Enderbear 3: 1, since the lions with home victory are undefeated run.

The Lions finally got the balance that Oscar Pareja had been looking for Atlanta in the Inter & Co Stadium since April 26. Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda and Ramiro Enrique achieved and the defense recorded the opposition to a shot on the destination as Orlando City (5-2-6, 21 points) achieved a 3-1 home win against Charlotte FC (6-6-1, 19 points). A Wilfried Zaha goal in the first half prevented the elimination.

The victory expanded the unbeaten series from Orlando City to 10 in the league (4-0-6) and 11 in all competitions (5-0-6) in a row. Orlando improved in the regular season series to 4-1-2 against Charlotte and at home 3-1: 0.

“We are very satisfied with the three points. We are very satisfied with the efforts of the players,” said Oscar Pareja, head coach of Orlando City, after the game. “In a short time you got your energy back to get this start in the first half, where I think we dominated the other team and the game, but it was a similar feeling in the first half when we gave it a goal, but then our reaction was even more uniform and solid in the second half.”

Pedro Gallese showed Pareja's line -up in the goal behind a background of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Joran Gerbet started in the central midfield with the attacks midfielder Ivan Angulo, Ojeda and Marco Pasalic with Muriel.

A large part of the first half was played between the penalty areas, but the teams made some good chances, especially the Lions, who would have a big lead if the attacking players did not cross the ball directly to Charlotte defender when they arrived in the last third. Finally, Orlando City got into the game and put a few shots on the net, which led to a response from Charlotte.

Just two minutes after the game began, the Lions thought they had achieved. Pasalic sent a nice ball forward to unlock Muriel, who stuck his shot from the right side directly inside the left post. However, the Colombian was a step away and the flag came up correctly.

Four minutes later, Muriel got into the box with a good ball from Araujo. This time the designated player took too many touches and lost the ball to Charlotte Kristijan Kahlina's goalkeeper. Muriel got his revenge later and blew a shot from a distance that Kahlina should have kept, but the ball jumped off right in front of the goalkeeper and he somehow let him inject through and into the net to make it 1-0 in the eighth minute.

Muriel tried again in the 10th minute his luck from outside the penalty area, but this time Kahlina was able to collect a shot that was right on him. Five minutes later, Angulo turned down a good run on the left, but sent a weak shot or crossed directly to Kahlina.

Charlotte's first threat came in the 21st minute when the visitors pingen the ball around the box, but could not create a clear opportunity, since the Lions defense blocked some attempts and was finally clear.

Ojeda doubled the lead in the 24th minute with another rocket. A pasal shot was blocked by the Charlotte defense and driven on the left, where the Argentine hit him on the half polley and shreded it and took him for a 2-0 lead. It was his eighth goal of the season.

“Martin is one of the most professional and astonishing people I've ever met,” said Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, one of the second half of Orlando when he saw Ojeda's strong game in the last games. “With the talent he has, he can be one of the best players in this league. That is my opinion. He has everything. He has the shot, he has death, he has the vision.”

The starter with two goals lasted 10 minutes. Charlotte got the possession more after the second goal and had it paid out. Zaha climbed to the ball near the top of the box, turned and blew the ball past a slider. The shot was hit with strength and pace and found the inside of the left post to do it 2-1 in the 34th minute.

Brekalo turned forward after the restart and shot a shot from the top of the area. The defense blocked her up and gave Kahlina a slight catch. Three minutes later, Angulo left down and sent a decent cross for Muriel, but the defense could get there and clarified it.

Charlotte then had to sweat a video check when Muriel went into the box under contact by Andrew Privett. The check did not lead to a punishment and it was a fair decision.

Freeman was out of balance and sent a backward header in the 44th in his own defensive end, which Charlotte owned, and visitors worked the ball for a good chance. Ashley Westwood ended with the shot, but sent him wide.

Charlotte striker Idan Tclomati took a good view of it in the second minute and ended a scramble in the box with an explosion on the net.

