Group A proved to be a highly competitive one in the MLS is Back tournament, with group rivals Orlando City and Philadelphia Union both winning their respective round of 16 clashes.
Orlando City came up against group B’s third-placed team Montreal Impact, who they narrowly defeated 1-0. Despite the close scoreline, Orlando remained in the driver’s seat for much of the contest taking 12 shots in comparison to Montreal’s four.
After putting constant pressure on Montreal’s backline, Orlando found the back of the net in the 60th minute, courtesy of a Tesho Akindele strike.
As for Philadelphia Union, they defeated Group B runners up New England Revolution. Against all odds, Philadelphia found themselves on the back foot for much of the match, with New England managing to take a massive 19 shots on goal. Ultimately, the Philadelphia defense held strong, with Sergio Santos getting the breakthrough for his side on the opposing side of the field in the 63rd minute.
Tomorrow night will see Group B winners Toronto FC take on third-placed Group A team New York City FC. The night’s other clash sees Group C winners Sporting Kansas face off with Group F’s third-placed side Vancouver Whitecaps, who enjoyed a 2-0 win over Chicago fire just three days ago.
