Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Get Pounded in Philly

Orlando City seems a longshot to hold onto a playoff spot if the Lions continue playing on the road. Once again, the Lions (10-13-4, 34 points) leaked goals at an alarming rate in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union (11-10-6, 39 points) at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Milan Iloski scored three goals and could have had more. Indiana Vassilev also scored for the Union, who built a 4-0 lead before Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda scored late to spoil the shutout and make the final score more respectable.

Orlando City has conceded 18 goals in the last six road matches as the team continues to struggle defensively on the road. The Lions have lost their last three games in all competitions and have given up 10 goals in those three matches.

“We found ourselves losing the first half. I think we didn’t perform well, and then we concede that early goal in the second half, and mistakes that happen, and the game became a little far away for us,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “And then again, I think we we couldn’t perform as we wanted. We pushed in the second half, scored twice, not good enough, not enough in general. That’s it.”

Perelman’s lineup during this international window featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi. Joran Gerbet and Eduard Atuesta lined up in central midfield between wingers Angulo and Ojeda with Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann — returning from a thigh injury — up top.

The script seemed to be written for a Union victory right from the start. Bernardo Rhein’s early shot came off Japhet Sery Larsen’s arm with the game barely five minutes old. The long review by the video assistant referee went Philadelphia’s way with the broadcast team stating incredulously that the ball came off Sery Larsen’s chest first.

The Union were awarded a penalty a few minutes later. The Lions cleared a set piece and the recycled ball found Iloski on the left. Atuesta tried to defend him as he entered the box and Iloski went down easily. What contact there was between the two players’ feet took place outside the box but video assistant referee upheld the call on the pitch again, which went the hosts’ way. Iloski fired home the penalty to make it 1-0 in the 11th minute.

Crepeau kept the Union’s lead at a goal in the 16th minute with a save on Vassilev’s shot from the top of the box. However, that reprieve lasted just a minute as the Lions set up Philadelphia’s second goal moments later.

Taifi got down the right flank and had a clear opportunity to put Dike in behind the defense, but the Homegrown defender sent his pass straight at Nathan Harriel with seemingly acres of space into which to play the ball. Wagner quickly knocked it forward to Vassilev. One more pass put Iloski behind a spectating Iago and Iloski had only Crepeau to beat, which he did.

Iloski had a golden opportunity to complete his hat trick just two minutes later. Angulo’s wayward soft back pass was nowhere near a teammate and the Union quickly pounced and countered. Philadelphia cycled the ball from right to left to Iloski, who fired just wide of the left post in the 21st minute. The Union then won a couple of corners but could do nothing with them.

Ojeda set up the Union counterattack in the 29th minute trying to send a pass quickly back to Griezmann, who had not expected to get the ball right back. Philadelphia’s attack ended up with Quinn Sullivan, but Jansson blocked his shot and Crepeau caught the cross on the ensuing corner.

Sullivan sent a one-hop shot to Crepeau in the 32nd minute on the Union’s next look at goal.

Orlando went the other way and finally looked to have something brewing in the attack, but a hard cross through the box was just out of Griezmann’s and Dike’s reach.

Jovan Lukic fired wide of Crepeau’s goal a minute later after being left alone in space just outside the area.

Down the final stretch of minutes, the Lions survived giveaways by Iago and Jansson in their own end and the halftime whistle mercifully came at last for Orlando City.

At the break, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (57.4%-42.6%) and passing accuracy (81%-78%). Philadelphia held important lopsided advantages in shots (12-2) and shots on target (4-0), in addition to winning more corners (5-3).

The Lions wasted no time digging their hole even deeper after the restart. Orlando looked like it would break three on three but Andrew Rick came off his line to cut off Ojeda’s diagonal ball intended for Angulo. The Union went the other way and scored a third.

