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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s away loss against Toronto?

Published

6 months ago

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Image of Duncan McGuire reacting to his goal against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City celebrated Decision Day by deciding to play decidedly dreadfully in Toronto on Saturday evening, making the wrong choice over and over and getting blown out 4-2 by one of the worst teams in the league. I was tempted to give the Man of the Match to anyone who sat through the full game without giving up and changing the channel to something else, because from the opening kickoff the Lions seemed slightly off and it never really got any better.

The good news is that once the playoffs begin every team starts with a clean slate, but Orlando City will have a steep climb ahead as with this loss and results in other locations the Lions fell into ninth place and the play-in game.

I have my purple pen out and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in the final game of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 4.5 — Saturday’s game will be on the shortlist for the worst games in El Pulpo’s career, as even octopi have days when it seems like they need more limbs. The Peruvian made two saves during the game. The first and fourth goals were ones that few goalkeepers could have stopped, but had he dived instead of just put his hand out he could have saved Đjorđje Mihailovic’s free kick, and Mihailovic’s second goal, Toronto’s third, was the result of a poor effort by Gallese, who was caught off balance and tried to extend a leg to make the save and could only deflect the ball into his own net. In fairness, the Mihailovic free kick had a ton of curve to it and may have fooled him, and the second Mihailovic goal came through a defender, so he may not have picked it up until he committed too far to his post. Regardless, this will be a match he quickly wants to forget.

D, Adrián Marín, 4.5 — With Robin Jansson out, the Lions shifted around their defensive personnel, and Marín got the start at left back. The Spaniard did not impress, completing only 79.3% of his passes and adding zero defensive statistics. He was taken off after 45 minutes because Orlando City needed goals to get back in the game. Marín has shown that he can play much better than he did on Saturday, but it was telling that he was removed at halftime for more offense when he was supposed to be a fullback who provided an offensive threat.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 —The Argentine moved over from his usual spot at right center back to take over Jansson’s spot at left center back, but the defense certainly missed the Beefy Swede as the partnership between Schlegel and David Brekalo looked just like it was: two players playing positions that they had not played very much this season. Schlegel worked hard and gave his trademark full effort for every minute, but when the opponent puts six shots on target and converts four of them into goals, it means there were issues on the back line. Schlegel got pulled out of position on the third goal trying to help Kyle Smith out wide, which left Brekalo to cover two men in the box by himself. He also left the eventual goal scorer on the fourth Toronto goal, thinking he had help behind him, but he did not. The Argentine completed 55 passes — second on the team — completing them at a 93.2% rate, and he also added one tackle and one clearance.

D, David Brekalo, 6 (MotM) — After playing left back for most of Orlando City’s season, Brekalo played right back for Slovenia during the international break and then started Saturday’s game at right center back, showing some Smith-like versatility. Brekalo also showed off his offensive abilities as well, scoring his first goal of the season by clinically finishing a cross from Marco Pašalić to cut the Toronto lead to 3-1. He completed a team-leading 67 passes at a 94.4% completion rate, and also made two tackles, one interception, three clearances and had one blocked shot. He looked a little rusty playing in the middle of the field but played well overall, and was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise dreary night for the Lions, although he perhaps could have done more to get in front of Mihailovic’s shot on the Designated Player’s second goal, although he was left defending two attackers.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman has put a lot of minutes on his legs this season, and there were moments when he clearly looked a little tired against Toronto, which makes sense since he played the full 90 minutes for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Tuesday evening at altitude in Denver in an important game for his hopes of making next year’s World Cup roster. He then had to fly back across the country and play in another crucial game on Saturday night. He still gutted out a solid performance, and perhaps I am holding him to too high a standard based on his outstanding season, but I thought he just was not at his sharpest against the Reds. He was caught up the pitch on counterattacks multiple times and he often held the ball a little too long while looking for something instead of making a play to keep possession and continue the attack. Still, he completed 83.3% of his passes, including five key passes, and one well-played assist to Duncan McGuire for Orlando City’s second goal. He also added two tackles, two interceptions and one clearance.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5.5 — We saw the full spectrum from the Colombian, from wayward passes and loose touches to explosive driving runs down the side of the field and speedy recoveries to track back and slow down the Toronto offense. The Reds only attacked down Angulo’s side on 27% of their possessions, favoring the other two-thirds of the field for most of the game, but even so, Angulo was still involved in both the first and fourth goals, being a step late to get back to prevent a pass to José Cifuentes, who assisted the first goal, and then not controlling a pass and turning it over to Toronto, which led to Deandre Kerr scoring Toronto’s fourth goal. Angulo is most valuable when Orlando City has a lead, and as the Lions were chasing all game long, I thought he did a good job trying to be more offensive, but that is not his strong suit. He completed 20 of 21 passes (95.2%), including three key passes, and also contributed one tackle and one clearance before coming off for César Araújo after 62 minutes.

