Orlando City SC marches past San Luis to the next Leagues Cup stage

Orlando City SC gained a short-handed Leagues Cup victory over Atletico San Luis. You haven’t heard that in a while!

It was a pretty even Leagues Cup match between Orlando City SC and Atletico San Luis until the 29th minute. That’s when Orlando defender Kyle Smith drew a red card, denying a scoring opportunity for the opponent.

Yet Orlando City and San Luis of Liga MX remained 1-1 at the end of regulation. That’s another situation supporters haven’t heard about City for a while.

Then after a 5-4 shootout, the Orlando squad left the pitch with a victory. But that’s not the third superlative, although it extends City’s streak of winning 10 penalty shootouts. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese remains undefeated in shootouts.

The third high point is that Orlando City SC ended their initial group competition on top. They move to the Round of 32. They first face Cruz Azul.

The squad had to overcome playing most of the match down a man to get to this point. So midfielder Wilder Cartagena had to move from his position to add defense. Also needed: someone to have an excellent game.

That ace of a match came from solo striker Ramiro Enrique. With his score in this match, he has six goals in six games. That’s the club record across all competitions and goes ahead of Daryl Dike’s five-in-five.

In order, the five penalty scores that brought everything home came from Nico Lodeiro, Wilder Cartagena, Duncan McGuire, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Head coach Oscar Pareja emphasized that, while Enrique’s goal was significant in keeping them from a loss, Cartagena’s contribution in regulation also had an impact.

Aug 4, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena (16) heads the ball against Atletico de San Luis in the second half during the Leagues Cup group stage at INTER&CO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Cartagena started in the midfield position, but he was called on and instantly adapted to center back while the team played for 60 minutes a man down. He still got a chance to score and made good on it during the shootout.

Pareja added that San Luis started the second half with different game strategies to exploit Orlando’s shorthanded lineup. While Cartagena provided extra pressure for the Orlando backline, Enrique stepped up his game up front and got the vital score the Lions needed to try for a win.

And win they did.

The qualities Orlando City SC is sharpening in this Leagues Cup competition will serve them well once they return to MLS and work for the post-season.