Orlando City ace Luis Muriel is having a career night in Leagues Cup action against Mexican giants Necaxa as the Lions enjoyed a gargantuan 4-0 lead at half-time.
The 34-year-old Colombian striker continues to adapt to life at Inter&Co Stadium under Óscar Pareja, and has put in an incredible 45-minute shift thus far as the Lions look to reach the next round of the competition.
Already a goal up thanks to a stunning strike from MartÃn Ojeda, Muriel has gone on to steal the show, smashing a ten-minute hat-trick to all but guarantee the result with plenty of time to spare.
First, the former Atalanta cult hero grabbed a quick-fire brace of headers in the 35th and 37th minutes to extend Orlando’s lead to a three-spot.
Then, with the match already likely done and dusted, he popped up in the box to dispatch a pinpoint curled effort into the far corner beyond Necaxa shot-stopper Ezequiel Unsain to complete his goalscoring heroics on the night before Ojeda bagged a brace of his own to make it 5-0 after the half-time interval.
With Orlando locked in a tight race in the middle of the Eastern Conference and pushing for a post-season spot in the 2025 MLS Cup, Muriel could be heating up at just the right time.
📸 Editorial Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel | 2025 Aug 6 – Imagn Images
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