Three days out from their CONCACAF Champions League opening down in Mexico against Tigres, Orlando City suited up for one final tune-up in league play against FC Cincinnati.
The result: a lackluster showing with another full 90 minutes of putting one shot on target in a scoreless draw on Saturday night.
For Orlando City, Oscar Pareja ran out a lineup heavy on debuts and rotation in an effort to keep as many legs on the roster as fresh as possible ahead of the clash on Tuesday.
Key figures like Facundo Torres (59 minutes), Mauricio Pereyra (45 minutes), Michael Halliday (70 minutes), Rodrigo Schlegel (45 minutes), and Ercan Kara (64 minutes) all started and played roughly a full hour or less, while others such as Martin Ojeda (59th minute sub), Robin Jansson (halftime sub) and Cesar Araujo (halftime sub) all saw condensed action in the second half.
Scoring chances came few and far between. The Lions managed seven shots on the night, putting only one on target – an Araujo attempt in the second half, now back-to-back weeks with a shot on target not coming until after the halftime break.
MLSSoccer.com’s game page tallied Orlando with an xG of 0.30, raising their two game total to 1.30 goals expected through 180 plus minutes of soccer.
Man of the Match: Pedro Gallese, with four saves and expected goals against of 1.2, his hands kept Orlando in the game throughout the night and was a cruical part of securing the point.
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