Orlando City SC left it late, but they left with all three points after a chaotic and thoroughly entertaining 4-3 win over Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium on Wednesday night in Major League Soccer.
What looked comfortable at the interval turned into a second-half shootout. Orlando carried a 2-0 lead into halftime thanks to a composed Martín Ojeda penalty in the 19th minute and a Griffin Dorsey finish in the 27th, only for Philadelphia to roar back after the break and briefly turn the fixture on its head. In the end, though, Ojeda had the final word, rising to score the decisive header in the 90th minute.
The hosts made the first breakthrough when Ojeda converted from the spot in the 19th minute, giving Orlando an early platform after a lively opening spell. Oscar Pareja’s side then doubled the advantage in the 27th minute through Dorsey, whose goal gave the Lions breathing room and put Philadelphia on the back foot before halftime.
At 2-0 down, the Union needed a response and found one in the 54th minute when Milan Iloski pulled a goal back. That strike shifted the rhythm of the match and opened up a second half that quickly became stretched, frantic and increasingly unpredictable.
Orlando seemed to have restored control when Duncan McGuire made it 3-1 in the 72nd minute, but Philadelphia refused to fade. Cavan Sullivan struck in the 75th minute to cut the deficit again, and Ben Bender completed the comeback in the 79th minute, leveling the match at 3-3 and silencing the home support for a moment.
By then, the Union were asking plenty of questions. Philadelphia finished with 26 shots to Orlando’s 12, won 11 corners to Orlando’s 2, and put seven efforts on target. Orlando, however, were more clinical in the key moments, landing six shots on target and converting four of them.
Just when it looked as if the points might be shared, Orlando found one last surge. In the 90th minute, Ojeda popped up again, this time with a header, to snatch the winner and cap a match of huge swings in momentum. It was a ruthless late blow for a Philadelphia side that had fought back admirably from two goals down.
The result gives Orlando City SC a badly needed lift in front of their own supporters and rewards their efficiency in the final third. For Philadelphia Union, there was attacking intent and plenty of pressure, but defensive lapses proved costly in a fixture they will feel could have yielded at least a draw.
Goal scorers: Martín Ojeda 19′ (pen), Griffin Dorsey 27′, Milan Iloski 54′, Duncan McGuire 72′, Cavan Sullivan 75′, Ben Bender 79′, Martín Ojeda 90′.
