ORLANDO, Fla. (May 4, 2024) – Orlando City SC (2-5-3, 9 points) fell to FC Cincinnati (6-2-3, 21 points) after forward Luciano Acosta scored the lone goal on the night just 17 seconds into the match.
Orlando had its fair share of chances after going down 1-0 in the first half. Midfielder Iván Angulo had a chance a few minutes after halftime when he took a shot at an open goal, but it was cleared off the line by a Cincinnati defender. Wilder Cartagena scored a goal late in the second half, but Facundo Torres was called for offsides after a free kick.
The Lions were down a man for 55 minutes after defender Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a red card in the 23rd minute. The playing field was evened for the late portion of the match after Cincinnati second-half substitute Bret Halsey was sent off with this second yellow card in the 78th minute.
Scoring Summary:
1’ Luciano Acosta (DeAndre Yedlin) – CIN 1, ORL 0
Just 17 seconds into the match, the visitors took the early 1-0 lead. Defender DeAndre Yedlin took control of the ball and sent in a lead pass to Luciano Acosta down the right side of the field. Acosta caught up with the ball and dribbled through the Orlando defense before sending a shot past goalkeeper Pedro Gallese to the near post.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“Well, another frustrating night because of the result. Obviously at this point we are having urgency to get points. It’s a feeling we all had in the locker room. I think the effort and the correction the players demonstrated we’re still brave and trying to bounce back. Regarding the game, I thought we were the best team but that doesn't give us anything. Those two dark moments in the first minutes, and the other one with the red card, just kept us from the result and that’s what makes us sad and frustrated. Other than that, I told the players what I saw on the pitch was a team with heart, with courage, and our fans in the stadium deserve it. We’re very proud of them as well and they didn’t stop pushing the team. We see we have to keep going, navigate this difficult time that hasn’t happened to us, to me in Orlando. Our heart is intact and we have to push.”
Match Notes
- Head Coach Oscar Pareja made one change to his starting lineup from his side’s last match against Toronto FC, with Rodrigo Schlegel returning to the Starting XI.
