Orlando City’s stunning win over FC Cincinnati breaks records and shifts playoff race

Orlando City SC is on fire in the final stretch of the regular season, and the 3-1 win against FC Cincinnati proved that this team has its mind on finishing first in the MLS playoffs. Playing away from home, the Oscar Pareja squad showed that it's on a good path; it marked a third consecutive win and a club record for goals scored in a single season.

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What makes this win even more important? Simple: to open up the possibility of securing home-field advantage in the playoffs-very crucial to the ambitions of the Lions. If NYCFC stumbles in their next match against Nashville SC, Orlando City will lock in a spot among the top four in the Eastern Conference. The math is clear, and the team knows every point, every goal is big.

Pressure Early

The first couple of minutes of the game, Orlando City made it clear they were not joking around. Just 10 minutes in, Ramiro Enrique opened the scoring with a goal that perfectly speaks to the energy in this team right now: aggressive pressure and capitalizing on opportunities. It started with Facundo Torres and César Araújo pressing Cincinnati's defense to force a mistake. Araújo found Kyle Smith on the right, who gave a perfect cross to Enrique, with an easy finish at the back post.

The early goal was important for Orlando, and it really seemed to boost the team's confidence and unbalance Cincinnati, who never really found their footing in this game. Coach Oscar Pareja had talked already about how vital it is to score first in any game to decide its pace, and that was exactly what the Lions did.

A Quick Response, Futile Ultimately

Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing. In the 45th minute of the game, FC Cincinnati managed to equalize through a goal from Luciano Acosta after a great play was made by Teenage Hadebe. The attack surprised Orlando's defense, and with great finesse, Acosta placed the ball in the top left corner past Pedro Gallese, who could do nothing about it.

That goal did little to rattle Orlando City, however. Halftime proved to be a great opportunity to regroup, and Pareja made the necessary adjustments heading into the second half. Cincinnati, for their part, seemed to believe they were back in control of the game. They couldn't have been more wrong.

Orlando's Control and Efficiency

The first half was more even-sided, with the second belonging to the Lions. It was in the 66-minute mark that Iván Angulo scored Orlando's second goal, thanks to an assist from Ramiro Enrique. The game went in fast and swift fashion as Kyle Smith appeared on the left, playing another cross. Enrique controlled the ball and then set it up for Angulo, who slotted the ball with a low shot past the goalkeeper of Cincinnati.

That was a gut punch for Cincinnati, who never responded. Then, just six minutes later, Enrique finished off an opportunity that came from a defensive mistake by the home team. Luca Orellano thought he could find his goalkeeper with a pass, but Angulo's great job on-street awareness saw the attacker cut out the pass and lay the chance on to Enrique, cool as you like, slotted into the net his second of the evening. That was the insurance goal, sealing the win and adding another three points to Orlando's tally.

Oscar Pareja: "We Controlled the Game in the Second Half"

After the match, Oscar Pareja pointed out how his side took control of the match in the second half. "The answers that we were looking for since the beginning of the match, they came, but it was after the break that they really started to show," said the coach.

"I thought we completely dominated the second half. In the first half, they gave us some trouble, but we came back with more confidence and were able to control the game. I'm really proud of what the guys showed today," Pareja said.

Defending Better Determines Better Attack

Another point that Pareja pointed out was the balance between defence and offense. For him, the team's capability to defend well is what allows Orlando to be so efficient up front. "They're scoring goals because they're defending better. When the entire team is committed to defending, things flow up front," explained the coach.

That has been one of the hallmarks of this Orlando City squad, which now clearly has its eyes set on a deep playoff run. The team isn't relying solely on one or two players-instead, victories are being built on the contributions of several players, something that was evident against Cincinnati, with both Ramiro Enrique and Iván Angulo excelling in attack while helping out defensively.