ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 27, 2024) – No. 4 Orlando City SC took down No. 5 Charlotte FC, 2-0, in the first game of Round One of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday night at Inter&Co Stadium, taking the early lead in the best-of-three series.
Lions’ winger Facundo Torres opened the scoring with a goal in the 32nd minute after controlling a cross that was first deflected off a Charlotte defender. The goal was Torres’ 19th of the season, setting a Club record for most individual goals in a single season across all competitions, passing Cyle Larin’s record set in 2015.
Martín Ojeda added an insurance goal late in the second half, his seventh across all competitions. Iván Angulo recorded his 11th assist on the Ojeda finish.
Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves to preserve the clean sheet, accounting for his eighth shutout of the season.
Orlando City will next travel to North Carolina for Game 2 of the best-of-three series on Friday, Nov. 1, with an opportunity to advance to the Conference Semifinal with a win. Kick off from Bank of America Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, with the match set to stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Scoring Summary:
32’ Facundo Torres – ORL 1, CLT 0
Nearing the end of the first half, Facundo Torres gave Orlando a 1-0 lead. Iván Angulo led a Lions’ attack in the middle of the Charlotte defense and led Rafael Santos to the outside of the field. Rafael Santos crossed the ball into the box that got deflected off the head of a Charlotte defender and landed at Torres’ feet. The Uruguayan winger calmly controlled the ball and drilled a shot past goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, off the underside of the crossbar and in.
76’ Martín Ojeda (Iván Angulo) – ORL 2, CLT 0
The Lions doubled their lead on a strike from Martín Ojeda. César Araújo sent a long pass out to an empty space along the left wing behind the Charlotte back line. Iván Angulo sprinted forward to catch up with the pass and sent a one-touch pass inside the box to Martín Ojeda. Ojeda took a second touch and squeezed a shot in between the Charlotte goalkeeper and the front post to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“Well, we're very happy with the result, but much more for the way we did it against a tough rival and very difficult postseason game, which means a lot for our fans. We want to be grateful to them, with just that energy that they brought to the stadium with that many people. [In the] first half, we controlled it. We had a lot of volume; we created many chances. We could have put the game away in that half or put Charlotte in a more difficult position, but we missed a lot of opportunities. In the second half, we became more tense in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half. We sensed that we were winning, but this is a dangerous situation, and we started dropping in the zone where we don't feel comfortable. We started just getting into some space too. So, it was like a trade. We gave you [Charlotte] the ball to just bring some proposal to the game and we were going to use those spaces, and that's the way we created the chances in the second half and the counterattacks. I'm very happy with the group and this momentum. I'm very happy with the way that we're playing, but this is one game. We have to analyze it and just prepare for the next one. It’s a good first step.”
Match Notes:
- With the 2-0 win over Charlotte, Orlando City recorded its first-ever multi-goal game in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Forward Facundo Torres scored his 19th goal of the 2024 season across all competitions. The tally sets a Club record for most individual goals in a single season across all competitions, passing Cyle Larin’s record set in 2015.
- Martín Ojeda scored his seventh goal of the season across all competitions.
- Iván Angulo picked up his 11th assist of the 2024 campaign on the Ojeda finish.
- With the clean sheet on the night, the Lions kept their third consecutive shutout in Round One matches of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. In 2023, Orlando City swept Nashville with two 1-0 wins.
- Head Coach Oscar Pareja made one change to his starting XI from his side’s last match against Atlanta United FC, with Wilder Cartagena returning to the lineup.
