1. Breathe, City faithful, breathe. Orlando City SC earned their first victory of the 2024 MLS season from INTER&Co Stadium on Saturday, recording an impressive 2-0 win against Austin FC.
2. Jack Lynn earned his first MLS start with the Lions and scored his first MLS goal in the 42nd minute. It was a night to remember for the 24-year-old forward Notre Dame alum, and it could be the start of a fantastic year in purple for the striker.
3. Lynn's impactful performance for the Lions may be a shock to some, but not for those who follow Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro. Lynn shined for the Young Lions in 2023, scoring 19 goals during the regular season en route to being named 2023 MLS NEXT Pro MVP. OCB is off to a hot start in 2024, too, so make sure you are following all-things OCB to see which players may be the next to make an impact for the first team.
4. Hello, Nico Lodeiro! The Uruguayan curled in an incredible free kick in the 64th minute to extend the lead for the Lions and put the game to bed. Austin never did not recover from the Lodeiro golazo, never really creating quality goal-scoring opportunities for the remaining 30 minutes of the match.
5. Overall, it was a quiet night for Mason Stajduhar, who made one save on the night — a slow rolling effort he collected easily late into the game. He will happily take the easy night of business and record his third MLS clean sheet of his career.
6. Despite missing numerous important pieces due to international duty, including Facundo Torres, David Brekalo and more, the Lions were dominant on both ends of the field. Many players were playing out of their normal position, like Dagur Thórhallsson and Smith, but the Lions locked in on the night to record an important victory at home.
7. Kyle Smith made his 150th appearance for the Lions on Saturday — the second player to reach that benchmark with the team after Robin Jansson. Smith has been dependable for Orlando City over the years and especially to start the 2024 season, turning in strong performances against tough competition and, at times, playing out of his normal position.
8. The win is the first for Orlando against Austin, with the teams only matching up one other occasion — a 2-2 draw at Q2 Stadium from Austin, Texas, in 2022.
9. The Lions are back in action at 7:30 p.m. ET from INTER&Co Stadium on Saturday, March 30, when they will host the New York Red Bulls for Kids Night Out. The Red Bulls are 3-1-1 (W-L-D) to start the season, earning a 4-0 victory against Inter Miami CF earlier this afternoon, so Orlando will need to regroup and refocus quickly to prepare for the difficult matchup ahead.
