Orlando City Draws Columbus Crew 0-0 in Hard-Fought Match
ORLANDO, FL – Orlando City SC and the Columbus Crew played to a scoreless draw Saturday night at Exploria Stadium, a result that saw Columbus dominate possession but failed to break a resilient Lions defense. While Orlando struggled to capitalize on attacking opportunities, they secured a point against a challenging Eastern Conference opponent. Here are five key takeaways from the match:
1.Tactical Shift Provides First-Half Control: A change in approach, specifically playing “higher on the pitch,” proved beneficial for Orlando City in the closing minutes of the first half, allowing them to gain more control of the game’s tempo.
2. Missed Opportunities Plague Orlando Attack: the Lions repeatedly passed up potential shooting opportunities in favor of attempting intricate passes. In the 50th minute, Muriel twice attempted to cut back for a pass instead of shooting. Similarly, in the 63rd minute, Muriel again opted for a pass, and Ojeda in the 66th minute passed up a shot to set up Duncan McGuire, ultimately misplacing the ball.
3. Crew Dominate Possession & Statistical Categories: Columbus controlled the majority of the match, finishing with a significant possession advantage (61.3% to 38.7%). they also led in shots (18-10), shots on target (7-4), and passing accuracy (90.5% to 84.7%). Both teams earned seven corner kicks.
4. Defensive Resilience Key to Securing a Point: Despite being under pressure for extended periods,especially in the final 25 minutes,Orlando’s defense consistently intervened to prevent clear-cut chances for the Crew. A crucial defensive stop in the 50th minute prevented an aliyu shot, and a deflection in the 83rd minute kept an Arfsten attempt from finding the back of the net.
5. Pasalic Content with a Draw: Head Coach Peter Pasalic acknowledged the difficulty of the match and expressed satisfaction with earning a point. “We played really well,” Pasalic said. “We had a difficult opponent. They did also really well. So it was a difficult game. I’m happy that we take one point. It’s better than no point.”
Orlando city will return to action next Saturday, hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps at Exploria Stadium.