MF, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Once again the Transylvania University graduate showed off his well-rounded game, playing the first half as a defensive central midfielder and then the second half as past of what amounted to be a three man back line, with Freeman pushed up even more than usual and Smith playing similar to where Brekalo usually played when he started at left back. Like many of his teammates though, he just was a little off his game, in particular in the first half when he decided to shoot from just outside the box instead of passing to a wide-open Freeman, and in the second half, when tried to muscle Theo Corbeanu off the ball but failed, and then Toronto scored moments later after Corbeanu’s cross made its way to Mihailovic. While it was not one of his better games, he looked better than Marín when he was playing in the back. If Jansson does not return and Araújo is healthy enough to start, I wonder if Smith might get the start at left back in the play-in game. Smith completed 93.2% of his passes and added two tackles, one interception, two clearances, and one blocked shot.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 4.5 — Atuesta’s performance was not as poor as Gallese’s, but I think both were among the poorest of the season for each player, as it seemed like on nearly every 50/50 decision the Colombian chose the wrong play. He was less accurate than usual with his passes, completing 83.9%, and despite having a team-high 0.64 expected goals, he was unable to place any shots on target (usually getting them blocked), let alone score a goal. Defensively he was active, with two tackles, one interception, and two clearances, but he also committed a team-high four fouls and was lucky to not be booked for some fouls that were clearly borne of frustration in the second half. He played 87 minutes before making way for Colin Guske in a like-for-like swap in the game’s final minutes.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — The Croatian gave what he could after flying across the ocean to rejoin the team after the international window before being taken off with the Lions trailing by three goals with approximately 30 minutes left on the clock. During his minutes he was the most dangerous Lion, and had some of his six shots flown just a foot or so differently, he might have had a brace or even a hat trick. Alas he was not clinical enough on Saturday, ending up with no goals. However, he placed a cross on a platter for Brekalo in the second half to pick up an assist. Pašalić was also involved in a play that completely changed the game, throwing a hand up to protect his face and handling the ball while doing so. That is not supposed to be called a handball, but one was called anyway, and Toronto scored on the free kick and doubled its lead. On the whole, he put in a solid shift, completing 75% of his passes, including his one assist, and making one tackle before coming off for Luis Muriel in the 62nd minute.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6 — Orlando City’s leading scorer is in a slump, with only three goal contributions in the team’s last 10 games. Despite taking six shots and making five key passes, he did not contribute to either goal against Toronto. He completed 85.7% of his passes and frequently made runs behind the defense to get open in the left side of the box, but like many of his teammates he did not have his best offensive stuff, although he put a team-high three shots on target on his team-high six shot attempts. Orlando City’s playoff run will be short if he cannot break out of this slump, so hopefully the change from regular season to postseason will energize Ojeda and we will see the player we saw for most of the season when the Lions take the field in Chicago.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — Few forwards in the league play with the energy and passion of the former Creighton player, and that was on display again in this game. Even when his team was down by three goals, he made a lung-busting 60-yard run to get back to try to slow down a Toronto attack. Late in the game he made an excellent run in the box and smashed a pass from Freeman past Sean Johnson to cut the Toronto lead in half. In a game of huge magnitude the coaching staff trusted McGuire to start over Muriel. Based on how both players played, that was the right decision. It could have been even more impactful, but a call in the first half did not go Orlando City’s way after McGuire was brought down in the box. Many penalties have been given for less (often against Orlando City), and had the call on the field been for a penalty, it would have been hard to overturn due to the presence of an arm on McGuire’s back. Alas, that call did not go Big Dunc’s way, but he finished with four key passes and one goal, putting both of his shots on target. He looks back to full health as the calendar turns to playoff season.

