Team 1 2 Final
Orlando City 5 1 6
Tampa Spartans 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
ORL- Kevin Molino (Jamie Watson) 19’
ORL- Dwyer (penalty) 27’
ORL- Watson (penalty) 34’
ORL- Dwyer (unassisted) 35’
ORL- Dwyer (Watson) 42’
ORL- Dwyer (Watson) 67’
Lineup:
Orlando City- GK Miguel Gallardo, D Rob Valentino, Luke Boden, Yann Songo’o, M Adama Mbengue, Jonathan Mendoza, Freddie Braun, Christian Duke, Kevin Molino, F Jamie Watson, Dom Dwyer.
Match Facts:
Time of Match: 7:30 p.m.
Weather: Clear
Sanford, Fla.- Orlando City SC concluded their collegiate friendly series Monday evening at Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford, Fla., with a 6-0 win over the University of Tampa. New arrival and Sporting Kansas City loanee Dom Dwyer scored four times in the victory as the Lions now turn their attention to Saturday in St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second leg of the I-4 Derby presented by United World Soccer.
“The new boys have come in and have got a grip with the system which is what preseason is all about,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath after the 6-0 win. “Overall, I’m really pleased with tonight as we’ve come through unscathed and nobody’s picked up any knocks.”
Orlando started the scoring in the 20th minute when Forward Jamie Watson was played in behind the Tampa defense, with a through ball from Luke Boden springing the forward into action. Watson unselfishly found a wide-open Kevin Molino in the six-yard box, with the 2012 USL PRO MVP slotting the ball home to give the Lions a 1-0 advantage. The Lions would continue to cause problems for the Spartan defense and would once again be rewarded for their efforts in the 27th minute.
After a bit of trickery from Midfielder Adama Mbengue on the left hand side, Striker Dom Dwyer was brought down just inside the 18-yard box and awarded a penalty. The Sporting loanee buried the ball home from 12 yards out, scoring his first goal of the match and providing a two-goal cushion for Orlando. Dwyer’s finish, however, would not be the Lions only penalty of the night as the referee once again pointed to the spot in the 34th minute.
Watson, who was very instrumental in the Lions attack in the first half, calmly struck the ball in upper left corner, leaving the keeper with very little chance of making a save.
Directly after the Tampa kick off following the conversion, Dwyer intercepted a loose pass from the Spartan defense and buried the ball into the back of the net in the 35th minute. The Englishman added to his tally several minutes later, when fellow Kansas City loanee Christian Duke played an exquisite ball over the Tampa defense, finding Watson who squared the ball to a waiting Dwyer. Dwyer blasted a shot from the edge of the box and scored his third goal of the match in the 42nd minute, resulting in a five goal advantage for the Lions heading into halftime.
The second half would see fewer goals for the Lions but their play remained the same. In the 67th minute, Jamie Watson recorded his fourth assist of the night- once again pulling the ball back to Dwyer who concluded the scoring for Orlando. Dwyer, who became the first Orlando player to ever score four goals in a match, has been a strong part of a Lion attack that Heath said is getting better each and every day.
“I think we’ve done a better job of scoring during the last few weeks of preseason,” added Heath on the team’s clinical finishing as of late. “I think we’ve gotten progressively better as the players have gotten fitter and sharper and hopefully that will continue.”
Orlando concludes their preseason this Saturday, March 30, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in St. Petersburg, Fla. The match will be held at Al Lang Stadium with the game kicking off at 7:30 p.m. These two clubs met earlier this month in the first leg of the I4 Derby, presented by United World Soccer, in which the Lions won 3-2 at the Fifth Third Bank Field at the Florida Citrus Bowl. For more information, visit Orlandocitysoccer.com
