Facing New England
on Saturday, Orlando City kicks off a four-game road trip — but likely without leading scorer Cyle Larin, who has been called up by Canada for a friendly against Jamaica.
As many MLS teams enter a week off for international play, Orlando City will push to end its 20-game winless streak.
The Lions kick off a four-game road trip in New England this weekend, a match originally scheduled in March but changed due to Winter Storm Reggie. Thanks to the timing, they likely will be without leading scorer Cyle Larin, who has been called up by Canada for a friendly against Jamaica.
Fans caught a glimpse of what a Larin-less lineup could look like in Orlando City’s 2-1 loss to Vancouver Saturday night. Coach Jason Kreis started Carlos Rivas alongside Dom Dwyer, who was not among the 26 players called into camp for the United States ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica on Friday and Honduras on Sept. 5.
“I was looking for a little bit more mobility,” Kreis said Saturday night, explaining the lineup move. “I liked the combination of having Carlos, who wants to drop into the midfield a little bit more and into some wide spaces with a target forward and really wanted to get Dom his first start at home.
“Really thought that combination was the right one for tonight, but what I found in the first half was that we’d have Dom making diag-
onal runs outside the box and looking to play the ball into the box and there was nobody there.”
So Larin subbed on for Rivas at halftime and went on to score the Lions’ only goal in the 62nd minute.
Kreis previously expressed concern over the Larin-Dwyer partnership, saying they were making similar runs and taking up the same spaces on the pitch. It’s been a slow process working out those kinks due to Dwyer’s limited time with the group since his acquisition at the end of July.
But the way they worked together Saturday was one of the few positives Kreis mentioned after the loss. He also insisted the striker switch was purely for tactical reasons and had nothing to do with Rivas’ play, though the Colombian made some questionable decisions before he came off and sent more than one ball soaring into the stands.
“I thought the game was affording us opportunities to get into wide spaces pretty easily to make crosses,” Kreis said. “But we needed more numbers in the box. Cyle, you know he’s always going to be in and around the penalty box.
“Again, I think the combination for me is still a little bit of a question mark. This is what happens when you bring a new player in the middle of the season. [Dwyer is] brand-new to the team; he’s played under a different tactical shape his entire professional career. Now we’re asking him to play with two strikers. I was interested to see what a different combination would look like. But tonight … they showed that they can play well together.”
One of Orlando City’s biggest issues this year is finishing. Larin scored six of his 10 goals in the first six games of the season, but when he cooled down it seemed the rest of the team did, too.
In the last 10 games, opponents have outscored the Lions 18-8. And of the 25 shots Orlando City took against Vancouver, four were on target.
According to Kreis, players now have a confidence issue when it comes to goalscoring, and the remedy is to “just to keep shooting.”
Barnes’ home
Orlando City forward Giles Barnes sent prayers to Houston via social media Sunday morning as the city continued to flood after Hurricane Harvey.
Barnes, who played for the Houston Dyanmo from 2012-2016, still has a house there and returns in the offseason and during breaks.
“Heartbreaking to see what’s happening in a place I call home,” Barnes posted on Twitter. “My thoughts and prayers go to everyone in Houston. Stay safe #Htown.”