Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Lose on Foolish Penalty

A foul on captain Robin Jansson led to the winning penalty kick goal for Robert Lewandowski as Orlando City (6-11-3, 21 points) fell 2-1 at home to the Chicago Fire (11-6-2, 35 points) tonight in a wet match in front of 20,102 at Inter.co Stadium. The visitors struck early in the game on a poor clearance through Puso Dithejane and the game stayed that way until a lengthy weather delay late in the first half. Once play resumed, Orlando pulled level on a set piece goal by David Brekalo, but the defensive mistake allowed the visitors to take all three points home.

The Lions are winless in their last two home league games (0-1-1) and their last four at home in all competitions (0-2-2).

“Of course, disappointed with the result. Very, very disappointed because we were playing at home and we want to win,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “I think it was a game that we could have done a different result. It’s over. Nothing to do. We played against a good team. We couldn’t score (on the) chances we created. They were effective.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Jansson, Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield between Ivan Angulo and Tyrese Spicer out wide with Justin Ellis and Antoine Griezmann leading the attack.

Orlando City looked to control possession and work combinations to get chances. It nearly worked right off the jump with Dorsey taking a pass in the middle near the top of the box. His first touch popped up on him and the fullback tried a shot on the half volley, but he made poor contact and sent his shot well wide of the left post in the second minute.

Unfortunately, the Fire took the lead two minutes later. Chicago attacked down the left and Jonathan Bamba sent a cross to the right to Lewandowski, who easily lost track of a ball-watching Marin. Lewandowski headed it back across the box where Brekalo failed to clear it and David Poreba picked it up and found Dithejane. No Lions closed him down and the forward smashed a goal inside the right post to open the scoring.

Much of Orlando’s first-half success getting into the final third involved sending Spicer down the left flank, but the speedy forward lacked precision and timing on his crosses throughout the half. His first chance came in the 12th minute, when he blazed down the left channel and was too impatient to hold play up for his teammates. Instead, he sent a cross way too far out in front of Angulo, who made a lung-busting run to try to get to the back post.

Chicago’s defense was excellent in coverage throughout the half, blocking several shots, including a drive from Griezmann in the 17th and attempts from Ellis in the 31st and 34th minutes. The latter set up Orlando’s first corner, and although the ball was headed back and forth across the box by both teams, it eventually went behind for a second corner. Chicago cleared on the second one.

Chicago nearly got a cheap second goal in the 37th minute when Marin fell asleep and didn’t track Dithejane’s run from midfield. Dithejane tried to beat Crepeau from distance, but the Canadian international made a diving save.

Orlando finally got an attempt on target in the 41st minute on a long-distance free kick. Griezmann’s ball into the area found Brekalo, but Chris Brady was able to save the defender’s header. Two minutes later, space opened up for Griezmann outside the box. The Frenchman tried to pick out the inside of the right post from distance but Brady made a good diving save.

The thunderstorm that had been coming for a few minutes finally arrived, and referee Rosendo Mendoza sent the teams to the locker rooms for inclement weather just two minutes and 10 seconds from halftime.

After the lengthy delay for lightning of nearly two hours, the game resumed with Tiago, Zakaria Taifi, and Marco Pasalic replacing Spicer, Marin, and Cartagena. The Lions nearly equalized in the couple of minutes remaining in the first half when Dorsey sent an entry ball through the box. Griezmann flicked it on toward the back post but Tiago couldn’t quite get to it at the back post, and moments later, the teams took a short break for halftime.

At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (50.5%-49.5%), shots (9-4), and corners (2-0). Chicago led in passing accuracy (89.5%-89.2%). Both teams put two shots on target.

The Lions started the second half brightly, looking to combine but not creating much. Pasalic made a difference as an active player working well off of Dorsey outside and inside to Griezmann, Ellis, and Angulo. The Croatian created a corner kick with a cross that was blocked behind and Orlando made it pay off.

Griezmann sent in a good cross on the set piece. Brekalo made a diagonal run from left to right through the box before rising and meeting the delivery, flicking it past Brady to pull Orlando level in the 52nd minute.

Rather than energizing Orlando, the goal seemed to wake Chicago up. The Fire started keeping more of the ball and winning set pieces from that possession. Taifi, playing on his weaker left side on the back line, was repeatedly taken advantage of by Chicago. The Homegrown defender gave up an unnecessary free kick near the sideline in the 58th minute, then got burned in the 62nd minute, allowing his man to get to the end line before slipping a pass through Jansson’s legs that Brekalo knocked away for a corner. The Lions dealt with the set piece.

Lewandowski changed the game in the 66th minute when he made a good run between defenders and got onto a through ball on the left. From a tight angle as he approached the end line, it seemed the Chicago star would either have to settle for a low-percentage shot or turn wide and look for help, but Jansson gambled that he could get the ball cleanly and lost. Sliding in to try to nick the ball from behind in his own penalty area, the Swede got Lewandowski’s foot and conceded a penalty. Lewandowski took the spot kick himself, sending Crepeau left and putting it just inside the post on the other side to make it 2-1 in the 69th minute.

From that point on, Orlando City wasted the chances it created and Chicago looked for opportunities to come forward in transition and kill the game.

Angulo fizzed a shot just over the bar in the 73rd minute, although Brady had it covered as the effort was right down the middle.

Dorsey did well to block a Lewandowski shot from just inside the top of the area in the 75th minute after Taifi got baited into stepping up, leaving room behind for the Fire to break. Taifi got beat again down the left side a minute later, but Jansson was there to block the cross behind for a corner, and it nearly paid off for the Lions rather than the Fire.

Orlando cleared the corner kick cross and second-half sub Daryl Dike played it into space for Griezmann near midfield. Griezmann was caught from behind by Jonathan Dean, but he held the defender off long enough and sent a shot just wide of the right post.

Much of the rest of the game consisted of a bit of hero ball, with Orlando looking to play long balls over the top that weren’t connecting or firing hopeful shots from long range. Pasalic created space for himself from about 25 yards out in the 81st minute but blazed his shot just over the bar. Dike tried his luck from outside the box four minutes later, but he too missed the target. Pasalic shook free near the top of the area in the 88th minute, and although he got his shot on frame this time, he sent his effort straight at Brady for a comfortable save.

The Lions could do nothing with the six minutes of added time except send long balls over everyone and out of play, and the game came to an end.

At the final whistle, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (55%-45%), shots (17-6), shots on target (4-3), and passing accuracy (89.7%-86%). Both teams won three corners in the match.

“We started not as precise as we want, then we were able to to improve a little bit,” Perelman said. “We couldn’t score. It’s not easy, of course, to score. We were there, creating some chances. Some ones more clear than other ones, and then again, they found those goals in those situations. They have talented players. Game over.”

Orlando City has yet another quick turnaround as Real Salt Lake visits on Saturday.