Orlando City settles for Nashville draw after near win from Pato

In the months since suffering a debilitating knee injury in the Lions’ season opener, Orlando City fans haven’t known what to think of striker Alexandre Pato.

Some joked he was a specter as new injuries piled up. Others eyed the Brazilian star as a potential savior.

For a fleeting moment on Sunday, Pato stepped into the light as a would-be legend in the stoppage time of the final regular-season home game against Nashville SC.

Tied at 1-1 with less than a minute to play, the Lions needed a win to punch their ticket to a second-straight MLS postseason.

Pato delivered in spectacular fashion — lofting a free kick over a sea of teammates and defenders to smack off the crossbar, then off the back of keeper Joe Willis, then to the feet of midfielder Andrés Perea.

Perea pummeled the ball into the net, seemingly lifting the Lions to the safety of a playoff berth. But the joy was short-lived as the referees took less than a minute to call off the goal because of a foul by Daryl Dike in the box.

The referees determined Dike “kicked Nashville player Alistair Johnston’s leg as Johnston was attempting to clear the ball” prior to the goal.

Coach Oscar Pareja and his players blasted the call after the match.

“It’s a very sad day for the league,” Pareja said. “There is no explanation on a play that was so evident. It destroyed the joy of our people, the people believing in this project. ... Allow me not to say more. It is incredible what happened tonight.”

When the whistle sounded, the Lions crumbled in a state of shock and disbelief as another win slipped through their fingers.

Now it will all come down to Decision Day for Orlando City after the team narrowly missed clinching a playoffs berth.

Dike opened the first half on a promising note for the Lions, who dominated nearly 60% of on-ball possession while dancing around the Nashville box to probe for goal-scoring opportunities.

A swift series of passes between captain Luis Nani and winger Chris Mueller freed Dike in the box in the 18th minute when he thundered home a shot to give the Lions an early lead.

The goal marked Dike’s ninth of the season. The striker trails only Nani — who leads the team with 10 goals — in scoring this season despite playing 11 games fewer than the captain. Dike’s efficiency grew in the latter half of the season and he now averages a goal every other game.

Dike’s goal served as a reward for a consistent first-half effort from the Lions. Nashville’s goal-scoring chances mostly centered on corner kicks, but keeper Pedro Gallese made four saves to keep out shots from those chaotic set-piece moments.

“Sometimes being so urgent and so urgent doesn’t help much, so we bet for building and trying to get our spaces there,” Pareja said. “We were trying to be patient and trying to make the play that we needed at the moment.”

That intensity, however, dwindled in the second half as the Lions allowed a from-behind equalizer for the third time in the last four games.

Hany Mukhtar took advantage of a Lions turnover in the 53rd minute to split two defenders and knock in the equalizer past Gallese.

Orlando City’s scoring woes continued as the team searched for a go-ahead goal. While Dike provides a thread of consistency, the Lions continue to struggle with production from other attackers such as Nani, Mueller and Benji Michel.

The Lions only placed one more shot on goal in the rest of action. But a 90th-minute triple substitution for Andrés Perea, Silvester van der Water and Kyle Smith to enter the game sprang a last-minute jolt into the Lions to push for a final game-winner.

Although the goal was ultimately overturned, Pato’s near-score from the long-range free kick breathed life back into the striker after months on the sideline.

“He’s really important for us,” midfielder Junior Urso said. “I hope next week he can play more minutes. I hope he can score his first goal because Pato, he’s a world player. Everybody knows him. ... I know about his heart. He tells me he’s excited to play. He loves to play here in Orlando. I want to see [him] on the field and happy.”

Orlando City faces one final opponent this season — Montreal on the road next Sunday — to decide their playoff prospects for the 2021 season.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Julia Poe at jpoe@orlandosentinel.com.