After the pure elation and ecstasy of winning four consecutive MLS games, not to mention lifting the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Orlando City SC are back in MLS action.
With no MLS game in nine days to accommodate for our cup final, Oscar Pareja‘s Lions now visit runaway Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia Union with just six regular season games remaining.
Casting our minds back to August 31, Orlando City SC had to contend with a weather delay before completing an incredible 3-2 comeback victory over Seattle Sounders.
With kick-off originally scheduled for 7:30PM ET but finally getting underway at 9:12PM ET, our first MLS win over Sounders had everything!
On 26 minutes, Albert Rusnák curled a perfectly placed free-kick past Pedro Gallese to give the Rave Green the lead.
Then, just four minutes later, Jimmy Medranda carelessly swung a left boot and tripped Nicholas Gioacchini to concede a penalty.
The usually dependable Mauricio Pereyra then saw his penalty saved by Stefan Frei who didn’t need to do much to deny him.
After an incredible Stefan Frei point-blank save on Iván Angulo on 36 minutes, plus Raúl Ruidíaz giving Sounders a 0-2 lead by 52 minutes, you wondered whether it was one of those nights.
But right now, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC are made of sterner stuff, and looking back, the timing of Facundo Torres‘ goal was key.
Replacing Nicholas Gioacchini at half-time, Torres drilled a left-footed shot past Frei from the top of the 18 barely a minute after Ruidíaz’s strike.
A momentum shifting goal, Jordan Morris then hand-balled an out-swinging Facundo Torres corner on 67 minutes.
The second Sounders penalty conceded in the game, Ercan Kara relieved Mauricio Pereyra of PK duties and dispatched the spot kick for his tenth goal of the season (all competitions).
After two last gasp victories over Charlotte FC and New York City FC, you wondered whether the Cardiac Cats would strike again.
On 91 minutes, Kyle Smith cut inside Kelyn Rowe before blasting a shot off Jackson Ragen and gloriously into the net!
A play initially flagged offside by the officials, Alex Chilowicz consulted VAR to confirm the ball came off Ragen, and not Ercan Kara, before awarding City’s legitimate game winner.
Not only sealing a super memorable comeback but Orlando City SC‘s fourth MLS win in a row, the Lions have now got their quest to reach the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs back on track.
With just four points separating fifth-placed City and eighth-placed FC Cincinnati, things are still super tight with six league games remaining.
As for Saturday’s opponents Philadelphia Union, Jim Curtin’s side have been emphatic, winning their last four MLS games by a whopping 18-1 margin combined.
This will be a true test of Orlando City SC‘s resolve against the best side in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City SC – 2015/22 head-to-head stats
Last meeting on July 23, two critical decisions from Alex Chilowicz and Jair Marrufo (VAR) went Philadelphia Union’s way.
On 39 minutes, Dániel Gazdag opened the scoring. His strike was initially flagged offside but was awarded after a lengthy review.
The real sore decision occurred late on in stoppage time, however.
In the 94th minute, goalscorer Gazdag tugged Antônio Carlos‘ shirt in the Union penalty area following a Facundo Torres corner.
Wrestling Antônio Carlos off balance, unsteadying the Brazilian from getting a header on Andre Blake’s goal, it looked every bit a penalty – in any league on any continent.
With Alex Chilowicz again consulting VAR, Orlando City SC supporters expected the awarding of a penalty to be a mere formality.
Upon returning from the VAR screen, Chilowicz gestured no penalty in a bamboozling, infuriating decision.
After the game, an MLS statement said: “The referee determined that Antônio Carlos pulled the shirt of Gazdag first”, negating the penalty claim.
However, replays show that it was indeed Dániel Gazdag who initiated the bodily contact.
Orlando City SC 0 Philadelphia Union 1 – Highlights – July 23, 2022 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Orlando City SC have faced Philadelphia Union FIFTEEN times in MLS since 2015.
Right now, Jim Curtin’s Union hold a three-win advantage over the Lions.
On our last visit to Subaru Park (September 2021), City suffered a painful 3-1 defeat.
Goalscoring nemesis Kacper Przybyłko scored a second-half brace to cancel out Ruan‘s 57th minute equaliser.
This is only half of the tale though, especially from an Orlando City SC perspective.
On 37 minutes, Kai Wagner’s deflected strike gave Union the lead but the goal looked illegitimate on two fronts.
Firstly, because Kacper Przybyłko fouled Rodrigo Schlegel in the first phase. Flagged by the linesman, this decision was ignored by Alan Kelly.
In phase two, after Orlando City SC admittedly failed to clear their lines, Jamiro Monteiro was offside during Wagner’s strike.
Pedro Gallese pleaded with Kelly claiming the Cape Verde international was in his eye-line, and thus, interfering with play.
After the delay of consulting VAR, Alan Kelly ruled that the goal would stand.
Bemused and angry, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC appeared to lose their heads from this point.
Costing City before, this lack of discipline saw the Lions receive five more yellow cards and one red – for Antônio Carlos.
Philadelphia Union 3 Orlando City SC 1 – Highlights – September 19, 2021 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Philadelphia Union’s 0-1 MLS win at Exploria Stadium earlier this season broke a six-game streak of both sides scoring.
It’s usually highly competitive when these two Eastern Conference foes meet.
On Union’s away visit to Central Florida last season, a lengthy weather delay preceded the Lions winning 2-1.
With Andrés Perea grabbing his second City goal in just three games, Benji Michel opened the scoring in only the tenth minute.
Kacper Przybyłko’s 68th minute strike made Orlando City SC sweat but the Lions held on for a morale-boosting three points.
Philadelphia Union form
They have attacking weapons aplenty but there’s no doubting who the real Philadelphia Union danger man is.
Hungarian international Dániel Gazdag has been in sensational form all season long and definitely has a shot at winning 2022 MVP alonsgide Hanky Mukhtar and Sebastián Driussi.
Across Gazdag’s last SEVEN MLS appearances for Union, the 26-year-old has scored SEVEN goals including a hat-trick against Colorado Rapids (6-0) on August 27.
All in all, Dániel Gazdag has an incredible 18 goals and 8 assists so far in 2022.
Lethal from the penalty spot too, Orlando City SC daren’t give away a spot kick during this visit to Subaru Park.
Orlando City SC form
Our last gasp 3-2 comeback win over Seattle Sounders prolonged an interesting Orlando City SC streak.
The Lions’ last EIGHT Major League Soccer victories have all been by a ONE-GOAL margin.
Heading down the stretch, Orlando City SC supporters will take victories any which way they come, but these slender wins haven’t half raised our blood pressure!
In fact, all but TWO of our 2022 league victories have been by the odd goal.
The exceptions are CF Montréal (2-0) and Columbus Crew (0-2).
Orlando City SC 3 Seattle Sounders 2 – Highlights – August 31, 2022 (Credit: Seattle Sounders FC)
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