Orlando City SC got off to a quick start when Tesho Akindele scored the fastest goal in club history, Nani followed with a golazo and the Lions cruised to a 3-0 win over FC Cincinnati Saturday at Exploria Stadium.
Akindele pounced on a soft back pass by Nick Hagglund and finished first time inside the far post to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead just 33 seconds after kickoff. It broke the previous club record for fastest goal set by Chris Mueller, a 62-second strike against the San Jose Earthquakes in April, 2018.
Nani doubled the lead in the 19th minute with the Portuguese winger cutting to his right and then sharply to his left to shed Yuya Kubo before a clinical finish with his left.
Nani nearly had his brace a few minutes later, but his header went off the post after a slight deflection by Przemyslaw Tyton. Back in the FC Cincinnati net after missing a 5-0 defeat at NYCFC in Week 2 through injury, Tyton then ranged up to get a hand on another blistering Nani attempt from the edge of the 18-yard box in the 63rd minute.
Junior Urso put the finishing touches on a dominant performance and the Lions first win of the season with a goal on the doorstep in the 80th minute, taking advantage of a scrambling Cincy backline.
Thee Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Orlando feasted on shoddy Cincinnati defending to take the lead inside 33 seconds and have a 2-0 advantage inside 20 minutes. The Lions remained on the front foot and could have added three more goals with a little bit of luck before Junior Urso secured all three points. FC Cincinnati have conceded 10 unanswered goals since jumping in front 2-0 in Week 1 vs. Nashville SC. They limp back for the opening of TQL Stadium in two weeks' time.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Nani scored a sensational late equalizer in Week 2 in a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC. He went all Freddy Kruger, slicing up Kubo before a clinical strike.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Nani takes the honors again. The 34-year-old was lively and had the Lions best other chances for a third goal and had a team-high four dribbles.
Next Up
- ORL: Saturday, May 8 vs. NYCFC | 6 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deports | MLS regular season
- CIN: Sunday, May 16 vs. Inter Miami CF | 4 pm ET | FOX, FOX Deportes | MLS regular season
