ORLANDO, Fla. (May 13, 2017) ā In its first match back from a two-game road trip, Orlando City SC (6-3-1, 19 points) erased an early deficit to pick up a point against Sporting Kansas City (5-2-4, 19 points) Saturday at Orlando City Stadium. It is Orlando Cityās first draw of 2017.
āDifficult game. Really difficult game against a really quality opponent in my opinion,ā Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. āReally pleased with the guysā effort, work rate, commitment, togetherness. I have to say at the end of the day a draw was a fair result and pleased to take the point. Our objective is always going to be to have three points, to go after three points at home, but sometimes weāll have to settle for one.ā
Center back JosƩ Aja started the match alongside Jonathan Spector, Donny Toia and Scott Sutter. KakƔ, Cristian Higuita, Will Johnson and Antonio Nocerino lined up at midfield and Cyle Larin and Carlos Rivas were at forward. Joe Bendik started his 44th match as a Lion.
Sporting KC became the first opponent to take a lead against the Lions at Orlando City Stadium in the ninth minute when Latif Blessing tapped in a loose ball.
The deficit didnāt last long, though. After a nice spell of possession orchestrated by KakĆ”, Toia found Rivas on the left wing and the Colombian lofted a cross to Larin in the box. Larin picked up his seventh goal of the season when he leaped in the air and touched it home, while Rivas recorded his fifth assist, a team-high.
City continued the pressure from there and found the go-ahead goal in the 26th minute when Sutter, who celebrated his 31st birthday today, lofted the ball into the box for KakĆ”. The captain chested it down, took a touch and curled a smooth shot into the bottom corner. It was KakĆ”ās third goal in five games this season.
āHeās been showing up in the right spots at the right time,ā Kreis said. āObviously tonightās goal was a special one. In that much traffic to take it down the way he did and the way he calmly placed it around the defender in the far post, thereās not too many players that are capable of those types of goals.ā
The Lions held on to the lead for nearly 50 minutes but Sporting KC equalized in the 74th minute when Blessing found another tap-in. Bendik, who finished with six saves, stopped Benny Feilhaberās initial shot from close range but the rebound bounced straight to Blessing.
It appeared as though City regained the lead just seconds later when Aja headed in Johnsonās cross but it was ruled that the ball crossed the end line.
The draw levels the all-time series between City and Sporting to 1-1-1 after the Lionās win in 2015 and KCās win nearly a year ago today.
Orlando City faces a quick turnaround when it heads to San Jose to take on the Earthquakes at 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Wednesday, May 17. The Lions return to Orlando City Stadium on Sunday, May 21, when they face New York City FC for the third and final time this season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Tickets to all City home matches are available at OrlandoCitySC.com or by calling 855-ORL-CITY. Follow the latest Orlando City news and updates via Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and YouTube.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
First Half
5ā Jonathan Spector floats a long ball over the top to Carlos Rivas, who nearly chases it down before Tim Melia gets to it.
9ā Donny Toia clears the danger after a Benny Feilhaber free kick. Latif Blessing taps in a loose ball in the box for a goal.
16ā KakĆ” dribbles the ball from the right wing to Donny Toia, who works it out to Carlos Rivas. The Colombian serves the ball up for Cyle Larin, who just taps it home.
21ā Larin dribbles the ball into the box and is taken down but the referee rules play-on. Carlos Rivas takes a crack at the loose ball but it is blocked.
26ā Sutter lofts the ball in for KakĆ”, who chests it down, takes a touch and curls a shot inside the far post.
28ā Rivas intercepts the pass and races up the pitch before crossing for Larin. The Lions earn a corner on the ensuing throw-in.
29ā Will Johnson curls the corner to the far post for Spector, whose leaping header had to be cleared off the line.
32ā Joe Bendik makes a diving save on a hard, curling shot from Gerso Fernandes.
39ā Spector is well positioned at the near post to clear a dangerous cross.
45 (+1)ā After one minute of added time, the referee ends the first half. Orlando City 2, Sporting KC 1.
Second Half
48ā Johnson launches a ball into space for Cristian Higuita, who is dragged down on the edge of the box by Graham Zusi. Zusi is issued a yellow card for the offense.
50ā KakĆ” curls a floating free kick just over the bar.
51ā Bendik comes up with two spectacular saves, first on a shot from outside the box and then on a cross seconds later.
52ā Donny Toia does excellent work to thwart a threatening counter and win the ball back. Rivas also hustled back.
53ā Bendik makes another great save, this time on a sharp angle shot from Benny Feilhaber.
60ā Rivas does good work to win the ball at midfield and spring the attack. Johnson blasts a shot from 30 yards out that scares Melia. JosĆ© Aja intercepts a pass in the box and clears.
64ā Giles Barnes enters the match in place of Carlos Rivas. Luis Gil enters the match in place of Cristian Higuita.
70ā Gil slips a sweet through ball for Larin, who catches up to it but his shot is blocked.
74ā Bendik makes a good save on a Feilhaber shot inside the six-yard box but Blessing taps it home.
75ā Aja heads in Johnsonās corner but the goal is ruled off.
79ā KakĆ” does a dance around Ilie Sanchez, who fouls and earns a yellow card. Blessing is shown a yellow card for an obvious dive in the box.
85ā Barnes races in from the wing and nearly penetrates the box. The Lions regain possession and continue the attack. Gil earns a corner.
89ā KakĆ” lines up for a free kick 30 yards out in the middle of the pitch. KakĆ” floats the ball to Larin but he is covered.
90 (+4)ā Barnes sprints up the pitch and slips the ball for kaka, who turns the corner and passes to Larin for a corner. Gil drives a low shot from 25 yards out that Melia saves.
90 (+5)ā After five minutes of added time, the referee ends the match. Orlando City 2, Sporting KC 2.
Scoring Summary:
SKC - Latif Blessing (Matt Besler) 9ā
ORL - Cyle Larin (Carlos Rivas, Donny Toia) 16ā
ORL - KakĆ” (Scott Sutter) 26ā
SKC - Latif Blessing 74ā
Misconduct Summary:
ORL - JosĆ© Aja (Yellow Card) 11ā
ORL - Cristian Higuita (Yellow Card) 40ā
SKC - Graham Zusi (Yellow Card) 48ā
SKC - Ilie Sanchez (Yellow Card) 79ā
SKC - Latif Blessing (Yellow Card) 79ā
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D Donny Toia, Jonathan Spector, JosĆ© Aja, Scott Sutter, M Antonio Nocerino, Cristian Higuita (Luis Gil 65ā), Will Johnson, āø KakĆ”, F Cyle Larin, Carlos Rivas (Giles Barnes 64ā)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Josh Saunders, D PC, LĆ©o Pereira, M Servando Carrasco, MatĆas PĆ©rez GarcĆa
Sporting Kansas City - GK Tim Melia, D Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic (Saad Abdul-Salaam 90+3ā), M Ilie Sanchez, Roger Espinoza, Latif Blessing (Soony Saad 82ā), Jimmy Medranda (Soni Mustivar 86ā), Gerso Fernandes, F Benny Feilhaber
Substitutes Not Used: GK Adrian Zendejas, D Kevin Ellis, M, F Cameron Porter, Daniel Salloi
Details of the Game:
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Weather: Overcast
Date: May 13, 2017
Attendance: 25,527
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 61.7 %
SKC - 38.3 %
Shots:
ORL - 7
SKC - 14
Saves:
ORL - 6
SKC - 2
Fouls:
ORL - 9
SKC - 7
Corners:
ORL - 4
SKC - 3