CINCINNATI (Oct. 5, 2024) – Orlando City SC (15-11-7, 52 points) picked up its third-straight victory on Saturday night, earning a 3-1 win on the road at FC Cincinnati (17-10-5, 56 points) at TQL Stadium.
With the win and Atlanta United beating the New York Red Bulls, Orlando City has the opportunity to clinch a top four seed in the Eastern Conference should NYCFC drop points against Nashville SC on Sunday, which would ensure home field advantage in Round One of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Scoring just 10 minutes into the match, Ramiro Enrique pushed the Lions to 56 goals on the season, setting a new single-season record for goals scored in Club history. Enrique totaled two goals on the night as well as an assist, having a hand in each of Orlando’s tallies. Iván Angulo scored Orlando’s third while defender Kyle Smith added two assists on the night in his hometown.
Orlando City next faces a two-week break from play before returning to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, to host Atlanta United FC in a Decision Day showdown. The Lions and Five Stripes will face off on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and kick off at 6 p.m. ET.
Scoring Summary:
10’ Ramiro Enrique (Kyle Smith) – ORL 1, CIN 0
The Lions struck first just 10 minutes into the match, with Facundo Torres and César Araújo picking up the pressure and turning FC Cincinnati over in the midfield. Araújo fed the ball out to the right wing for Kyle Smith, who played a perfectly curved cross in behind the Cincy backline for Ramiro Enrique to tap in the opener.
45’ Luciano Acosta (Teenage Hadebe) – ORL 1, CIN 1
The hosts leveled things up just before the end of the first half when Teenage Hadebe made a run down the right side of the Orlando City defense, cutting the ball back to Luciano Acosta at the top of the box. Acosta took a touch to his right foot and let loose a curler into the top left corner of the Lions’ net.
66’ Iván Angulo (Ramiro Enrique, Kyle Smith) – ORL 2, CIN 1
The Lions added a second just past the hour mark after Kyle Smith sent a cross in from the left side. The ball was quickly settled by Ramiro Enrique who, with his one touch, passed the ball to a waiting Iván Angulo at the top of the box. Angulo wasted no time, hitting a low strike that made its way past the Cincinnati goalkeeper.
72’ Ramiro Enrique (Iván Angulo) – ORL 3, CIN 1
Orlando City added an insurance goal just six minutes later, with Angulo capitalizing on a poor back pass from the home side. After a flick up field from Facundo Torres, Cincinnati’s Luca Orellano tried to play a pass back to the goalkeeper, but Angulo jumped on the slow roller, sliding a pass over the Ramiro Enrique who was able to walk it into the goal for his second of the night.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“I thought we won a very important game against a very good rival, too, who complicated the first half for us. Second half, I think we settled, and we found the answers that we wanted to have earlier in the first half that we couldn't do. But in the second half, we controlled the game. We came back in the ways that we wanted, in that control and we had the options. And happy for our fans, happy for our Club and we’ll keep pushing. It's a very, very good match for us.”
Match Notes:
- With their first goal on the night, the Lions set a new Club record for most goals in a season, their 56th score of 2024. The total surpasses the mark of 55 that was hit in both the 2016 and 2023 MLS seasons.
- Forward Ramiro Enrique scored his 10th and 11th goals of the 2024 campaign across all competitions and his 14th and 15th all-time. Enrique also added a helper on the evening, good for his third of season and fifth all-time.
- Forward Iván Angulo’s tally in the 66th minute of the match was his fifth of the season and 11th all-time for Orlando City. Angulo also provided the service on Enrique’s second goal of the night, good for his fifth of the year and 21st all-time.
- Defender Kyle Smith provided his second and third assists of the year across all competitions and his eighth and ninth all-time for the Lions in his return to his hometown.
- The appearance was Smith’s 175th across all competitions, with the defender sitting second in all-time appearances in Orlando City history.
- Picking up a yellow card in the 17th minute of the match, midfielder Wilder Cartagena is suspended for Orlando City Decision Day match against Atlanta United FC due to yellow-card accumulation.
- Head Coach Oscar Pareja made one change to his starting lineup from his side’s last match against the Philadelphia Union, with Luis Muriel returning to the starting lineup.
