As Orlando City's game against the Colorado Rapids came down to the wire, the result was still up for grabs.
The Lions led 1-0 thanks to a goal from Facundo Torres earlier in the second half, but Orlando had been unable to put the game away with a second.
Up steps Ramiro Enrique, still searching for his first goal with Orlando after signing with the team in the offseason. After subbing into the match in the 78th minute, it only took him five minutes to find that goal and help put the game to bed.
“It was a great moment," he said after the match. "It was something that I’ve been working towards and waiting for since I got here. It has been a little bit, but with education, hard work, patience, and some consistency, it was always going to come and it just so happened to come tonight, so I hope it was the first of many.”
The goal itself was special in its own right. After receiving a cutting ball at the top of the box from Torres, Enrique fired from just outside the 18-yard box, curling it past two defenders and the Rapids goalkeeper, giving him and the team reason to celebrate.
“Facu [Torres] was out on the wing with the ball and we were all just trying to bring it into the area, and I saw the forwards go up and take the focus of the center backs," he said. "I just kind of dropped back and hoped that Facu was going to play the ball and thankfully he did, and I hit it and thankfully it went in. There was a lot of joy in that moment for it to finally come.”
The moment was also very special for Lions head coach Oscar Pareja, who has been helping Enrique acclimate to the team and to the city since he joined back in late January.
“Very happy for him," Pareja said of his forward. "It is not easy when players first come to the league and the expectations are very high. The adaptation takes a little longer. Having him to score today was crucial. Having Ramiro [Enrique] score a goal is great. The confidence will keep increasing.”
The confidence factor will be key heading into the Lions' next stretch of matches. Due to international call-ups and yellow card accumulation suspensions, the team is set to be without five regular starters heading into the next match in New England.
A perfect opportunity for Enrique, who's been used as an energy sub for most of the season, to continue building on his performance and to earn more minutes going into the heart of the summer.
