Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Throw Away Two Points on Game’s Last Kick

New York City FC needed every one of the nine minutes of stoppage time added on at the end of a 2-2 draw with Orlando City at Inter.co Stadium tonight. Jonathan Shore’s goal in the ninth added minute allowed NYCFC (8-12-11, 35 points) to steal two vital points from the Lions (12-13-2, 46 points) at the death in yet another late collapse by Orlando.

It was a missed opportunity for the Lions to gain ground in the playoff race as Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda led Orlando back from an early 1-0 hole to a second-half lead that lasted up until Shore’s strike at the last possible second.

In the end, the Lions were probably fortunate even to get a point from this game after squandering some open headers early and surviving a missed NYCFC penalty kick late in the game. Maxime Crepeau made several vital saves 1-v-1 on chances the visitors created with direct play, and Orlando didn’t manage a shot over the game’s final half hour.

“It was a tough night. We couldn’t find what we usually find, especially at home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “For moments, yes, but not overall. Of course, it wasn’t the best night, so that’s it. No more than that.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Vinicius Nogueira, Iago, David Brekalo, and Ivan Angulo. Defensive midfielders Wilder Cartagena, Braian Ojeda, and Eduard Atuesta joined Justin Ellis in the midfield with Martin Ojeda and Griezmann up top.

Orlando tried to get on the front foot first, with Martin Ojeda taking the ball away in the attacking third and winning an early corner kick. Angulo did well to pick out Griezmann with a perfect cross in the sixth minute, but the Frenchman headed his hard shot right at goalkeeper Matt Freese, who appeared to be in obvious discomfort afterward, despite it appearing like a routine save.

But the Lions began giving the ball away cheaply in bad areas and New York City was able to carve the defense open with probing long balls for Martinez to run onto, as Iago was both slow to read the danger and too slow to recover once Martinez got in behind. The first instance came in the 10th minute, with Crepeau coming out to cut off the angle. Martinez tried to chip him but the shot landed on the roof of the net. Martinez recorded New York City FC’s first five shot attempts of the match.

Crepeau made a good save on Martinez two minutes later when Martinez again got in behind on a long pass.

Moments later, Orlando had the ball in its own third and Iago gave it away in his own penalty area. Iago was able to recover enough to block Martinez’s shot from near the penalty spot. Four minutes later, the Lions finally got burned after playing with fire for several minutes.

Martinez ran onto a ball in from Agustin Ojeda on his left. Crepeau got a touch on it but couldn’t prevent it from reaching Martinez in front, who swept it in to make it 1-0 in the 18th minute.

Atuesta tries his luck from long range in the 23rd minute. He got all of his shot but it was always rising and missed the target.

Crepeau made another huge save a minute later on a shot by Agustin Ojeda in front.

Freese had to come off just after that save. Trainers came on and appeared to be looking at his shoulder. Tomas Romero came in to replace him in the 28th minute.

Nogueira, like Griezmann earlier, headed straight at the goalkeeper in the 30th minute. Ellis provided a perfect cross, but the Brazilian hit it straight at Romero. A minute later, Martin Ojeda sent in a good ball for Ellis in front, but the defense blocked it in front of goal.

The Lions drew level in the 32nd minute. Martin Ojeda sent in another gorgeous cross from the far left. Griezmann just had to get it on target, and he powered his 13th goal of the season past Romero to make it 1-1. Martin Ojeda equaled Mauricio Pereyra for the club’s all-time assist mark (47) on the play.

Shortly after the goal, Atuesta gave up a silly free kick near the left corner. The ball in front found Thiago Martins, but he didn’t make good contact and Crepeau was able to save the

Nico Fernandez Mercau put the ball in the net behind Crepeau in the 39th minute but he was well offside on the play and the flag came up immediately.

Orlando survived a couple of late turnovers by Cartagena and got to the locker room tied at 1-1.

At the break, the visitors led most of the statistical categories including possession (53.7%-46.3%), shots (8-6), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (91.4%-89.9%). Each team put three shots on target in the opening period.

