Orlando City drew 1-1 with the Portland Timbers in a tough road match in which Orlando was missing key players due to international duty. Conceding a late penalty kept Orlando from taking all three points, but a draw in Portland is not the end of the world given the circumstances.
Here are two takeaways from the Lions’ draw with the Timbers.
Late Mistake Proves Costly
It seemed as though Orlando might be able to sneak out with two wins in two weeks playing on the west coast, however crucial mistakes late in the game meant Orlando drew with Portland. The most important mistake came in the 80th minute when Andres Perea committed a foul that led to a penalty kick. Timbers midfielder Cristhian Paredes put the ball in the back of the net to convert the penalty and level the game.
It was a frustrating goal to concede for an Orlando team that went up a man after Josecarlos Van Rankin was shown a second yellow card minutes earlier. Benji Michel and Robin Jansson were both given yellow cards in stoppage time as well. Although neither card led to a goal for the opposition, Orlando should limit committing fouls and receiving cards so late in the game.
Junior Urso Continues His Excellent Play
One of the highlights for the Lions was Junior Urso’s performance as he continues to show signs of growth this season. Urso was responsible for the Lions lone goal of the day when he finished off a nice pass from Alexandre Pato in the 52nd minute. He led the club with three shots, putting two on target, and passed at a strong 88.9% success rate. It has been nice to see Urso’s game coming together this season as it gives Orlando another option on offense.