Friday, June 7, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando City SC (9-1-2, 29 points) topped the visiting Phoenix FC Wolves (2-8-3, 9 points) 2-0 on Friday night at Fifth Third Bank Field at the Florida Citrus Bowl behind first-half goals by Jamie Watson and Dom Dwyer. Dwyer’s goal in the 31st minute moved him to 14 goals on the season, breaking the previous USL PRO scoring record of 13 held by Jhonny Arteaga of FC New York in 2011.
“We started a little slow but when I look at the full body of work I was pleased with the result tonight,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “We had to be honest with our play against a strong Phoenix side tonight, but I’m happy with the result. “
Orlando began on the offensive early, with attacks by wingers Luke Boden and Bryan Burke creating multiple opportunities for the Lions by curling attempts into the box. The midfield of Orlando, which consisted of veterans James O’Connor and Anthony Pulis, kept the possession-oriented style of play alive, holding onto control while Phoenix kept up a defensive front throughout the first 45 minutes.
The Lions broke through the Wolves’ backline in the 27th minute, with Long Tan bullying his way through the defense and into the penalty area. Phoenix's Netinho took down the striker inside the 18-yard mark, and Orlando was awarded a penalty kick. Midfielder Jamie Watson calmly converted the attempt in the bottom left corner, giving the Lions the 1-0 lead.
It didn’t take long after for Orlando to strike again, with Dwyer’s goal giving the Lions a 2-0 advantage. The Sporting Kansas City loanee dribbled across the penalty area just minutes after the first goal and found an open area for his 14th of the season, setting a USL PRO single-season record.
Orlando continued their strong rate of play in the second half, not allowing Phoenix to break through for any chances. The attack continued by Dwyer and company, and though Orlando didn’t score a goal the 2-0 scoreline held to take the three points and victory.
The Lions continue regular season play Sunday night at home vs. Antigua Barracuda. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The last time the two clubs met, Orlando set a regular-season record for margin of victory in a 7-2 win on May 4. Forward Dom Dwyer scored a hat trick in the victory, his first doing so in Orlando City colors.
Orlando will then travel to Sporting Park in Kansas City in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to play Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. If the Lions advance, they will either play the Chicago Fire or Columbus Crew in the quarterfinals of the 100th edition of the knockout tournament.
For more information on the upcoming matches, please visit Orlandocitysoccer.com.