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Orlando City SC Forward Ramiro Enrique Voted MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 32

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NEW YORK (Monday, September 18, 2023) – Orlando City SC forward Ramiro Enrique was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 32 of the 2023 MLS season.

Enrique produced his first career brace and added an assist in Orlando City’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium on Saturday, September 16. The Argentine forward scored both the game-tying and game-winning goal for Orlando after the 85th minute of play. With the pair of scores, Enrique became the first player in club history to score both a game-tying and game-winning goal in the 85th minute or later of a match and just the second player to accomplish the feat this year, joining Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada (February 25). Enrique is the third player in Orlando history with at least two goals and one assist in a match, and he is the first to do so since Nani on September 14, 2019.

After a back and forth opening 70 minutes to the match, Orlando found themselves trailing 3-1 to the Crew. However, in the 73rd minute, Enrique brought down a long pass, found MartĂ­n Ojeda, who then played in a streaking Facundo Torres, and the dynamic Uruguayan easily slotted home his finish to cut the deficit to 3-2 (Watch Here). Enrique leveled the match in the 86th minute as he latched on to a bouncing ball in the box, took one touch, and fired a left-footed finish past the Crew goalkeeper (Watch Here). The Argentine scored the game-winning goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time as he passed home a one-timed finish to grab all three points for the home side (Watch Here).

Enrique becomes just the fourth Orlando City player to be named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire, joining Nani, Kaká, and Cyle Larin. He is the first Lions player to earn the honor since Nani did so on Matchday 16 in 2021. Of the 32 Player of the Matchday honors in 2023, 14 of them have been won by players born in South America, including each of the last five.

Orlando will look to make it six wins in their last seven matches when they travel to face New York City FC at Citi Field on Matchday 33 on Wednesday, September 20 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire 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 a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.

2023 MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire Winners

Matchday

Player

Club

Matchday 1

Thiago Almada

Atlanta United

Matchday 2

Lucas Zelarayán

Columbus Crew

Matchday 3

Caleb Wiley

Atlanta United

Matchday 4

Thiago Almada

Atlanta United

Matchday 5

Jordan Morris

Seattle Sounders FC

Matchday 6

Simon Becher

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Matchday 7

DĂ©nis Bouanga

Los Angeles Football Club

Matchday 8

Carlos Vela

Los Angeles Football Club

Matchday 9

Mikael Uhre

Philadelphia Union

Matchday 10

Leonardo Campana

Inter Miami CF

Matchday 11

Hany Mukhtar

Nashville SC

Matchday 12

Evander

Portland Timbers

Matchday 13

Brandon Cambridge

Charlotte FC

Matchday 14

Luciano Acosta

FC Cincinnati

Matchday 15

Julián Carranza

Philadelphia Union

Matchday 16

Carles Gil

New England Revolution

Matchday 17

Julián Carranza

Philadelphia Union

Matchday 18

Alan Pulido

Sporting Kansas City

Matchday 19

Hany Mukhtar

Nashville SC

Matchday 20

Damir Kreilach

Real Salt Lake

Matchday 21

Ryan Gauld

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Matchday 22

Randall Leal

Nashville SC

Matchday 23

Riqui Puig

LA Galaxy

Matchday 24

LĂ©o ChĂş

Seattle Sounders FC

Matchday 25

Dániel Gazdag

Philadelphia Union

Matchday 26

Diego Luna

Real Salt Lake

Matchday 27

Giorgos Giakoumakis

Atlanta United

Matchday 28

Thiago Almada

Atlanta United

Matchday 29

Emanuel Reynoso

Minnesota United FC

Matchday 30

Cucho Hernández

Columbus Crew

Matchday 31

Leonardo Campana

Inter Miami CF

Matchday 32

Ramiro Enrique

Orlando City SC