Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Five Takeaways

Orlando City went on the road and salvaged a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati thanks to a late equalizer from right back Alex Freeman. What looks like a successfully stolen point on the road on paper was actually a pretty engaging match, and there’s a real argument to be made that Orlando had a better chance at claiming all three points than the hosts.

Here are my five takeaways from Orlando’s result on the road.

Cardiac Cats Strike Again

Orlando City scored in stoppage time for the second game in a row, this time with substitute Tyrese Spicer finding Freeman’s head in the box for an equalizer. The right back did well to pick out his header and slot it home past goalkeeper Evan Louro for his sixth goal of the season. It’s impressive stuff from Freeman, who put three of his five shots on target. Spicer’s spin move before whipping the ball into the box also deserves some love and he’s proving to be a strong option off the bench. Orlando’s response to the goal was strong considering how out of sorts the Lions looked throughout the second half.

Blown Chances Loom Large

The late equalizer and a point on the road against an impressive team takes some of the sting out of what was a frustrating match, as the Lions could’ve very well walked out of TQL Stadium with all three points. Poor finishing has plagued this team periodically this season, and this match was no exception. Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel, Adrian Marin, and Robin Jansson all had golden opportunities to score, only to send their shots off target in the end. The silver lining is that Orlando did well to create those chances in the first place. The Lions put together some solid counterattacks in the first half and rallied for an equalizer with a flurry of late attacks. Cincinnati also deserves credit for its defending, particularly in the first half, as Miles Robinson chased Lions down and Nick Hagglund hosted a block party. Regardless, the finishing wasn’t there for Orlando and that issue shouldn’t be overshadowed by the late goal.

Defensive Lapse Costs Orlando

FC Cincinnati struck first with Designated Players Kevin Denkey and Evander capitalizing on some poor marking by Orlando’s defense. The Lions had numbers back following a turnover, but Denkey was left all alone at the top of the box in the space between Rodrigo Schlegel and Freeman, allowing Evander to slip the ball past Joran Gerbet to the waiting striker. Denkey shot with his first touch before Freeman could block it, putting it out of Gallese’s reach and into the back of the net. It wasn’t a bad game defensively for Orlando by any means, but the slip-up was costly. Orlando has struggled with locking things down in the center of its defense in recent weeks and the trend continued in this match.

A Save For Each Tentacle

Although he wasn’t able to end the game with a clean sheet, Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese did well and made eight saves against a dangerous offense. His first save to deny Kevin Denkey’s header early on was arguably his best of the bunch and helped Orlando stave off Cincy’s early surge. While it may be dramatic to call it a chess match, positioning and timing were key for Gallese against a Cincy attack orchestrated by Evander that tested Orlando in different ways. Gallese was up to the task in a tough road environment and kept Orlando in the match.

Sloppy Scenes In Cincy

For a match between two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, it was a bit of a mess. Successful passing was hard to come by for the Lions, especially in the second half. Cincinnati cranked up its pressing a bit after halftime to cause some problems for the Lions, but their issues stringing passes together were mostly their own. David Brekalo and Gerbet were the only two Lions to eclipse the 90% mark in terms of passing accuracy. There were giveaways all over the place from both sides, and Cincinnati’s organizational collapse as the second half wore on was notable. Although I wouldn’t quite call it a rock fight, there were eight yellow cards handed out and neither team made much of set pieces in a fairly open game that had swings of momentum. The 1-1 draw featured 43 total shots, but it felt more like both teams trying to capitalize on the other’s mistakes back and forth rather than a strong offensive performance by either side. Tighten it up guys, the playoffs are coming.

Those are my biggest takeaways from the match. It’s ultimately one of those draws that feels like a win thanks to how it all went down. This may not be the last time these two teams square off this season due to the postseason, but there’s still some soccer to go before we learn if that’s the case. The Lions will be back in action on Saturday with a home game against the Columbus Crew. Schlegel won’t be available for that match due to his yellow card in this one, but hopefully you’ll be available to attend and cheer on the Lions.

Make sure to let us know your thoughts about the match in the comments below!