Saturday night gave witness to the first ever MLS match up between expansion side Orlando City SC and the Philadelphia Union.
Despite being marred by physicality and injury, the 0-0 affair was truly end to end soccer, filled with excellent passing, goalkeeping, and unfortunately, some less than excellent finishing.
Exciting opening period
The first half was a back and forth affair with possession changing hands a number of times early on, but it wasn't until the 6th minute that either side had a shot, when Christian Maidana launched the game's opening shot from distance straight into the arms of Tally Hall, who caught it before a newly fit Steven Vitoria could get a head to it.
Minutes later, an unfortunate clash of bodies saw Orlando center back Conor Donovan go down in a heap of pain in the 10th minute and he would be brought off for Tommy Redding in 14th minute. Both players were making their MLS debutes.
High pressure saw Philadelphia dispossessed in the 19th minute, which led to Luke Boden sending a cross curling into the box which Richie Marquez did well to cut out the danger. The high press went on to cause Philadelphia problems all night long.
At the other end, Sebastian Le Toux would nearly open up the scoring for Philadelphia, running from the left wing and curling an effort toward goal which hit the post in the 20th minute. CJ Sapong was unable to get to the rebound.
Moments later Orlando earned a free kick, but Kaka only managed to put it wide of goal.
Then Philadelphia would return the favor in the 27th when Maidana's freekick was sent toward goal but Marquez's header flew just wide of goal.
The two sides would continue to exchange half chances, and Orlando would have their best opportunity of the half when Kaka shimmied through several defenders and slipped a pass through to Cyle Larin. However, Larin was called offside before he could get a shot off in the 30th minute.
The physicality of the match nearly took its toll once again as Orlando fans would look on worriedly in the 32nd minute when Christian Higuita fell, grabbing his shoulder following a collision with Michael Lahoud. The Colombian would however later return to the field.
Despite much of the first half being choppy, Orlando dominated the final ten minutes or so as they found their rhythm with Kaka dictating the game as expected.
Kaka found Boden completely alone on the left in the 41st minute as the left back dribbled into the box, but he was dispossessed before getting a shot off, to the dismay of Orlando fans.
Subsequentally, deep into first half stoppage time, Lahoud's long pass found Sapong on the left wing, but his cross was too high for Maidana and Barnetta in the 45+2 minute.
Then seconds later a one-two between Ceren and Higuita led to a shot but it skimmed Cyle Larin for a goal kick.
More of the same in the second period
Orlando began the second half much like they ended it, pressing the Union and creating opportunities but it would be Philadelphia with the first full chance of the half once again.
Soon after kick off, in the 47th minute a one-two on the edge of the box saw Barnetta thread Maidana into the box, but the Argentine was ruled offside.
Brazillian superstar Kaka's shot ricocheted off of several defenders in the 48th minute, but fellow Brazillian Fabinho outmuscled Kaka and cleared the ball before he could retrieve the rebound.
Orlando nearly found the opener in the 52nd minute when Boden's free kick reached the head of Redding, but he put the ball just over the bar as Orlando were left wanting.
Orlando's good spell continued as Larin looked to be baring down on goal in the 57th minute as he spun away from a defender and ran toward the box but was stripped of the ball by Vitoria before he got close enough to shoot.
Philadelphia would however regain the "edge" as Le Toux passed to Sapong on the left of the box, whose shot bounced off of Tally Hall and fell to Eric Ayuk, but the youngster took too much time on the ball and was pushed off of it before he could shoot amidst calls for a penalty that was not given in the 60th minute.
Next it was a youthful mistake for Orlando, as Redding's inexperience showed in the 62nd minute when he nearly put the ball in his own net while attempting to clear Maidana's cross, Sapong got his head to the subsequent corner but couldn't convert for Philadelphia.
The Union would begin to take control of that match following a foul from Boden, as Maidana launched a free kick from distance, but Redding cleared with ease in the 67th minute,
Maidana was involved again minutes later as he nearly scored with a curling effort in the box after receiving a pass from Le Toux, who had an excellent exchange of passes with Fabinho in the 70th minute, but Hall did well to parry the shot.
He then had the opportunity to seek retribution just a minute later, but his cross couldn't be converted by Marquez after receiving the ball following his poor corner.
Orlando finally broke the spell of Union possession in the 74th minute, but their corner went straight into the arms of John McCarthy.
Moments later at the other end, Le Toux's ground cross slipped right past Maidana in the box in the 75th minute as the game looked destined to remain scoreless, and scoreless it would remain. The follow up effort saw Le Toux's cross find the arms of Tally Hall much to the despair of Sapong.
Substitute Fernando found himself in a good position as he was on the end of a pass from Maidana but couldn't position himself properly to get a shot off in the 80th minute.
The Union continued to pressure the Orlando goal in the 81st minute when Maidana stung the palms of Hall with a shot from the edge of the box which resulted in a corner. However, the subsequent cross would only find the arms of Hall, who caught with ease.
Orlando substitute Adrien Winter would make his presence known in the 83rd minute, breaking the chain of Union posession as he tried to replicate Maidana's shot but could only drag his shot low and wide of goal from the edge of the box.
Then Marquez forced a crucial save from Hall late on as he got on the end of Maidana's free kick in the 87th minute. However, Hall's reflexes got the better of the center back and he deflected it out for a corner.
Following a flurry of headers on yet another corner in the 88th minute, the ball fell to Sapong whose shot, like many on the night was wide of goal.
Finally, an onrushing Fernando tried to cross from the wing in the 89th but his attempted cross was deflected out for yet another corner which Fernando was once again involved in as his header was blocked in dramatic fashion and the Union were denied once again and the final whistle blew shortly after to confirm an exciting but scoreless first affair between the Orlando and Philadelphia.
What does the result mean?
The result hardly benefitted either side as Orlando remain just outside of a playoff spot behind the 6th place Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference table, having played two more games.
As for the visitors, the draw leaves Philadelphia five points off of an MLS Cup playoff spot, having played two or more games than many of the teams ahead of them.
Philadelphia's next match sees them welcome the Chicago Fire to PPL Park for a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinal match on August 12th, before playing Chicago in the league, also at PPL Park just four days later on August 16th.
As for Orlando, they travel to CenturyLink Field to take on Western Conference powerhouse Seattle Sounders on August 16th.