The Lions were in control of the ball for most of the first half and posed the highest number of threats, even though both teams had an equal amount of possession in terms of the field. The game kicked off with Torres almost scoring a volley in the 15th minute. Enrique then tried to pass to Ojeda, but Revs goalie Ivacic intercepted the ball. New England couldn’t take advantage of numerous early chances from set pieces, like corners and a free kick by the right corner. At the 20-minute mark, a skillfully executed play resulted in a cross from left to right, with Thorhallsson making a precise pass to Enrique. Despite going for an impressive volley, Enrique missed wide to the right. Thorhallsson consistently caused problems for New England’s left back Peyton Miller, but a last-minute block by Tim Parker prevented a potential goal in the 22nd minute. Nonetheless, Orlando was able to score a remarkable goal from the following corner kick. Ojeda’s decision to pass the ball to Angulo near the end line was a smart move. Angulo quickly passed to Santos outside the box, who took advantage of the opportunity and unleashed a powerful shot from 25 yards away, placing it perfectly in the top left corner for the first goal. This amazing goal is likely to be considered for MLS Goal of the Matchday. Cartagena tried to extend the lead in the 28th minute after a swift interception, but his shot missed to the left. For the next 15 minutes, the match mainly unfolded in the central part of the field until Orlando managed to create some opportunities. Torres set up Enrique on the right side, but an additional move was needed to secure the ball, allowing Dave Romney to deflect the shot out of bounds for a corner kick in the 44th minute. Despite no goal from the corner kick, the Lions found the back of the net shortly after. Carles Gil’s outstretched arm was hit by the ball in the box, resulting in Torres confidently converting the penalty to double the lead to 2-0 in stoppage time. This marked Torres’ 11th goal of the season. Santos scored his first goal of the season and only his second in MLS. In the closing moments of the first half, Ojeda nearly scored a third goal but Ivacic made a crucial save. The rebound went to Araujo, who passed to Cartagena. Cartagena’s shot, despite being wide open, ended up in the upper deck of the south end of the stadium. This proved to be the last scoring opportunity for both teams before halftime. At halftime, Orlando City held a slight edge in possession, shots taken, and shots on goal. Each team earned two corner kicks, with the Revolution having a higher passing accuracy rate.
Orlando came out strong in the second half, attempting to score in a crowded area near the goal. Araujo’s shot was blocked, resulting in a corner kick in the 50th minute, but Orlando failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Torres tried a powerful shot from outside the box that hit the post as the Lions pushed forward. Around the 60th minute, New England took control of the game. Araujo committed a foul on Gil, awarding the Revs a free kick from 25 yards out. Despite Gil’s impressive free kick, Gallese made an outstanding save to keep it out. The Revolution gained momentum from the set piece and dominated the game for a period of time. Jansson made an excellent sliding tackle to block Vrioni’s shot in the 62nd minute. Orlando got lucky when Cartagena missed his shot in the 65th minute after a corner kick was taken again. Gil delivered a precise cross to Vrioni in the box, but his deflection narrowly missed the post in the 67th minute. Orlando managed to control the latter part of the game as Torres and Thorhallsson missed shots from good positions. McGuire sealed the victory with a goal, assisted by Lodeiro. Despite an opportunity to pass to Torres, McGuire took a powerful shot that went past Ivacic. Orlando was ahead 3-0 by the 74th minute, with McGuire scoring his eighth goal of the season. Lodeiro attempted to make it 4-0 with a free kick in the 79th minute, but his shot went over the crossbar. Gallese made a crucial save in the 83rd minute to deny Boateng from scoring. Both teams had opportunities to score towards the end of the match. Thorhallsson provided a great pass to Cartagena in extra time, but Ivacic saved the shot. Vrioni almost scored with a header that narrowly missed the goal post, marking the end of the match with Orlando winning 3-0. Orlando City had the advantage in possession, shots, and shots on target, while New England earned more corners and had a higher passing accuracy.