Ojeda’s turnover set up a Union break in the defensive third and Iago failed his clearance attempt, allowing the Union to keep the ball. The hosts sent the ball left for Vassilev who had no Lions anywhere near him. His shot deflected past Crepeau to make it 3-0 and put any comeback hopes to bed in the 47th minute.

Four minutes later, Iloski made it 4-0 and completed his hat trick, likely sewing up MLS Player of the Matchday in the process. The Lions were caught completely out of shape, leaving Iloski in acres of space just outside the area. The Union forward had plenty of time to pick out his spot and blast it past Crepeau in the 51st minute.

“We conceded eight goals in the last two games, which is not the average, of course, that we have been conceding during this semester,” Perelman said. “And when you analyze the goals and the situations, there is the information, and we will do the review and and we will work on it like we did in the past and like we are going to always do, because we always need to improve.”

With the game out of reach, Orlando finally got a couple of looks at goal on a wild scramble in the Philadelphia box. Ojeda and Dike each had a shot blocked in the melee, and the ball eventually cycled to Griezmann on the right, but the Frenchman fired just wide of the far post in the 53rd minute. Griezmann sent Dike down the right two minutes later but Harriel blocked his shot and then beat the big striker to the loose ball in the box.

Crepeau kept Sullivan from making things worse in the 61st minute off a terrible Iago giveaway in his defensive third. Sullivan was all alone on the goalkeeper, but the Canadian deflected it just wide.

The Lions again failed to connect in the box a few minutes later when Atuesta’s searching ball through the six found no teammates making the back-post run. Second-half sub Vinicius Nogueira, who made his Orlando City debut, fired over the bar on the half volley in the 70th minute.

Iloski attempted an audacious shot from 30 yards out moments later, looking for a fourth goal, but he sent the attempt off target.

Ojeda found space outside the box in the 76th minute, but he mishit his shot after spinning around, sending it well wide of the right post, grabbing his head in frustration after the miss.

The Lions spoiled the shutout just a couple of minutes later. The play started with one of Orlando’s best attacking moves in the night, which ended with Griezmann’s flick sending it to Dike in the middle. The big striker turned inside Sery Larsen, who fouled him and picked up a yellow card for it. Griezmann stood over the set piece but he sent it short to Angulo on the right rather than going for goal. Angulo blasted a shot past Rick to make it 4-1 in the 78th minute, giving the Colombian a goal in each of his last four MLS games and extending his career high in that category.

Griezmann sent second-half sub Harvey Sarajian down the left just after the goal, but the rookie tried crossing through the box without a clear path to a teammate and the Union intercepted.

Crepeau made some big saves down the stretch to keep the final score from becoming more embarrassing. Ezekiel Alladoh got free behind Iago in the 86th minute, only to see the Canadian deny his breakaway shot. Two minutes later, Crepeau again stopped Alladoh — this time from close range — as Orlando’s struggles to defend in space continued.

Ojeda capped the scoring in the 90th minute when Sarajian got to the end line on the right and squared it back across the box. Ojeda was there to pounce on it, tying the club’s career record for goals in all competitions (47) and making it 4-2. It was Ojeda’s third consecutive game with a goal.

The Lions had a couple of half chances in the seven added minutes, with Griezmann having a shot blocked out for a corner and a nice ball over the top from the Frenchman to Atuesta was just out of the Colombian’s reach. That was about it, and the final whistle brought Orlando’s third straight loss to an end.

At full time, Orlando City held the edge in possession (58.1%-41.9%) and passing accuracy (83.2%-76%). Philadelphia generated more shots (19-10) and shots on target (9-2). Corners were even at seven apiece.

“In summary, a tough game,” Perelman said. “Bad performance, yes. That’s it. But the effort of the players is there.”

“I think in the last, I’d say 30 minutes, the the squad did very well,” Nogueira said. “I think now we have to work these (upcoming) days and work for the next game. We have to to see what we have to do better.”

The Lions won’t play again until Oct. 10, when they’ll host the Columbus Crew.