Orlando City SC snatched a 2-0 road victory Saturday night, hanging on for an opportunistic win at the Columbus Crew's Lower.com Field.
Rodrigo Schlegel opened the scoring with 10 minutes to go in the first half. The defender found himself unmarked in front of goal following a set-piece and easily tapped home a headed ball across the box to give the Lions the lead. Forward Ercan Kara doubled the advantage shortly after the break, neatly finishing a decisive passing move into the top corner past a helpless Eloy Room.
The Crew had plenty of chances of their own, taking 18 shots total and eight after Kara's goal. A combination of poor finishing and standout goalkeeping from Pedro Gallese kept the home side off the board, pushing the visitors into second place in the Eastern Conference standings with their victory.
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Orlando's strong start to the season continued in Ohio. The Florida side's fourth win of the year propelled them into second place with a three-point lead over New York Red Bulls ahead of tomorrow's matches. Meanwhile, Columbus fell to 10th after their third-consecutive loss, and have been held without a goal during that stretch.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Schlegel's opening goal came against the run of play for the visitors and changed the momentum of the match, relieving pressure and opening up space in the match as the Crew pushed for an equalizer. The defender's first goal in MLS was celebrated with a touching tribute to his late father.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Facundo Torres had a standout showing for the Lions, notching an assist and generally looking dangerous throughout the match. The Uruguayan playmaker was lively in attack, and his pass to set Kara free capped off a brilliant team move to seal the win.
Next Up
- CLB: Tuesday, April 19 at Detroit City FC | 7:30 pm (ESPN+) | US Open Cup
- ORL: Wednesday, April 20 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies | 7 pm (ESPN+) | US Open Cup
