1. Playoff bound again! Orlando City clinched their fifth straight playoff berth with a convincing 3-1 win over FC Dallas on the road.
2. Ramiro Enrique: a fox in the box. It was an overall active effort from the forward, who made the most of his start on the road. A blasting header to open the scoring as well as a defensive effort to create the third goal for Facundo Torres was exactly what the Lions needed for a game like this. With his starting battle with Duncan McGuire over the last few games going back and forth, it seems each player keeps giving Oscar Pareja a headache on who to choose.
3. The second goal came from a set piece as MartÃn Ojeda found Rodrigo Schlegel with a hard-hit ball into the mixer. It's another assist that adds to his growing tally since securing the starting spot as the No. 10 in Pareja's lineup.
4. Speaking of Schlegel, it's his first goal in MLS play since April 17, 2022, when he scored against the Columbus Crew. For the Argentine, the level he's been playing at over the last month has been reminiscent of last year, when he started the second half of the season's games filling in for Antonio Carlos. In his five years here, he's been somewhat inconsistent, but always seems to have these good runs of form when the team needs him the most.
5. It was a record-breaking goal for Torres, who scored the third of the game for the Lions. With his 44th goal, he ties Cyle Larin for most goals in Club history across all competitions. Already the holder of the most goals + assists in the team's history, it's safe to say that his next goal will cement the Uruguayan as one of, if not the best player to ever wear an Orlando City jersey.
6. With his goal tonight, Torres has now contributed to a goal in his last five games, with five goals and an assist. I've joked in past articles that the "Summer of Facu" is still going strong, but the stats don't lie. It's been an inspired last few months from El Cuervo.
7. The Lions offense has been on an absolute tear since June. With the team's three goals tonight, it puts them at 53 goals on the season, growing ever closer to passing the 2016 and 2023 Orlando City teams that hold the record for most goals in a season with 55. Oh, and the team has scored multiple goals in 12 of their last 14 games, a massive improvement from the first few months of the season.
8. Not only did the Lions clinch a playoff berth, but they have clinched a top-seven spot, meaning they are safe from the play-in game and are still on pace to host the first-round playoff series opener. Currently sitting in fourth, the Lions control their own destiny with three games left to play.
9. Speaking of that next game, the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union in a midweek matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 2, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Inter&Co Stadium.
