1. A win is a win. It may not have been pretty, but Orlando City SC battled through tired legs on short rest to get a 2-0 win against Charlotte FC.
2. In the first half, soccer was played. Charlotte, the second-best defensive team in MLS, was always going to be a challenge to break down on short rest, and the first half certainly showed that. Despite dominating the possession, shots and passes, the Lions lacked in quality chances. Head Coach Oscar Pareja mentioned his substitution of Duncan McGuire at the start of the second half as the difference-maker, a player who makes darting runs into the box and is a target for crosses from the wings.
3. Speaking of targets, the first goal from Facundo Torres came through a great play from MartÃn Ojeda and McGuire. After Iván Angulo found Ojeda making a run towards the endline, McGuire made a sprinting run to the near post, dragging every single Charlotte defender in the box with him. That opened up the space on the back post to allow Torres to get space and time to volley home the Ojeda cross and get the goal the team desperately needed.
4. Torres talked after the game about how that play was something he worked on through the last few days, saying: "We really worked on trying to get around, trying to find those spaces, and when those opportunities came, obviously, when they were closing down on us, I knew I had to find ways to get in behind them and to find the space in areas that they weren't, and thankfully, we were able to do that."
5. The clinching goal came late in the second half, with Luis Muriel playing a silky smooth pass to McGuire, who in turn produced a silky smooth chip over Kristijan Kahlina. It was a glimpse into the quality both players have and the hope that this is the start of a good run for the two attackers. For McGuire, it's his second goal in two games and his ninth goal in league play.
7. Also to note, the secondary assist for McGuire's goal goes to goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, making him the second goalkeeper in Orlando City history to be credited with an assist. The other one just happened to be another assist to McGuire, coming from homegrown keeper Mason Stajduhar against Toronto FC last year.
8. Three straight shutouts for the Lions at home after tonight. It's a massive accomplishment for the team and one that Dagur Dan Thorhallsson attributes to their cohesiveness in the backline. "The most important thing is just we're all doing it together," he said. "I feel like the defense has been clicking a lot, which was something that we missed a little bit [earlier in the] year. We were also conceding some goals, so it's very good to keep a clean sheet."
9. Head Coach Oscar Pareja picked up his 171st win in his career, passing Dominic Kinnear for the fifth-most regular season wins by a head coach in MLS history. After the game, Pareja said that he was "proud" of the accomplishment and how being part of the growing league is an honor. "I hope that we can continue bringing more wins for our team," Pareja said.
10. The Lions now get to turn around and travel to Columbus on Saturday to take on one of the best teams in the league — the Columbus Crew. Kickoff for that game at Lower.com Field is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