Substitutes

MF, Tyrese Spicer (46′), 5.5 — Orlando City turned to Spicer earlier than usual, in hopes that he would once again be a supersub and help the Lions find some offense against his former team. Perhaps there was something he did not like about playing at BMO Field though, because he did not look like the player we have seen in recent weeks, completing only 10 passes at an 83.3% clip and taking three shots (one on target) but never really threatening to score.

F, Luis Muriel, (63′), 4.5 — By the time the Designated Player entered the fray the game was nearly out of hand. Muriel did not bring his “A” game with him to Toronto, completing only eight passes at a 72.7% rate and losing the ball multiple times off the dribble. He was not credited with a secondary assist on McGuire’s goal, but he should be, because his one positive moment was the 1-2 connection with Freeman that led to the second Orlando goal. Muriel generally performs better in longer stints than shorter ones, and that was evident against the Reds as he just never seemed to get into the flow of the game.

MF, César Araújo, (63′), 5.5 — The Uruguayan finally made his return to the field, but the game was effectively over by the time he entered. Despite only playing 28 minutes, Araújo completed 31 passes (at an 88.6% completion rate), putting him on pace for exactly 100 over a full 90 minutes. He only had one defensive contribution, an interception, but he looked healthy, pressing high at full speed and running well in his return from a back injury.

D, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (79′), NA — Orlando City swapped one utility player for another, with Thórhallsson coming on for Smith and taking over on the back line. He had one real opportunity to impact the match, but he was unable to take a pass from Freeman and put it on frame, despite being in a good shooting position. He completed 14 passes during his short stint on the field, connecting on 87.5% of his attempts. Just as with Smith, I wonder if the coaching staff will consider him for a start at left back for Wednesday’s game against Chicago if Jansson is unavailable.

MF, Colin Guske, (87′), NA — The 18-year-old came on for Atuesta for the game’s final three minutes and stoppage time and completed all nine passes to finish with a perfect 100% completion rate.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s disappointing 4-2 loss to Toronto. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s enjoyable 4-1 victory over Charlotte.

Published

31 minutes ago

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April 23, 2026

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Image of Ignacio Gomez celebrating his first MLS goal against Charlotte FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City got a much-needed victory on Wednesday night, demolishing Charlotte 4-1 and looking nothing like a bottom-of-the-Eastern-Conference squad. The Lions took an early lead, gave it away with some sloppy set-piece defending, but then rebounded and delivered a thorough beatdown in the second half. More nights like this, please and thank you.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Young Bench

Every player on the bench for Orlando City was at some point in their career primarily an Orlando City B player, and seven of the eight players had played minutes for the Young Lions in 2026. Only Colin Guske has not logged any minutes for OCB this season, though based on recent starting lineups and substitution choices for the senior team, he also may drop down to MLS NEXT Pro to get some minutes in the upcoming weeks. The kids in the hall on the bench were all right too, with Ignacio Gómez coming off the bench to score his first MLS goal, Tahir Reid-Brown showing his attacking ability up the left side, and Bernardo Rhein making his debut appearance at the senior level. There was a different, youthful, energy in the air at Inter&Co Stadium against Charlotte, and that energy definitely helped carry Orlando City to a victory.

Their First Samba

The Orlando City starting lineup featured all three of Orlando City’s Brazilian MLS U22 Initiative signings — the first time the three had started together for the Lions. This is clearly what Ricardo Moreira and the front office had envisioned during the off-season, and their vision was rewarded by the three young Brazilians on Wednesday night. Tiago was a menace down the left side of the field and should have been awarded a secondary assist for his work setting up the game’s first goal. Iago was once again solid in the center of defense, as he has been ever since Robin Jansson returned, and Luis Otávio scored the goal that Tiago had set up, giving Orlando City a home lead and injecting some confidence into a team that sorely needed it. All three of these players are now serious threats to seize the starting roles at their positions, and it will be interesting to see what happens as the veterans who play those positions return from injury.

