Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Sweep Season Series vs. Herons
After a tight first half, the Lions broke the game open in the second half to sweep Inter Miami.
All three Orlando City Designated Players scored as Luis Muriel scored a brace and Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic added goals in a 4-1 win over Inter Miami before a packed house of 25,046 at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions (12-6-8, 44 points) struck early, conceded moments later, and then blew the game open in the second half to sweep the season series from Inter Miami (12-5-6, 42 points).
Ojeda and Muriel added an assist to go with their goals on a big night for Orlando’s Designated Players.
“The stadium, it was extraordinary. So, thank you so much fans. Thank you so much for your energy,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I thought we played very well offensively and defensively. What kept us with the pace that we started the game was that defensively we showed consistency (and) responsibility. So all that happened up front, for me, is a collective effort that we did as a team. We played against a great rival and tonight, having this three points and scoring in front of our fans, it was an extraordinary, fantastic night for us.”
Pareja’s starting lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Eduard Atuesta returned from injury to partner with Cesar Araujo in central midfield with Cesar Araujo between wingers Ivan Angulo and Pasalic, with Ojeda and Muriel up top.
The teams traded early haymakers to get this rivalry match started. The Lions struck in just the second minute on a nice play in the midfield that started on the right. The ball was sent toward Ojeda in the middle, but he let the ball run between his legs to Muriel, who gave it back to him. Ojeda then slipped it back to Muriel, who got through the back line with a great first touch and beat Oscar Ustari to make it 1-0.
With his assist on the play, Ojeda extended his streak of consecutive games with a goal contribution to 14 games in all competitions.
Muriel had a chance to double the lead moments later when Ojeda got down the left and put in a beautiful curling cross to find the Colombian in front. However, the header went straight at Ustari, who made the save.
That miss was costly, because Miami struck back in the fifth minute. Atuesta headed out a cross into the box but Yannick Bright ran onto it and fired a volley shot that froze Gallese and made it 1-1.
Ojeda got the ball at the top of the box in the eighth minute and thought about cutting in on his right foot, but he lost control momentarily and ended up dashing down the left and firing a shot from a tight angle that found the outside netting. The Lions’ No. 10 then got down the left again in the 16th minute and fizzed a cross through the top of the six, but it was just beyond the onrushing Pasalic.
Three minutes later, Miami broke in transition after Freeman had a shot blocked on a corner kick. The ball ended up with Luis Suarez on the left. He fired a hard shot toward goal but Gallese made the save.
A minute after that, Ustari kicked the ball out of his area and Muriel sent it back where it came from on the volley. The ball had some spin on it and ended up hitting the right post, saving the Miami goalkeeper some blushes.
Throughout the rest of the first half, the game got a bit chippy. Both sides picked up multiple bookings. The only good scoring chance in that period came on a set piece delivery by Ojeda that Schlegel headed on goal, only to see Ustari make a good diving save in the 35th minute.
Gallese got down to stop a Telasco Segovia shot in the 41st minute on the last shot of the half.
At the break, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (51.3%-48.7%), shots (8-3), shots on target (4-3), corners (3-0), and passing accuracy (88.7%-83.7%). But the game was level.
Rodrigo De Paul had the first sight of goal in the second half, sending a shot from outside the area over the crossbar in the 48th minute.
Two minutes later, Angulo won a corner and the Lions made it pay off. Taking the kick short, Ojeda sent the ball to Muriel. The defense arrived, but Muriel made a nice move at the end line to get by and put the ball in the net for his eighth goal of the MLS regular season, making it 2-1 in the 50th minute.
“These are the weeks and the games that you dream about as a player,” Muriel said. “It’s a unique feeling, and I feel spectacular to be able to help my team in the way that I am, to help us score goals, to help us win games like this. And I hope that I’m able to continue scoring and helping the team in the weeks to come.”
The lead nearly bulged to 3-1 in the 54th minute when Muriel sliced a through ball past the back line for Ojeda’s run. Ojeda fired but Utari made the save. The Argentine volleyed the rebound but sent it over the bar.
A minute later, Miami broke in transition and Angulo made a great play to get back and knock the ball away to prevent a scoring chance.
Muriel found Ojeda on the right side in the 58th minute. Ojeda didn’t have many options, so he smashed a shot toward the near post. Ustari got a piece of it but it went in to make it 3-1. It was Ojeda’s 14th goal of the regular season, pushing him to within three of Cyle Larin’s single-season club record set in 2015.
“He’s having such an incredible season for Orlando, he’s having such an incredible season for for himself,” Muriel said of his strike partner. “Every single moment of Martin can be magic.”
Regardless of whoever ends up with the shot, the chemistry between Muriel and Ojeda the last several games has been on another level.
“Those (kinds of) chemistry, sometimes they come organically,” Pareja said. “As much as we want to coach and to be present on the trainings and create sequences, the best you can have on a team is this organic chemistry. It’s something that comes from their communion on the pitch. They’re finding those moments. They’re finding those things that are hard to explain, but they know, and I see it. We hope for those chemistries to continue.”
Ojeda made another exceptional pass in the 62nd minute to spring Angulo into the box. The winger fired but Ustari saved it.
Suarez tried for the spectacular in the 67th minute and he nearly pulled it off. After Muriel was taken down in the attacking third with no call, Inter Miami broke in transition. Spotting Gallese off his line, Suarez tried a long chip from midfield. Gallese hustled back and got his hand to the shot just a split second before it would have gone in. The Peruvian stayed down after crashing hard into the back of the goal but he was able to continue after receiving treatment.
“He did a huge save there, running back there and flicked it over in the last second,” Jansson said. “So, I’m super happy, super happy for him.”
Miami kept control of the ball for long stretches over the next 15 minutes, but the Orlando defense did well to avoid allowing scoring opportunities. The next good chance for either side after Gallese’s desperation save on Suarez came in the 82nd minute. Atuesta sent a great ball to spring Ojeda behind the line, but the forward smacked his shot off the right post, and the flag came up after the shot anyway.
Pasalic put the game away in the 89th minute. Freeman sent a good pass to send the Croatian up the right wing. Pasalic fired a shot that Ustari did well to save, but the ball came back to him. The winger sent the second attempt through a defender’s legs and just inside the left post on a terrific shot to make it 4-1 with his 11th goal of the season.
Freeman broke loose on the counter in the first minute of stoppage time, fighting through a defender and getting in on goal with some options. The fullback went for goal himself but fired his shot right at Ustari.
Tyrese Spicer, who had come on two minutes earlier to make his OCSC debut, showed what he could do in the second added minute, stealing the ball and racing down the left flank. Once he got to the final third, he laid a pass off for Ojeda, but the Argentine’s shot was right at Ustari, who made one final save.
Moments later, the final whistle blew on a decisive win for the Lions.
Orlando City finished with the advantage in shots (22-10), shots on target (12-5), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (88.1%-84.3%). Miami finished with more possession (52.5%-47.5%).
“We feel great, obviously. Good game. Three points, keeping the streak intact. Never lost to them here,” Jansson said. “We know that we’re strong here when we play them. So, super thankful to our fans for coming out to the stadium. Electric tonight, incredible.”
Orlando City will be back in action on Saturday when the Lions host Sporting Kansas City.