FRISCO, Texas (Oct. 6, 2018) – In the first game of a two-game road trip, Orlando City SC (7-19-4, 25 points)lost 2-0 to FC Dallas (16-6-9, 57 points) on Saturday at Toyota Stadium.
“I thought first half we were very unlucky not to score. I thought first half we had some really good opportunities and some lovely passages of play. I think we needed to build on that. We were very unfortunate to go in [to the half] not leading,” Lions head coach James O’Connor said. “Then the expectation from us all is to build on that and go out and get them in the second half and that’s something that we really haven’t been able to do. To keep a consistent performance, really, for 90 minutes. You look at the second half to the first half and there’s a big difference.”
Joe Bendik made his 25th start of the season in goal and had Mohamed El-Munir, Lamine Sané, Shane O’Neill and Scott Sutter on his back line. Peruvians Yoshimar Yotún and Carlos Ascues manned the holding midfield, while Will Johnson, Chris Mueller and Sacha Kljestan, wearing the captain’s armband, rounded out the midfield. Dom Dwyer was the lone striker.
The Lions tested the Western Conference leaders early, with Johnson forcing Jesse Gonzalez into a save in the 13th minute. In the 27th minute, City had its best chance of the match, but Kljestan’s beautiful free kick was kept out on an athletic save from Gonzalez.
However the home team took control in the second half, netting the first goal of the evening in the 63rd minute from the foot of Santiago Mosquera. Maxi Urruti picked up his second assist of the night six minutes later, with Victor Ulloa grazing in a header from the forward’s free kick.
The match was paused in the 80th minute for one hour due to heavy rain and lightning.
Orlando City was eliminated from playoff contention following Montreal’s 3-0 win over Columbus earlier today.
The Lions visit the New England Revolution on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. ET, before returning to Orlando City Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 17, to host Seattle Sounders FC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
