SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 18, 2024) – Orlando City SC (4-5-4, 16 points) picked up its first ever victory at the San Jose Earthquakes (3-10-1, 10 points) on Saturday night, with forward Jack Lynn scoring a late difference maker at PayPal Park to earn a 1-0 Lions win. The two sides looked to be headed for a scoreless draw nearly into second-half stoppage time, but Lynn struck in the 89th minute to earn Orlando its third win away from home.
After entering the match just 16 minutes in to replace Duncan McGuire, Lynn totaled three shots on the night, nearly breaking through just minutes prior with a header that was saved by the San Jose goalkeeper with a desperation effort.
On the defensive end, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned his fourth clean sheet of the season, with big saves on both sides of the half to hold the home side scoreless.
The Lions will return home to INTER&Co Stadium next to host the Columbus Crew this Saturday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Scoring Summary:
89’ Jack Lynn (Martín Ojeda, Iván Angulo) – ORL 1, SJ 0
The Lions took the lead late in the match, through the foot of Jack Lynn, who entered the game early in the first half after an injury to Duncan McGuire. The play was started by Iván Angulo, who used a speedy individual effort to catch San Jose on the counter, eventually lofting a cross to Martín Ojeda. Ojeda was unable to fully connect on his volley attempt, but the ball fell right to Lynn who was in prime position to score the winner.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“It was a great result for a group of players that are giving us all the energy that they have, and they show us a lot of pride on the pitch, trying to resolve the problems. I thought that they had a lot of personality to overcome some bumps in the game. I liked the second half [much better] when we had more control. The boys that came off from the bench helped us a lot, too. But as a team that is growing, their confidence is growing. The way we're playing is much better in terms of efficiency in the other side of the box, and so we're proud. But the thing that we are so happy is to see them battling all the time and trying to do the right things.”
Match Notes
- The victory marked a first-ever win by a road team in the all-time series against San Jose, with Orlando 0-1-2 heading into Saturday’s match.
- The win marked Oscar Pareja’s 70th across all competitions as Orlando City’s head coach and his 60th with Orlando in the MLS regular season.
- Jack Lynn’s 89th-minute goal marked his second of the season and the second of his MLS career.
- The clean sheet was the fourth of the season for the Lions and second in as many matches.
- Head Coach Oscar Pareja made two changes to his starting lineup from his side’s last match against Inter Miami CF, with Felipe and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson returning to the Starting XI.
