Orlando City News Release -- www.orlandocitysoccer.com
Saturday, February 23, 2013
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A first-half penalty conversion by midfielder Jamie Watson and second half strike by forward Dennis Chin was all Orlando needed on Saturday night, with the Lions topping cross-state rival the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0 in the conclusion of the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic. In a prelude to the inaugural “I-4 Derby” held on March 9 and 30, Orlando got the best of the Tampa Bay, finishing seventh overall in the tournament.
Despite the 2-0 win, Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath still sees room for improvement moving forward for his club.
“The two-nil win is always nice because it pleases our supporters, but it was not an enjoyable 90 minutes to watch,” said Heath. “I don’t say that very often.”
Orlando got off to a quick start, with no more than 20 seconds into the match a through ball by Chin found a streaking Watson on the left side of the pitch. Chasing down the pass, Watson was tripped inside the penalty area, giving the Lions a penalty kick. The midfielder confidently took the penalty, beating Tampa Bay goalkeeper Andrew Fontein in the lower left-hand corner to give Orlando the early 1-0 lead.
The Lions kept up the pressure on the Rowdies, with key attacks from Chin, Adama Mbengue and Watson keeping Tampa Bay on its heels. City nearly got another score before the halftime whistle blew, with forward Long Tan’s header going off the crossbar before it was cleared by the Rowdies' defense in the 45th minute.
Orlando’s defense, led by goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo, continued its top play in the 2013 preseason. The team-captain Gallardo made key saves in the 48th and 57th minutes, keeping the score-sheet clean for the Lions. Another key play came in the 72nd minute, when a free kick just outside the penalty area for Tampa Bay was punched up and over the post by the native of Torreon, Mexico.
The Lions consistent attacking paid off later on in the second half, with Oviedo native and 2012 USL PRO leading scorer Chin converting the second goal. The forward raced by the Rowdies defense in the 76th minute, beating Fontein in a one-on-one in the lower-right corner to give City a 2-0 lead. The Lions continued to push, nearly converting on more chances before the final whistle blew with the final tally 2-0 in favor of Orlando.
The two teams meet again for the first leg of the inaugural “I-4 Derby” on Saturday, March 9, at the Florida Citrus Bowl with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. The second leg will be held on Saturday, March 30, at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tickets are on sale for both matches, and can be bought by calling 855-ORL-CITY. For more information leading up to each match, visit Orlandocitysoccer.com.