Orlando City SC avenged Wednesday night’s loss with a 3-1 win over Atlas F.C. on Saturday.
Orlando forward Iván Angulo put the Lions on the board early, slotting the ball into the bottom right corner off a poor giveaway from Atlas’ midfield in the ninth minute.
Pressure from Orlando in the first half led to several quick attacking opportunities, but Atlas managed to gain some control in the last few minutes that spilled over into the second half.
In the 50th minute, a loose ball in Orlando’s 18-yard box was headed in by Atlas’ Matías Cóccaro after Lion David Brekalo couldn’t follow up on his own initial attempt to clear the ball. While Brekalo was the last to touch the ball before the goal, he needed help from one of his teammates to get rid of the danger and the goal was a result of lackadaisical overall defense.
However, just ten minutes and three after coming onto the pitch, though, Alex Freeman and Marco Pašalic combined for a one-two on the right wing, with Pašalic’s ensuing cross ending up on Martín Ojeda’s left foot and then into the back of the net. The finish put the Lions ahead 2-1 and marked Ojeda’s 14th goal of the year in 25 appearances.
Pašalic later put the match away with a goal of his own in the 103rd minute, keeping his position as the team’s second-leading scorer and tallying his 11th goal of the year. His goal calmed the match down after a massive scuffle broke out in the 93rd minute near Orlando’s goal.
“Those are things that happen in football,” Ojeda said. “Those are things that happen within the pitch and will stay out on the pitch. I’ve got a great amount of respect for the rivals that we played today and all of the players they have, but just have to leave it at that.”
Orlando Manager Óscar Pareja made some lineup changes, deciding to start with an 11 that lacked Freeman and Pašalic. Additionally, midfielder Eduard Atuesta did not play because of an unknown injury.
While Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, Nico Rodríguez and Kyle Smith gave solid minutes, most of Orlando’s attack throughout the first 60 minutes came from the left side, giving Atlas one less area of the pitch to worry about.
Freeman said he’s built some chemistry with Pašalic over the last few months, including when the two were in Austin, Texas for the MLS All-Star events.
“We’ve been getting that connection off the field as well as on the field,” Freeman said. “It’s helped us a lot getting to understand each other better. We’re going to keep building on it [and] practicing on it until it’s perfected, and then we’ll be able to be very lethal.”
The Lions struggled — and were maybe a bit shocked — in their last match against Pumas UNAM’s intensity and pressure, something they aren’t used to seeing during regular season games against MLS opponents.
This time out, however, the early pressure Orlando put on Atlas allowed them to have quick attacking opportunities and take some of the pressure off their defense. While they’ll need a win over Necaxa and help from other teams to advance into the next round of the Leagues Cup, the win is big for team morale and keeps their hopes of advancing alive.
“One of the things that I saw tonight is that our second half was much more complete,” Pareja said. “Those things were very positive not just because the need of scoring today [and] the format of the tournament, but also because they felt that that energy is what we need to do based on the experiences that we had in the last three games.”
The win also marked Orlando’s first win at home since May 24, when they beat Portland Timbers 1-0. A positive result will go a long way when they return to MLS play.
“It feels really good to get a win at home,” Smith said. “To get three goals at home is important. It gives us confidence [and] for the fans as well.”
Orlando will return to Inter & Co. Stadium next Wednesday for their final Phase One Leagues Cup match against Necaxa.
