BAY LAKE, FL – Thanks to a goal from forward Tesho Akindele in the 60th minute, the host Orlando City SC Lions booked a trip to the MLS Is Back Tournament quarterfinals in a 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact.
In a game that can best be described as sloppy and missed opportunities for head coach Oscar Pareja’s side, the Lions dominated the pace of the game in terms of possession (57%) and shots on goal (10).
However, Orlando City failed to really dominate the game and possibly win by a wider margin than 1-0.
For a club that has not had much success in its five-year history, Orlando City has a chance to score their first successful piece of silverware and the club’s first-ever trip to the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament in a tournament being played right in their own backyard.
Their proverbial nemesis’s from the ATL in Atlanta United are back home up in Georgia watching and they are getting the most out of former Manchester United star, Nani. But if they hope to win MLS Is Back, they need Dom Dwyer to take over the coveted No.9 role and emerge into a potential 20-goal scorer.
While this is not for the MLS Cup, considering their sub-par history so far, the Lions need to be hungry in wanting to put on a good show and make a deep run. As they await the winner of Seattle-LAFC, in playing in the shadow of the Magic Kingdom, perhaps something special just might be brewing down in the Lions home den.