Orlando City was in the lead twice during the match against New England Revolution. Despite this, they obtained a 3-3 draw at Inter&Co Stadium. Martin Ojeda scored a hat trick for Orlando, which was his first in his career and the team’s first in a decade. Alhassan Yusuf and Matt Polster helped the Revs make a comeback after being down 2-0 in the first half. A penalty by Carles Gil at the end of regular play saved a draw for the visitors in Orlando, preventing the Lions from adding more points to their tally in a match reminiscent of the season’s start.
Orlando City started energetically, controlling possession and creating chances to feed Angulo and Freeman on the left and middle, respectively. Ojeda, Muriel, and Pasalic played crucial roles in advancing the ball. Defensive errors while in a comfortable two-goal lead allowed the visitors to mount a strong comeback just before halftime. The Lions created their first clear chance after Ignatius Ganago’s long-range shot, which was blocked by Janson. Pasalic’s pass a few minutes later found Freeman, who breached the right side of the box.
New England had trouble breaking Orlando’s defense initially, with Campana’s shot also saved by Gallese in the 15th minute. A minute later, Pasalic breached New England’s defense, setting up Ojeda for a shot at the edge of the penalty box, which missed. In the 23rd minute, Ojeda earned a corner, although New England cleared the danger. Pasalic’s shot from the resulting corner hit a defender, deflecting out for another corner. From that corner, Ojeda scored by hitting the underside of the crossbar in the 24th minute, his fifth goal of the season, surpassing his target from the previous season. Motivated by Ojeda’s goal, the Revs intensified their attacking efforts in the rest of the first half. Just before halftime, the visitors were awarded a penalty, which they converted. Polster headed the ball into the far post, leveling the game 2-2 at halftime.
Ojeda nearly scored a third goal in the 47th minute, but Ceballos made a crucial save. The Lions continued with offensive pressure, but Ojeda’s shot in the 48th minute missed the target. Brekalo’s shot deflected off the post after a fine run down the middle, denying Orlando a chance to score. Gerbet earned a penalty after being fouled by Fofana, which was awarded after a VAR review. Ojeda converted the penalty, putting Orlando ahead 3-2 in the 55th minute. This goal marked his seventh of the season in the MLS. New England Revolution tied the game through Gil’s decisive goal in the 85th minute. Despite having chances to win, Orlando couldn’t capitalize on them. McGuire missed a shot from outside the box in the 87th minute, passing to Enrique, who also failed to score. Although Enrique’s deflected shot went in, it was disallowed due to offside.
Orlando City will play against Charlotte FC at the Inter&Co Stadium on Wednesday night.
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