Written by Alessandro Hurtado.
Orlando City SC fell in their home opening match against Red Bull New York tonight at Inter&Co Stadium, doing little to ease the pressure surrounding the club ahead of the MLS season.
In a one-sided first half, the Red Bulls launched 11 shots at the Lions, 9 of them being on target. On top of that, they dominated every stat line, including possession (53.7% – 46.3%), passing accuracy ( 86.7% – 79.5%), and corners (5-0). This wave of complete domination saw New York take a 2-0 lead courtesy of striker Julian Hall before the halftime whistle.
Manager Óscar Pareja made two substitutions at the break, subbing on rookie Nolan Miller for Iago and Ivan Angulo for Pasalic. These substitutions helped spark a new wave of aggression that gave the Lions a resounding advantage in the second half.
A free kick chance in the 50th minute looked to pull one back for Orlando City as defender Griffin Dorsey smashed the ball in the back of the net from inside the box. The goal was quickly nullified by VAR as the replay showed the ball hitting Dorsey’s elbow right before his shot on net.
While it changed the momentum of the match, it didn’t turn the tide completely as newcomer midfielder Tiago scored the first goal of the season for the Lions at the 96th minute.
Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau delivered a reliable presence under the posts as he closed the game out with eight saves. Crepeau was also saved by a handful of shots that were smashed against the posts throughout the match. Regardless, his efforts managed to save Orlando City from a complete defensive catastrophe.
This is the Lions’ second straight opening day loss. With the result, they tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Their next match will take place on March 1 at 7 p.m. against defending MLS Cup champions Inter Miami at Inter&Co Stadium.
