Lions capitalize against a stout ‘D’
Orlando City lit a spark in its attack on Saturday night against FC Dallas, building off of scoring chances to secure a 2-0 win at home.
After an early goal, the Lions held onto their slim lead until the 95th minute of play. A clean combination of attacking misdirection crushed any chance of a Dallas equalizer. Nani took the ball up the left side and crossed it through to Tesho Akindele, who slipped the ball back to the middle of the box.
Sacha Kljestan flicked the ball back between his legs, sending it skipping into the box for Carlos Ascues to run through and rifle into the netting right in front of Orlando City’s supporters section. As he ran to the corner, Ascues shook his fists and roared, teammates leaping onto his back as Exploria Stadium rumbled with the most joyful celebration the team had seen in several weeks.
The goal sealed Orlando City’s 2-0 victory, inching the Lions three points closer to the postseason cutoff line as they begin their final push for a playoff berth.
Dallas boasts one of the most smothering defenses in the league, allowing only 26 goals before Saturday night’s match. Heading into the game, the Lions knew that they would need to take advantage of the few chances they could create, putting a heavy emphasis on finishing after struggling to score the past two games.
In the 13th minute, the team executed its game plan. Seeing a wide gap in the middle of the pitch, Ruan cut inside, hesitating and then driving hard into open space while Tesho Akindele slipped his defender with a back door cut into the box. Akindele took one touch and fired the shot home to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead.
The shot was one of only four that Orlando City took in the first half, and the team only took nine total Saturday night. But in capitalizing on a rare opportunity against a high-powered defense, the Lions were able to snap a scoring funk.
After New England fell 2-0 to LAFC on Saturday night, Orlando City now sits only four points below playoff contention. The team will look to continue push for a postseason bid next weekend, but first the Lions will take on Atlanta United on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.