Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways

Orlando City returned to Inter&Co Stadium for a midweek clash against a perennial powerhouse and playoff hopeful in the Philadelphia Union. Just a few days after clinching a playoff spot on the road against FC Dallas, Head Coach Oscar Pareja rolled out a familiar lineup in the hopes of securing the seventh home victory of the season.

A back-and-forth first half resulted in no goals for either side and a slew of second-half substitutes made all the difference for Orlando as the Lions saw out a 2-1 victory and completed a season sweep of the Union for the first time in club history. What follows are my five takeaways from a result that Orlando desperately needed to maintain control over the final home playoff position.

Missed Chances

Too often this year, Orlando has looked like the more dangerous team on the pitch only to waste golden opportunities and then wind up losing or being forced to settle for a draw. Think of the first half in Columbus just a few matches ago and the multiple shot attempts off the framework. In the first half against the Union, Orlando once again flirted with the goal but couldn’t find the promised land as Ramiro Enrique and Ivan Angulo wasted point-blank opportunities that could have put the match out of reach early on. Instead, Orlando was forced to enter halftime 0-0 after firing 11 total shots in the first half but putting none on target. To take the next step forward and find success in the playoffs, the Lions have to start making opponents pay when they have open opportunities.

Muriel Magic

Designated Player and Colombian international Luis Muriel was inserted into the match after the halftime break for the struggling Angulo and single-footedly changed the momentum of the match. His vision, pace, and passing have dramatically improved over the last month, and his skillset was on full display against the Union as he bagged his sixth and seventh assists on the year, including his third assist against Philly on the season. Before unlocking Facundo Torres in the 57th minute for the opening goal of the match, Muriel had already played several ridiculous balls to various teammates, but his layoff assist to Torres and then his long through ball to Duncan McGuire for the team’s second goal were truly delightful to watch. I mean just look at this pass!

If Muriel continues to see the field this well, then he may force Pareja into a difficult decision as to who should comprise the starting 11 heading into the playoffs.

Record-Setting Goal

After a quiet first half, Torres ran onto a perfectly weighted pass from Muriel in the 57th minute and picked out the opposite corner for the opening goal of the match. In doing so, Torres passed Cyle Larin for the club’s all-time, goal-scoring record (across all competitions) in the club’s MLS era. Torres also achieved a personal best against the Union as his goal now gives him 20 total goal contributions on the year, a single-season high in his three years with the club.

I have followed Torres’ career closely since he joined Orlando City and am no longer surprised by his slow start to each and every season, but I have been thoroughly and pleasantly surprised with the run that he has put forward over the last six matches. Since facing Nashville on Aug. 31, Torres has contributed six goals and an assist and the Lions are 5-1 over that span. Torres is leading by example, claiming records, and continuing to propel his team to victory.

Slam Dunc

McGuire entered the match for Martin Ojeda in the 61st minute and needed approximately 180 seconds of game time to find the back of the net. McGuire has now scored double-digit goals in back-to-back seasons to start his MLS career. The goal gave Orlando a bit of breathing room and solidified the notion that Pareja pulled the right substitution strings at the right times. There were two small blemishes on the night for Big Dunc — the first being that he picked up a yellow card in the 95th minute and will now be forced to miss the weekend fixture due to accumulation, and the second being that he failed to convert another breakaway opportunity in the closing moments of the match in a 1-v-1 situation.

Set Piece Marking

If there is one negative to take away on the night that needs to be cleaned up before the playoffs, it is the marking on corners and set pieces. While a win is a win, there were some nervy moments over the final 10 to 15 minutes marking Union players. Nathan Harriel jumped out of his cleats on multiple occasions for open headers, all of which had serious chances to find the back of the net and bring the match level. It should be noted that on the season, Orlando ranks near the top of the league when it comes to conceding from set pieces and corner kicks, but with the injury bug plaguing the back line and players like Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and David Brekalo missing extended time, the team cannot afford lapses in concentration or communication which result in open looks for the competition.

Those are my takeaways from a strong 2-1 home victory over the Union in a match that saw the Lions take one step closer to having home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. What were your biggest takeaways from the game? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!