ORLANDO, Fla. (June 1, 2019) - Orlando City SC (5-7-3, 18 points) secured three points on the road in a 3-0 victory over the Montreal Impact (7-7-3, 24 points) on Saturday at Stade Saputo, its first at the venue since 2016.
The Lions wrapped things up in the first 45 minutes, scoring all three of their goals. Nani, Tesho Akindele and Will Johnson each found the back of the net on the night for City on the way to its fifth victory of 2019. Brian Rowe kept the Impact scoreless with a shutout-clinching save in the 85th minute, the only stop he needed to make on the day for his third clean sheet of the season.
Head Coach James O’Connor:
“Obviously very pleased, I think to have that level of performance I think is great. To take our chances, very clinical with our opportunities, but also the way in which we won. I think the second half, very professional to manage the game the way we did and overall just really pleased for the players because I feel as if they’ve been rewarding of more points and it was great to go and have a win like that.”
Scoring Recap:
27’ Nani (PK) - ORL 1, MTL 0
Montreal defender Zakaria Diallo was called for a hand ball in the box, marking the third-consecutive match that the Lions have been awarded a penalty kick since May 19 against FC Cincinnati. Nani converted from the spot, registering his eighth goal of the season and his second off of a penalty kick.
36’ Tesho Akindele (Chris Mueller, Cristian Higuita) - ORL 2, MTL 0
Midfielder Cristian Higuita stripped the ball at midfield and took his space up the middle before finding Chris Mueller on the left side of the penalty area. Mueller slid a ball across the face of goal to Akindele on the far post, who put away the simple finish to double the lead for the Lions.
42’ Will Johnson - ORL 3, MTL 0
João Moutinho crossed a ball into the area from the left side that was punched away by Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush. Will Johnson, however, was in the right place at the right time, getting his head on the ball off the bounce to give City a 3-0 advantage.
Match Notes
- Nani’s goal in the 27th minute served as his 100th professional goal. Since his arrival to Orlando, he has registered eight goals and four assists through 13 appearances.
- Midfielder Will Johnson scored his first goal of the 2019 campaign for Orlando in the first half of play, adding to his previous three goals and five assists in purple since 2017. His start against the Impact served as his 60th for City, trailing only Higuita and former Lion Kaka for the most by a midfielder in Club history.
- Cristian Higuita’s assist on the afternoon served as his first of 2019. The match marked his 99th appearance for City in MLS play, extending his Club record.
- The match served as the third shutout for goalkeeper Brian Rowe as a Lion and the third for City this season.
- City’s win on Saturday was its first over the Impact since September 7, 2016.
Next Match:
The Lions’ next match is set for Wednesday, June 12 when they open up their 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign at Memphis 901 FC. Orlando City will return to MLS action on Wednesday, June 26 for a matchup at D.C. United following the CONCACAF Gold Break.
Scoring Summary:
ORL - Nani 27’
ORL - Tesho Akindele (Chris Mueller, Cristian Higuita) 36’
ORL - Will Johnson 42’
Misconduct Summary:
MTL - Maximiliano Urruti (Yellow Card) 45’
ORL - João Moutinho (Yellow Card) 49’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC - GK Brian Rowe; D João Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Lamine Sané, Ruan; M Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita (Kyle Smith 83’), Sebastian Méndez; F © Nani (Sacha Kljestan 76’), Tesho Akindele, Chris Mueller (Uri Rosell 86’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Adam Grinwis; D Kamal Miller; M Josué Colmán; F Benji Michel
Montreal Impact - GK Evan Bush; D Daniel Lovitz, Zakaria Diallo, Victor Cabrera Bacary Sagna (Zachary Brault-Guillard 36’); M Saphir Taïder, Samuel Piette, Michael Azira; F Maximiliano Urruti, Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Omar Browne (Shamit Shome 77’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Clément Diop; D Jukka Raitala, Rudy Camacho, Daniel Kinumbe; M Ken Krolicki
Details of the Game:
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Weather: Cloudy
Date: June 1, 2019
Attendance: 17,018
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 48.2%
MTL - 51.8%
Shots:
ORL - 10
MTL - 9
Saves:
ORL - 1
MTL - 2
Fouls:
ORL - 9
MTL - 10
Corners:
ORL - 1
MTL - 3
