Orlando City SC made the most of their home advantage on the final day of the MLS regular season, beating New England Revolution 1-0 at Exploria Stadium thanks to a goal right on the stroke of half-time by Ojeda. Despite holding 65% possession and generating the cleaner xG figure, the Revolution left Florida empty-handed. Crépeau made four saves to protect the lead through a second half in which New England committed heavily to attack.
Key Moments
- 45′, Ojeda finishes to give Orlando the lead right before the break. The goal came as a double substitution was about to be made, adding to the chaos of stoppage time at the end of the first half. No assist recorded.
- 60′, New England manager Marko Mitrovic makes a double change, bringing on Raines and Yusuf for Carles Gil and Turgeman, looking to inject more energy into an attack that had managed only three shots on goal.
- 66′, Orlando introduce Dike for Marco Pasalic, shifting toward a more direct look in the second half to protect the one-goal cushion.
- 90′, Crépeau receives a yellow card for time wasting, a minor footnote on what had been a commanding goalkeeping display.
Tactical Breakdown
On paper, New England controlled the match. The Revolution finished with 65% possession, 683 total passes (641 accurate) against Orlando’s 373, and eight corner kicks to five. Their xG of 0.91 was not far behind Orlando’s 1.2. But volume of possession rarely translates directly into goals, and New England’s shot map reflected a team that struggled to find penetrating angles: only six shots came from inside the box, and just three tested Crépeau.
Orlando, deployed in a 4-4-2 by interim head coach Martin Perelman, sat back deliberately and hit on the counter. The Lions generated 15 total shots, eight from inside the box, and when Ojeda’s chance arrived right on the half-time whistle, he took it. The double substitution at half-time, bringing Adrián Marín on for Cartagena, did not disrupt Orlando’s defensive structure in the second half. The introduction of Joran Gerbet at 62 minutes and Dike at 66 kept New England honest, even as Orlando stopped searching for a second goal.
For the Revolution, the game slipped away in the first half despite the statistical dominance. Carles Gil, their most creative outlet, was withdrawn at 60 minutes without having made a decisive impact on the scoresheet. Once the double change came midway through the second half, New England had more energy but less craft, and Crépeau’s four saves ensured the game never really opened up.
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Match Context
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Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
With the regular season now complete, Orlando City SC sit eighth in the Eastern Conference on 46 points, while New England Revolution are third on 58, two behind Inter Miami and 19 adrift of Eastern leaders Nashville SC. Both clubs head into the MLS playoffs, with the Revolution securing their round-of-eight berth. The loss ends a three-match winning run for New England heading into postseason play.
New England Revolution
Orlando City SC
B. Ojeda