Angulo’s 89th-minute winner sends Orlando City past Columbus in 3-2 thriller

A match that swung from the opening minute

The game lurched into life almost immediately. Harvey Sarajian put Orlando ahead in the first minute, meeting Antoine Griezmann’s setup and finishing with his right foot from the centre of the box to the bottom-right corner. That advantage lasted only six minutes. Taha Habroune brought Columbus level at 7', taking Santiago Rodríguez’s assist and scoring with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box.

Orlando answered again before the half had settled into any rhythm. In the 16th minute, Griezmann restored the lead himself, curling a left-footed free kick into the top-left corner for one of the night’s cleanest finishes. At that point Orlando had scored twice on its first two shots on target, while Columbus had already shown it would keep asking questions of the home side.

Columbus eventually found its second equalizer in the 53rd minute. Habroune turned provider this time, slipping a through ball to Brais Méndez, who finished left-footed from the left side of the six-yard box into the bottom-left corner. The match stayed level deep into the second half before Orlando struck one more time. In the 89th minute, Martín Ojeda led a fast break and found Angulo, whose left-footed finish from the centre of the box beat Patrick Schulte for the 3-2 winner.

Columbus piled up attempts; Orlando made the decisive ones

The raw attacking totals underline why this never felt comfortable for Orlando. Columbus finished with 27 shots, 15 on target, 11 corners and 52.7 per cent of the ball. Orlando posted 20 shots, seven on target and only two corners, with 47.3 per cent possession. The Crew also completed 398 passes to Orlando’s 346. Those numbers gave Columbus more volume, but they did not give the visitors the final edge on the scoreboard.

Several Columbus attackers filled the stat sheet. Habroune finished with a goal and an assist, while Méndez scored once and put four of his six shots on target. Anass Zaroury also hit the target four times, and Rodríguez combined an assist with six total shots. Orlando’s key contributions were spread differently: Sarajian scored the opener, Griezmann delivered both a goal and an assist, Ojeda supplied the late final pass, and Angulo converted the decisive chance.

Maxime Crépeau’s workload helps explain how narrow the margin remained. The official stats credited the Orlando goalkeeper with 12 saves, while Schulte was charged with four at the other end. Whether measured by shots, shots on target or corners, Columbus forced Orlando to spend long stretches protecting its box. Orlando, though, kept enough composure around the key moments to make its smaller set of finishing opportunities count for more.

Our take: Orlando won the moments that mattered most

This result reads like a lesson in timing rather than control. Orlando did not need the larger share of possession, more corners or more attempts. What it had were the most damaging interventions: a first-minute strike that set the tone, a superb Griezmann free kick after Columbus had levelled, and then Angulo’s late finish just when a 2-2 draw appeared to be settling in. In a five-goal match, those moments were more valuable than any running total.

There is still plenty for both clubs to examine. Orlando cannot treat 27 shots and 11 conceded corners as a harmless detail simply because the points stayed home; that kind of defensive volume will not always be survivable, even with a goalkeeper producing a busy night. Columbus, meanwhile, will look hard at the waste in its own numbers. Fifteen shots on target by the official count, two goals to show for them, and a late fast-break goal allowed is the profile of a match that offered enough to win but not enough to finish.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 1'

   Harvey Sarajian scored for Orlando City SC in minute 1. The assist went to Antoine Griezmann.

2. Period 1 · 7'

   Taha Habroune scored for Columbus Crew in minute 7. The assist went to Santiago Rodríguez.

3. Period 1 · 16'

   Antoine Griezmann scored for Orlando City SC in minute 16.

4. Period 2 · 53'

   Brais Méndez scored for Columbus Crew in minute 53. The assist went to Taha Habroune.

5. Period 2 · 89'

   Iván Angulo scored for Orlando City SC in minute 89. The assist went to Martín Ojeda.