Daryl Dike scored a brace and Chris Mueller added his team-leading fifth goal of the season to lead Orlando City SC to a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC at Exploria Stadium on Wednesday.
Dave Romney scored a first-half opener for Nashville, but Mueller and Dike would combine for three unanswered after that to give the Lions all three points.
Nashville struck for the opener against the run of play in the 15th minute off a free kick in the box from Hany Mukhtar that Romney met with a glancing header that squeaked past Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and into the net.
But the lead wouldn't last long, as Orlando equalized in the 21st minute when Joao Moutinho juked a defender on the left side and sent in a low cross into the path of Mueller, who cashed home a diving header.
Dike found the go-ahead goal for Orlando City in the 52nd minute, finishing off a well-worked counterattack with a laser first-time finish off a pinpoint feed from Mauricio Pereyra to give the hosts the 2-1 lead. Dike then added an insurance goal in the 71st, smashing home the rebound after teammate Junior Urso had his headed attempt blocked by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to round out the 3-1 final.
Goals
- 15' - NSH - Dave Romney | WATCH
- 21' - ORL - Chris Mueller | WATCH
- 52' - ORL - Daryl Dike | WATCH
- 71' - ORL - Daryl Dike | WATCH
Three Things
THE BIG PICTURE:
Nashville will be disappointed to not take any points after getting the opener, but in the end it's a deserved three points for the Lions, who were clearly the better side after Romney's goal. It's a nice bounceback for Orlando coming off their disappointing rivalry defeat to
Inter Miami CF
, as they looked much more like the side that made a run all the way to the MLS is Back Tournament Final.
