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End result 1: 0 as Lions Tie Club record 12-game shells

End result 1: 0 as Lions Tie Club record 12-game shells

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Orlando City scored a goal in the first half of Duncan McGuire and held a 1-0 against the Portland Timbers in front of an announced amount of 21.256 in the Inter & Co-Stadium this evening. The Lions (7-2-6, 27 points) were put under pressure in the second half, but in the regular season they were extended to 12 games (6-0-6) in the regular run in the regular season, with the club record in 2020. With the victory, Orlando also remained perfect (3-0-0) at home against Portland (6-4-5, 23 points).

“First, I would like to recognize the efforts of the players for this incredible first half and the tactical discipline they had in the second half when we needed it,” said Oscar Pareja, head coach of Orlando City. “And our energy to push and squeeze themselves became for the simple reason why we played two days ago and we bet hard on the trophy. We let all of this proudly on the effort, the performance and beating of a good rival because I look at this a very good team.”

Pedro Gallese showed Pareja's line -up in the goal behind the usual back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel and Alex Freeman. Eduard Atuesta returned to the line -up and started Cesar Araujo in central midfield, with midfielder Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic attack with Luis Muriel and McGuire.

The Lions spent a large part of the first half of working in great positions, but bad decisions, bad passes or bad shots as soon as they got into the last third. Portland was satisfied with leaning back in his 5-4-1 formation and defending himself, so that Orlando had little space to work through. Nevertheless, the Lions were able to generate the best chances in the opening half of the opening and had enough good looks to bring the game to bed before the break.

The second half was mainly a wear battle, since the woods could keep the ball but had difficulty having a lot of danger against the defense of Orlando, only trying to try seven total shots and only bring two to the goal. Gallese scored two parades to keep his seventh clean leaf of the 2025 season.

Muriel in particular only looked a little during the first 45 minutes and read a ball into the diagonal run of Pasalic in the third minute. Atuesta took a pass from Freeman in the sixth minute, but fired far. Two minutes later, Pasalic was released and fired at the top of the box, but Maxime Crepeau made a good diver to keep the game goalless.

Angulo found a place on the left in the 13th minute on the left, but he sent his shot weak towards the post and it did no problem. Five minutes later, Muriel made a shot that came close, but his explosion was only far from the right post.

Portland got his first longer possession after Muriel's chance, but did not create much with it, even though he won a number of set pieces. In the third of these, the Lions were put away after the service to the Galase area, and Angulo broke out the transition behind the defense of Portland. The Colombian climbed into the box, but sent his shot far from the left post in the 29th minute.

In the next 10 minutes, Orlando City had some chances of creating something dangerous, but Muriel could not find the last ball to unlock the defense of the wood. At the end of these 10 minutes, however, the lions broke through.

Atuesta worked the ball on the right and left in the area and tried to free himself for a shot, but then he chose McGuire with a great pass. The great striker turned and hit a shot of Crepeau for his first goal of the regular season in the 39th minute.

“Obviously a great ball by Eduard. I don't think the defense expected it,” said McGuire. “He always told me that he would look for me, so the ball was expected to me, and he played an incredible ball, so I owe him dinner for this beautiful ball.”

“Your line tried to press after the rebound (from an earlier ball into the box),” said Atuesta about the game. “Duncan made a great movement. And thank God, he shot in the first (touch), because if he were checked, the defender might be the tackle or a little pushing or blocking the shot, but he was very good, very smart for the first time, and we won with this goal, so very well for us.”

Atuesta, who hadn't played since April 26, had a great game in the middle of Orlando to connect the lines and to recover the ball from the Timbers.

“Eduard has a special feature. The way he connects us all on the pitch is very clean,” said Pareja. “I was also doubtful how much he could take, but Atuesta did not stop training. He is a player who is technical and how he sees the game for us.”

After his goal, McGuire celebrated with Freeman when the two players did the knight.

Three minutes after McGuires gate slipped in Angulo, took a Freeman pass and put the ball on the net, but he didn't last long enough and was a step away.

At the end of half, Kevin Kelsy blew up a shot over Galleses Crossheck in the final chance of half.

The woods had the half-time edge (50.9%-49.1%), the accuracy (90.2%-88.3%) and the corners (2-1), while Orlando City ended with more shots (11-2) and shots on the goal (3-1).

“I can't overdo it if I say that this is one of the best performance in the first half we had,” said Pareja. “And it is true that the second half was not similar. We started losing areas. Portland had the ball – not the possibilities, but they had the ball and the initiative – we couldn't get out of there.”

“I have the feeling that you did a good job with the (five-man back line) to get numbers behind the ball, but I have the feeling that we had our chances when we got the ball behind their midfield to go quickly,” said Mcguire. “And I think we had a few options that we could have used ourselves, but at the end of the day we got the three points and that's why it is important.”

Portland's David da Costa had the first look of the second half, took the ball in the left corner of the box and ripped a shot on the right in the 50th minute.

Orlando got a rare attack in the 66th minute, which led to a Muriel shot from the top of the area, but the Colombian sent his shot over the bar.

McGuire had a frightening moment a moment later when he was trapped from Portland between two defenders and went down hard. He rolled over the wrist with visible discomfort. After receiving the treatment, he was able to continue, but he came off for Ramiro Enrique in the 67th minute, and Martin Ojeda replaced Muriel, who had a hard night with his last ball in the attack.

Gallesen helped his own cause in the second half by aggressively coming out of his line to deal with Portland Croses. He came to a dangerous one in the 71st minute and caught it shortly before Kelsy's arrival.

The fans of Orlando City kept their collective breath in the 76th minute when Brekalo went to the floor in the box and Portland's Ariel Lassiter. The piece was checked, but Brekalo got a touch of the ball with his right foot, and Lassiter seemed to get to the bottom of the contact so that the no-call was on the field.

In the 79th minute, Gallese had to drive sharply into the upper left corner on a ball on a header from Finn Surman and tipped over the crossbar.

In the following corner Galles came from his line again and hit the cross. Portland recycled and Antony fired a shot far above the rod outside the box on the recycling.

The Lions faced economical in the second half, and when they did it, they often dribbled directly into a defender and turned him over, but in the 82nd minute Ojeda got the opportunity from a good position on the left side of the box, but Crepeau fought the attempt to shot. The rebound fell to Enrique, but the Argentine striker saw his shot by Claudio Bravo blocked.

From that point on, Portland drove the ball around the top and searched for an opening to use it, but they could only send crosses that were either caught by Galas or were led by the defense of Orlando.

Schlegel and Jansson recorded both yellow cards for Dissens in the interruption, but otherwise the additional minutes were largely uneventful and the lions were recorded for the victory.

Portland ended the game with the edge taken possession (54.5%-45.5%), the accuracy (89%-85.7%) and corners (4-1). Orlando City tried more shots (14-7) and shots on their destination (4-2). It was not the most clinical night for the Lions in the attacking half, but the defense remained organized and stopped Portland from the scoreboard.

“It was difficult to keep the ball (in the second half), keep the ball longer. It was difficult for us to find our connections that we found in the first half,” said Pareja. “It was difficult to keep the ball, especially in the last 10-15 minutes. Our sequences were shorter, but the way the team was defended was great and gave us the feeling of solidity that we need when these scenarios take place, or these games or (there are) the achievements of the other team. So I am proud.

“It was a hard game. Portland obviously tested us in the second half,” said McGuire. “But I think we reacted well and did a good job to keep them out of our goal and glad to get the three points.”

The Lions still have a short turnaround when they take a street game in Atlanta United on Wednesday.

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