Recap: Orlando City 2 SC, DC United 1

Ian Nicholas Quillen

Daryl Dike's glancing header in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time lifted Orlando City SC to a 2-1 victory over D.C. United on Saturday night at Exploria Stadium and vaulted the hosts from beneath the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs line to third in the Eastern Conference standings.

Dike's sixth goal of the season came 80 minutes after Robin Jansson scored on the rebound of an earlier corner and helped Orlando snap a five-match winless run.

The Lions also scored in second-half stoppage time for the second time in four days after leveling late in a 2-2 midweek draw at Nashville SC.

Julian Gressel's ferocious long-range strike gave the visitors the lead on six minutes. Had United held on for even a point, they would've held third place in a crowded East race at the end of the night.

Instead, they could be as low as sixth by the end of Week 29 after New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union – both one point back – play Sunday.

D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid had two saves, including a quality denial of Tesho Akindele deep in the second half. He could do little on Dike's near-post header of Chris Mueller's corner, which flicked off the underside of the crossbar on its way across the line.

Goals

6' - DC - Julian Gressel | WATCH
17' - ORL - Robin Jansson | WATCH
90'+7' - ORL - Daryl Dike | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: Orlando's leap from eighth to third was one of the more dramatic recent moves in the East table, but it almost certainly won't be the last with only three points separating six places. If it's any consolation for D.C., they may have the easier run-in of the two sides, with four of their last six at home and three matches against teams above the playoff line. Orlando play three of their six at home and face four teams currently above the line.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Orlando had to know they were entering last-kick-of-the-game territory when they fought to win a second corner kick after D.C. just about dealt with a previous one. On the second, Dike out-muscled Russell Canouse at the near corner of the six-yard box and, despite his body moving away from goal, got enough on the redirect to leave Hamid almost no chance to react.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Junior Urso. He was tireless in the middle of the park to disrupt a D.C. attack that has made other sides look foolish in recent weeks, winning more than half of his team-high 18 duels. He also won the header that led to Jansson's leveler (below), and made a crucial clearance off the goal line early in the second half.