Lions win, advance in Leagues Cup

Thanks to midfielder Wilder Cartegena’s 92nd-minute goal, Orlando City advanced in the 2023 Leagues Cup with a thrilling 3-2 win over Liga MX side Santos Laguna on Saturday night at Exploria Stadium.

“We gave a great step today toward our objectives and keep working forward in this tournament,” Lions coach Oscar Pareja said. “We faced one of the best teams in Mexico with great players and we knew there were moments where they could hurt us and we resisted.”

Santos Laguna tallied the initial goal in the 41st minute after a turnover by Ivan Angulo set up defender Raul Lopez with a clear shot that skipped past the outstretched arms of Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

The lead didn’t last long, however, as Orlando forward Duncan McGuire continued his impressive run of form with a goal in the 44th minute. Defender Rafael Santos delivered a perfect ball into the box that McGuire skillfully headed past Santos goalkeeper Gibran Lajud to even the score 1-1 going into halftime.

The Lions came roaring out after halftime. Captain Mauricio Pereyra delivered, scoring a beautiful goal from outside the box in the 46th minute to give Orlando a 2-1 lead.

Santos tied the match in the 58th minute when forward Harold Preciado headed the ball past Gallese.

A dramatic goal in the 92nd minute for Orlando proved to be the decider. Cartegena received a pass from Cesar Araujo and coolly slotted it past Lajud to secure the triumph.

“After the victory, we have to face a team that has been playing well,” Pareja said about the upcoming match against Inter Miami in the next round. “We know who we are. We’re going to get that victory.”

The Lions’ Leagues Cup knockout-stage match against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami is scheduled for Wednesday.