At 1 a.m. on the plane ride back from a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls, Orlando City captain Nani was wide awake.
The draw had just extended Orlando City’s unbeaten streak to 12 consecutive games, breaking a club record set the previous week. But the captain wasn’t satisfied.
The Lions hadn’t lost a game in nearly two months, but they’d also ended four of their last five matches with draws. Midfielder Mauricio Pereyra was sidelined with a hamstring injury, leaving the team slightly rudderless as it entered the final stretch of the season.
The Red Bulls draw — punctuated by a last-gasp New York equalizer in the 95th minute — stung sharply.