ZCZC
BSP-07
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Orlando City shutout Impact to advance at Major League Soccer Is Back
LOS ANGELES, July 26, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Orlando City are taking their new
role as playoff favourites to heart, producing another strong performance to
eliminate the Montreal Impact with a 1-0 win Saturday in the MLS is Back
Tournament
Canada’s Tesho Akindele scored 15 minutes after halftime for Orlando, who
recorded their first shutout since their regular season opener on February
29.
“The chemistry with the group, it was very good, especially in the first
half,” Orlando coach Oscar Pareja said. “The second half, I think we had
much, much harder opposition. Montreal came out sharper.”
Akindele’s goal came after a blunder by Montreal defender Rod Fanni who
tried to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Clement Diop but instead set up
Akindele for the easy tap in.
Under first-year coach Oscar Pareja, Orlando (2-1-2, 8 points) went
unbeaten during Group A play to take the top spot in the four-team round
robin at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.
It is an unfamiliar position for the Lions who have never reached the MLS
playoffs since they came into the league five years ago.
But their tournament wins over Miami and New York City FC were their first
consecutive victories since a six-game winning streak early in the 2018
season.
Orlando will next play the winner of Monday’s match between the Seattle
Sounders and LAFC in the quarter-finals on Friday.
It was the third loss for Impact — coached by former France and Arsenal
star Thierry Henry — in four matches after reaching the round of 16 in
backdoor fashion as a third-place finisher from Group C.
2020 had started well for Impact before the COVID-19 pandemic brought a
halt to play in mid-March.
“We knew it was going to be a different game tonight because it was in the
knockout round. It didn’t work out for us today. We were a bit better against
DC defensively, but today it didn’t happen,” said Henry.
Orlando had the better chances of the opening half and were eventually
rewarded when they scored off Fanni’s defensive error.
Fanni outfought Jhegson Mendez for a loose ball and attempted to poke it
back to Diop in goal. But the pass was off mark and the ball trickled past
right to Akindele who slotted it into an open net.
In the late game, the Philadelphia Union advanced to the next round after
defeating the New England Revolution 1-0 in Orlando.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1157 hrs