MLS Orlando City SC

Martín Ojeda Scores First as a Lion in City Defeat to Charlotte

March 18, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Orlando City SC News Release


ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando City SC (1-1-2, 5 points) fell to Charlotte FC on Saturday night by a 2-1 scoreline at Exploria Stadium. The match saw Martín Ojeda score his first goal as a Lion, tapping in a ball from 2023 MLS SuperDraft selection Duncan McGuire in the second half. The assist marked the second-straight goal contribution from McGuire in league play, after scoring last weekend in D.C.

City fell victim to two offside calls on the night, taking away a finish from Ojeda in the fourth minute and another from Ramiro Enrique in the 79th.

The Lions return to league play on Saturday, March 25, traveling to take on the Philadelphia Union in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Subaru Park.

Scoring Summary:

26' Enzo Copetti (Jaylin Lindsey) - CLT 1, ORL 0

The visitors took the lead thanks to a ball over the top from Jaylin Lindsey, finding a running Enzo Copetti just outside the 18-yard box, who took a touch before slotting the ball into the back of the net.

37' Kerwin Vargas (Harrison Afful) - CLT 2, ORL 0

Charlotte doubled its lead in the first half, as Harrison Afful found teammate Kerwin Vargas just outside the 18-yard box who, after some fancy footwork, launched the ball inside the near post.

56' Martín Ojeda (Duncan McGuire) - CLT 2, ORL 1

After Duncan McGuire's first attempt at getting the Lions on the scoreboard was blocked by Charlotte goalkeeper George Marks, McGuire regained possession of the ball and passed to Martín Ojeda across the penalty area, with the Lions' Designated Player proceeding to fire it into an open net.

Head Coach Oscar Pareja:

"It's a moment where we lost three points at home in a match that we all assumed that we should win. You could see in the two halves and the way the game ended, I have to say that I'm very proud of these players. It's my responsibility to create a lineup and to create a game plan and in that part, I have to analyze what occurred in the first half and it did not help the boys. The effort in the second [half] was fantastic. I just kept that image. I have to move forward, once again, I take that responsibility of being very unorganized [in the first half]."

Match Notes:

Martín Ojeda scored his first goal as a Lion in the match.

Duncan McGuire tallied his first assist for the Club on the Ojeda finish. The 2023 MLS SuperDraft selection scored his first goal in the side's last league outing at D.C. United.

The assist marked the second-straight goal contribution from McGuire in league play, after scoring in D.C.

With Ojeda's goal, all four goals scored by the Lions across all competitions have come in the second half of play.

Jack Lynn made his first appearance of the season, entering the game in the 82nd minute.

Head Coach Oscar Pareja made three changes to his starting lineup from Wednesday's Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League fixture, with Rafael Santos, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson and Duncan McGuire all getting the nod.

Next Match: The Lions head out on the road to take on the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, March 25 in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Subaru Park.

Teams

1

2

F

Orlando City SC

0

1

1

Charlotte FC

2

0

2

Scoring Summary:

CLT - Enzo Copetti (Jaylin Lindsey) 26'

CLT - Kerwin Vargas (Harrison Afful) 37'

ORL - Martín Ojeda (Duncan McGuire) 56'

Misconduct Summary:

CLT - Harrison Afful (Yellow Card) 28'

CLT - Jaylin Lindsey (Yellow Card) 54'

CLT - George Marks (Yellow Card) 69'

CLT - Brandt Bronico (Yellow Card) 76'

CLT - Kamil Józwiak (Yellow Card) 77'

CLT - Enzo Copetti (Yellow Card) 80'

Lineups/Substitutions:

Orlando City SC - GK Pedro Gallese; D Rafael Santos (Kyle Smith 46'), Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Mikey Halliday (Gastón González 73'); M Dagur Dan Thórhallsson (Iván Angulo 46'), César Araújo (Jack Lynn 82'), Mauricio Pereyra ©; F Facundo Torres, Martín Ojeda, Duncan McGuire (Ramiro Enrique 67')

Substitutes Not Used: GK Mason Stajduhar; D Antonio Carlos; M Wilder Cartagena, Felipe Martins

Charlotte FC - GK George Marks; D Harrison Afful (Joseph Mora 83'), Bill Tuiloma, Adilson Malanda, Jaylin Lindsey (Nathan Byrne 67'); M Brandt Bronico, Derrick Jones, Ashley Westwood © (Nuno Santos 46'); F Kerwin Vargas (Ben Bender 87'), Enzo Copetti, McKinze Gaines (Kamil Józwiak 67')

Substitutes Not Used: GK Pablo Sisniega; M Ben Bender, Christopher Hegardt; F Andre Shinyashiki, Karol Swiderski

Details of the Game:

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Weather: Clear

Date: March 18, 2023

Attendance: 18,123

Stats:

Possession:

ORL - 55.4%

CLT - 44.6%

Shots:

ORL - 19

CLT - 8

Saves:

ORL - 2

CLT - 8

Fouls:

ORL - 6

CLT - 17

Corners:

ORL - 5

CLT - 3

Heineken Star of the Match: Duncan McGuire

Check out the Orlando City SC Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from March 18, 2023


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