After defeating Nashville SC 1-0 in game one of the Round One Best-of-3 series in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now visit GEODIS Park to take on the Music City side in game two – quite simply the Lions’ biggest game of the season so far.
Recording our first ever playoffs win in regulation time on Monday, the Lions now visit Tennessee with a chance to punch our ticket to the Eastern Conference Semi-Final stage. To progress, Orlando City SC will need to play with the same confidence, maturity, and strong game management they impressively showcased in game one.
Speaking of game one on October 30, Orlando City SC avoided a pre-Halloween scare to seal a second successive 0-1 / 1-0 October victory over Gary Smith’s Nashville SC.
With Pedro Gallese in inspired form on a cool and breezy fall night in Central Florida, Wilder Cartagena‘s first-half wonder strike proved the difference in a close-fought encounter.
In an intriguing first-half, the Orlando City SC attack met a typically resilient, stubborn, and disciplined Nashville SC defence head on.
With games between this duo always extremely tight and chippy, City started the game with plenty of energy and dynamism.
Indeed, the third minute saw Joe Willis impressively stop a Facundo Torres effort from point-blank range, whetting the appetite of the Exploria Stadium faithful.
As City attempted to break down a yellow wall in front of The Wall, Nashville SC weren’t just content to defend – far from it.
In an even first-half, the 20th minute saw the rapid Jacob Shaffelburg cross dangerously from the left wing, only for Englishman Sam Surridge to somehow miss with Pedro Gallese‘s goal at his mercy.
In keeping with the Halloween theme, this was the first major scare of the night as Surridge somehow conspired to balloon Shaffelburg’s cross over the bar and into the Church Street end.
It was glaring miss that raised City supporters’ heartbeats and dramatically let the Lions off the hook.
With Dagur Dan Thórhallsson and Iván Angulo forcing the issue with shots thereafter, Orlando City SC opened the scoring in incredible fashion on 41 minutes.
A goal from the unlikeliest of sources, the ball broke to Wilder Cartagena who was bearing down on Nashville SC’s goal – albeit miles out.
Wrapping his right foot around a strike from downtown, the Peruvian’s curling effort nestled beautifully into Joe Willis’ top left hand corner (1-0).
A strike that had Orlando City SC‘s official X account tweeting “ARE YOU KIDDING?”, it was top bins as the kids say!
Considering that Wilder Cartagena only scored once during the 2023 MLS regular season, it was a timely strike from a player Nashville SC were least expecting to break the deadlock.
With most of City’s goals coming within the 18-yard box throughout 2023, it was a beautiful way to break from tradition.
An amazing golazo that gave Orlando City SC lift off in the post-season, our invigorating “Loyal” by “ODESZA” goal music boomed out around Exploria Stadium amidst a jubilant scene of City supporters twirling around their commemorative white rally towels – handed to them pre-game.
In soccer, they say you’re most vulnerable after you’ve just scored and Orlando City SC fortunately survived their second major scare right before half-time.
Unleashing his own fearsome strike from downtown, the 44th minute saw Hany Mukhtar rattle Pedro Gallese‘s crossbar with a knuckleball that dipped wickedly in the air.
With Pedro Gallese getting the slightest of fingertips onto Mukhtar’s outrageous effort from range, it was a save befitting the spectacular El Pulpo themed tifo that was proudly hoisted on The Wall pre-game.
In a huge second-half, one full of nerves, yet optimism, anxiety, yet expectation, Orlando City SC and Nashville SC traded further blows in yet another meeting where there was little between the sides.
On 54 minutes, several Orlando City SC players claimed that Walker Zimmerman had handled the ball in his own box after an Iván Angulo strike but it was a no-call and no VAR check from referee Armando Villarreal.
From the high of scoring to the low of receiving an untimely knock, goalscorer Wilder Cartagena was unfortunately withdrawn for Júnior Urso on 62 minutes with Oscar Pareja taking no chances on keeping the Peruvian on and exacerbating an injury.
A key cog in the City machine, City supporters will hope Cartagena’s knock isn’t too serious heading into the rest of this Round One Best-of-3 series.
