USL PRO Game Report
Saturday, June 7, 2014
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Orlando City SC extended its unbeaten streak to 13, one shy on tying the club record, with a pair of goals from midfielder Brian Span to defeat the Montreal Impact Reserves 2-1 in the two side’s first meeting at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Saturday night.
The Lions didn’t miss a beat with three players out on international duty as Orlando (10-0-3, 33 points) maintained the majority of possession for nearly the first half hour of the match, applying pressure immediately from the kickoff.
“It was very nearly a great performance, and I was pleased with many aspects of our play,” Head Coach Adrian Heath said. “Considering how many opportunities we had, it would have been a travesty if we didn’t get the three points tonight.”
Midfielder Austin da Luz went on the attack in the first couple of minutes and fired off a long-distance effort right at Montreal goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. Soon after, he headed a chance on target that forced Crepeau to tip the ball over the bar.
Moments later, the Lions would remain on the prowl as Span joined his fellow midfielder in the hunt for the team’s opening goal. In the 10th minute, the FC Dallas loanee would get an opportunity, on for his headed effort to go just high.
Span would cash in two minutes later for his second goal of the season, and first since his debut. Orlando's Luke Boden ran down the left flank and sent a low cross into the penalty area where Corey Hertzog tapped it through to Span, who easily put it past the goalkeeper into the bottom-right corner.
The game would turn in Montreal’s favor in the 25th minute, after the hosts looked to be in complete control of the game against the visitors from Canada, when midfielder Yordany Alvarez collapsed off the ball after a headed challenge. Alvarez was able to leave the field under his own power, but would head to the hospital for precautionary checks.
A minute later, the ball got into Orlando’s penalty area for the first time when a Montreal defender sent a through-ball over the top, but it was out of the reach of Maxim Tissot. The Impact would get another opportunity off Calum Mallace’s free kick, but Montreal’s first shot attempt would deflect off the wall and well over the net. On the reserve-side’s second consecutive attempt from a corner, Tissot sent a low-driven cross to the top of the box to a lurking Victor Ndiaye, but the midfielder lost his footing running onto the ball allowing the Lions to attack on the counter.
Orlando regained the momentum, and won a free kick when Hertzog bore down on goal and defender Janouk Carbonneau tackled the striker just on the edge of the penalty area to deny an attempt to add a second goal to his name on the season. Midfielder Anthony Pulis lined up the free kick and curled around Montreal’s wall near the far post forcing Crepeau to lay out to make the save.
The Lions would get a few more chances before halftime, but the Impact Reserves wouldn’t fold and kept the hosts off the scoresheet. In the waning minutes of the match Mallace tried a long distance shot forcing ‘keeper Miguel Gallardo to parry the ball out of the area. The Impact would get another chance from another free kick, but the ball was cleared out of harm’s way before the ball even got close to Gallardo.
The second half saw Orlando get back into the game, as the Lions began to reassert themselves on the game with large amounts of possession. Span would add his second goal on the hour-mark when he dribbled through the Montreal defense switched the ball over to his right foot before taking the shot from just outside the box with two Montreal closing. The shot would deflect off one of the defenders, and wrong-foot the keeper and finding the back of the net to extend Orlando’s lead to 2-0.
However, the Canadian-based club would inch closer to cutting into Orlando’s lead in the 68th minute when Anthony Jackson-Hamel was left all alone in the area, but his effort was put just wide of target.
Minutes later Montreal was able to go on the break as the Impact outnumbered City’s defense after a poor free kick by the Lions. Mallace played the ball out to the right flank to Santiago Gonzales, who sent a cross through the box to Tissot. The Impact midfielder took a touch and slotted it past Gallardo to make the score 2-1 in the 75th minute.
After the the goal, Heath’s squad would tighten down to keep the visitors at bay as they kept the Impact Reserves out of their attacking third and quickly counter-attacked when given chances from midfielder Adama Mbengue, but the Senegalese winger was whistled for offside as his shot rolled between Crepeau’s legs into the net. Later second-half substitute, Aodhan Quinn’s volley just crept over the bar, but it would prove academic as the Lions held on to take victory.
Up next. Orlando will conclude their home stand against the Orange County Blues on Wednesday, June 11. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at ESPN Wide World of Sports.