Lions extend streak
Orlando City still unbeaten six games into season
Orlando City clinched another match in its unbeaten start to the 2021 regular season, beating Toronto FC 1-0 at Exploria Stadium on Saturday night for a sixth match without a loss.
In his first start in Orlando, Silvester van der Water immediately stamped an impact on the game. The winger dodged a defender and sent a searing cross into the box in the 12th minute, setting up striker Tesho Akindele to head home the game-winning goal.
The goal marked Akindele’s second of the season, securing a one-goal lead that the Lions controlled for the remainder of the match.
Orlando City improved to 3-0-3 with the victory, protecting its second-place spot in the Eastern Conference standings with 12 points on the season.
The Lions were forced to play without their
captain after Nani received a two-game suspension barely 24 hours before the match. The suspension came from the MLS Disciplinary Committee, which ruled that an altercation in
which Nani made contact with a referee in stoppage time of last week’s match against D.C. United deserved a red card.
The captain’s removal from the lineup paved the way for Van der Water to make his long-awaited debut as a starter after featuring exclusively as a late-gam substitute in the start of the season.
Coach Oscar Pareja voiced excitement about the winger since his February signing, but his arrival was delayed until two weeks before the season opener due to hurdles in the immigration process.
Van der Water spent the first month of the season adjusting to the heat, pace and style of his new team before Pareja felt ready to turn him loose on the pitch.
Before his assist, Van der Water nearly scored an opening goal of his own, smashing a no-look volley with his left foot that barely curled left of frame. The winger remained active and aggressive throughout his 60-minute performance, taking three total shots and slicing through the defensive pressure.
Although Orlando City controlled the lead from the 12th minute, the match was a chippy, contentious affair featuring three yellow cards and a combined 26 fouls.
Toronto snuck chances into the box throughout the match. Defenders Robin Jansson and Rodrigo Schlegel both made empty-net clearances to preserve the lead. Keeper Pedro Gallese made a pair of diving saves in stoppage time to defend the shutout.
The Lions have now recorded four shutouts this year, already surpassing their number for the 2020 season.
The Lions will travel to New Jersey to face the New York Red Bulls next Saturday in their final match ahead of the June international break.