Orlando City vs. FC Naples, U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Hold on for Dear Life vs. USL League One Side

It was anything but crisp, but it was a win, as Orlando City advanced in the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win over FC Naples on the road at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. Tyrese Spicer scored the game’s only goal early in the first half and Javier Otero made several huge stops in a terrible final half hour for the Lions to preserve the win. The Lions probably owe the biggest thanks to rookie center back Nolan Miller, who cleared a sure goal off the line in the second half on a close play.

Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman rotated his squad heavily, starting Otero in goal behind a back line of three center backs Adrian Marin, Miller, and David Brekalo. Tahir Reid-Brown and Zakaria Taifi played in the wingback spots with Luis Otavio and Braian Ojeda pairing in the central midfield. Up top, the Lions went with an attacking line of Yutaro Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Spicer.

The teams took a few minutes to settle into the match. Orlando’s first attack came five minutes in, when Taifi sent a centering pass into the area, but the defense cleared it away.

Chris Garcia had the first dangerous movement for FC Naples, blowing past Reid-Brown and dribbling across the top of the area, trying to clear himself to shoot. The defense was eventually able to clear it out despite some nervy moments.

Ellis won a free kick from distance in the 13th minute, but Tsukada wasted the set piece, getting way underneath it and sending it well out of play with a towering ball well over the crossbar.

FC Naples generated a great chance off the ensuing goal kick. On a direct ball down the pitch, Andres Ferrin beat Taifi and smashed a shot on goal. Otero was able to fight off the dangerous attempt in the 15th minute. The Lions were less than convincing on the ensuing corner kick defense but the ball went just over the line. The goal kick allowed Orlando to relieve the pressure.

Ellis got the first real look at goal for Orlando in the 18th minute but he didn’t hit his shot well and it deflected off a defender, bouncing harmlessly to goalkeeper Edward “Lalo” Delgado. The Lions, however struck seconds later.

Orlando City recovered the ball near midfield and went on the attack. Ojeda picked out Spicer outside the semicircle in the attacking end. The Trinidad & Tobago international touched it to his left and smashed a rocket from distance that Delgado could do nothing about, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. The goal snapped FC Naples’ 358-minute shutout streak.

FC Naples created the game’s next scoring chance in the 26th minute off a corner kick. Otero punched the ball out of the box, where Garcia ran onto it and smashed a wicked shot on goal. The Homegrown goalkeeper parried away the near-post effort to preserve the lead.

Taifi, who struggled on the defensive end in the first half against Ferrin, was able to create in the attacking half the few times he got forward, including in the 31st minute, when he laid off a pass for Tsukada on the break. FC Naples’ defense got to the ball ahead of Tsukada, however, knocking it out for a corner kick. A minute later, on the set piece, Tsukada’s service fell in the box for Spicer, who turned and sent a rocket toward goal that might have beaten Delgado had Kevin O’Connor not headed it away. Tsukada’s service on the ensuing corner went over everyone and out for a goal kick.

FC Naples continued to create danger. Garcia sent a hard cross into the area in the 38th that was knocked outside the box to Aiden Mesias. The Englishman fired a hard shot but it was well wide of the net. A minute later, Ferrin beat Taifi badly with a fake and cut inside, smashing a shot just inches wide of the left post.

Tsukada made a nice move to dance through multiple defenders on the left side in the 41st minute, but his cross was to the back post and Spicer was too central. Spicer committed a foul trying to win the race to the loose ball on the right side of the area. In the 42nd minute, Spicer’s long throw-in deflected to Ellis, but his touch was poor and it was ultimately knocked out for a corner. Tsukada’s service was poor on the set piece, allowing FC Naples to clear. Ojeda tried to fire it on the half-volley from distance, but he sent his shot well over the bar in the 43rd minute.

Orlando City’s last chance of the first half came in the 45th minute. Tsukada led a 3-v-3 break and sent a dangerous cross in front of goal, but it was too far out in front for Ellis to get a touch on it to tap it home.

The last look at goal went FC Naples’ way. Brekalo’s poor clearance fell to Ferrin just outside the top of the box. The Colombian cut to his right but sent his shot wide.

FC Naples held the halftime advantage in possession (58%-42%). Aside from that, stats were fairly even. Orlando City earned more corners (4-1) and attempted more shots (7-6), while both teams put two on target and passed with just 73% accuracy.

Colin Guske replaced Brekalo at the half, as the Slovenian had picked up a yellow card for persistent infringement. Rather than changing shape, Guske played the right center back position.

The Lions started the second half on the front foot, looking to put some breathing room between themselves and the USL League One side. Ojeda sent an ambitious effort off target two minutes after the restart. Spicer then sent a left-footed shot off the left post a minute later, coming inches from a brace and from doubling the lead.

