How We Got Here
The Lions punched their ticket to the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on April 20. Alexandre Pato and Júnior Urso each found the back of the net for the home side in what served as each of their first Open Cup goals in their respective debuts in the competition.
Adding Another
Defender João Moutinho scored his second goal of the year on Saturday afternoon in Montréal, setting a new career-high for finishes in a single campaign. Moutinho scored for the Lions in the Quarterfinal round of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020, netting a finish just before second-half stoppage time to force the two sides to a penalty shootout where they would eventually prevail. Prior to 2022, his lone MLS regular-season finish came in 2018 as a member of LAFC.
Extending the Record
Mauricio Pereyra extended his own Club-assist record on Saturday afternoon, sending in the corner kick that eventually found the head of Moutinho for the Lions on the day. Pereyra now sits with 28 assists across all competitions since joining the Club in 2019.
Last Time at Exploria
The last time the Union visited downtown Orlando came on July 22 of last year, with the Lions prevailing with a 2-1 victory at Exploria Stadium. Benji Michel and Andrés Perea each found the back of the net, with Mauricio Pererya credited for an assist on both finishes to lead City on the evening.
The New Additions
A pair of Lions came into the fold for the First Team this past week with the side acquiring winger/midfielder Jake Mulraney via trade from Atlanta United FC and defender Brandon Hackenberg on a short-term loan from Orlando City B. Mulraney recorded his Club debut over the weekend, coming off the bench in the 57th minute for Benji Michel, while Hackenberg was available for selection for the Lions and is set to do the same on Tuesday.
