3:1 New York Orlando Pereira(OG) Wright-Phillips Davis Rivas 08.12.17 · League

Man, was the first half horrible. Metro reverted back to the team of months past, letting Orlando get behind its defense at will, and registering (stop us if you heard this one) no shots on goal. They did get an own goal to even the score, then came out a completely different team after the break, easily winning 3:1. But it certainly did not look easy early on...

Jesse Marsch was forced to make two changes: Sal Zizzo Jr.'s suspension saw Michael Murillo come back to the defense, and Daniel Royer's injury meant that Alex Muyl got the start in midfield.

After Luis Robles forced an early Orlando breakaway to miss the net, he could not repeat the feat in the 18th minute. A series of errors from one defender after another led to Carlos Rivas scoring a goal that the Metro goalkeeper should have done better to save.

Robles made up for his mistake by making a fantastic save in the 25th. Five minutes later, Metro evened the scoring when Tyler Adams sent a cross across the goalmouth that was redirected into the net by Orlando's Leo Pereira. The third own goal receive in league play broke the all-time single-season record.

The second half was a completely different story. Metro dominated early on, with Muyl getting in scoring positions, only to blow three decent chances. Moments after his last opportunity, Metro won the ball, and Sean Davis found Muyl on the right, who crossed into the box. Bradley Wright-Phillips flew in to redirect it past the hapless Joe Bendik, and Metro had the lead.

Orlando briefly took over the game for a period midway through the second, creating a couple of dangerous chances, one of which hit the crossbar. Then, in the 80th, Davis too a Kemar Lawrence throw-in, fought off two defenders, and curved the shot from outside the box and into the right side of the net. It was all academic from there.

(All academic, unless you discount the fracas in injury time that resulted in Kara getting a red card for jokingly putting his hands on Aurelien Collin's face. The two are friends from Collin's time in Orlando, and, clearly, he knew it was a joke... the video assistant referee begged to differ.)

So, with Orlando dispatched, Metro now heads to the all-important Open Cup semifinal on the road at minor league Cincinnati. Let's just hope they show up from the opening whistle for that one...

Lineup: Robles, Long, Perrinelle, Murillo, Lawrence, Adams, Martins, Davis, Kljestan, Muyl, Wright-Phillips. Subs: Veron, Collin, Lade.