Everything is perfectly poised for Orlando City SC to achieve what would be arguably the biggest result in club history so far.
Last Tuesday, City achieved a respectable 0-0 shutout at Tigres UANL in the first leg of our 2023 CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 tie. On Wednesday night, an especially boisterous Exploria Stadium awaits our Mexican opponents.
When Orlando City SC were drawn against Tigres UANL back in November, City supporters could’ve been forgiven for gulping in trepidation.
After all, Los Tigres are seven-time champions of Liga MX, 2020 CONCACAF Champions League winners, and three-time tournament runners-up too.
Despite all this experience, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC gave a great account of themselves at a hostile Estadio Universitario.
Knowing we had the toughest draw of all five MLS participants, this didn’t seem to faze a strong Lions side.
Ramiro Enrique, Robin Jansson, and Martín Ojeda all stepped back into a full strength and courageous Orlando City SC starting lineup.
On the night, Tigres UANL bossed the possession (62% to 38%) and shots (on goal) (22 (8) to 9 (3)) stats. However, Orlando City SC needn’t feel deflated by their night’s work – much the opposite.
In many ways, the first leg was a microcosm of our Major League Soccer results so far this season.
We were defensively solid and meticulously organised. But still unconvincing and infrequent in terms of our attacking impetus.
All evening, Tigres talisman Andre-Pierre Gignac was seemingly on a one-man mission to beat Pedro Gallese.
Nevertheless, our Peruvian number one flexed his dependable tentacles on numerous occasions to frustrate the home crowd.
El Pulpo’s finest stop came in the 57th minute. Flying across his net, he exquisitely parried away a bottom corner bound header from Samir.
By full-time, Pedro Gallese had achieved his third clean sheet in as many games this season.
When you consider Austin FC suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at Haitian minnows Violette AC the same evening, Orlando City SC drew widespread praise from the U.S. Soccer community.
The other huge first leg flashpoint came in first-half stoppage time.
Firstly, Rodrigo Schlegel baited Andre-Pierre Gignac into a mini wrestling match in City’s penalty area. After that, referee Mario Escobar handed Gignac a red card.
Following VAR intervention however, Escobar correctly downgraded Gignac’s red card, and the game remained 11 vs. 11 until full-time.
Before we jump into the stats, we offer a rallying cry to every hardcore and casual Orlando City SC to show up at Exploria Stadium loud and proud on March 15 for the second leg.
Incredibly novel seeing City play on the elite stage, games like this are a privilege.
They don’t come around often, so let’s roar our boys into the quarter-finals.
Orlando City SC vs Tigres UANL
2023 head-to-head stats
- It was 0-0 the last time the sides met (March 2023)
- Prior to this two-legged tie, Orlando have won 18 and lost 10 knockout fixtures since 2015
- Both sides have scored in 7 of Orlando’s last 11 knockout fixtures
- Orlando are undefeated in their last 5 home fixtures across all competitions (3-2-0)
- Tigres UANL have gone 4-1-0 in their last 5 Liga MX Clausura away fixtures
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Watching the game
Orlando City SC vs Tigres UANL will be shown live on the CONCACAF YouTube channel at 00:15 (GMT) on Thursday, March 16.
Subscribe (for free) now by clicking here.
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