Just How They Drew It Up

I do not think I am going out very far on a limb to say that Zakaria Taifi has never been less responsible for an assist that he was credited for, as while yes, Taifi was the last player to touch the ball before Otávio scored, but in no way, shape, or form was the young academy graduate trying to play the ball to Otávio. Tiago had made a 50-yard run up the left side of the field after receiving a pass from Adrián Marin, and his cross was perfectly placed for Taifi to volley it home. The Orlando native swung his left leg through but mistimed the connection, hitting the ball with the outside of his foot and sending his shot hurtling backwards toward the middle of the field. Otávio was waiting there alone, however, and trapped the ball down and then hit a trivela with his right foot that completely fooled Kristijan Kahlina. The play did not look pretty, but the scoreboard afterwards did, as the Lions had an early lead.

B Is For Brace

The off-season acquisition of Braian Ojeda added a second Ojeda to the Orlando City roster, and as a result, the back of the Paraguayan’s jersey reads B. Ojeda. On Wednesday night, however, Martín Ojeda scored two goals, giving us a different type of B. Ojeda to talk about — a b…race for Ojeda. OK, OK, that was a serious stretch, and speaking of a serious stretch, even with his own full extension stretch, Charlotte’s Kahlina was unable to keep Ojeda’s curling free kick out of the bottom corner of the net. That was Ojeda’s second goal, and on his first goal Kahlina did not even make an attempt to stretch and save the shot, because the Argentinean took Justin Ellis’ pass and lifted it up and into the far corner, leaving the Charlotte goalkeeper no chance. It was great to see the Ojeda of 2025 make an appearance in 2026, and hopefully those two goals kick him into gear.

Mest Värdefulla Spelaren

For those of you who do not speak Swedish (didn’t you watch The Muppets and learn from the Swedish Chef?), that headline translates to Most Valuable Player, which Jansson has been for the Lions since he returned against Columbus. The Beefy Swede led the game with 10 defensive contributions, including eight clearances, but it is really more about how his return has completely changed the defense for Orlando City. Iago looks settled and confident next to Jansson, and after a series of struggles early in his Orlando City career, all of a sudden Marin does as well. Martin Ojeda scored two goals and was excellent on the offensive side of the ball, but it is Jansson who stabilized the team and who helped the Lions stymy a Charlotte team that had won four of its most recent five games. Everyone seems more confident now with the captain back and commanding the back line, and he looks like he is completely healed from his injury and ready to help the Lions try to turn this season around.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s dominating victory over its Eastern Conference rivals. The Lions will not have long to celebrate, however, as they travel to the nation’s capital to play D.C. United on Saturday. A win this weekend would give them their first winning streak of the season and jump them over United in the standings, so I recommend that they enjoy this victory and then go get another one and never look back.

Let us know your thoughts about the Charlotte match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/23/26

Orlando City wins big against Charlotte FC, Javier Otero receives praise, Young Lions sign short-term contracts, and more.

Published

4 hours ago

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April 23, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We might have to start petitioning for all of Orlando City’s games to be moved to Wednesdays as the Lions have won a midweek game for the second consecutive week. This one was a much more exciting affair to boot, and it does feel a bit like a shot in the arm this morning. Let’s go ahead and get to the win and more in today’s links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Crushes Charlotte FC

The Lions hosted Charlotte FC and claimed all three points in a 4-1 victory, snapping a four-game winless streak in league play. Luis Otavio scored his first goal as a Lion to give Orlando the lead, but Charlotte managed to equalize later in the first half. The second half belonged to Orlando though, as Martin Ojeda took over and Robin Jansson anchored the defense to prevent a comeback. It’s only the third time this year that the Lions have scored multiple goals in a match and hopefully they can keep that attacking momentum going when they travel to play D.C. United on Saturday.

Javier Otero Earns Praise After U.S. Open Cup Win

Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero came up with big saves to help the Lions win 1-0 against FC Naples in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 earlier this month and his performance earned him a spot on the bench of the Team of the Round. He was also nominated for Save of the Round for his diving save to parry away a low strike, and voting will remain open until 8:30 p.m. tonight, so be sure to vote! Tyrese Spicer’s impressive strike wasn’t nominated for Goal of the Round, but you can vote on that award as well.

