Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Rally from Two Goals Down

Orlando City fell behind two goals through 66 minutes, but the Lions were able to find two late goals, including one from Kevin Molino seconds before the final whistle, to walk away from New York City with a point in hand.

Published

8 years ago

on

Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

BRONX, NY — It’s not an Orlando City match without a crazy late finish, right?

After falling behind 2-0 midway through the second half, Orlando City was able to rally with a pair of goals in the final 20 minutes, including a late equalizer in stoppage time from Kevin Molino, to leave New York City with a point in hand and a 2-2 draw in their back pocket heading into the two-week Copa America break.

The Lions were down five regular starters heading into the match, with David Mateos and Cristian Higuita both suspended for the game, adding to the injuries of Rafael Ramos and Darwin Ceren, and Kaká’s call-up to the Brazilian national team. But Orlando was still able to manage a result in front of the announced of 25,039 at Yankee Stadium.

“I was delighted with the effort of the players because it was a tough game on the back of what they had just done here (the 3-2 loss to the New York Red Bulls). We knew they’d come out firing,” Adrian Heath said after the game. “So it was a big game for us, considering it was the third game in (nine) days. I thought the players put a great shift in.”

Molino, who scored the second goal for Orlando, also assisted on Julio Baptista’s first MLS goal in the 72nd minute.

Orlando City had its fair share of chances early on. Coming off their match just four days ago against the Philadelphia Union at Camping World Stadium, the Lions were quick to jump out of the gate, looking a lot less like a team that traveled 1,000 miles on short rest — although, I’m sure that will happen when a handful of starters from that lineup against Philly didn’t play in this contest.

Cyle Larin nearly replicated what he did here back in March, coming inches away from putting Orlando City on the board just seven minutes into the match, when he headed a cross whipped in by Adrian Winter on goal, where Josh Saunders was waiting to knock it away just off the goal line.

But after the rocket start, NYCFC started to gain control of the match, and Orlando City, like most teams that visit the Bronx, found it tough to hold possession and build any sort of dangerous attacks.

David Villa was front and center for NYCFC in this one. In the 28th minute, he nearly put his side ahead on a 1-v-1 break past the Orlando City back line, but his shot sailed to the left of Joe Bendik and out of play.

Roughly six minutes later, Larin came up with another good opportunity for Orlando. After taking a through ball from Molino, the Canadian international broke around an NYCFC defender to clear just enough before his shot was blocked in the end.

Larin struggled to be a real threat in the game for Orlando City. The 21-year-old had a couple of key opportunities that he couldn’t put away, and arguably his biggest moment of the game was the assist on Molino’s goal. Heath admitted to almost resting Larin for the match, but because of his goal-scoring ability, he had no choice but to give him start up top.

“On a different day, I expect him to put away a couple of chances that he had,” Heath said of Larin’s tired legs coming into the match.

With the chances coming from both sides, it was New York that broke through first, just minutes before the halftime whistle, when Frederic Brillant headed home a great cross into the box from R.J. Allen to put the home side up, 1-0.

Villa and Andrea Pirlo teamed up to double New York City’s lead in the 66th minute when the Spanish striker brought down a perfectly placed through ball from the Italian and chipped it over Bendik on a volley — a world-class finish from the former World Cup winner — just a few minutes after Larin was denied on the break by Saunders in a 1-v-1 situation.

Controversy was at the front of NYCFC’s chance to put the game away, when Seb Hines was whistled for a handball in the box after he was fouled by Khiry Shelton and fell on top of the ball inside the penalty area. Villa, however, looking for his second goal of the afternoon, slipped on the run-up and sent the ball floating into orbit above the goal, keeping Orlando City in the game.

“I don’t think it was a penalty, so I think justice was served there,” Heath said of the call on Hines.

Off the heels of Villa’s missed opportunity to seal the game, The Lions pulled themselves right back into the match when Baptista took in a delivery from Molino, turned around a defender, and deflected a shot off an NYCFC defender to beat Saunders, making it a one-goal game.

And Orlando City wasn’t done there.

As things headed into stoppage time and the Lions were running out of opportunities to find a late goal, Carlos Rivas sent a cross to the back post, where Larin floated a header into the middle of the penalty box, finding the head of a charging Molino. The Trinidadian ran right through Baptista’s attempt of a bicycle kick to knock in the game-tying goal. The atmosphere at Yankee Stadium, needless to say, changed immediately in the moment from celebration to heart break.