Cartagena conceded an unnecessary set piece early in the second half and former Lion Andres Perea got to it first, but his flicked header skipped wide of the right post in the 47th minute.

Two minutes later, the Lions took the lead. Angulo’s cross in from the right found Nogueira but all he could do was head it backward to the left side. Martin Ojeda was waiting for it there and smashed it inside the right post to make it 2-1.

“We trained this one,” said Nogueira, who picked up his first Orlando City assist. “And today it worked. Ivan crossed the ball. I headed for Tincho and he scored. It was really good.”

Ellis had his shot blocked in the 59th minute to set up a corner kick. Romero palmed away the ball into the box, but only as far as Martin Ojeda, who tried a half-volley shot but hd didn’t strike it true, sending it into the seats.

Much of the rest of the game consisted of NYCFC sending dangerous long balls that often beat Orlando defenders. Crepeau made some huge saves in the second half, beginning in the 66th minute when Cartagena got beaten down the sideline, giving Martinez a free run toward goal. Crepeau cut down the angle and threw out a hand to block the shot. Two minutes later, Atuesta gave the ball away at midfield to ignite the break and again Crepeau came up big to deny Hannes Wolf.

Substitute Talles Magno got in behind both Brekalo and Cartagena in the 78th minute and the latter made contact with the attacker in the box, taking him down. Referee Elijio Arreguin pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty. Magno took the spot kick himself, but shot before the referee signaled the ready for play, slotting it just inside the left post, although Crepeau knew the play was dead and made no effort to stop it. When they re-spotted the ball, Magno fired off the outside of the same post, missing a golden chance to pull his team level in the 81st minute.

Two minutes later, Perea made a well-timed run onto a cross but sent his shot just wide of the left post.

As time wound down, Orlando struggled to clear its defensive end or to string together multiple passes to take off the pressure. NYCFC won several set pieces, but couldn’t do much with them.

The fourth official showed nine added minutes on his board, which seemed excessive as there had been just one goal, a few multi-player subs, and not much in the way of actual injuries. Crepeau needed about a minute for treatment down the stretch, but there was nothing excessive. Even the penalty was clear-cut and didn’t require a lengthy review.

New York City FC didn’t create much until the final few seconds of that ninth minute, despite having multiple corners and free kicks. Angulo was beaten badly down the defensive left by Tayvon Gray, who put the ball into the six, where it deflected to James Sands. The defender passed back to Shore outside the box, and no one was able to close him down. The shot had eyes, finding its way through traffic and just inside the left post to make it 2-2.

“Unfortunately they tied on the last play,” Perelman said. “That hurts a lot, but it’s time to digest it.”

The final whistle blew at the restart, sealing a postseason-jeopardizing two dropped points for Orlando.

At full time, NYCFC had a stranglehold on the stat sheet, finishing with the advantage in possession (53.7%-46.3%), shots (17-9), shots on target (6-4), corners (9-3), and passing accuracy (91%-87%).

“We like to win at home. We don’t like this,” Perelman said. “And we do our best. Sometimes these things happen. The opponent plays. They have good players, and that’s it.”

Braian Ojeda, who made his first start since returning from foot surgery, said he was happy to get back in the starting XI tonight, but said he was frustrated with the result.

“We have to keep working hard and keep looking at the the matches in front of us that we have to finish out the regular season,” he added. “Obviously, there’s still some adjustments that we have to make on those details.”

With the draw, Orlando remains clinging to seventh place, edging FC Cincinnati on the wins tiebreaker, blowing a chance to pull within two points of Philadelphia, which lost to New England. The Lions also fell within reach of the New York Red Bulls, who sit three points back after beating Inter Miami tonight.

All three of Orlando’s remaining opponents are above the Eastern Conference playoff line, and all three are among the top four teams in the conference.

The Lions begin a brutal two-game road swing on Wednesday when they visit the Chicago Fire.