Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Photo Gallery

Orlando showed up early and late to secure a needed three points from Nashville SC on Saturday night, winning 3-2 at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions started strong, eventually securing the lead on a pair of Martín Ojeda goals in the first half. After the visitors fought back to equalize early in the second half, Duncan McGuire front-post death blow at the end of regulation snatched the points and jumped the Lions over Nashville and back into sixth place in the Eastern Conference table.

Coach Oscar Pareja’s game plan involved allowing Nashville to dictate the ball tempo and exploit turnovers, resulting in a massive possession advantage for the visitors. Other than a Marco Pašalić look well saved by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis off an early corner, the game was very cautious throughout most of the first half.

Then, in the 29th minute, Luis Muriel wound up with the ball on a sloppy Nashville build-out and was fouled just above the semicircle outside the penalty area. Muriel and Ojeda discussed the situation while standing over the ball, but Ojeda took the kick and kissed the inside of the right post for a 1-0 lead. The crowd hadn’t even settled back into their seats yet when Kyle Smith stole the ball, worked a give-and-go with Muriel, and then sent Ojeda into the penalty area with a delicious through ball for the Argentine’s second goal in the 32nd minute. As the game restarted, chants of “MVP” rang out from the crowd, and Ojeda now solely holds the club record for all-time goal contributions and needs just one more strike in 2025 to equal Cyle Larin’s single-season club record for MLS goals.

Orlando didn’t allow Nashville a single shot until the 44th minute, getting complacent in the final moments of the opening half, and the visitors took advantage. Hany Mukhtar buried the rebound of his own shot off the post to draw Nashville SC back to within one.

After the break, Nashville brought on Jacob Shaffelburg for a bit more bite. Orlando did not adapt well to the change, allowing Shaffelburg to find space to get on a Daniel Lovitz centering ball to level things, and Orlando was lucky to watch Sam Surridge miss a sitter in the 53rd minute. Ojeda followed suit, narrowly missing wide a minute later.

McGuire came on shortly thereafter, but still showed some rust from his extended injuries in his first 20-something minutes on the field. However, he made up for it when he flicked Tyrese Spicer’s cross past Willis in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Gallese made a last-gasp, keeper-on-keeper save on Willis’ header off a corner kick when the referee extended the match longer perhaps than circumstances warranted.

It was a critical win to stop a five-game winless streak in all competitions, and with several difficult games remaining, it sets the Lions up with a chance to get back into the top four if they can finish strong.

We hope you enjoy these photos of a sorely needed victory in a match that felt like a postseason battle.