COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 1, 2017) ā In its first road match of the season, Orlando City SC (2-1-0, 6 points) fell 2-0 to Columbus Crew SC (3-1-1, 10 points) Saturday at MAPFRE Stadium. Scott Sutter made his Lions debut and Tommy Redding made his first Major League Soccer (MLS) appearance of 2017.
āDisappointed to suffer our first loss in our first away game but a lot of positives from my point of view,ā Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. āI thought we created the right amount of chances. I thought we got into their half pretty well into some really good spots. I thought we lacked a little bit of sharpness, though, in the final third, which is difficult. Itās our third game of the season [so] itās not too surprising to say that we werenāt deadly and real sharp in the attacking third of the field when we have to combine and make plays. Thatās pretty typical so I'm not surprised by it and Iām not too disturbed by it. Obviously disappointed that we donāt get the result but I think we got a lot of positives that we are moving forward with.ā
The Lions came out in the same starting XI that earned them a 2-1 win against Philadelphia on March 18 and with the same backline that earned a clean sheet victory on Opening Day. But with two weeks since its last match, City couldn't hold off Justin Meram in the 13th minute when he beat the offside trap and slotted a left-footed shot inside the far post. Several close opportunities nearly leveled the score before the half, namely Donny Toiaās first-time volley from the edge of the area after a cross was deflected high.
City came out and controlled much of the run of play to start the second half. Cyle Larin, Giles Barnes and Will Johnson were focal points of the attack and built off passes and runs from MatĆas PĆ©rez GarcĆa and Carlos Rivas. The Lions nearly equalized in the 51st minute when Larin made a well-timed run to get behind the Crew SC back line and drive the ball across the six-yard box to Johnson, but the Canadian connection went wide.
The match saw Sutter make his Lions debut. The Swiss defender entered the match at right back in the 71st minute. Sutter signed with City on March 3. Redding played his first match of the season after returning from the U.S. U-20 national teamās first ever CONCACAF U-20 Championship title.
The Lions return to the City Beautiful on Sunday, April 9, when they host the New York Red Bulls. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium. The match will be nationally televised on ESPN.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
First Half
12ā Giles Barnes works the ball up the left wing and swings it into the box for MatĆas PĆ©rez GarcĆa but it sails high.
13ā Justin Meram opens the scoring with a left-footed shot just inside the far post.
19ā Meram receives a yellow card for a foul on PĆ©rez GarcĆa.
21ā Carlos Rivas picks up the ball at midfield and drives a shot from 30 yards that forces a lunging save from Zach Steffen.
27ā Steffen comes out to challenge Rivas in the box. Rivas wins the ball but catches Steffen with his boot.
29ā Cyle Larin works the ball to Barnes. Barnes dribbles at his defender and takes a shot from the corner of the box but it goes wide.
30ā PĆ©rez GarcĆa makes a slick move to find space. The Lions work the ball up to Donny Toia, who takes it all the way to the corner flag and wins a battle to turn the corner.
33ā Toia rips a volley from outside the box that forces a strong safe from Steffan.
39ā Jonathan Spector rejects another Crew SC attack from the wing.
43ā Tommy Redding enters the match in place of JosĆ© Aja. It is Reddingās season debut.
45 (+2)ā Servando Carrascoās goes for a corner kick. MPG serves an out-swinging ball that is cleared.
45 (+2)ā After two minutes of added time, the referee ends the half. Columbus Crew 1, Orlando City SC 0.
Second Half
51ā Cyle Larin makes a great play to get in behind and crosses it along the six-yard box. The ball skips free to Will Johnson but Johnsonās shot was wide.
53ā Larin chests a long ball down and runs up the left sideline, earning a corner. Johnson drives an in-swinging ball that is cleared.
54ā Larin lays it off for Barnes outside the box but the Jamaicanās shot sails over the bar.
57ā PĆ©rez GarcĆa drops a sweet ball to the feet of Barnes, who drops it off for Toia. Toiaās cross goes to Johnson on the far side of the box and the Lions earn a corner.
60ā Servando Carrasco is shown a yellow card.
62ā Cristian Higuita enters the match in place of Servando Carrasco.
63ā The Lions earn a corner kick. Johnson plays it short to PĆ©rez GarcĆa. Spector tries to get on the end of a loft over the back line.
71ā Scott Sutter enters the match in place of PĆ©rez GarcĆa. It is Sutterās Lions debut.
73ā Joe Bendik makes a leaping grab on a header after a Crew SC free kick
77ā Meram makes it 2-0 with his right foot.
85ā Sutterās shot from distance goes wide.
87ā Rivas drills s free kick that Steffen punches out.
89ā Rivas drives an in-swinging corner service to Johnson, whose diving header goes just over the bar.
90 (+2)ā Rivas drives a low hard ball for Johnson, whose one-touch shot goes just wide.
90 (+3)ā After three minutes of added time, the referee ends the match. Columbus Crew SC 2, Orlando City SC 0.
Scoring Summary:
CLB - Justin Meram (Artur) 13ā
CLB - Justin Meram (Federico HiguaĆn) 77ā
Misconduct Summary:
CLB - Justin Meram (Yellow Card) 19ā
ORL - Servando Carrasco (Yellow Card) 60ā
ORL - Tommy Redding (Yellow Card) 76ā
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D Donny Toia, Jonathan Spector, JosĆ© Aja (Tommy Redding 43ā), āø Will Johnson, M Antonio Nocerino, Servando Carrasco (Cristian Higuita 62ā), Giles Barnes, MatĆas PĆ©rez GarcĆa (Scott Sutter 71ā), F Carlos Rivas, Cyle Larin
Substitutes Not Used: GK Josh Saunders, M Richie Laryea, PC, F Hadji Barry
Columbus Crew SC - GK Zack Steffen, D Harrison Afful, Nicolai Naess, Alex Crognale, Jukka Raitala, M Federico HiguaĆn, Justin Meram, Ethan Finlay (Niko Hansen 86ā), āø Wil Trapp, Artur (Mohammed Abu 90+3ā), F Ola Kamara (Adam Jahn 89ā)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Brad Stuver, D Waylon Francis, Josh Williams, M HĆ©ctor Jimenez
Details of the Game:
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Weather: Overcast
Date: April 1, 2017
Attendance: 12,226
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 50.3 %
CLB - 49.7 %
Shots:
ORL - 14
CLB - 6
Saves:
ORL - 1
CLB - 4
Fouls:
ORL - 10
CLB - 13
Corners:
ORL - 6
CLB - 4