The New York Red Bulls handed Orlando City a defeat for the second time this season, winning 2-1 on Saturday at Exploria Stadium.
The Red Bulls remain the only team to get the better of Orlando in 2021, this time prospering thanks to goals early and late from Cristian Casseres Jr and Fabio, respectively.
The visitors got off to a flying start, scoring in the sixth minute. Patryk Klimala passed the ball to right outside the penalty area to Casseres, with the midfielder then working his way around an Orlando defender for a sweet finish from outside the box.
The Red Bulls rode the momentum for a while after, but the hosts got into the game and recorded a first shot of the half when Chris Mueller's 16th minute shot went wide. Orlando then took control of the match and shut the Red Bulls out for a long stretch.
Orlando came close to an equalizer in the 42nd minute, when the referee called for a penalty for an apparent shove by Kyle Duncan on Mauricio Pereyra. The Orlando playmaker lined up to take the resulting kick only for Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to save the shot and ensure his team went into the half with the lead.
The Red Bulls again began the half with a number of shots, but Orlando again regained control fo the match and found their equalizer in the 59th minute. Daryl Dike won the ball outside the box, sent it into the area for Pereyra, who immediately redirected the ball toward Mueller and the winger made no mistake with the finish.
The match then became a shootout, both sides eagerly looking for a go-ahead goal. The visitors won that battle, with Fabio scoring in the 72nd minute. On the edge of the penalty area, Klimala passed the ball to a running Fabio, who scored from close range.
The hosts spent the closing section of the match launching attacks, but were frequently stifled by the Red Bulls on the way to goal. Even with seven minutes of stoppage time, Orlando managed few meaningful opportunities to close the match, ensuring the Red Bulls went home with all three points.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Orlando were slightly better on the night, but did not do enough to convert their shots in a match that became a shootout. Their three-game winning run comes to an end, while the Red Bulls' momentum continues to build with a 3-1-1 record from their last five games.
- MOMENt OF THE MATCH: Cristian Casseres Jr. continued a theme of MLS this year, scoring another goal worth watching again and again in the sixth minute.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Patryk Klimala led the Red Bulls attack against Orlando, taking five shots and recording assists on both goals on Saturday.
Next Up
- ORL: Wednesday, July 7 at Chicago Fire | 8 pm ET | UniMas, TUDN, Twitter | 2021 regular season
- NY: Thursday, July 8 vs. Philadelphia Union | 8 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ | 2021 regular season
