FC Cincinnati wingback Luca Orellano's standout Matchday 30 performance earned him MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra honors for the second time this season.
Orellano scored two free-kick goals – including a breathtaking strike from way beyond midfield – in Cincinnati's 4-1 home rout of CF Montréal. The 24-year-old Argentine's second brace of 2024 gave him 7g/6a in his debut MLS season.
Orellano is the fourth player in club history to record at least six goals and six assists in a single season, joining Luciano Acosta (four times), Brandon Vázquez (2022), and Brenner (2022). He's the seventh player in MLS since 2003 to score multiple direct free-kick goals in the same game and the first since Lucas Zelarayán for the Columbus Crew in May 2021.
A 2024 MLS All-Star selection, Orellano is now a two-time Player of the Matchday recipient. He's the third player in Cincinnati history to earn multiple Player of the Matchday awards in the same season, after Acosta (twice in 2023) and Brenner (three times in 2022).
The Orange & Blue return to action on Saturday, Sept. 14 when hosting Hell is Real rivals Columbus at TQL Stadium (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
