Cartagena, Gallese lead Orlando City over Nashville 1-0 in series opener
Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena, lower right, grabs the jersey of Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge, center, as he falls trying to get position on the ball during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC forward Jacob Shaffelburg, back right, takes a shot on goal against Orlando City midfielder Dagur Thorhallsson (23) during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando City forward Facundo Torres, right, stops Nashville SC defender Shaq Moore (18) from advancing the ball during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena, center, clears the ball from Nashville SC midfielder Alex Muyl (19) and defender Jack Maher (5) during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC forward Jacob Shaffelburg, left, makes a move to get past Orlando City midfielder Dagur Thorhallsson (23) during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC midfielder Alex Muyl (19) tries to push the ball past Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena (16) during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar, right, moves the ball past Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC defender Shaq Moore, lower right, falls as he gets tripped trying to get between Orlando City defender Rafael Santos, left center, and midfielder Wilder Cartagena, right center, during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena, left, and Nashville SC midfielder Alex Muyl get tangled up trying to get to the ball during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando City defender Rafael Santos (3) moves the ball past Nashville SC midfielder Alex Muyl during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC goalkeeper Joe Willis (1) blocks a shot-attempt by Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso, right, as Nashville SC defender Lukas MacNaughton, left, tries to help during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC forward Teal Bunbury, left, and Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo go up for a head ball during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC defender Daniel Lovitz, right, trips Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso, left, during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. Lovitz was given a yellow card on the play.
Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire (13) tries get position as Nashville SC goalkeeper Joe Willis, left, blocks a shot during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando City forward Ivan Angulo (77) moves the ball to the goal against Nashville SC defender Shaq Moore (18) during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Nashville SC's Shaq Moore, left, goes up to get position on a head ball against Orlando City forward Ivan Angulo, right, during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Orlando City defender Rafael Santos, center, and Nashville SC defender Shaq Moore (18) try to get position on the ball during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Wilder Cartagena scored his second career goal in his first playoff appearance and Pedro Gallese notched his first postseason clean sheet as Orlando City opened its series against Nashville SC with a 1-0 victory on Monday night.
Orlando City (19-7-9), the second seed in the Eastern Conference, got the only goal it would need when Cartagena took a pass from César Araújo and scored in the 41st minute, giving Orlando City a 1-0 lead at halftime. Gallese finished with three saves in his fourth postseason start.
Cartagena, who has made 24 starts and 25 appearances this season, scored his first and only regular-season goal in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Aug. 20. Gallese allowed six goals in three playoff starts from 2020-22.
Joe Willis totaled four saves for Nashville (13-12-10).
Orlando City and No. 7 seed Nashville are squaring off for the third straight postseason. Nashville posted a 3-1 victory at home in a 2021 first-round match and Orlando City won on penalty shots after a 1-1 draw in last season’s quarterfinal round.
Orlando City beat Nashville 1-0 on Oct. 4 and has won two straight after an eight-match winless run in the series (0-3-5). Orlando’s only other win over Nashville was a 3-1 victory at home in the first meeting back in August of 2020.
Orlando City entered the match with an 8-1-2 record and a league-high 26 points since the Leagues Cup break. Nashville became the third club to make the playoffs in each of its first four seasons, but it collected the fewest points (11) since the break with a 2-3-5 mark. The Seattle Sounders made the postseason in each of their first 13 seasons, while the Chicago Fire did it in their first six campaigns.
Orlando City set club records for points with 68, wins with 18 and fewest losses with seven. The 55 goals scored matched a club record.
The second leg of the series will be played in Nashville on Nov. 7. If necessary, the two clubs return to Orlando for the finale on Nov. 12.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer