Orlando City hold on to 0-0 draw against Tigres

Stefan Tonev

Sports Editor

Last Updated: Mar 8 | 6:15 AM

3 min read

Orlando City hold on to 0-0 draw against Tigres

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The team from Orlando was delighted to get a draw against Tigres UANL after being the clear underdog

In the first MLS-Liga MX showdown of 2023, Orlando City SC and Tigres UANL played to a 0-0 draw in a mouth-watering Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 encounter at Estadio Universitario on Tuesday night.

Hard fought in Monterrey, we go again back at @ExploriaStadium next Wednesday 😤 #SCCL23 | @TheChampions | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/l6HpkEkZ5x

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) March 8, 2023

The 2020 CCL winners, as expected, were the dominant team with veteran Andre-Pierre Gignac the danger man so often for the hosts.

The first crunch moment in the tie came in first-half stoppage time when Gignac was shown a straight red card from referee Mario Escobar after shoving Orlando defender Rodrigo Schlegel after the two tangled inside the Lions’ box. That decision, however, was overtun by a Video Review, a first of this kind in a CCL game, and the red card was replaced by a yellow instead.

Relieved, that he stayed on the pitch, Gignac tried to make up for his nearly costly error, as he forced Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese into a diving stop in the 53rd minute. Two minutes later, Gallese had to parry a Fernando Gorriarán shot off the crossbar away and then stretched out to deny a downward header by Samir.

Martin Ojeda had Orlando’s best scoring chance in the second half, as a left-footed shot from just outside the box prompted a diving save from Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman in the 58th minute.

Two minutes from full time, Guido Pizarro had Gallese all beaten up, but the headed shot hit the far post following a Tigres corner kick.