Team 1 2 Final
Orlando City 1 0 1
Los Angeles Blues 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
OC – Kieron Bernard (Anthony Pulis) 2
Misconduct Summary:
LA – Maykel Galindo (Caution; Reckless foul) 20
OC - James O’Connor (Caution; Dissent) 31
OC - Jerome Mechack (Caution; Reckless foul) 44
LA - Allan Russell (Caution; Reckless foul) 46
OC - Dennis Chin (Caution; Reckless foul) 86
Lineups:
Orlando City – Miguel Gallardo, Jerome Mechack, Kieron Bernard, Luke Boden, Rob Valentino, Adama Mbengue (Rodrigo Lopez 46), Anthony Pulis, James O'Connor, Kevin Molino (Erik Ustruck 82), Matt Luzunaris (Ian Fuller 62), Jean Alexandre (Dennis Chin 73)
Los Angeles Blues – Amir Abedazadeh, Sunhyung Cho, Erlys Garcia, Cory Miller, Bryan Burke, Carlos Borja, Allan Russell (Irving Garcia 79), Brian Farber (Israel Sesay 71), Maykel Galindo, Cheunyong Park (George Davis IV 69), Bright Dike (Matthew Fondy 42)
Fullerton, Ca. - Orlando City Soccer Club scored early, and that’s all they needed. The Lions dispatched the Los Angeles Blues 1-0 at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Ca., for their 11th victory of the season. The Lions now sit seven points clear of Charleston Battery and at the top of the USL PRO table.
It didn’t take long for Orlando City to get on the board. An early Lions attack yielded the match’s first corner kick. Anthony Pulis sent in the service and found Kieron Bernard above the crowd. The Jamaican connected and gave City the early lead.
Playing with the lead suited Orlando City. The side played with confidence, maintaining possession and building attack after attack. The Lions were especially dangerous on set pieces. Rob Valentino nearly scored twice, but saw his headers go just wide and then be cleared off the line.
LA’s attack was limited during the opening frame, with just one shot on goal. Matters got worse for the Blues when star striker Bright Dike was forced out of the match with an injury in the 42nd minute. The whistle blew for the break without LA mounting any serious danger to the scoreline.
The second half became a largely defensive affair. The Blues began to push forward late in the half, but their efforts were all for naught as cross after cross was either cleared, caught, or completely missed the crowd in front of the net. The closer the close of the conflict came, the more City regained control. By the time stoppage arrived, possession and the result were firmly in the Lions’ grasp.
The match saw the debut of Rodrigo Lopez, City’s newest signing. The MLS veteran came on at the half, and put in a solid first shift in the purple kit. The Lions also received a boost from Jean Alexandre. On loan again from San Jose Earthquakes, Alexandre started and gave the Blues back line fits for 73 minutes.
The Lions and Blues will not have to wait long for a rematch. The two sides clash on Sunday, July 8, at Titan Stadium in Fullerton. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. EST. The match will be broadcast on USLNation.com.
Following Sunday’s match, City returns home for the first meeting with Rochester in 2012 on July 14. For tickets and information on the match, visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com today.
