By Alonso Contreras
Orlando City came into this match off the back of a narrow 2-1 victory over Philadelphia, looking to secure a psychological edge over FC Cincinnati ahead of a possible Playoff encounter. Despite Cincinnati being uncatchable in the standings for Orlando, this match carried significant importance for the Lions.
The odds favored FC Cincinnati, with a 46% chance of winning as the home team, and they started with intent, earning two corners within the first five minutes. The home side looked to impose their game in front of their passionate crowd from the opening whistle.
However, Orlando City quickly responded through their Colombian winger, Iván Angulo, who showcased his speed and skill throughout the match. The breakthrough came for Orlando after a slick series of passes in midfield, ending with a precise cross from Kyle Smith to Ramiro Enrique, who finished in style with a backheel to give the visitors the lead.
Despite their attacking intent, Orlando was pegged back, and the first half ended 1-1 after a series of controversial refereeing decisions. The tension between the two benches boiled over just before halftime as tempers flared due to several contentious calls.
Orlando came out firing in the second half and was rewarded when Angulo found the back of the net with a powerful shot, which took a slight deflection off the Cincinnati goalkeeper. Angulo’s impact didn’t stop there—his high pressing forced a defensive error, allowing him to steal the ball and set up Ramiro for an easy tap-in, securing Orlando's third goal and his own Man of the Match honors.
The final stages of the game saw end-to-end action, but Orlando's goalkeeper Pedro Gallese stood firm, making several key saves to preserve the lead. Despite this, the match was marred by further questionable refereeing decisions, including a yellow card to Wilder Cartagena for what seemed like a fair challenge, a disallowed goal by Ramiro after a clash involving Luis Muriel and the Cincinnati keeper, and a harsh yellow card to Robin Jansson after a clean tackle.
In the end, Orlando City held on to the 3-1 win, solidifying their playoff position. The Lions will close out the regular season at home against Atlanta United on October 19.
