Orlando City SC sharpens skills in shutting out Charlotte FC

Orlando City SC continued honing skills in shutting out Charlotte FC. They’re gaining momentum for the post-season.

In their previous match with Charlotte, Orlando City SC was overcoming speed deficiencies. In that June game, the Lions had suffered defeats against teams that knew that if they punched the accelerator around halftime, Orlando players would get frustrated, confused, and lose.

City overcame that strategy against Charlotte FC and drew the match 2-2 despite being down a man.

More recently at home, Orlando matched Charlotte in speed and then shut them out 2-0 with skill. This strategy was highlighted in the 23rd minute when midfielder Cesar Araujo executed his finest dispossession of the season.

He effortlessly plucked the ball from his opponent as if he were running barefooted.

This effort contributed to Orlando City leading in possession at nearly 58%. But more dramatically it factored in limiting Charlotte to only four shots with two of them on target. Orlando City got off 12 shots.

Sep 18, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte FC midfielder Brandt Bronico (13) controls the ball as Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo (5) defends during the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Yet Charlotte brought everything necessary to win the match. They blocked half of Orlando’s shots and tallied 11 clearances. While Orlando had the possession lead with just under 88% passing accuracy, Charlotte frequently diverted or grabbed Lion's passes.

But Orlando City defended where it counts. And goalkeeper Pedro Gallese gets a lot of that credit. He even got the second assist behind Luis Muriel on Duncan McGuire’s 89th-minute goal. That’s the keeper’s first assist for the team.

Facundo Torres scored the other goal in the 52nd minute. Martin Ojeda and Ivan Angulo assisted.

The Torres score, his 43rd across all competitions, puts him one away from tying Cyle Larin for the most in club history. McGwire’s goal, his 10th of the season across all competitions, ties him with Kaka for fourth all-time on the club.

The win is the 171st in the MLS regular season for head coach Oscar Pareja. That puts him in first place in the league. And it puts Orlando City SC in fourth place in the MLS Eastern Conference, tied at 43 points with the New York Red Bulls.

The probability of how Orlando City SC will fit into the MLS post-season will be covered in the next post.