A Colombian coach became champion of professional soccer in the United States
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Loading... - Antonio Oliviera
- 08 Sep 2022
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A brace from Uruguayan Facundo Torres and a third goal from North American Benji Michel gave Orlando City , a team led by Colombian coach Óscar Pareja, a 3-0 win on Wednesday in the grand final of the US Open Cup against Sacramento Republic .
With this, Óscar Pareja achieved his first title with Orlando City , a club he arrived at in 2020 and in which he has directed 99 games so far. The coach born in the city of Medellin has developed his career as a coach largely in soccer in the United States where he has been in charge of Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas and in Mexico for a short time at Tijuana FC.
His only titles had been with the Texas team where he won this same championship in 2016 and was highlighted in that same season as the most regular team in the United States Professional Soccer League . As a player he was champion in 1996 with Deportivo Cali , a club with which he played 122 games and scored 11 goals.
It was an unequal duel between an MLS team and another from the USL Championship , an alternate division of American soccer , something that had not happened since 2008 when the Charleston Battery also lost to DC United in the tournament final.
Orlando City 's win marks the first title for a Florida team since St. Petersburg 33 years ago. At the beginning of the game, both teams were very vertical and with the intention of stepping on the opposite area with a very high rhythm and intensity. ' The lions ' generated more danger , noting the technical superiority of their footballers.
Thus came the first great opportunity of the match at the feet of former Peñarol Facundo Torres , with a shot from the edge of the area that had more than enough time to prepare for the passivity of the Californian defense. He was going slightly off the crossbar . Sacramento also warned and in the twenty-first minute, with Irishman Dan Casey stealing the ball , the play was put together from midfield to find Jamaican Maalique Foster , who dribbled and defined, disturbing Peruvian Pedro Gallese .
With the passing of the minutes , in the final stretch of the first half the pace of the game dropped, more horizontality in the game of both teams in contrast to what was seen previously. The locals suffered to take advantage and open the scoring, they even saw the title in danger on a very clear occasion by Honduran Douglas Martínez, heading with subtlety and precision moving to the far post. Pedro Gallese guessed his intention and saved the ball. Read More...
