Orlando City rallies to win MLS group
OC shows once again it can answer in clutch in match against Philly
Lions stay unbeaten in tournament, draw Philadelphia 1-1 to clinch top seed.
During Orlando City’s final match of the MLS is Back group stage, the Lions once again showed they are capable of completing a comeback.
The Lions first displayed their resilience during the tournament opener against Inter Miami, earning a win with a late-game goal from Nani. They rebounded again when they faced Philadelphia on Monday night, clinching a 1-1 draw to secure the top spot in Group A.
When Ilsinho scored to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the 68th minute, Orlando City didn’t falter or fall back into a defensive shape. Instead, designated player Mauricio Pereyra hunted immediately for a response.
He collected the ball at midfield and passed it out to Nani, who hesitated for a moment before lofting a ball into the box. The cross connected with Pereyra, who made a deep line run to head the ball into the net.
It was Pereyra’s first goal as a Lion. He joined the team late in the 2019 season and his debut Orlando City score couldn’t have come at a more crucial moment.
He delivered the equalizer two minutes after the Union opened the scoring, immediately cutting off chance of panic among the Lions. It was an important swing in momentum, allowing Orlando City to relaunch its pressure on the Philadelphia back line.
Before Pereyra’s goal, the match featured a series of slightly missed connections.
Júnior Urso started the match at full-tilt, launching several rockets from the top of the box in the opening minutes. After a
leaping two-footed attempt to field a cross in the 13th minute, however, he appeared to tweak his inner thigh, forcing the midfielder to leave the game several minutes later.
Defender Ruan continued to build his rhythm up the right flank while midfielders Nani and Pereyra created a dangerous movement through the midfield.
But the team’s crosses lacked the crispness in the box that drove the Lions to success in their opening matches. To shake things up, Nani and Chris Mueller swapped sides for a period.
Despite the disconnect, the Lions managed to place six additional shots on frame. However, several of their best chances were swallowed up by Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake, whose presence between the posts was smothering the entire match.
With the draw, the Lions won their group and will now look ahead to their first match of the knockout round on Saturday. OC will face the third-place finisher in Group C, D or E.
Dwyer out
Orlando City designated player Dom Dwyer did not make the lineup for the Lions’ match against the Union. The striker was held out as a precaution due to muscle tightness ahead of the game, although he was not listed on the team’s injury report.
Dwyer incurred a lower body injury in the preseason that forced him to miss the first two regularseason matches before MLS suspended the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. He spent his months in quarantine recovering from the injury.
Coach Oscar Pareja said Dwyer was at full strength when the league allowed the resumption of full team training in June.
The striker played a valuable role in the first two matches of the MLS is Back Tournament, assisting on Mueller’s second goal against New York City FC last week. However, he has yet to score this season.
With the draw on Monday night against Philadelphia, the Lions won Group A and secured a top seed for the knockout round.
Ahead of Monday’s match, MLS also reported there have been no additional positive COVID-19 test results among the league delegation. MLS tested 1,114 people, including players, coaches, league staff and referees Saturday and Sunday, returning zero positive results.
It has been more than a week since a member of a participating team reported a positive test.