Orlando City SC overcomes CF Montreal and boycott in style

Orlando City SC exploded into Leagues Cup play by defeating CF Montreal 4-1 at home.

Leagues Cup play opened for Orlando City SC with the squad overwhelming CF Montreal 4-1. The 16,033 in attendance made the 25,500-capacity stadium look about half-full. Part of the reason is that some MLS supporters, including some Orlando faithful, announced they would not attend this competition.

The boycott call is because the Leagues Cup – including MLS and Liga MX clubs across the three nations – interrupted full participation in the U.S. Open Cup this year.

As a compromise, MLS agreed to field eight of its 26 United States teams in the Open Cup. For the rest including Orlando City, they play in the Leagues Cup.

So supporter groups, including Orlando’s Iron Law Firm, peppered social media with boycott statements urging their members and others to stay away.

This Leagues Cup competition has presented a great opportunity for Orlando City SC. The players used this opportunity to exercise all their training in the MLS season to enter the Leagues Cup from a position of strength.

Their confidence showed. The total of their training exploded on the pitch from the seventh minute when Orlando defender Dagur Dan Thorhallsson opened the scoring.

Midfielder Facundo Torres, assisted by striker Ramiro Enrique, joined with a goal in the 37th minute. They switched roles in first-half stoppage time with Enrique shooting into the net with an assist from Torres.

Then midfielder Martin Ojeda scored with an assist by Nicholas Lodeiro in the 57th minute.

Montreal didn’t answer on the scoreboard until the 67th minute, on a shot by striker Josef Martinez, assisted by winger Ariel Lassiter.

The Orlando scoring was supported by 458 passes leading to 10 shots on goal.

This competition will sharpen the steel of Orlando’s attack and defense. They will need to carry this sharpening back into MLS competition once the Leagues Cup ends this month.

This is vital to finishing out the MLS season in the top seven above the playoff line. Then the march through MLS post-season begins.

Supporters and MLS alike will be taking another look at the Leagues Cup and its positioning with the U.S. Open after this summer to see just what the league has.

The U.S. Open Cup, putting top amateur teams and MLS squads together on the pitch, is historic and important. But if the Leagues Cup, matching MLS with Liga MX teams, is what the MLS front office staff thinks it is, there will be one more compromise coming.

That compromise will be a schedule agreeable to supporters and protective of North American soccer tradition, as symbolized in the U.S. Open Cup.