The last glance of half came in the fourth minute when Pasalic sent a great ball to Angulo, who made a chaos of his shot and sent him well off the finish line.

Orlando City had the lead in the first half (52.7%-47.3%), shots (7-5) and shots on the goal (3-1). No team won a corner and Charlotte died more closely (88.3%-87.6%).

In the second half, the game was much closer and fewer opportunities for both teams. Tired legs may have played a factor, but also Orlando's willingness to stay compact and try to see the game without admitting a second goal. After all, the lions were able to offer the offensive and defensive balance balance that Pareja was looking for from his squad.

Charlotte interrupted Patrick Agyemang at halftime into the game and it paid off almost immediately after the restart. The visitors sent the ball down down for the USMNT striker, who fired far from the right post in the 46th minute. Charlotte quickly won the first corner of the game later, but celebrated a foul on the set piece, with the pipe just coming when the ball stormed over the gala in the 50th minute.

Agyemang won a dangerous set piece via a foul from Schlegel in the 71st minute directly outside the area. Pep Biel took the free kick, but sailed his shot over the goal. Biel then hit the crossbar in the 67th minute when Charlotte continued to compensate.

Both teams made several changes, and Orlando City landed with five men on the other side of the back to see the match.

A good ball in the box in the 73rd minute, when she found Jansson from left left, found Jansson, but the Swede led his shot directly in Kahlina. After that, Freeman quickly won a corner and Ojeda sent a good ball for Araujo to the other side. The Uruguayan tried to bring the cross at the destination, but it did not make good contact and the shot hovered Kahlina.

Orlando allowed visitors to keep most of the ball for the rest of the game, the content to try to protect the one-gate tour and to hit Charlotte in the transition. This strategy worked in the 82nd minute. Brekalo has removed from the press well to move outside and then back inside, before unleashing a fantastic line pass for the Sub Enrique in the second half. The Argentinian had irritated Tim on him when he entered the box, and Enrique hit the brakes, lost REAM, then cut to the right and blew his shot past Kahlina to make it 3-1.

“I saw that David had the ball and he hit me a great diagonal pass,” said Enrique. “It was a fantastic ball. When I came up with it, the goalkeeper came out. He left my weak foot open, so I thought, 'hit it with the left', and the defender joined, and luckily I was able to cut and end him (cut back to the right.”

Although Enrique still had some work to do after receiving the ball from Brekalo, it would not have happened without the work of the Slovenian to break Charlotte's press. As an Enrique shot, Brekalo was a main assistant to the secondary one he had on Muriel's opener.

“I was very satisfied with the defensive work we did, and David is a protagonist of the system and also this performance,” said Pareja. “In addition, he turns into a left back that can give us the function that we want and defends this strength, but it seems that we have much more than that. Now he is going forward. Now he is better in this last third if he can better connect. The last game had a great opportunity that has achieved the post. Today he has these assists.

When Orlando City tried to kill the clock, Pareja Justin Ellis gave his MLS debut on his 18th birthday. The Lions were able to bleed the clock, defend a late corner and capture the victory.

The Lions ended the possession of the ownership (52%-48%), shots (10-9), shots on the destination (6-1) and the handover accuracy (89.3%-88.3%). Charlotte won more corners (2-1).

“It was an important game for us, an important victory after the draw we had in the last game,” said Enrique. “And you know, (I'm), I'm just happy to be able to help the team to win the victory this evening.”

“Only a very solid performance in total, I would say,” said Thorhallsson. “The goal was to go into the game and to score a few goals and not admit. We have three goals, i.e. a victory. It is important. For me, we have one of the strongest teams in the entire MLS. If we manage to get the defense and do the attack at the same time, and at the same time the same time, and all the season all over the entire season when I don't have to do.

The Lions are back in action on Sunday in Inter Miami in the first tropical -thunder -rivalry game of the 2025 season.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply