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

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.