Rescuing a one-goal deficit to draw 1-1 with Florida rivals Inter Miami, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now face CF Montréal in our penultimate home fixture of the 2023 MLS regular season.
In a passionate Sunshine Clásico full of aggression and needle, a scrappy derby had flashes of promise but ultimately ended even. Admittedly a fair result on the balance of play, the Lions were very wasteful in front of goal despite Duncan McGuire‘s 66th minute equaliser – a goal that ensured Inter Miami have still never won at Exploria Stadium.
More recently, last night saw Inter Miami lose the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final – 1-2 to Houston Dynamo – at their DRV PNK Stadium home.
A hugely popular result that reverberated around Central Florida, Dynamo’s victory ensured that reigning 2022 cup holders Orlando City SC didn’t have to reluctantly pass over their trophy to their in-state rivals.
Back to MLS though, the Lions currently sit second in the Eastern Conference on 51 points with just four regular season fixtures remaining
Having already clinched our place in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, City are now aiming to lock down a coveted top four position.
Clinching a top four seeding doesn’t just mean City will host two home games in the newly revamped Round One Best-of-3 series of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
It also means we’ll qualify for the rebranded 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup and make our second successive tournament appearance following our 2023 debut.
With first-placed FC Cincinnati all but qualified as they close in on the 2023 Supporters’ Shield, and third-placed Philadelphia Union already qualified by virtue of winning the 2023 Leagues Cup third-place play-off, this effectively leaves two 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup qualification spots open.
Union would’ve leapfrogged Orlando City SC in the standings had it not been for Alan Velasco’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas yesterday evening.
As for our weekend opponents CF Montréal, the Quebec side perilously sit eighth in the Eastern Conference on 37 points.
Hernán Losada’s side are clinging on to a spot in the Wild Card match right now with New York City FC (37 points), D.C. United (36 points), New York Red Bulls (34 points), Chicago Fire (33 points), Charlotte FC (33 points) and Inter Miami (32 points) all ready to pounce behind them.
With Orlando City SC last facing CF Montréal back on May 6, City started the first-half in convincing style at Stade Saputo.
The protagonist on a picturesque spring evening in Quebec, Orlando City SC popped the ball around with supreme confidence and composure – traits not seen too frequently early on this season.
All that was missing was a goal to show for our much-improved first-half efforts.
The best chances, albeit not clear-cut, fell to Iván Angulo, Martín Ojeda, and Facundo Torres.
CF Montréal’s Chinoso Offor, Sean Rea and Bryce Duke were inactive in a low key first-half from Hernán Losada’s men.
With the first goal always going to be key, it was CF Montréal who grabbed it through fortuitous circumstances on 62 minutes.
Shooting inside City’s 18-yard box, Aaron Herrera’s shot cannoned off Robin Jansson at high speed with the Swede absolutely powerless but to shrug his shoulders in frustration at this unfortunate own goal.
With Romell Quioto starting the game from the bench, the Honduran was always an ace up CF Montréal’s sleeve.
Quioto added the crucial cushion to the scoreline just four minutes after Robin Jansson’s own goal.
Taking the game away from Orlando City SC, they say football is a game of two halves, and the CF Montréal game was a brutal demonstration of this.
Unfortunately, Orlando City SC didn’t make their first-half domination count.
This only served to hand a lifeline to CF Montréal.
Hanging tough, they struck the vital second-half blows when they presented themselves.
Casting our minds back to Sunday though, Orlando City SC never really got firing in the final third in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Florida rivals Inter Miami.
For sure, the Lions demonstrated a ton of fight, passion, and hustle on the night.
However, they lacked the ruthlessness to bury key chances when they presented themselves.
A common criticism by MLS pundits, many remain unsure whether City can go deep in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
On 30 minutes, Robin Jansson boldly strode into midfield before sending Duncan McGuire clear through on goal.
Despite going one on one with Drake Callender, Duncan McGuire agonisingly fired right at the USMNT keeper – dramatically letting Inter Miami off the hook.
Usually ruthless with this kind of opportunity, McGuire knew he should’ve picked a corner to open the scoring.
An attritional and unruly game of few chances, it was the visitors who stunned Exploria Stadium on 53 minutes.
After a smart through ball from Leonardo Campana, City villain Josef Martínez escaped the Orlando City SC defence, firing a shot at Pedro Gallese, a shot he could only parry into the path of the onrushing David Ruiz.
With the teenager simply tapping into an empty net, Orlando City SC supporters grappled with the fear that The Herons might just earn their first ever victory in Central Florida.
This fear was heightened on 64 minutes when Dagur Dan Thórhallsson expertly spotted Iván Angulo from deep, only for the Colombian to painfully drag a gilt-edged chance wide of Drake Callender’s goal.
Just when you thought it was going to be one of those nights, up stepped Duncan McGuire who was not to be denied!
Just three minutes after Angulo’s glaring miss, McGuire – being the poacher he is – capitalised on a loose rebound.
Making an instinctive run, Duncan McGuire caught former Lion Kamal Miller napping to fire this chance right between Callender’s legs – sealing redemption for his first-half miss.
This nutmeg finish was just what the doctor ordered as a packed Exploria Stadium went crazy!
With supporters full of belief again as they chanted along to the beat of The Wall, a second Orlando City SC goal frustratingly never came.
Inter Miami dug in, rallied, but were very fortunate to avoid a second yellow (and red card) when Benjamin Cremaschi tripped Facundo Torres on 76 minutes.
With both sides battling on to a draw, the result ensured that Orlando City SC didn’t lose to Inter Miami (1-1-0) this MLS regular season.
Nevertheless, we could, and probably should’ve won it on another night – had we brought our shooting boots, that is.
As one final footnote prior to CF Montréal, Orlando City SC will hope to have Antônio Carlos back in contention for this game.
Sidelined with a right lower leg injury since our 2023 Leagues Cup elimination at Inter Miami back on August 2, the Brazilian’s presence is sorely needed in the post-season.
With Rodrigo Schlegel deputising since that game, Schlegel can often be overly aggressive, reckless, and chaotic compared to Antônio Carlos who is widely viewed by many as one of the top centre halves in all of Major League Soccer – someone who is no doubt a difference maker when fit.
Orlando City SC vs CF Montréal
Last 3 head-to-heads
- May 7, 2022: CF Montréal 4 Orlando City SC 1 (MLS)
- October 16, 2022: CF Montréal 2 Orlando City SC 0 (2022 MLS Cup Playoffs)
- May 6, 2023: CF Montréal 2 Orlando City SC 0 (MLS)
2015/23 head-to-head stats
- It was 2-0 to CF Montréal the last time the sides met (May 2023)
- Played Montréal 21 times in MLS – Orlando 8, Draws 3, Montréal 10
- Three of the last 4 MLS head-to-heads have finished 2-0 to the home side
- Orlando have conceded the first goal in their last 3 MLS fixtures
- Montréal have failed to win their last 5 MLS fixtures – going 0-2-3 in this streak
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Watching the game
Orlando City SC vs CF Montréal will be shown live on Apple TV at 00:30 (GMT) on Sunday, October 1.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC‘s 2023 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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