ORLANDO, Fla. — Alonso Martínez scored in stoppage time to help New York City FC rally and edge out Orlando City SC 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Orlando (9-6-8) is winless in four consecutive Major League Soccer games.
Julián Fernández, on the counterattack, played a ball-ahead to a sprinting Martínez, who outraced the defense and then beat goalkeeper Pedro Gallese — who moved to the edge of the penalty area — with a rolling shot inside the right post in the first minute of stoppage time.
NYCFC (10-8-4) scored on Kyle Smith’s own goal to make it 1-1 in the 87th minute. Fernández played a corner kick in to the center of the area and Andrés Perea’s header to the back post was parried by diving Gallese but redirected teammate Rodrigo Schlegel’s clearance attempt into the net.
“I think it’s very obvious that I cannot talk about many of the good things that the boys presented throughout the game because the final just shows us one more time that we are not a team that can close out games,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “It’s such a frustration that at this point. We highlight the negativity and the feeling that the game slipped from our hands again. I said to the players what I want to say to you as their coach: we have to respond. The players did a bunch of good things, but I don’t want to point out anything from them. I’m responsible for the performance of the group, and today we are still not finishing the games, and we need to fix that.” Matt Freese stopped six shots for New York City.
Robin Jansson scored his first goal of the season to give Orlando a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. Martín Ojeda played a corner kick to the back post that was centered by David Brekalo’s header before Jansson played the ball high off his chest and bounced a volley into the net from point-blank range.
Ojeda joined Luís Carlos “Nani” Almeida da Cunha (2019) as the only players in club history to produce at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
Orlando outshot NYCFC 25-11, 7-4 on target.
Gallese finished with three saves to surpass 500 saves across all competitions in his Orlando City career. His all-time total now stands at 501.
New York City also beat Orlando 2-1 at home on March 8.
Orlando City plays again at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on the road against the New England Revolution.
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