On 76 minutes, Nashville SC must’ve thought it mightn’t be their night after Orlando City SC survived their third major scare of the game.
Indeed, after a dangerous Daniel Lovitz cross, a constant menace attacking from left back, substitute Teal Bunbury somehow sent a point-blank header wide of Pedro Gallese‘s goal.
Blowing another golden chance, just like Sam Surridge in the first-half, the game could’ve been completely different had Nashville SC been more ruthless.
On 78 minutes, Oscar Pareja introduced fresh legs in the form of Antônio Carlos, Ramiro Enrique, and Kyle Smith to see out the game.
Two minutes later however, City faced another test of their resolve as yet another Daniel Lovitz cross caused panic.
A cross deftly flicked towards goal by Sam Surridge lurking dangerously in the Orlando City SC penalty area, Pedro Gallese stupendously flexed his tentacles to tip the former Nottingham Forest striker’s effort over the bar.
A play flagged for offside seconds later, it wouldn’t have counted but El Pulpo didn’t know that and capped a fine night’s work with this point-blank reaction save – his trademark down the years.
Entering seven agonising minutes of stoppage time with only the slenderest one-goal advantage, Orlando City SC and their supporters toyed with the jeopardy of a Nashville SC equaliser.
Seeing the game out, knowing that a Nashville SC equaliser would likely mean penalty kicks, and a huge momentum shift, Orlando City SC, to their credit, played “keep ball” and managed the closing stages of the game incredibly well.
Showing immense maturity throughout the game, albeit riding our luck when Nashville SC missed two gilt-edged chances, the gritty win did Orlando City SC no harm in the eyes of pundits weighing up our MLS Cup winning credentials.
As for final footnotes prior to visiting Tennessee, Oscar Pareja is likely to stick with the same starting eleven that got the job done on Monday after Papi confirmed that game one hero Wilder Cartagena is fit after suffering his knock.
With Rodrigo Schlegel retaining his place in game one despite the timely return of Antônio Carlos from injury, Schlegel deserves massive credit for holding down his spot as Robin Jansson‘s centre back partner.
Visibly whipping up the Exploria Stadium crowd deep in game one stoppage time after 90+ minutes in which he and Hany Mukhtar were both at it, the passionate Rodrigo Schlegel will hope to start once again out in Tennessee.
Additionally, Orlando City SC outshot Nashville SC 25 to 7 in game one, a tally that saw City surpass their 2023 MLS regular season high of 21, underlining our all gas no brakes approach and our steely determination to win.
Lastly, PRO Referees confirmed yesterday that Allen Chapman will be in charge of game two, a controversial selection considering that Orlando City SC and Chapman have bad blood after some downright awful calls against City in games against New York City FC (2020) and Nashville SC (2021) in the past – you remember the ones!
With all that said, let’s now clinch in game two, avoid the jeopardy of game three, prolong #HuntingSeason, and rest legs ahead of an Eastern Conference Semi-Final against either Columbus Crew – who currently lead their Best-of-3 Series 1-0 – or rivals Atlanta United!
Vamos Orlando!
Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC
Last 3 head-to-heads
- April 1, 2023: Orlando City SC 0 Nashville SC 2 (MLS)
- October 4, 2023: Nashville SC 0 Orlando City SC 1 (MLS)
- October 30, 2023: Orlando City SC 1 Nashville SC 0 (2023 MLS Cup Playoffs)
2020/23 head-to-head stats
- It was 1-0 to Orlando the last time the sides met (October 2023)
- Played Nashville 10 times in MLS – Nashville 3, Draws 4, Orlando 3
- The last 3 MLS head-to-heads have all finished “to nil”
- Orlando have won 4 of their last 5 MLS fixtures “to nil”
- Across all competitions, Orlando have won all 8 of their penalty shootouts since 2015
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Watching the game
Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC will be shown live on Apple TV at 02:00 (GMT) on Wednesday, November 8.
Remember, UK supporters can watch this game and all of Orlando City SC‘s fixtures in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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