Young Lions Sign Short-Term Contracts

Orlando City B players Ignacio Gomez and Bernardo Rhein were signed to short-term contracts with the first team and both came off the bench for the Lions Wednesday night. Gomez, who made his MLS debut on Saturday, capitalized on his time on the field by scoring his first goal as a Lion. The pair of Young Lions will be available for Saturday’s game against D.C. United too, as the Lions are dealing with a rash of injuries that have tested their depth. Gomez is with Orlando on loan from Velez Sarsfield II, while Rhein has made 24 appearances with OCB as he continues to develop his game.

USWNT Will Face El Salvador in Concacaf W Championship

The schedule and matchups for this year’s Concacaf W Championship were revealed and the United States Women’s National Team will take on El Salvador in the quarterfinals on Nov. 27. This tournament will also notably serve as qualifying for both the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. The four semifinalists will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the two finalists and third-place nation will secure an Olympic spot, though the U.S. already has as host. Orlando Pride forward Solai Washington and Jamaica will play against Costa Rica with a World Cup berth on the line, with the winner facing the victor between the U.S. and El Salvador in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Dominate Second Half in Victory

A three-goal explosion after halftime lifted Orlando City to a much-needed win at home.

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12 hours ago

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April 22, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda taking a free kick against Charlotte.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

A dominant second half lifted Orlando City to a 4-1 win over Charlotte FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight, powered by a Martin Ojeda brace. The Lions (2-6-1, 7 points) played a solid first half, but the second half was the club’s best of the year so far, as Orlando blasted the Eastern Conference’s third-best team entering the match. Luis Otavio and Ignacio Gomez each added their first MLS goal as the Lions’ previously sleepy offense exploded.

Morrison Agyemang scored the lone goal for Charlotte (4-3-2, 14 points).

“Today, we had eight players injured out,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said “And I think this is our way. This is our identity. This is who we are. Again, we didn’t win anything today. We didn’t lose anything past games. This (season) is long. The more time we have, the better we can do things on and off the field. But in this industry, and in life in general, it’s about time. So, every time we have one more session, every time we have one more game, we should be developing our team.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi. Braian Ojeda and Otavio started in central midfield with Ivan Angulo and Tiago on the wings with Martin Ojeda and Justin Ellis leading the attack. Tyrese Spicer missed the match due to illness.

Tonight’s offensive explosion could hardly have been less expected. The Lions entered with one of the worst attacks in MLS, scoring just six times in the first eight matches before unloading four on Charlotte in one game and three of those in one half. The teams played more or less evenly in the first half before the Lions charged out of the break to seize control of the game.

The first 15 minutes of the match were cagey, with the two sides feeling each other out but not producing much in the final third. Ellis’ spinning shot well off frame in the 12th minute was Orlando’s first sight of goal, but not much of one.

Charlotte’s first look was a good one in the 18th minute, when Ashley Westwood fired just over the bar on the recycle of a corner kick.

The Lions opened the scoring three minutes after Westwood fizzed his shot over the bar. Tiago sent in a great ball to Taifi from left to right. The Homegrown fullback attempted a volley shot but mishit it badly, sending it the other direction where Otavio collectied it outside the box. With no Charlotte player closing him down, the Brazilian took an inside-out shot that swerved inside the left post to make it 1-0. It was his first goal as a Lion.

“It was improvisation,” Otavio said. “It was the way the ball came. Instincts took over, and I hope to do that a lot more.”

Pep Biel chipped off target in the 28th minute, Wilfried Zaha had his shot from the top of the area blocked moments later, and Crepeau denied Rodolfo Aloko at the near side of the net from a tight angle seconds after that as Charlotte looked for a way back into the match.

But it was a foul on Otavio in the 32nd minute that set up the visitors with a dangerous free kick just above the penalty area on the right. Biel sent a good back-post ball to Morrison Agyemang, who overpowered Braian Ojeda and headed in to make it 1-1 in the 33rd minute.

The Lions had a chance to snatch that goal right back two minutes later on a good attacking move. Taifi ended up with the ball on the right with Tiago racing toward the left post. Taifi opted to shoot but didn’t make good contact on the shot, allowing Kristijan Kahlina to make the save.

Agyemang headed off target in the 44th minute on a Charlotte corner kick, and shortly thereafter, the teams went to the break even at a goal apiece.

Charlotte had the halftime advantage in possession (52.1%-47.9%), shots (8-6), and passing accuracy (89.8%-86.6%), while each team fired two shots on target and earned two corners.

