Orlando City Soccer stay top of USL PRO with 3-1 win over OKC Energy
Fresh off a verbal tongue lashing from Head Coach Adrian Heath after what he deemed an unsatisfactory victory against Tampa Bay Rowdies in mid-week, Orlando City players continued their winning ways with a much improved performance against OKC Energy.
The Lions won 3-1 with a convincing fifth straight victory that sees them remain unbeaten this season in their final USL PRO campaign.
“I’m pleased with the performance,” said Heath after the 3-1 win. “They’ve worked hard and responded to a lot of the things that we’ve been talking about. There are a few areas of our game that are still worrying me but I thought that we did more than enough to win the game.”
The majority of the first-half featured both sides exchanging blows, with neither side able to breakthrough until Orlando’s first Major League Soccer (MLS) signing Kevin Molino created two quality chances towards the end of the first-half. The first goal game in the 32nd minute as Molino received the ball on the right-hand side and floated a lovely ball in the area to Dennis Chin (pictured above), who out-jumped the OKC center-halves to nod the ball past his former teammate, Jon Kempin.
Less than two minutes later, OKC Energy committed a cardinal sin in giving the ball away and Molino, again, capitalized and crossed the ball across the six-yard box for former Real Salt Lake City midfielder Yordany Alvarez, to comfortably finish inside the left hand post for the second goal of the match.
Orlando were now in total control of the match but as is customary with the Lions, they always like to offer their opposition a chance. Despite dominating the play, the Orlando midfield gave the ball away in the 41st minute and OKC midfielder Steve Perry dinked a cute little ball to teammate Philip Lund who gave Miguel Gallardo in the City goal no chance. 2-1 at Half time.
One can only imagine what Coach Heath thought of that but Orlando responded immediately after half-time as Chin found the net again in the 47th minute as he scampered past the Energy defense to restore the two goal lead. It was Chin’s fourth goal in his last five USL PRO games.
The Lions will now begin preparing for an upcoming two game road-trip, that includes back-to-back matches against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (5/9) and the Rochester Rhinos (5/10).
More photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com.
