Orlando City records victory over New York City to advance to Round of 16
Chris Mueller scored twice in a fast paced opening 10 minutes to give Orlando City the upper hand against New York City on Tuesday night in the MLS is Back tournament.The Lions took control of the game in the fourth minute as Mueller fired in from close range from a Joao Moutinho free kick and never looked back as they recorded a fine 3-1 victory over their rivals.
The Pigeons are the team Orlando loves to play the most, recording more wins against them than anyone else in Major League Soccer, and when Mueller made it 2-0 in the 10th minute it looked like another big victory was on the cards.
A stunning strike from NYCFC’s Jesus Medina reduced the deficit in the 38th minute but when Orlando substitute Tesho Akindele headed home in the 81st minute the game was sealed.
Orlando City was coming off a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami in the tournament opener and victory has now earned Óscar Pareja’s men a place in the round of 16. Mueller, meanwhile, now has three goals to be the top goalscorer in the tournament. The results of the group stage matches played without fans as ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex will count toward the regular season.
