is keeping Designated Player Martín Ojeda off of the pitch and starting XI, but the midfield maestro showed why Luiz Muzzi went after him this off-season with his passing proficiency against CF Montréal. Lodeiro set up the penalty and finished with 35 passes with a success rate of 91.4% across the night. He was able to connect the play from the back line to Torres and Muriel.

Super Substitutes Silence Stade Saputo

The Cardiac Cats once again proved their resiliencey, coming from behind not once, but twice, in the match. The second goal to draw level at 2-2 was inspired by the substitutions of Duncan McGuire and Martín Ojeda. McGuire laid off a perfect wall pass to Ojeda, who placed a brilliant low cross in front of goal, where Iván Angulo used his pace to beat the defender and tap one home late in the 92nd minute. It was yet another match in which McGuire came on late to impact the game. Just moments before, he barely missed a full volley that would have drawn the match level on his own, as a headed ball from Robin Jansson fell fortunately to him on the right side of the area.

Orlando Loves to Come From Behind

Yet again, Orlando City failed to find the game’s first goal. In this match, it was a 2-2 stoppage time draw, coming from behind CF Montréal. Last Saturday, it was a 3-2, stoppage-time victory, coming from behind to beat D.C. United. Before that, we witnessed a 1-1 draw gifted by the New York Red Bulls with an 89th-minute own goal. You have to look almost an entire month ago, to March 23, to see a match in which Orlando scored first and bagged a result. This isn’t to say that scoring first is required to win, but it is a whole lot easier to take home valuable points when you are the team doing so. If the Lions have any hope of making a deep playoff run, they will need to find a way to be the protagonists in the matches to come.

That’s what I saw in Orlando City’s come-from-behind draw against CF Montréal. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.