Orlando City returns to winning ways with home win over D.C. United
Orlando City returned to winning ways with a 2-0 home win over D.C. United at Orlando City Stadium on Wednesday night. The game itself wasn’t the greatest advertisement for entertaining quality football but the Lions will gratefully take the three points on offer in the knowledge that they will play much better than this and lose.
A thunderstorm delayed kick off until 8.18pm and goals from Cyle Larin, his eighth of the season, and Gile Barnes, his first goal in City colors, saw off the threat from the visitors from Washington.
“Obviously really pleased to get the three points. Really, really pleased with the guys’ efforts and commitment level tonight,” Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “I think they [the players] got what they deserved, and I think they got the three points and they worked extremely hard for it.”
A drab game in rainy conditions turned on its head with the introduction of Giles Barnes who came on for Luis Gil in the 59th minute. The winger was fouled on the left hand side in the 65th minute and Will Johnson deftly curled the free kick to the far post for Larin to head home past the stranded Bill Hamid in the United net.
D.C. should have leveled the game in the 74th minute when Lamar Neagle intercepted a back pass and took a touch around Bendik to leave himself with just Jonathan Spector to beat. Spector somehow managed to block Neagle’s effort and the ball bounced high into the air waiting for the finishing touch to be applied by Sebastien Le Toux. Somehow Bendik managed to get back just as Le Toux was about to nod the ball home and fisted the ball away to safety.
The Lions then took a two-goal lead late in the match when Barnes (pictured above) received a pass in the middle of the pitch. The forward took a touch and fired a shot goalwards that Hamid seemed to have covered. Unfortunately for Hamid, the ball squirmed off his hands and into the back of the net to give Orlando an unassailable lead in the 88th minute.
Orlando City faces another quick turnaround ahead of its match against the Chicago Fire on Sunday, June 4. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium. The match will be nationally televised on Fox Sports 1.
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC – GK Joe Bendik, D Donny Toia, Jonathan Spector, José Aja, Scott Sutter, M Matías Pérez García (Tony Rocha 73’), Ⓒ Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, Luis Gil (Giles Barnes 59’), F Carlos Rivas (Antonio Nocerino 83’), Cyle Larin
Substitutes Not Used: GK Josh Saunders, D Léo Pereira, Rafael Ramos, M Servando Carrasco
D.C. United – GK Bill Hamid, D Taylor Kemp, Kofi Opare, Steve Birnbaum, Chris Odoi-Atsem, M Marcelo Sarvas, Jared Jeffrey, Luciano Acosta (Sebastien Le Toux 46’), Julian Buescher (Alhaji Kamara 76’), Lloyd Sam (Patrick Nyarko 69’), F Lamar Neagle
Substitutes Not Used: GK Travis Worra, D Chris Korb, Jalen Robinson, M Ian Harkes
Attendance: 24,112
More photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
