Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Fall at Home Again

Orlando City fell behind in first-half stoppage time on an easily preventable goal and couldn’t break down FC Cincinnati to climb back into it in a 2-1 loss at Inter&Co Stadium. It wasn’t a great advertisement for the beautiful game, as the two teams looked every bit the part of sides that had played in the midweek on the road. Cincinnati (12-5-3, 39 points) was the more precise team, getting two goals from Evander to snap the two-game winning streak by Orlando City (9-5-6, 33 points).

Marco Pasalic scored a late goal to spoil the shutout, and the Lions pushed hard to try to find an equalizer, but the hole was too deep to climb out of. There was one late chance to tie it up in front of goal that was wasted, but other than that, Cincinnati kept the Lions quiet.

“It was a game that represents the efforts and the protagonism and the confidence with Cincinnati and Orlando,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We’re going to take our responsibilities on the goals that we conceded and the goals that we couldn’t score, but a game that was well played for both teams. Very, very level.”

Pareja’s lineup featured goalkeeper Pedro Gallese behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Ramiro Enrique up top.

The first half was a tactical affair without many chances for either side. The game’s first shot didn’t happen until the 15th minute, with Araujo firing way off target from long range. Pasalic forced Roman Celentano into a scrambling save moments later.

Ojeda had a go from just outside the box on the left in the 19th minute. Celentano dove to make a good save to keep the game scoreless. Gilberto Flores blocked another Ojeda attempt a minute later.

Cincinnati’s first shot had to wait until the 25th minute. Angulo tried to pass the ball to a teammate surrounded by three Cincinnati players, and Kevin Denkey easily took the ball away in the heavy traffic. Denkey turned and fired, trying to catch Gallese off guard, but the effort was well off target. Atuesta blocked Evander’s shot four minutes later, as the visitors started settling more into the game.

Matt Miazga blocked a Pasalic shot in the 38th just inside the box.

The decisive play of the half came late in stoppage time when Araujo was called for fouling Gerardo Valenzuela. Araujo was incensed, as he obviously thought he’d gotten the ball cleanly, but referee Marco de Oliveira disagreed, giving FC Cincinnati a late free kick from long range.

Lukas Engel faked the left footed delivery. Gallese was cheating toward his right post and Evander took advantage, smashing a shot to the right. Gallese tried to recover, but there was too much pace on the shot and by the time he caught it, it had already crossed the goal line.

While it wasn’t as big a howler as the Philip Zinckernagel goal in the team’s most recent home game prior to tonight, it was a costly mistake.

Orlando City led in most of the statistical categories at halftime, finishing with more possession (53.8%-46.2%), shots (6-5), and passing accuracy (89.3%-87.9%). Each team put two shots on target and won one corner. But it was Cincinnati leading on Gallese’s gaffe.

“I thought it was very tentative for both teams,” Pareja said about the opening half. “I think both (teams) looked like we respect each other a lot, and except for the error that we had on the goal, it could end up the first half just level, and then we can reshape for the second half.”

Luis Muriel subbed on for Angulo at the half, but the first quarter of an hour of the second half was about as plodding as the bulk of the first period. Orlando had the first two looks at goal, but Pasalic and Enrique each missed the target to the left and right, respectively in the 51st and 52nd minutes.

Gallese made a terrific save in the 64th minute when Thorhallsson’s header misfired and Cincinnati broke in transition. Evander brought the ball down the left and found second-half sub Kei Kamara breaking on the right. Kamara fired from close range but Gallese fought it off to keep it a one-goal game for the moment.

Thorhallsson had an opportunity in the 68th minute, cutting inside from right to left and hitting it with his weaker left foot, but the shot didn’t curl and drifted well wide.

The Icelandic fullback again got in that position a few minutes later, but this time it was costly. The shot not only didn’t find the target, but Cincinnati broke the other way in transition with numbers. Denkey had it in the middle 3-v-1 and sent it left to Evander. Brekalo peeled off of Evander as Jansson caught up with the play, but Evander had just enough space to cut inside and beat Gallese with a curling effort just inside the right post to make it 2-0 in the 74th minute.

“I think first you have to say congratulations to to the rivals tonight. They were able to score and able to take the three points from us tonight,” Ojeda said. “They were really good in in those three or four chances that they had. They had patience. They were able to finish their chances and be dangerous in those moments.”

Orlando won a couple of corners in the minutes after the second goal, but the closest the Lions came to scoring from them was a clearance that Enrique deflected back toward goal. However, it was popped up for an easy catch for Celentano.

The Lions finally found the net in the 87th minute. Enrique hustled to keep a ball in play that was headed for the end line. Ojeda tracked the aerial ball and made a sliding effort to get a foot to it, sending it to the top of the box in the middle. Pasalic picked it up there and smashed a first-touch shot inside the left post to make it 2-1.

“I think it’s important that we occupy the box with a lot of players,” Pasalic said. “The connection is there in the offense. We play really good. It’s a question of time, when we shoot at the goal.”

“As a goal scorer, you always want to score goals. So, as soon as I saw Ramiro sending the ball back into the area, that was my first thought,” said Ojeda, who got an assist on the play, with Enrique getting a secondary assist. “So, when I saw him head the ball back my way, I wanted to move a little bit further in, but the ball was just a little bit far. And so, I had to stretch, and I was able to get my get my foot on it, but it was a little far for me to control. But thankfully, Marco was running onto it from a little deeper. And thankfully he was able to strike and score.”

Orlando must have felt fortunate when 10 minutes of injury time went up on the board, giving them time to find an equalizer. Cincinnati slowed things down whenever possible, including Corey Baird tackling Brekalo in the open field. Both players earned a yellow card after tangling up, but the Lions had a free kick from distance.

The set piece didn’t pay off, but in the aftermath, the ball was cycled in from the left to Enrique at the near post. The Argentine got his head to it but caught it a bit too flush, sending it wide of goal in the 97th minute.

Two minutes later, the Lions should have tied it up. A great buildup down the left ended up with Muriel on the ball deep in the box. The Colombian sent it in front to a wide-open Brekalo. The Slovenian defender needed only to deflect it on goal, but the ball popped up off his foot and sailed over the bar.

“It’s bad luck at the end, the miss,” Pasalic said.

The referee blew the game dead at exactly 10 minutes of stoppage time, despite a lengthy stoppage when Baird fouled Brekalo and another delay for an injury to Cincinnati.

At the end of the match, Orlando had the advantage in possession (59%-41%), shots (17-9), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (88.3%-81.5%). Cincinnati put more attempts on target (4-3) and found the net twice. The needless goal conceded in first-half stoppage was the difference.

“I’m sad that we lost, angry, also, because we did really good the last weeks, and this game, especially at the end,” Pasalic said. “And we deserved the draw at the end, in my opinion. But it is what it is.”

Orlando City’s stay at home was a short one, as the Lions will visit Charlotte FC.