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ORLANDO — Orlando City SC broke open the game with two goals in two minutes in the first half and survived a late Toronto FC rally en route to a 4-2 win in MLS play Saturday.
Cesar Araujo, Alex Freeman, Ramiro Enrique and Dagur Thorhallsson scored for Orlando (1-1-0). Sigurd Rosted and Deybi Flores replied for Toronto (0-1-1).
After an uneventful opening half-hour at Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando capitalized on its first two shots on target.
Uruguay’s Araujo opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a picture-perfect free kick from outside the penalty box that went over the wall and bounced in off the goalpost past a diving Sean Johnson.
Freeman, a 20-year-old fullback in his first MLS start since signing as an Orlando homegrown player in 2022, doubled the lead two minutes later with his first MLS goal. Kyle Smith’s long ball found Freeman behind Markus Cimermancic and Freeman’s well-placed shot beat Johnson.
With defenders Robin Jansson and David Brekalo missing, Smith partnered Rodrigo Schlegel at centre back.
Freeman, the son of former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, had come close to scoring in his own goal in the 18th minute when his chested ball back to Pedro Gallese almost eluded the Peruvian international goalkeeper.
Toronto’s defence was cut open in the 63rd with unchallenged Enrique racing down the middle of the pitch and then evading Johnson before slotting the ball home.
Newly acquired Norwegian international forward Ola Brynhildsen, who last played a competitive match in December, came on for Toronto in the 65th minute along with Tyrese Spicer and Matty Longstaff.
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Rosted pulled one back in the 72nd minute, rising high to head home a Bernardeschi corner. It was the Norwegian’s defender’s first goal in his 49th MLS regular-season outing.
Iceland’s Thorhallsson, who had just entered the game, restored the three-goal lead in the 81st minute as the Toronto defence was found wanting again.
Flores, a hard-nosed Honduran defensive midfielder not known for his offence, cut the lead to 4-2 with a long-range howitzer of a shot in the 86th minute for his second career MLS goal.
Toronto’s lack of a No. 9 was evident with no shots on target in the first 45 minutes with Federico Bernardeschi and Canadian Theo Corbeanu struggling to make an impact up front.
Toronto lost wingback Richie Laryea to injury in the 22nd minute. Newly signed Zane Monlouis, who made his TFC debut in second-half stoppage time in the season opener, came in at centre back with Henry Wingo pushing up to wingback.
A deflected shot by Ivan Agulo, celebrating his 100th appearance for Orlando across all competitions, flashed just wide of the goalpost in the 43rd minute. And fellow Colombian Eduard Atuesta hit the Toronto goalpost in first-half stoppage time.
Toronto, which rallied for a 2-2 draw in its season opener at D.C. United last week, has yet to lead this season. Orlando lost 4-2 to visiting Philadelphia.
Toronto coach Robin Fraser went with the same starting 11 but made two changes on the bench with Brynhildsen and 18-year-old defender Lazar Stefanovic replacing Derrick Etienne Jr. and Raoul Petretta, both of whom were listed as questionable.
Once again, there was no place for out-of-favour winger Lorenzo Insigne, who did not make the trip to Florida. Toronto is trying to shed the 33-year-old Italian, whose US$15.4-million salary was second only to Miami’s Lionel Messi last year.
Orlando has held the upper hand over Toronto of late with an 8-1-1 record since Oscar Pareja took over as coach. It leads the overall regular-season series at 10-9-3.
UP NEXT
Toronto FC: Visits FC Cincinnati next Saturday.
Orlando City: Visits New York City FC next Saturday.