No shots on goal but Montreal draws Orlando City SC on penalty kick | OneFootball

Orlando City SC drew up a plan to take three points. CF Montreal came to town aiming for a shocking win. Neither team’s plan worked.

Lowly CF Montreal rode the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference as they took on Orlando City SC. Their attack and counterattack fail to impress opponents. But pairing a competent defense with set-piece talent has won matches against opponents with higher standing, such as the Houston Dynamo.

Montreal beat the Dynamo 3-1.

Orlando City maintained its spot at No. 6 in the standings while facing Montreal. They knew what their goals were if they got three points out of the match.

The Lions had to contain Montreal striker Prince Owusu as he worked to exploit chances created by his teammates. Orlando achieved that goal. Yet, the Prince Owusu project had two parts, with the second preventing the forward from enjoying any set pieces or penalty kick opportunities.

The Lions failed on the second part. They didn’t lose. But they suffered a frustrating 1-1 draw.

Montreal put up a defensive fight, yet kept possession close. Orlando’s time with the ball came to just under 53%. They almost tripled Montreal in shots, 11-4. Finally, the Lions made good on one of their four shots on goal. Their opponent only had one.

Orlando’s only score came in the first half. Midfielder Martin Ojeda netted a shot in the 28th minute, assisted by forward Luis Muriel. It was Ojeda’s 10th goal of the season, tying him for the team lead. He also set a new club record with a goal in his seventh consecutive match.

Muriel’s assist is his sixth of the season and his third in the last two games.

Orlando City v CF Montreal | Alex Menendez/GettyImages

The Orlando defense continued doing its job. No one got through them during the entire match for a shot on goal. But the team’s mission to forbid Montreal from getting a set piece or penalty kick failed in the 83rd minute.

Montreal isn’t capable of creating many chances, let alone capitalizing on them. Their advantage in any match is from set pieces and penalties. The last place Orlando should have sent Owusu is to a penalty kick opportunity. But they did, and the Montreal striker scored for the draw.

Orlando City SC has the drills and knows what it takes to win. What they desperately need now is focus, concentration, and balance — time for more mental drills.