Orlando’s second-half dominance started early, as Martin Ojeda scored just four minutes after the restart. Ellis took a pass from Tiago on the left, but he didn’t have a path to goal. He spotted Ojeda’s run and fed a great pass that Ojeda smashed into the upper right corner with his first touch in the 49th minute to make it 2-1. Ellis’ assist was his first MLS goal contribution.

“It’s a special moment for me,” Ellis said about his first assist. “I think that play kind of sums my play style up, like I’m a striker by trade, but you know, I like to get my teammates involved.”

Like Orlando late in the first half, Charlotte had a chance to hit back quickly in the second. Aloko got down the right channel in the 54th minute and sent a wicked shot toward the near post but his attempt hit the outside netting.

The Lions should have extended the lead a minute later. Martin Ojeda sent a perfect pass through the defense for Angulo’s run, but the Colombian made a mess of his shot, firing it well wide of the right post.

Moments later, the Lions extended the lead anyway. A good switch of play by Otavio found Taifi in behind on the right side. Harry Toffolo tripped up the young fullback from behind, giving up a free kick in nearly the same place from which Charlotte had scored earlier. Both Ojedas stood over the ball, but it was Martin who smashed a low, hard, curling shot just inside the right post to make it 3-1 in the 61st minute. He curled the shot around Charlotte’s wall into a space that Iago had just vacated, giving Kahlina no chance to see it or stop it.

“The goal of ‘Tincho,’ the third goal, was crucial in the game, in my opinion, and I’m so happy for him, because he’s our DP, our number 10,” Perelman said. “He worked really hard, so humble. It’s amazing for our locker room, that guy, and he was able to appear in the moment we needed him. If you read the game as a story, that’s the moment of the story that the game changed.”

Charlotte again tried to hit back quickly, creating some chaos in Orlando’s penalty area. The trouble started on Orlando’s defensive right with a good cross into the area. Crepeau palmed it away but couldn’t control the rebound, which fell to Biel in the box. Tiago deflected his shot and the ball cycled to Aloko, who was offside on the play, ending the threat.

Iago had a free header on a free kick in the 69th minute but he failed to make good contact on it, squandering the chance to join the scoring party.

Martin Ojeda’s best chance to complete his hat trick came in the 70th minute when Taifi collected the ball on the right and sent the ball to the back side. Ojeda, however, did not make good contact with his shot on a ball that bounced a couple of yards before it reached him, sending it wide. Tiago then fired a weak shot from distance at Kahlina a minute later.

Charlotte made multiple attacking substitutions trying to find a way back into the game late. Crepeau’s teammates mostly kept him from facing much danger, but the Canadian international did well to track a back post header from Archie Goodwin in the 81st minute. Five minutes later, Wilfried Zaha sent a shot onto the roof of the net that took a slight deflection. Charlotte couldn’t pay off the ensuing corner.

The Lions put the game to bed just after that Charlotte set piece. Second-half sub Gomez got on the ball in the middle of the pitch and sent it to Angulo on his left, continuing his run. Angulo’s return pass sent the youngster in behind the Charlotte back line and Gomez finished like a veteran, scoring his first MLS goal in the 87th minute to kill the match.

Crepeau made one more save before the game concluded, doing well to move to his right and deny Kerwin Vargas’ free kick in stoppage time at the post. Moments later, the whistle blew on Orlando City’s second win of the season.

Charlotte finished with the edge in possession (52.2%-47.8%), shots (16-13), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (90%-86.5%). The Lions put more shots on target (6-5).

“Happy for the result, and happy for everyone in our club — fans, owners, managers, staff and the players, of course, because the effort the players did was amazing,” Perelman said. “For me, it’s the same message. We’re working. The team is growing. The players are doing an amazing effort. And I think we didn’t win the league today and we didn’t lose the league (three) days ago.”

“Obviously we haven’t been doing the best, but, you know, we always see every game as a new opportunity just get three points,” Ellis said. “And right now we don’t have a lot of time to train, so just playing these games is good for us, you know? So, we’re still improving. We’re still getting where we want to be, where we’re going to be.”

“This has to be one of the best games we’ve played so far,” Otavio added. “It just shows the depth, the strength, and the determination of the team, and we hope to continue this moving forward.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround with a road match at D.C. United coming up Saturday.

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