Ojeda’s Hat Trick Not Enough as Orlando City Shares the Points with New England in Six-Goal Thriller
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 10, 2025) – In a match filled with attacking flair and high drama, Orlando City SC (4-2-6, 18 pts) played to a thrilling 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution (5-4-2, 17 pts) on Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Despite a historic hat trick from Martín Ojeda—the first ever at home in club history—the Lions saw a 3-2 second-half lead slip away late, as Carles Gil converted a penalty in the 85th minute to seal the draw for the Revs.
The result extended Orlando’s unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions, though the draw ended the club’s impressive shutout streak at 653 minutes. That mark, which included 563 minutes of shutout play in MLS competition, was the longest in club history. Yet despite the defensive streak, Orlando remains in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, still grappling with inconsistency in closing out matches.
For New England, the draw keeps them just a point behind Orlando in ninth. Known for their defensive discipline—the Revolution have conceded the fewest goals in MLS this season—the visitors found themselves in an unfamiliar shootout but managed to keep pace thanks to a late equalizer from their captain and playmaker Gil.
A Hat Trick for the History Books
The night belonged to Ojeda, whose attacking brilliance electrified the home crowd of 18,505. The Argentine opened the scoring in the 24th minute after César Araújo’s determined play set him up just outside the box. Ojeda’s rocket of a shot ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and in.
Nine minutes later, the 26-year-old struck again, this time latching onto a beautiful through ball from rookie Joran Gerbet. Ojeda sliced through two defenders and slipped the ball past Aljaž Ivačič for his second of the night—and Gerbet’s first career assist.
Ojeda completed his hat trick in the 55th minute from the penalty spot after Gerbet was fouled in the box by Mamadou Fofana. The milestone goal marked the club’s first hat trick since 2015 and its first ever in front of the Orlando faithful.
Defensive Cracks Show
But Orlando’s historic night was marred by lapses in defense. New England clawed their way back into the match before halftime with goals in the 38th and 44th minutes. Alhassan Yusuf pulled one back for the visitors after a slick buildup on the right side, and Matt Polster tied the match with a header off a set piece from Gil.
Even after Ojeda’s third restored the Lions’ lead, they couldn’t keep the Revs at bay. In the 85th minute, New England was awarded a penalty after Ignatius Ganago drew a foul inside the box. Gil made no mistake from the spot, coolly leveling the match at 3-3.
What’s Next
Head coach Oscar Pareja acknowledged the attacking quality but lamented another missed opportunity. “We’re scoring goals, but now we’re conceding too,” said Pareja post-match. “We had a few chances to put the game away and we let it go. That’s something we need to work on.”
Orlando City will remain at home for a midweek clash with Charlotte FC on Wednesday, May 14—a rematch of last year’s playoff opener. A win could help lift the Lions further up the table as they head into the summer stretch.
Match Stats:
Shots: ORL 23 (8 on target), NE 15 (6 on target)
Possession: NE 53%, ORL 47%
Attendance: 18,505
