ORLANDO, FL – Orlando City SC (0-1-0) dropped their season opener to the Philadelphia Union (1-0-0) 4-2 at Inter & Co Stadium last Saturday night.
Orlando’s newly acquired Designated Player Marco Pašalić, who made his MLS debut on Saturday night, became the first player in Orlando City history to record a brace in his debut. The Union made their shots on goal count, putting each of their shots on goal in the net.
Philadelphia managed to convert all four of their shots consecutively. Orlando took a while to respond, not scoring their second goal until the 79th minute.
Orlando opened the scoring in their 2024 campaign (assuming this is the current year, otherwise leave as 2025) with a goal from Marco Pašalić in his MLS debut in the eighth minute.
New Lions midfielder Eduard Atuesta fed the ball forward to Martín Ojeda, who then gave a through pass to Pašalić, putting him in on goal before the Croatian slotted the ball near post.
Only one other Orlando City player previously scored in the first half of their MLS debut, and that was forward Daryl Dike in the 17th minute on Aug. 22, 2020.
Philly fired back in the 23rd minute with their first goal of the season on a close-range shot from Tai Baribo, who was positioned right in front of Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Wagner assisted the goal with a hard-driven pass from the left side of the box after Philadelphia won back possession.
Dániel Gazdag put the Union ahead just two minutes into the second half on a volley off an assist from Quinn Sullivan. Sullivan whipped the ball in from outside the box, where Gazdag was able to put it into the back of the net with his first touch.
Philadelphia’s third goal of the night came from Mikkel Uhre in the 51st minute. The Union forward scored after gaining the ball from a Lions defender in a good position right outside the box and then slotting it into the back of the net.
Philadelphia’s fourth goal came in the 64th minute, as Baribo got his brace when he tapped the ball into the back of the net off a precise pass from the left side of the box by Union defender Francis Westfield.
Marco Pašalić tallied his second goal late in the second half (79th minute) to cut the deficit down to two. Pašalić secured the brace after scoring off his own rebound that hit the post. Luis Muriel had the initial shot on goal that hit the post before Pašalić converted on the third rebound of the attacking sequence.
Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja gave credit to the Union.
“I think Philadelphia was sharper than us, especially in the two boxes,” said Pareja. “When they had their chances, they were lethal. We made mistakes that we could avoid at this level. We take it as part of the game and also as our responsibility. When we had the options, we let them go, and they didn’t, and we let that opportunity go. For instance, we showed glimpses of things that we want, and that made us feel optimistic. Players came and showed us good things, which is also a good sensation. But other than that, we still have habits that we need to correct. Just in this competition, it showed us today that we still have one or two more gears to go. We have to have it, but in the two boxes, they were better.”
Orlando hits the pitch again on Saturday, March 2, at Inter & Co Stadium.
