Orlando City SC pushes through FC Cincinnati and toward the playoffs

Orlando City SC has defeated their most formidable opponent left this season in FC Cincinnati.

By overwhelming FC Cincinnati 3-1 Orlando City SC has taken care of their most powerful opponent remaining this 2024 MLS regular season. Yet, there is no resting on laurels as every opponent in the post-season will play like the most powerful team they’ve faced all year.

FC Cincinnati remains in third place in the MLS Eastern Conference. It’s a squad that has collected 56 points with a 17-11-5 record. Yet Orlando City exploited every weakness the team dared to show in this match.

The first goal by Ramiro Enrique just 10 minutes into the match helped Orlando secure a single-season record with 56 goals. And that was the first of two Enrique scores – the other coming in the 72nd minute. Kyle Smith assisted the first and Ivan Angulo the second.

The same three players showed up for the second score in the 66th minute with Ivan Angulo netted a ball, assisted by Ramiro Enrique and Kyle Smith.

Smith’s 175th appearance across all competitions puts him second all-time for Orlando.

Cincinnati’s only score came in the 45th minute by Luciano Acosta, assisted by Teenage Hadebe.

Head Coach Oscar Pareja said the control executed by the squad in the second half of this match represents the kind of game the team will have to strive for from now on. They couldn’t carry out that kind of control in the first half because of how Cincinnati complicated the game for them.

Kyle Smith added that the players want to keep that same form throughout the playoffs. With that strategy, he said they should keep scoring goals. But they have the added goal of working for clean sheets, as well as more wins.

As Pareja puts it, they’ll keep pushing.