In the first half, Orlando City came out on the attacking onslaught. Less than five minutes in, Orlando created two chances to score, both came from Dagur Dan’s feet. Facundo Torres came close with a shot directly to Breza’s hands. In the 7th minute, Dagur Dan looked for it and finally got it. What a goal by the Icelandic International, off a rebound, he shot the ball past Breza and put Orlando ahead 1-0. After Orlando’s goal, the lions kept attacking Montreal with no Mercy.
After Orlando’s goal, both teams had a messy 15-minute period where passes were often off target or out of bounds, and both teams did not find their offensive rhythm. Orlando City eventually found their groove. Before that, Montreal had a couple of opportunities in the 25th minute.
The Lions scored on the counter attack in the 37th minute when Araujo skillfully navigated past the defense on the right side and delivered a superb cross to two advancing teammates. Enrique tried to make a play on the ball but only managed a slight touch. The ball then reached Torres at the far post, who finished it off.
Initially, the goal was ruled offside, but the Leagues Cup used Virtual Offside Line technology to ultimately confirm it as a legitimate goal, giving the Lions a 2-0 lead.
The Lions swiftly kept moving the ball up the field. In one of those chances, Torres passed to Enrique who managed to sneak past Montreal’s defense. Enrique controlled the ball and used the outside of his foot to score a goal past Breza just before halftime, making it 3-0. This goal marked Enrique’s fifth consecutive game with a goal across various competitions, equaling Daryl Dike’s club record.
The Lions attempted to regain their momentum after halftime. In the 47th minute, Enrique passed the ball to Cartagena, who narrowly missed the left post with his shot. Shortly after, Ojeda found Lodeiro in a good position with a precise pass, but Lodeiro’s shot was stopped by Breza.
In the 54th minute, Araujo missed the target after a promising attack by Orlando. Three minutes later, Orlando extended their lead. Lodeiro made a skillful move in the midfield to evade defenders and then sent a delightful chip pass over the defense for Ojeda to chase. Ojeda powered a shot past Breza to score and make it 4-0 by the 57th minute.
The Lions seemed to relax a bit, allowing the visitors to gain momentum. A key moment was when Jansson had to defend to prevent a goal, resulting in a corner kick for Montreal that was cleared by Orlando.
The away team worked the ball into the penalty area, where Lassiter passed to Martinez. Martinez evaded Jansson and shot towards the left post, beating Gallese to make it 4-1 in the 69th minute.
Just a few minutes later, Martinez had a great chance to cut Orlando’s lead to two goals. Araujo committed a foul in the penalty area, leading to a penalty kick for Montreal. Martinez tried a clever stutter step technique, but Gallese made a diving save to his right, blocking the shot with a strong hand in the 74th minute.
Orlando continued to push for more goals, with Muriel missing the target in the 81st minute and Santos narrowly missing the left post with a header from a corner kick. Araujo had a chance just outside the box, but his shot sailed over the goal. Muriel later attempted a left-footed shot that went over the bar in the final minutes of the match.
The game ended after just two minutes of added time, and the Lions secured a win in their first tournament match. Orlando City’s final match in the Leagues Cup group stage is scheduled for Sunday, August 4 against Liga MX team San Luis.
