Focused Lions start racking up goals
After months of struggling to score goals, Orlando City seems to have found its footing. The Lions earned five goals in the last two matches, more than any other two-game stretch this season. There’s still issues to work out — they also allowed four goals in those games — but something seems to finally be clicking in the attack.
Is it because Cyle Larin and Dom Dwyer are beginning to understand each other better on the field? Does Giles Barnes’ presence in the No. 10 spot make a difference? Are players extra motivated to prove they can be better than their playoff-less ninth-place standing in the Eastern Conference?
“I feel that just in the last two matches, the guys’ energy level has been different, the commitment level has been just a little bit different tonight,” Orlando City coach Jason Kreis said after Saturday’s 3-3 draw in Atlanta.
“I think in this league, for me, the difference between the best team and the worst team is so minimal that oftentimes if you can just get that full commitment from all the players together, you can see results can change very quickly.”
Larin had a similar answer when asked what the difference has been the last two weeks. He scored goals in back-to-back matches after going the previous 13 games with just two goals.
“It’s just staying focused the whole time,” Larin said, adding that his relationship with Dwyer is blossoming. “The more we play together, the more it’s hard for other teams. It’s getting better.”
Dwyer had a breakout performance in Atlanta, scoring two goals and assisting on Larin’s goal. He didn’t make a big deal out of it afterward, but Dwyer did say he liked working off Larin and Barnes.
“We’re still learning how each other moves, but it will get better with more games,” Dwyer said. “I’m
NASCAR AT CHICAGOLAND confident in both those guys. They have a lot of ability, so it’s something that will continue to blossom the rest of this season and into next year.”
Teammates are seeing a difference as well.
“It just seemed to really connect, and even in the last game against D.C.,” defender Jonathan Spector said. “It takes time, unfortunately we are running out of time.”
Orlando City travels to Portland this week to take on the Timbers, No. 2 in the West. The Lions then return home for games against New England, FC Dallas and Columbus before playing their final regular-season match Oct. 22 in Philadelphia.
Orlando City got its defensive leader back Saturday but only for 59 minutes.
Spector sprained his lateral collateral ligament, which runs along the outside of the knee, at the beginning of August. His recovery timeline originally was three weeks, but it took five for him to get into the starting lineup.
He didn’t miss a beat in the first half against Atlanta, making crucial tackles, but signaled to the coaching staff in the second half that he couldn’t continue.
Spector walked around the locker room after the game and spoke to media, but he did not want to talk about his knee.
“He’s struggling,” Kreis said. “Coming back from that knee injury tonight and having to play on turf I think was really difficult. At halftime, to have that break, oftentimes when you have joint problems it can stiffen up on you a little bit. So in the second half he got to a point where he just didn’t feel like he could go anymore, so we had to make a change.”
The club provided no further update on his status moving forward. Orlando City is expected to return to training Tuesday.