Lions taking advantage of early scoring chances
Orlando City earned a gritty 2-1 road win over Sporting KC on Wednesday night, claiming its third consecutive victory and extending its unbeaten streak to a club record seven games. Here are three things we learned from the match:
1. Scoring when it counts
Finishing efficiency has long been a sore spot for Orlando City. Last season, games were decided by brilliant chances that didn’t turn into goals.
Orlando City’s ability to claim an early two-goal lead on Wednesday changed the tone of a tough road match, and it allowed the team to absorb a second-half surge from Sporting KC.
The Lions took only three shots in the first half and two were goals. They took twice as many shots in the second half and converted none of them.
With seven players netting multiple goals, the Lions have improved both the quality and variety of their finishing this season.
“I feel like the great teams, they just find a way to win,” Orlando City striker Tesho Akindele said. “I thought we played well in the first half … In the second half there was more grind but that’s a sign of a good team. Sometimes you get the tiki-taka, pass the ball around, and sometimes you have to grind it out and just clear everything. We’ve shown that we can do both.”
2. Second half challenges continue
Orlando City has consistently struggled with second halves. The Lions haven’t held a regular season opponent scoreless since its season opener. They’ve surrendered second half goals during seven of their 13 matches, and four of those were either equalizing or game-winning goals.
It happened again on Wednesday night, when Kyle Smith lost Johnny Russell on the back post to pull the score to 2-1. But a hard second half is expected on the road against a team of Kansas City’s caliber.
Sporting KC is arguably the toughest opponent Orlando City has faced during the regular season. It showed in SKC’s ability to make major second-half adjustments, punching the Lions in the mouth immediately after emerging from the locker room.
“Peter [Vermes] is a great coach with a lot of experience, a person that I respect a lot in the game,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “I think the way he moved his team in the second half, it really made things difficult. He adjusted well to the advantage that we had with the 2-0.”
Sporting KC took almost 100 more passes than the Lions. That volume created a challenge — it was hard to regain possession of the ball and even more difficult to play through the press.
In response, Orlando City focused on using its speed to counterattack, a change of pace from its typical possession-oriented attack.
“It’s difficult to control, it’s difficult to sustain that volume and we wanted to keep it low and try to counter them and try to use those spaces,” Pareja said. “It was difficult, but that probably highlights much more the effort and the passion that our players had in the game and I think they deserved the victory today.”
Pareja’s selection and timing of second half substitutes was critical for the Lions
Mauricio Pereyra entered in the second half to provide control through the midfield, while rookie Daryl Dike’s addition brought energy and hold-up ability to the striker line.
Pareja continued his pattern of bringing on a fifth defender for the final 10 minutes to maintain a lead, subbing in Alex DeJohn. The centerback bulked up the defense, which in turn boosted the Lions’ counterattack by allowing the forward line to drift higher up the field.
Although the Lions stayed on their heels throughout the second half, the team ultimately held off a comeback and closed out a contested match. The Lions showed they may not be able to play a perfect 90 minutes, but their ability to adapt in the game to another team’s adjustments is the key to beating top opponents.
3. Record-setting streak bolster confidence
Orlando City’s sevengame unbeaten streak is the longest in club history. It’s tough to string together unbeaten games and it’s even more impressive five of those results were wins.
The streak rocketed the Lions into No. 2 spot in both the Eastern Conference table and the Supporters Shield race. The rest of the league might not have bought into it yet, but the players have proven to themselves they’re competing for a top MLS team.
“We feel like we can beat every team in the league and we are ready to do it,” Orlando City centerback Robin Jansson said. “We need to keep our momentum going and keep pushing forward. We’re working hard, we’re very happy, but we’re not getting relaxed.”