Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Photo Gallery

Orlando City hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps during the international break in a game rescheduled due to the Lions going far (but not far enough) in Leagues Cup. The result was about what one might expect with 13 Lions on the unavailable list and no significant bench (more on that in a minute). Despite the circumstances, the Lions somehow managed to grab a lead and hold it for most of the match but ultimately fell 2-1 on two late goals by the Whitecaps — one of which was an actual attempt to score.

Orlando started well, but then spent much of the game on the back foot, unable to deal with Vancouver’s high press or play through or over it. As a result, the Lions had to settle for looking for opportunities to get out on the counter. Then captain Robin Jansson went down in the 18th minute with an injury. With a short bench made up mostly of inexperienced reserve players, Oscar Pareja sent on Duncan McGuire and shifted three other players around the field. This helped create the opening goal, as Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who moved into the midfield from right back, worked a ball into space for Martin Ojeda, who found Duncan McGuire on the other side. McGuire headed it into the path of Thorhallsson’s continued run and he slotted home.

Shortly after the goal, Vancouver began squeezing the Lions into their own half, and the Whitecaps never let up. Orlando couldn’t find enough composure to play through the visitors, repeatedly gifting the ball back on their own half of the field, or simply booting it down to the other end to force Vancouver to restart the attack.

Orlando was at least organized and resolute in defense — despite playing without three starters on the back line or starting central midfielder Cesar Araujo — giving up almost no good chances for most of the rest the game. Most was not enough however, and finally in the 81st minute, Vancouver pulled level, courtesy of an unlucky Kyle Smith clearance that ricocheted off Whitecaps substitute Nelson Pierre and into the net.

Buoyed by the equalizer, and with an exhausted Orlando group unable to bring on fresh reinforcements other than OCB regulars Zakaria Taifi and Shakur Mohammed, Vancouver poured numbers into the attack to find a winner. It nearly came in the 92nd minute on a play that was reviewed, but that delay allowed the referee to add even more stoppage time, and Thomas Muller finally beat Gallese from the top of the area in the seventh of what was supposed to be five added minutes, breaking Orlando hearts and wrecking the Lions’ shot at climbing into the top four by season’s end.

Orlando finishes out its regular season on the road in Toronto Saturday. We hope you can ignore the result and at least enjoy the pictures from the game.