Orlando City clinches playoff spot for first time in club history

Iliana Limón Romero, Orlando Sentinel
·1 min read

Orlando City clinched a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history Sunday night.

A combination of the Lions' draw against the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC’s win over Atlanta United punched Orlando City’s ticket to the postseason.

First-year coach Oscar Pareja delivered on a promise to reach the playoffs that the Orlando City front office first made when the Lions joined Major League Soccer in 2015.

Pareja’s first season has been such a success, with the Lions reaching the final of the MLS is Back Tournament and delivering strong performances once regular-season play outside the Disney bubble began, Orlando City had long been viewed as a strong playoff team.

The Lions (8-2-8, 30 points) are riding a 12 match unbeaten streak and sat at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference table on Sunday night. They still have a chance move up in both the conference and Supporters' Shield standings despite having at least eight key players out of the lineup for weeks due to injuries and national team call-ups.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com.

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