The Lions entered a rain-soaked Saturday night in Chester, Pennsylvania in need of a bounce-back effort after their first loss of the season one week earlier.
They got one in a big way.
Martín Ojeda and Iván Angulo each scored first-half goals and Mason Stajduhar was strong between the pipes, lifting Orlando City to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.
For Orlando, which fell at home to previously winless Charlotte FC on March 18, it was a statement made against the defending Eastern Conference champions -- and the first victory in Philadelphia for the Lions since 2018.
“I think it says a lot about the character of this group," Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said of his side's performance.
"It was not an easy moment after we lost at home against Charlotte in a game that we could have easily changed the story of that result, especially in the second half. But the game shows us that every game just shows a different story."
The Lions (2-1-2, 8 points) wasted no time getting on the board to open the match, using a red-hot start to jump on the Union just 104 seconds in. Ojeda, who scored his first career goal versus Charlotte seven days earlier, got behind the Philadelphia defense and finished with ease for the second-minute advantage and his second strike of the season.
Just seven minutes later, it was Ojeda feeding Angulo, who skirted through a pair of defenders before burying his first MLS goal in the ninth minute. The Colombian winger let out a roar in celebration, jumping into the air and pumping his first.
"That just gave us confidence, for sure, against a rival that is very strong at home," Pareja said. "We know about their verticality and their volume going forward, but leading the score and having those consecutive goals, that for sure just gave us confidence during the game. It was very important for us."
From there, it was all Stajduhar, who filled in admirably for Pedro Gallese (away on international duty with Peru). The club's longest-tenured player stood tall on the cold, damp night, allowing just one goal to former Orlando teammate Andres Perea in the 17th minute.
Philadelphia finished with 27 shots (nine on target), while Orlando finished with 12 (four on target).
In addition to Gallese, the Lions were without six other players for the match because of national-team duty, including Facundo Torres (Uruguay), Mikey Halliday (U.S. under-20s) and Wilder Cartagena (Peru) among others. Striker Ercan Kara was also listed as "questionable" for the match because of a right thigh issue and did not feature in the match-day squad.
None of that deterred Orlando City, however, whose victory also snapped the Union's league-best 24-match unbeaten streak at home -- a run that stretched back to 2021.
“I think we came to a difficult place with a great game plan," Lions midfielder Felipe Martins said. "We knew exactly how we wanted to play, the way we wanted to defend, and I think our individual efforts made a difference, but the group is always the strength.
"I think tonight we showed that we are a team that can play."
Up next
Orlando City returns home on Saturday, April 1 to face Nashville SC at 7:30 p.m. at Exploria Stadium.
The two clubs last met in MLS action in 2021, drawing three times in the regular season before Orlando bowed out against Nashville in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The sides also drew in U.S. Open Cup play, 1-1, last season.
