The Montreal Impact and Orlando City SC's eMLS representatives met in a two-leg FIFA 20 friendly on Saturday, and it was Montreal that came out on top, edging out a 4-3 aggregate victory after exploding for all four goals in the second leg.
Montreal was played by Medhi Benghalem (Medhibob), while Orlando was played by Abe Valbuena (FIFA_abe), both of whom represent their respective teams on the pro FIFA circuit.
The first leg was a defensive battle, with neither side managing to strike until Orlando and Valbuena finally broke through on the hour mark, courtesy of a turn and finish from Mauricio Pereyra that would give the Lions a 1-0 advantage heading into the second leg.
Benghalem turned the series on its head in the second leg, however, leveling it at 1-1 just five minutes in off a point-blank finish from Anthony Jackson-Hamel. He then added another in the 23rd minute on a similar sequence, ending with a goal from Lassi Lappalainen to make it 2-1.
Benghalem wrapped up the explosive first half with another goal from Jackson-Hamel, who finished to the near post at the end of a ruthless counterattack, giving the Impact a commanding 3-1 aggregate cushion.
Orlando wouldn't go down with out a fight, though, as Valbuena pulled one back with a 75th-minute finish from Junior Urso, pulling him within one goal of drawing level on aggregate. Valbuena made some tactical changes in search of a late leveler, but it was Montreal that would strike again shortly after the restart courtesy of a third from Jackson-Hamel to seal the 4-1 second-leg final and a 4-3 series victory.
