CARSON, Calif. (September 11, 2016) ā Following Wednesdayās 4-1 victory at Montreal, Orlando City SC (7-8-13, 34 points) fell to the LA Galaxy (11-4-14, 47 points) 4-2 Sunday at StubHub Center. Kevin Molino scored his 10th goal of the season and Brek Shea scored his second goal in as many games.
āItās really disappointing because we were in a good moment with our form and really had hoped for better tonight. We donāt have our head between our legs and weāre not ready to quit. Credit to LA, they were doing things to really press us in our half,ā Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. āWeāll move on quickly. I donāt look at it as a particularly negative thing or anything to dwell on. I just say we need to continue to fight.ā
The Lions opened the match continuing the strong defensive form shown under Kreis. Luke Boden, who made his 16th start of the season, deflected a dangerous LA cross in the 10th minute before JosƩ Aja thwarted another quick Galaxy attack.
City struck on the counterattack in the 20th minute when Boden caught up to a long ball on the end line and passed to Cyle Larin, whose shot was blocked inside the six-yard box. The ball rebounded out to Molino, who made his return to the Lions after representing Trinidad and Tobago in a 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier, and he fired it home for the 1-0 lead.
Orlando City held the lead for 15 minutes before Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos tapped home an Emmanuel Boateng cross for the equalizer. Then in the 38th minute, LA made it 2-1 when Alan Gordon fired in a pass from Jelle Van Damme.
The match saw Carlos Rivas make his second consecutive appearance after Wednesdayās one-goal, two-assist performance against Montreal. Rivas was a force up the left wing and fed several dangerous crosses into the box. In the 63rd minute, the Colombian boxed out his defender and fed Molino to earn a corner kick.
Shea also came on in the second half and was an immediate spark to the Lionsā attack. Just six minutes after entering the match, Shea ripped a shot from distance that LA goalkeeper Brian Rowe had to leap through the air to swat over the bar. The Texan then scored his third goal of the season when he slammed home a rebound in stoppage time.
Midfielder Tony Rocha, who was signed to an MLS contract from Orlando City B on Aug. 4, made his sixth appearance of the season when he came on for Antonio Nocerino in the 40th minute. In the 80th minute, the former Tulsa Golden Hurricane almost scored his first MLS goal when he collected a rebound in the box and fired a shot off the bar and out of play.
With six games remaining, the Lions hold a one-point lead on the New England Revolution for the sixth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with a game in hand.
Orlando City returns to Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17, when it hosts Columbus Crew SC at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Lions then head to Washington, D.C. for a critical match against D.C. United on Sunday, Sept. 24.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
First Half
10ā Luke Boden does well to head a dangerous LA cross out of the danger zone. JosĆ© Aja covers Alan Gordon extremely tight, sticking his leg in to stop a would-be goal.
19ā The Lions continue showing strong defensive form as Kevin Alston heads away a threatening ball from Giovani Dos Santos.
20ā Luke Boden lofts a ball into Cyle Larin, whose shot is blocked in front of the net. Kevin Molino races onto the rebound and fires it into the back of the net.
25ā A well positioned Larin clears a Galaxy centering feed out of the area.
33ā Joe Bendik swats another dangerous Dos Santos cross away and Kevin Alston clears it away before Emmanuel Boateng can get a shot off.
35ā A Dos Santos tap-in levels for the Galaxy as Boateng catches the Lions on the counterattack.
38ā Gordon slams home a cross from Jelle Van Damme to make it 2-1 LA.
40ā Tony Rocha enters the match in place of Antonio Nocerino.
44ā The referee awards LA a penalty kick.
45ā Dos Santos converts on the PK.
45 (+2)ā After two minutes of added time, the referee indicates the end of the half. Orlando City 1, LA Galaxy 3.
Second Half:
57ā Kevin Molino serves a dangerous cross into the area but it goes through the six-yard box and out for a goal kick.
60ā Carlos Rivas enters the match in place of Cyle Larin.
63ā Rivas boxes out his defender and feeds a ball to Molino but it goes out for a corner kick.
65ā Alston makes a run behind the LA back line and crosses a ball to Molino but the Trinidadianās aerial backheel flick goes wide of goal.
70ā Robbie Keane makes it 4-1 LA.
75ā Aja stops Robbie Keane alone in the box.
79ā Brek Shea fires a wicked shot from distance that Brian Rowe gets a finger on to tip over the bar.
80ā Boden curls the ball to Shea, who fires another strong shot on target. The rebound goes to Rocha, who rips a shot off the bar.
83ā American legend Landon Donovan enters the match in place of Raul Mendiola.
87ā Boden earns a corner kick up the left wing. Molino curls an in-swinging ball to David Mateos, who directs the ball just wide of the near post.
90 (+2)ā Shea fires another strong shot, this time off the near post and in off the rebound.
90 (+2)ā After two minutes of added time, the referee ends the match. Orlando City 2, LA Galaxy 4.
Scoring Summary:
ORL - Kevin Molino 20ā
LA - Giovani Dos Santos (Emmanuel Boateng) 35ā
LA - Alan Gordon (Jelle Van Damme) 38ā
LA - Giovani Dos Santos (PK) 45ā
LA - Robbie Keane (Giovani Dos Santos) 70ā
ORL - Brek Shea 90 (+2)ā
Misconduct Summary:
LA - Rafael Garcia (Yellow Card) 45 (+2)ā
ORL - Tony Rocha (Yellow Card) 48ā
LA - Ashley Cole (Yellow Card) 55ā
ORL - David Mateos (Yellow Card) 60ā
LA - Raul Mendiola (Yellow Card) 75ā
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D Luke Boden, David Mateos, JosĆ© Aja, Kevin Alston, M Antonio Nocerino (Tony Rocha 40ā), Servando Carrasco, MatĆas PĆ©rez GarcĆa, KakĆ” (Brek Shea 73ā), Kevin Molino, F Cyle Larin (Carlos Rivas 61ā)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Earl Edwards Jr., D Seb Hines, Tommy Redding, F JĆŗlio Baptista
LA Galaxy - GK Brian Rowe, D Ashley Cole, Jelle Van Damme (A.J. De La Garza 74ā), Daniel Steres, Robbie Rogers, M Rafael Garcia, Sebastian Lletget, Emmanuel Boateng, Giovani Dos Santos, Raul Mendiola (Landon Donovan 83ā), F Alan Gordon (Robbie Keane 60ā)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Dan Kennedy, M Jeff Larentowicz, Baggio Husidic, Mike Magee
Details of the Game:
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
September 11, 2016
Attendance: 27,167
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 51.5 %
LA - 48.5 %
Shots:
ORL - 14
LA - 12
Saves:
ORL - 0
LA - 1
Fouls:
ORL - 12
LA - 20
Corners:
ORL - 4
LA - 4