O-Town's 11
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All Orlando City SC needs to do now is keep playing hard

• Keep playing hard to launch the post-season

• Building records means breaking records

• All players getting on the same page

By Chuck Wharton

Sep 28, 2024; Frisco, Texas, USA; Orlando City defender Rafael Santos (3) brings the ball up the sideline during the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Frisco, Texas, USA; Orlando City defender Rafael Santos (3) brings the ball up the sideline during the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
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Orlando City SC players have found the path to the 2024 MLS post-season. Now they have to forge their path deep into the playoffs.

If players for Orlando City SC keep the focus that got them into the 2024 MLS post-season, they’ll march deep into the playoffs. Their performance in the playoffs-clinching match against FC Dallas presents the model that will achieve this.

It was a 3-1 win.

The scoring started with forward Ramiro Enrique’s header. Then he’s credited with a key defensive effort on the third score by midfielder Facundo Torres.

Enrique is a player whose supporters asked, “Who is he?” during the team’s slow, disappointing start to the 2024 season. Yet now those same supporters know about as much as the Orlando scouts who got the team to sign him in January 2023.

He’s strong in aerial duels and dribbling. He’s not intimidated playing as the sole striker, or anywhere as forward in a 4-3-3.

Ramiro Enrique
Sep 28, 2024; Frisco, Texas, USA; Orlando City forward Ramiro Enrique (7) calls for the ball in the first half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

And he’s all about the Orlando City team. His superior chance-creating skill enabled Torres to score his 44th goal, tying Cyle Larin for most goals in club history. He added to his record of most goals-plus-assists in team history.

The second score came from defender Rodrigo Schlegel off a set piece started by winger Martin Ojeda. That’s Schlegel’s first Orlando score since April 17, 2022. This is an excellent time for Schlegel to peak and stay peaked.

That goes for the entire team.

They clinched The playoff position  in the top seven. That means they need not play-in to claim their post-season spot. That also means the squad may qualify to host the first-round series opener.

An organization tracking playoff probabilities, playoffstatus.com, believes Orlando City SC will start the post-season with a bye week. In previous probability reports, the organization consistently thought their first playoff opponent would be Toronto FC.

All Orlando City SC needs to do now is play out the remainder of the season. But to be completely ready for these playoffs, they need to play it out just as hard as they played FC Dallas.

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