Follow City Away!
By Orlando City UK member, Josh Keeble
On Saturday, March 8, I travelled Stateside to watch Orlando City SC suffer another Yankee Stadium defeat against New York City FC. The result did little to ease concerns about another slow start to the Major League Soccer season.
A fine counter-attack involving Alex Freeman, Marco Pašalić, and goalscorer Luis Muriel was ultimately overshadowed by goals from Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf. Both New York City FC strikes were aided by some questionable goalkeeping from Pedro Gallese. Still, those who follow the Lions know that away days aren’t really about the result – they’re about having a great time. And what better place than the Big Apple?
The journey begins
My weekend started as usual.
The early morning train from university back to Norwich meant missing my Friday seminars, but there was no way I was skipping that evening’s Norwich City vs. Oxford United game.
It was a chance to do something even I had never attempted before – watch Norwich and Orlando in consecutive days.
Of course, Norwich found a way to kick things off on the wrong foot.
Despite an early opener from USMNT forward Josh Sargent, the Canaries failed to hold onto the lead.
A late equaliser meant settling for a 1-1 draw at home against a side they really should’ve beaten.
At least I had the Orlando City SC game to look forward to, right?
I didn’t have to wait long.
After the final whistle, I set off on the overnight journey to Heathrow Airport.
The midnight coach from Norwich got me there by an alarming 4:00 a.m, and a few hours later, I was on the plane.
Despite having been awake for 24 hours and being unable to sleep on flights, I was still buzzing for the evening’s match.
Arrival in New York
Minutes after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, I was through customs and on my way.
There was still the small matter of crossing New Jersey by commuter rail, submerging beneath the Hudson River, and traversing Manhattan before reaching my hotel in The Bronx.
By midday, though, the festivities of an Orlando away day could finally begin.
One of the best parts of following Orlando City SC across the U.S. is the people you meet.
I caught up with top traveling fan Duff, whom I first met in Victoria, British Columbia, for Orlando’s 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup tie with Cavalry FC.
Naturally, the next stop was the bar!
The Football Factory at Legends to be precise.
Many pints of Brooklyn Lager and American-sized shots later, it was time to head back north for the game.
First, though, a quick detour to grab as many layers as possible!
The early March temperatures in New York were still brutal.
Yankee Stadium: A unique experience
A good handful of Orlando City SC supporters made the trip to Yankee Stadium.
While the venue is far from suitable for Major League Soccer, the iconic setting made me glad I visited before NYCFC move out for good.
The match began with both teams trying to find their rhythm early in the season.
Designated Player Luis Muriel had multiple chances to put Orlando City SC ahead in the first-half but only managed one goal on the night.
At the back, Rodrigo Schlegel stood out, consistently composed and flying into challenges, winning them fairly every time.
Homegrown talent Alex Freeman also impressed, looking confident on the ball in only his second senior MLS start.
After half-time, Muriel threatened again, but NYCFC looked the more likely side to score.
Minutes later, Costa Rican forward Alonso Martínez was fed by impressive teenage midfielder Jonathan Shore.
His low drive was parried by Pedro Gallese, but he wasn’t to be denied for long.
Just before the hour mark, Maxi Moralez’s scuffed long-range shot somehow evaded Gallese, hit the post, and Martínez reacted first to tap in.
But ten minutes later, Orlando City SC responded in style.
Luis Muriel finished well past Matt Freese after a slick counter-attack with Marco Pašalić.
Unfortunately, parity was short-lived.
Pedro Gallese spilled another long-range effort into the path of Julián Fernández, who chipped a cross to Hannes Wolf.
The Austrian headed home from close range to restore NYCFC’s lead.
A late red card for Kevin O’Toole, who dragged down lively Orlando substitute Gustavo Caraballo, gave us a numerical advantage.
But the Lions couldn’t capitalise, and the match ended in a frustrating 2-1 defeat.
The aftermath
Exhausted from lack of sleep, I skipped any late-night plans and went straight to the hotel – via a quick stop for some Checkers chicken and fries.
Sunday was quiet.
I spent most of it ruing what could have been a fantastic three points and an even better night out.
Before I knew it, I was back on a flight to the UK, rushing to make it home in time for Norwich City’s second home game of the week against Sheffield Wednesday.
In the least surprising turn of events, the Canaries blew a 2-0 lead, falling to yet another home defeat.
With that, any hopes of making the EFL Championship playoffs were gone.
Still, there’s always Friday night away at Bristol City!
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