Martín Ojeda scores first as a Lion in City defeat to Charlotte
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 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. 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. 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.
"It's a moment where we lost three points at home in a match that we all assumed that we should win," said Head Coach Oscar Pareja. "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 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.
Information provided by Orlando City Soccer Club.