Union control matters but can’t find goal in 00 draw with Orlando
Apr 05, 2025
CHESTER — In the season opener in Orlando, everything the Union shot at Orlando City’s target went in. Saturday was a much different story.
The Union controlled play at Subaru Park but couldn’t find a breakthrough in a 0-0 draw with Orlando City.
The 20-7 edge in shot attempts didn’t manifes
t in all that much danger, among the issues just a 4-3 advantage in shots on target. Whatever the xG margin said – 1.6 for the Union to the visitors’ 0.6, thanks in large part to one Bruno Damiani miss – the Union (4-2-1, 13 points) didn’t do enough to earn the full three points at home.
That owed in part to how Orlando City (3-2-2, 11 points) defended. It didn’t have first-choice center back Robin Jansson for the opener, the defender a late absence, and goalie Pedro Gallese had a remarkably ineffective game in which he literally could stop nothing, the Union getting a 4-2 win on four shots on target.
But Gallese had four stops Saturday, including a couple of quality reaction saves, to keep the Union out.
Gallese was attentive in the 30th minute when Jovan Lukic’s shot from the top of the box was deflected on the way to goal and nearly trickled in if not for the Peruvian goalie’s right glove. A Frankie Westfield cross in the 47th found Bruno Damiani near the penalty spot, but Gallese moved quickly to his right, sliding to get his knees together and keep it out.
Damiani had the best chance right on the hour mark, with Quinn Sullivan spraying wide to Westfield down the right wing. Damiani leapt for a header on the doorstep, but he got just enough defensive pressure up his back to sky the effort over from three yards out.
Mikael Uhre entered soon after but didn’t do much beyond a shout in stoppage time for a penalty when he and Rodrigo Schlegel got tangled up. Cavan Sullivan got a 10-minute look, but save for a glancing chance at a cross nodded by Uhre into his general vicinity, nothing came of it.
Orlando City’s changes were rarer but seemed more dangerous. Andre Blake, though, was equal to the task. Luis Murriel, who has been particularly dangerous against the Union in his time in MLS, beat Jakob Glesnes in the 42nd minute. He played in Marco Pasalic, who scored twice in the opener, but Blake sprawled to keep it out. A bad giveaway by Danley Jean-Jacques in the 70th turned into a Murriel chance that Blake parried smartly. Sub Kyle Smith’s header off a corner in the 77th was easily smothered by Blake. ...read more read less