Otavio did well to pick out Tsukada on the left in the 52nd minute. The winger sent a cross through the area at the top of the six, but none of his teammates made the run. A minute later, a takeaway by Otavio led to a quick counter in the attacking third. Tsukada made a nice play to beat the only defender and got his shot on frame, but Delgado made a big save to keep it a one-goal game.

In the 55th minute, it was Taifi making a nice run and getting the ball into the area, but his cross was behind Ellis and the defense got to the ball before Tsukada could get to it at the back post.

Ferrin sent another shot wide in the 58th minute as he continued to be the game’s most dangerous player.

Perelman sent on a trio of subs in the 59th minute and from that point on, FC Naples dominated. That was despite the fact that the substitutes were MLS veterans Martin Ojeda, Ivan Angulo, and Eduard Atuesta. From the time they stepped onto the field, the Lions struggled to keep the ball, break out of their end cleanly, and to finish their own chances at the other end on transition opportunities.

Otero saved his teammates repeatedly for defensive failures over the final half hour, starting with a 62nd-minute shot by Kevin O’Connor. The Naples attacker stepped right and fired a shot that was heading inside the right post. Otero dove and made a vital save.

Martin Ojeda’s best chance to impact the game came in the 64th minute. Taking the ball into the box on the left, the Designated Player went for power but just missed the upper 90 at the near post, sending a swerving effort fizzing just over the bar.

From that point on, it was nearly all one-way traffic and an endless series of set pieces for the hosts. The onslaught began in the 65th minute when Naples won a corner. Orlando failed to clear it and Garcia picked it up, firing a shot that forced another big stop by Otero.

A minute later, the Lions turned it over and Angulo conceded a free kick on Naples’ attacking right when a cross attempt hit his arm. O’Connor went for goal on the set piece and Otero knocked it over his crossbar to set up another corner.

On the ensuing set piece, Otero appeared to have plenty of time and space to catch the high cross. He instead opted to punch it away, and it was a costly decision, as FC Naples quickly won back possession and kept the pressure on, winning a corner. That led to the game’s most controversial call, and one FC Naples will feel aggrieved by.

Otero again couldn’t catch the cross on the next corner, and he didn’t punch it either. He didn’t get much on it as he palmed it away. The ball came off Dominick Bachstein in front and bounced toward goal behind Otero. Miller cleared the ball off the line. FC Naples celebrated as if it had gone in, but it appeared from the admittedly poor camera angle of the broadcast that Miller got to it before the entire ball crossed the line. It was a close play, and without video review, the call on the field stood, as neither the referee nor the assistant referee saw it as a goal.

After the play, Otero went down, either legitimately hurting, simply needing a breather, or to take some of the air out of Naples’ dominance. Perelman subbed Tiago on for Spicer.

Naples kept coming. Ferrin tied Taifi in knots again, cut inside, and fired another hard shot toward goal in the 77th minute. The shot didn’t miss by much, skipping across the top of the net. A minute later, Taifi’s late challenge gifted Naples a free kick near the left sideline. Orlando didn’t clear it decisively and the ball found Garcia again. The forward smashed another shot toward goal and Otero saved it again, denying Garcia at the near post.

Orlando generated a half-chance in the 80th minute in a rare attacking moment, but Tiago’s header from the left sailed wide of the right post.

The hosts came right back the other way and this time Guske conceded an unnecessary set piece. The free kick resulted in a free header inside the area but it floated well over the crossbar in the 82nd minute.

Orlando couldnt get out of its own way, even when the Lions had the ball. Marin decided to dribble forward in the 85th minute, but as FC Naples’ press closed on him, the Spaniard kept the ball too long. His eventual pass attempt was blocked in behind him, igniting a quick Naples counter. Miller saved his teammate some blushes by blocking Ferrin’s shot.

Taylor Gray was left alone for a free header on the ensuing corner kick and he put his shot on target, but he hit it toward the center of goal, where Otero caught it to save his teammates again in the 86th minute.

Orlando did well down the stretch to waste some time on restarts and by winning a series of corner kicks and playing the ball back out off a Naples player. Gray’s header was the last good look at goal for either side and the Lions were able to see out seven minutes of stoppage time that grew to nearly 10 before the final whistle mercifully blew.

FC Naples finished with the advantage in possession (53%-47%), shots (20-17), shots on target (8-4). Orlando City passed slightly more accurately (77%-73%), and each team won eight corner kicks.

In the end, Otero’s eight saves and Miller’s last-ditch clearance combined with Spicer’s goal to make the difference, but had the Bachstein goal counted, it may have changed things dramatically. As it is, the Lions avoided a “cupset” and live to face MLS competition in the Round of 16.

The Lions are back in MLS action Saturday night at home when the Houston Dynamo visit Inter&Co Stadium. In the U.S. Open Cup, the Lions will travel to face the New England Revolution on April 28 or 29.