Despite weather delays, fans show up for Lions’ loss in friendly vs. Arsenal
Thousands of fans were forced to wait Wednesday evening for Orlando City’s international friendly against English Premier League club Arsenal that was delayed due to disruptive weather in the area.
The match, which was originally scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. but was pushed back multiple times to a posted start around 8:30 p.m., marked the first time Orlando City (8-7-6, 30 points) took on Arsenal.
Once the exhibition began, the two sides battled back and forth before Arsenal pulled away in the second half to win 3-1.
“I was happy to see a very enjoyable game for the fans against a fantastic rival,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “We brought the heat to Orlando and competed with them in front of our fans, so that was pretty good.”
The exhibition is one of multiple events part of the FC Series that leads up to the Florida Cup, which features rivals Chelsea and Arsenal at Camping World Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal found the back of the net early in the match when Gabriel Martinelli scored in the 5th minute.
The Lions tied the game in the 29th minute thanks to a shot from Facundo Torres from outside the box.
For the Lions, it was the club’s fifth EPL friendly all time and its first since 2016. That year Orlando City fell to Stoke City.
“It was a big challenge,” Pareja said. “I think people understand that we are in the middle of the season and we have a game in two, three days.
“At the end [of the day], the players want to compete, and they don’t want to disappoint, especially [since] we’re representing the club and we’re representing Major League Soccer,” he added.
Once fans were allowed into the bowl of Exploria Stadium, it was clear the exhibition would provide an electric atmosphere — and not just because of the weather but instead because of Arsenal’s reputation in the soccer world.
The Gunners have won a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, and 13 EFL and Premier League titles.
The club’s prowess was on full display in the second half. Eddie Nketiah gave his side a 2-1 lead in the 65th minute before Arsenal went up 3-1 in the 80th minute thanks to Reiss Nelson’s goal off a cross.
With high expectations for the friendly from supporters of both teams, the stadium was divided between fans donned in purple for the Lions as well as red as Arsenal fans came out in droves.
For Orlando City, the match came during a busy stretch. The Lions had played three games in the past eight days and have a home match vs. Philadelphia in two days on Saturday night.
“The proximity of the games has been a lot, and just having this quantity of games is difficult,” Pareja said. “The boys were challenged.
“But again, one of the best teams in the world, and they compete very well. Just make the team feel that we can do better, that we can compete better.”
Despite the friendly loss to an international powerhouse, Pareja said he believes the match could serve as a jump start for his squad that’s gone 2-4-2 in its last 8 games.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to understand our potential,” he said. “It should give us confidence toward what is coming.”
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