“The players don’t quit. They give us everything they’ve got and they keep going,” Heath said of the team’s resilience. “They have a belief that they can score late because they’ve done it so often. I don’t know how many times this year we’ve scored after the 90 minutes, but it’s a testament to them that they don’t give in and keep going.

“I don’t know why, but I thought we deserved something from the game today so I was pleased with the players.”

For Orlando City, the draw was huge. The team will head into the two-week break having captured five points from the last nine days — enough to keep the Lions in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race. They will take this time to recover and rest up for the next match, which will come in the U.S. Open Cup on June 15, with their opponent yet to be determined between Charleston Battery and the Jacksonville Armada.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all the inside information you need ahead of Orlando’s match with FC Cincinnati.

Published

1 hour ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday looms large this weekend, as the Lions will try to put Saturday’s thoroughly dispiriting loss behind them. They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though, as they welcome an FC Cincinnati team to town that currently sits second in the Eastern Conference.

A match against FCC means I spoke with Justin Blair of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, Justin was very helpful in getting us all caught up on Cincy before tomorrow’s match.

The nine goals conceded by FC Cincinnati are tied for the fewest given up by any team in the league. What’s been working so well for FCC defensively so far?

Justin Blair:  In 2023, FC Cincinnati was tied for fourth in goals conceded with 39 allowed (Orlando, NYCFC, and RBNY). This season is continuing that impressive trajectory. The addition of Miles Robinson, arguably the best MLS center back, was a home run signing for FCC. Robinson joins 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga as the feature center back duo. But Pat Noonan’s system asks for three in the back and has been plugged with a rotation of players that have kept the defense stout. I have to mention that central defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo is arguably the most underrated player in all of MLS. He is an extremely skilled player that flies around and acts as a catch-all in front of the back line. 

Brandon Vazquez departed in the off-season for Monterrey. In his absence, who has Cincy turned to for goal scoring?

JB: Brandon Vazquez is a tremendous striker for FCC and has been solid for Rayados with 10 goals in 22 appearances. But his form never hit stride in 2023. He had nine goals across all MLS competitions, which was down from a career high of 18 goals in 2022. FCC had to find goals in other places last season, so they aren’t exactly in uncharted waters. So far in 2024, reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta has been carrying the load with four goals and five assists. Yuya Kubo, who I affectionately call FCC’s Swiss Army knife, has seen recent minutes at the forward position. Kubo’s confidence on the ball and chemistry with Acosta has seen him score three goals in a short amount of time. Surprisingly, FCC’s star Designated Player striker Aaron Boupendza has fallen in the graces of the squad and hasn’t hit consistent minutes this season.

Run me through some of the other arrivals and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are a few names to watch out for?

JB: Well FCC’s off-season was a doozy to say the least. Several departures include the previously mentioned Vazquez, along with Sanitago Arias, Yerson Mosquera (loan), Alvaro Barreal, Dominique Badji, Junior Moreno, and Ray Gaddis — all of whom played significant minutes for the orange and blue during their 2023 Supporters’ Shield season. For incoming players, GM Chris Albright brought in Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kipp Keller, and Corey Baird during the off-season. The additions of DeAndre Yedlin and Yamil Asad have also worked their way into the matchday rotation. Every piece added has felt like an upgrade or at least a comparable replacement. This is, of course, with the exception of replacing Vazquez.

FCC (recently) announced the loan signing of target striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk. The young loanee is sure to see considerable minutes with FCC but will likely not feature in the match versus Orlando City. I would keep an eye on Orellano for FCC. The left wingback is the heir apparent to Barreal that is so critical for Cincinnati’s ability to progress the ball from the midfield into the attacking third. Orellano is clean with his touches and can serve up line-splitting through balls that are perfectly weighted.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JB: Unavailable players might include Yedlin (hip), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (ankle), forward Sergio Santos (leg), and center back Nick Hagglund (knee). It seems uncertain if either or all will miss minutes in the match versus Orlando but most likely to participate would be Celentano, who was a late scratch versus Colorado on Saturday. 

Starting XI (3-5-2): Roman Celentano (Alec Kann); Bret Halsey (DeAndre Yedlin), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Luca Orellano; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Lucho Acosta; Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Score Prediction: Oscar Pareja seems to have Pat Noonan’s system figured out. FCC also struggles to find wins against Orlando City. I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw when the final whistle sounds. 

Thanks again to Justin for the great info on FCC. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

Published

5 hours ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

  • Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
  • Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
  • Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
  • The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
  • Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
  • Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
  • Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

1 day ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending