Focus and concentration lead to Orlando City loss to Montreal | OneFootball

Orlando City SC players executed their most curious match this season. The result is a 2-0 stoppage time loss to CF Montreal.

Orlando City SC went to Canada to face CF Montreal. The home team hovered closer to the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference before the first whistle.

But during the second-half stoppage time, Montreal scored twice. With their 2-0 shutout win over the Lions, they effectively exchanged places with the Lions.

Neither squad is destined for a 2026 postseason run in MLS. Yet Montreal increased the Lions’ negative Goal Differential to 18 with their minutes-long stoppage-time scoring flurry. They shot to 10th place in the East and dropped Orlando to next-to-last.

The Lions consistently applied their newfound concentration.  This quality, paired with the coaching staff’s adaptable game strategy, resulted in a shocking victory over Inter Miami in their previous match. Yet lowly Montreal drew Orlando City players down to their level for the entire 90 minutes.

The Lions kept the match at 0-0 until second-half stoppage time. This achievement held despite Montreal’s solid edge in shots, 25-9, and crosses, 17-6. Orlando maintained crisp passing throughout with nearly even accuracy, 86.2-87.8. And they held their own in Montreal’s attacking third with 8-6 clearances.

Orlando keeper Maxime Crepeau gave a performance that looked sharp at times. In the 58th minute, Luca Petrasso sent a header high that looked to sneak just underneath the Lions’ crossbar, but Crepeau got his fingertips on the ball and turned that score into a corner kick.

Even when Crepeau failed, his teammates had his back. Prince Owusu wound up his right foot to shoot at the net in the 76th minute. Crepeau emptied the net and dove toward the shot just a millisecond too early. But Iago took a successful second-chance dive, turning the effort into another corner kick.

The reason this contest didn’t end in a draw, let alone a win, is not because the Lions lost focus for the entire match. It’s because they didn’t hold their focus and concentration in their attacking third.

Winger Tyrese Spicer took the ball toward the Montreal net in the 55th minute after detecting a failure in the opponents’ backline.  He angled his shot and sent a hard line drive into the side of the net.

Crosses were brilliantly landed in front of the home team’s net with no Lion near to receive them.

But it wasn’t until final stoppage time that the Orlando City concentration broke down completely.

Captain Robin Jansson fouled Luca Petrasso in the penalty area. Striker Daniel Rios landed his penalty shot in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Crepeau’s fortune during the first 90 minutes ran out. He again reached his fingertips to the shot, but the penalty kick brought the ball inches over his hand for the first score.

As stoppage time ticked on, defender Dagur Dan Thorhallsson came in for Montreal in the fifth minute. He was acquired last December from Orlando for $625,000 in General Allocation Money. Just three minutes later, he scored his first goal for the new team.

Apr 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Orlando City SC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau (71) makes a save against D.C. United in the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images | Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images

Assisted by Matty Longstaff, the ball bounced away from the diving Crepeau. This time, no Lions were there to back him up.

The 2-0 victory awards Montreal netminder Thomas Gillier his third shutout of the season --  this one on four saves.

The loss by Orlando City SC highlights how important mental preparation is for this team. The reward of this preparation factored into their victory in the previous match. Their loss of focus in their attacking third and late-game breakdown of concentration factored in the loss in this game.

The chances are there for the next victory. The necessary drills are evident.