Under drizzly conditions at Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando City SC and New England Revolution delivered an enthralling 3-3 draw on Sunday evening, with Martín Ojeda's noteworthy hat trick ultimately not enough to secure all three points for the home side.
Ojeda, the 26-year-old Argentine midfielder, delivered a masterclass in finishing on a night where the wet field created slick playing conditions.
"We deserved to win today, but sometimes football is like this," said Ojeda after the match. "I'm happy for my three goals, but disappointed we couldn't get the three points."
His first goal came in the 24th minute when he found the top corner with a precise left-footed strike following a corner kick. Just nine minutes later, Ojeda capped off a lightning-fast counterattack with a clinical finish to the bottom right corner after receiving a perfectly weighted through ball from French midfielder Joran Gerbet to make it 2-0.
New England, however, refused to go down without a fight, clawing its way back into the match when Alhassan Yusuf found the net in the 38th minute, before Matt Polster's header from a Carles Gil cross leveled the score just before halftime.
The second half began with renewed intensity from the Lions, who were awarded a penalty following a VAR review when Gerbet was fouled in the box by Mamadou Fofana. Ojeda stepped up confidently, sending his spot-kick straight down the middle to complete his hat trick and restore Orlando's lead in the 55th minute.
As rain continued to fall, the match took on an increasingly physical dimension. Both David Brekalo and César Araújo were shown yellow cards for Orlando as they attempted to protect their advantage against growing Revolution pressure.
The decisive moment came in the 82nd minute when Robin Jansson conceded a penalty after fouling Ignatius Ganago in the area Revolution captain Carles Gil made no mistake from the spot, calmly slotting home to level the match.
Ten minutes of added time saw both teams push for a winner on the slippery surface. Orlando's Ramiro Enrique and Duncan McGuire, both second-half substitutes, came close but couldn't find the target. The Revolution nearly stole all three points in the dying seconds, but Brandon Bye's header missed narrowly to the right.
The draw extends Orlando's unbeaten run at home to six matches dating back to last season.
Orlando City now faces a congested May schedule, with four matches in just eleven days. They host Charlotte on Wednesday before traveling to face Inter Miami on Sunday, May 18 in league play. The Lions then return to Inter&Co Stadium for a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match against Nashville on Wednesday, May 2t, followed by another home fixture against Portland on Saturday, May 24.
