Orlando Goals:
NYCFC Goals: Moralez 40', Tinnerholm 45+1'
Quick Look...
NYCFC made it four consecutive wins with a 2-0 triumph over Orlando City SC.
First half goals from Maxi Moralez and Anton Tinnerholm did the damage on a first road victory since March and City’s first under Domènec Torrent.
The team also stretched the club record for most consecutive shutouts (4 games) and minutes-without-conceding (398).
Match Recap...
Aiming to win on the road for the first time since the end of March and continue a three-game winning-streak, NYCFC were close to taking the lead with just four minutes on the clock.
It was Maxi’s pressing which created the opportunity as he ran down the last defender and got the jump, forcing Earl Edwards into an excellent double save.
The flow of the game ebbed back and forth through the first half with City threatening through a Rodney Wallace snapshot into the ‘keeper’s arms and Jesus Medina striking the crossbar with a free-kick from distance on 27’.
Orlando also bared their teeth on a couple of occasions, with a deflected effort from Dom Dwyer whistling over the top and a Yoshi Yotun effort cannoning back off the crossbar on 37’.
However, it was the road team who seized the initiative on 40’ when Maxi Moralez reacted quickest when the ball deflected back off the post after Rodney Wallace’s pressing created chaos at the top of the box.
Moralez wheeled away in delight after sweeping home his eighth goal of the campaign, tying him for team top-scorer.
One became two in the only minute of stoppage-time when Tinnerholm came up with yet another goal from full-back, cutting inside and slotting into the far corner with finesse from the corner of the area.
The hosts committed numbers forward in the second half, chasing the game, forcing Sean Johnson into a tremendous save on 62’, when he raced out and blocked Dwyer’s goalbound attempt.
For the first time in the night, Orlando were asking serious questions of the visiting defense but City were preserving a club record stretch of minutes without conceding (308’ before a ball was kicked).
A couple of changes from Torrent freshened things up for NYC, who looked to have ridden the wave, with Jonathan Lewis and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi entering the fray and offering a new dynamic to the attack.
There was time remaining for more drama at both ends, with Moralez having a goal disallowed on a close offside call on 74’, before the Lions struck the woodwork for the third time on the night on their next attack.
Orlando’s task grew taller on 83’ when Shane O’Neil was correctly shown a straight red card for an ugly, frustrated foul on Moralez off the ball.
Lewis skewed a good chance to put the cherry on top on 85’ but NYCFC had done enough for all three points and a club record clean sheet streak was extended.
Onto Seattle…
NYCFC.com Star of the Match
Ebenezer Ofori
The Ghanaian has enjoyed a steady flow of minutes in recent weeks and has grown more authoritative and a more important part of this team with each appearance.
Once again, Ofori commanded the middle third of the field and always seemed to be an option for a pass, with a typically committed physical performance give City great coverage of the pitch.
Don't sleep on Ebenezer... he has been excellent in this run for NYCFC.
Social Post of the Match…
Stats and Milestones
- NYCFC won on the road for the first time since March 31
- They shutout Orlando to make it a club record four-successive clean sheets
- The Boys in Blue also stretched a club record 398 minutes without conceding streak
- Maxi Moralez ties Isi Tajouri-Shradi and David Villa as team top-scorer with his eighth goal of 2018
- The Argentine scored in all three of NYCFC's games vs. Orlando this season
- Anton Tinnerholm made it four goals for the season (club seasonal record for a defender)
How they lined up…
NYCFC XI: Johnson, Tinnerholm, Chanot, Callens, Sweat, Ofori, Ring, Moralez (Berget 86'), Medina, McNamara (Tajouri-Shradi 62'), Wallace (Lewis 70')
Subs: Stuver, Ibeagha, Matarrita, Awuah
What’s Next…
NYCFC are heading to the west coast for a Sunday night showdown with Seattle. We're back in the BX on August 4 when the Vancouver Whitecaps come to town. Get your tickets below...
