Shorthanded Union fall to Orlando City, 2-1, for first home loss since 2021

The Union lost a regular-season home game for the first time since Sept. 3, 2021 on Saturday, as a vastly shorthanded squad fell to Orlando City, 2-1, at Subaru Park. All three goals came early in the game: Orlando’s Martin Ojeda in the 2nd minute and Ivan Angulo in the 9th, then Andrés Perea for the Union in the 17th.

For the second straight game, the Union (2-3-0, 6 points) conceded in the opening minutes. This time, it was on a breakaway by Ojeda, who ran through the Union’s unusually porous back line as Angulo played a pass over the top in the second minute. Jack Elliott was especially at fault, watching Angulo as Ojeda ran behind him.

» READ MORE: The Union didn't have to be as shorthanded as they were in this game

Seven minutes later, Ojeda played provider. He beat Elliott on another breakaway, then played a pass past him after the Union’s defense did just enough to recover initially. But Angulo ran through a gap between three Union players, and Ojeda fed him for a quick shot past Joe Bendik.

The Union finally woke up after that, led by a former Orlando player. Perea jumped high to get to an Olivier Mbaizo cross in the 17th minute, put it off the post, then got his own rebound inside the six-yard box and volleyed it in.

By halftime, the Union had out-shot Orlando (2-1-2, 8 points), 11-5, but still had a lot of work to do. And with just four field players plus goalkeeper Holden Trent on the bench, they didn’t have a lot of options for trying something different.

The field-player substitutes were defenders Nathan Harriel and Matt Real, and midfielders Jesús Bueno and Jeremy Rafanello. Real and Rafanello can be used in more than one role, which helps, but neither is a game-changer — nor are the others.

It said plenty that when Jakob Glesnes launched a trademark long-range rip in the 64th minute and forced a big rebound, that felt like one of the better options available to force the issue.

» READ MORE: Jakob Glesnes signs a new deal that keeps him with Union through 2025

As bad as it was for MLS to be playing during a FIFA window, depriving teams of so many key players, the player who was perhaps the most missed had nothing to do with that. If Julián Carranza was available instead of being suspended due to a red card in the previous game, it would have been a big help. Chris Donovan offered painfully little in a forward partnership with Mikael Uhre.

Still, as ugly as the game was, the Union had a 19-9 advantage in shots at the 70-minute mark. And that was the point when Union manager Jim Curtin summoned changes.

It was a triple substitution: Nathan Harriel for Olivier Mbaizo at right back, Jesús Bueno for Leon Flach, and Matt Real for Uhre.

The last of those wasn’t purely tactical. Curtin said Uhre suffered from a stomach bug Friday and Saturday, and Uhre went to the locker room right after being subbed out. But it meant Uhre still hasn’t played a full 90 minutes for the Union in his time here.

The subs left the Union in a makeshift 4-2-3-1, with Real, Andrés Perea, and Joaquín Torres in the line of three from left to right. Bueno and Alejandro Bedoya sat behind them. And Bedoya had a big chance in the 75th when his header forced a full-stretch dive from Mason Stajduhar.

Elliott had the ball on his feet at close range in second-half stoppage time, but couldn’t turn his big frame enough to get a shot off.

Not only had the Union not lost a regular-season game at home in a year and a half, but they had won 11 straight coming into the night. That was one short of Major League Soccer’s all-time record, set by the San Jose Earthquakes from Aug. 25, 2001 to July 24, 2002.

The Union’s last loss of any kind at home was the Dec. 5, 2021 Eastern Conference final against New York City FC, when they were shorthanded because of COVID-19 protocols. Their last home loss at full strength was to Club América in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League semifinals on Sept. 15.

» READ MORE: The Union’s Nathan Harriel gets a new contract