In the first half, the Lions controlled most of the field but struggled with accurate passes in the final moments, resulting in close shots that were either saved by Kristijan Kahlina or hit the goal frame.
Early in the game, Orlando had an opportunity when Ojeda sent a precise cross into the box that deflected off Torres towards the goal, but lacked power, making it an easy save for Kahlina. In another instance, Tim Ream’s attempt to head a pass back to Kahlina caused confusion with Araujo as Charlotte’s goalkeeper fumbled the ball, but the away team recovered quickly.
Ojeda showcased his skills with a long-distance free kick that found Schlegel in the box, but his shot was saved by Kahlina. Soon after, the Lions missed a chance when Torres’ shot hit the post. Torres hit the crossbar with a header from Araujo’s cross, with suspicion that Kahlina may have touched the ball before it hit the bar.
Enrique got a pass from Torres in the 33rd minute but failed to control his shot properly, sending the ball over the bar. Ojeda almost broke through the defense in the 39th minute, but the ball bounced high, giving the defense time to clear it out of play.
Torres attempted a shot in the 40th minute that was blocked, leading to suspicions of a handball, but it was inconclusive whether it hit the defender’s arm. Just before half-time, Agyemang surprised Gallese with a delicate shot, but he was flagged offside and upon review, the decision was upheld.
The conclusion of the initial half marked the end of a period filled with intense moments but lacking in successful outcomes.
After halftime, both teams chose to maintain their starting lineup, and Orlando was the first to have a scoring chance. A seemingly easy catch for Kahlina was disrupted by Enrique’s quick maneuver, deflecting the ball just wide of the right post in the 47th minute.
Orlando failed to take advantage of their set pieces and missed a potential opportunity to score in the 56th minute. A corner kick from Ojeda found Enrique unmarked, but his header narrowly missed the target. Angulo’s shot was blocked by a deflection from Ojeda in the 60th minute. Vargas broke away on the left side in the 66th minute, hitting the ball against the outside of Gallese’s left post.
In the 68th minute, substitute Luis Muriel attempted long-range shots that were saved and missed off target. Muriel attempted to pass to McGuire in the 76th minute, but the offside flag was raised after McGuire’s unsuccessful shot was saved.
In the 81st minute, Charlotte scored the first goal, eventually securing a 1-0 lead after a pass over Jansson set up Swiderski to find the net. Orlando had a chance to equalize in the 90th minute when an excellent cross from Santos to the back post for Kyle Smith was missed.
However, Cartagena’s pass into the box led to Djibril Diani fouling McGuire, resulting in a penalty kick awarded to Orlando. Despite McGuire’s injury delaying the penalty kick, Torres managed to equalize the game at 1-1 in the 102nd minute.
The game was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, with Orlando coming on top with two amazing saves from Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Gallese’s crucial saves to secure their victory, gave the team a 2-0 lead during the shootout.
Orlando dominated the game statistics with higher possession, more shots, more corners, and better passing accuracy.
Orlando City’s next match will be the eastern conference semifinals against Atlanta United on Sunday, November 24th at 3:30 p.m at Inter&co Stadium.
See you there. Vamos Orlando!
