Tyrese Spicer is the wing wizard Orlando City have so desperately needed | OneFootball

It was the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time at the TQL Stadium. Thanks to Kévin Denkey's earlier strike, FC Cincinnati were well on their way to a third win in three to keep them in the hunt for this year's Supporters' Shield.

It seemed as if the visitors, Orlando City, had spurned the very last of their ample golden opportunities to take a point back to Central Florida. Substitute Tyrese Spicer had the ball in the final third, but he was much too far away from the Cincinnati goal to even think about attempting a cross, right?

Wrong. Wriggling his way past Ender Echenique, he blasted in a pinpoint left-footed delivery towards Alex Freeman, whose delicate header was too just good for Evan Louro.

Sunday's 1-1 draw probably doesn't do all that much for Óscar Pareja's side in the grand scheme of things. With two regular season games left to play, hopes of a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference - and with it home advantage in the first round of the play-offs - have all but faded.

But, heading into the post-season, Spicer's form since arriving from Toronto in August suggests that Orlando may finally have that composure on the wing they have so dearly lacked in recent seasons.

Coming up clutch

Spicer's game-salvaging, last-minute assist on Sunday was his second in the space of eight days.

Last Saturday, after visiting Nashville had seemingly stolen an unlikely point from 2-0 down at Inter&Co Stadium, the Trinidadian international raced past Andy Najar and delivered towards the near post, where Duncan McGuire was lurking to poke beyond Joe Willis.

Those two extra points, attributable just as much to Spicer as McGuire, may grant Orlando a slightly more favourable first-round play-off opponent.

Before that, Spicer needed just seventy seconds of his full debut to open his account for his new club, powering home a left-footed volley as Orlando cruised to a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City.

Clearly, the 2024 MLS SuperDraft first overall pick is making quite the habit of coming up clutch in the biggest of moments, something which can only bode well as Orlando head into their sixth-consecutive post-season appearance.

A fresh dimension to Orlando's attack

Orlando fans know all too well that simply qualifying for the play-offs every season doesn't guarantee you success.

Last season's Eastern Conference Final at home to seventh-seed New York Red Bulls promised to put an end to years of wasted opportunities and self-implosion, but once again, Pareja's side came up short.

Much of this disappointment can be attributed to the Colombian coach's conservative tactics, but at the same time, Orlando's attack has become rather stale and predictable at times over the years.

The biggest culprit of this is fellow left-winger Iván Angulo, whose 12 goals in 136 Orlando appearances across four seasons just isn't prolific enough. The 26-year-old has never been convincing in front of goal or when delivering crosses from wide positions, something which Spicer has excelled at in his admittedly-short Orlando career so far.

What's more, despite usually being the more prolific, Orlando's right wing has often been guilty of being too one-dimensional during Pareja's tenure.

For all his virtues, Facundo Torres was very one-footed, meaning he could be easily subdued by some of the league's more capable defences in high-pressure play-off meetings.

The Uruguayan's replacement, Marco Pašalić, is no different. Both are lethal when cutting inside, but aren't quite so effective when forced onto their weaker right foot.

Spicer, on the other hand, excels at taking on his man and finding a teammate in the box. He, Angulo, and Pašalić all offer something unique, which could prove quite the weapon if utilised effectively.

Confidence is key

Upon being drafted by Toronto, Spicer asserted that he will "definitely surprise" the league with his abilities.

Then, following his debut in Central Florida, Spicer voiced his ambition to compete for titles.

His prophecy may have taken a season to be realised, but the 24-year-old has certainly arrived now.

Now playing in a team with ambitions that match his, Spicer could provide Orlando with a much-needed injection of confidence in attack, one wounded by years falling at the last hurdle in Major League Soccer and now Leagues Cup.