VANCOUVER (July 17, 2016) – Despite missing several regular starters and playing its second game in four days, Orlando City SC (4-5-10, 22 points) rallied to earn a 2-2 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC (8-8-5, 29 points) in its first-ever visit to BC Place. Relying on its depth, including Brazilian attacker Júlio Baptista and 2016 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft first-round selection Hadji Barry, the Lions battled to collect a valuable point in front of a sold-out crowd.
“What we saw tonight was the coming together of five or six days of focusing on certain themes. [The players] didn’t give in. They came out [in the second half] and started well and kept doing the things that really had them on top for large spells of the game,” Interim Head Coach Bobby Murphy said. “I think the thing I’m proudest of is to play the way we played tonight, you have to be a group. That’s what they were tonight. For long stretches, they were a team. That’s what happens when you come together, good things happen.”
The Lions showed poise and composure with the ball while controlling the run of play with crisp, tactical passes throughout the match. After creating several threatening opportunities, Orlando City opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Luke Boden made a clever move to penetrate the box and find Baptista. “The Beast,” who made his first start since April 24, ripped a hard, low shot from the edge of the area through traffic and into the back of the net.
Despite largely controlling the match, City entered the second half down a goal after Vancouver’s Nicolás Mezquida and Masato Kudo scored eight minutes apart. The Lions almost equalized on a strong effort from Canadian striker Cyle Larin, but Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted made a leaping save to end the half.
Larin would find the equalizer just five minutes into the second half, though, after Molino whipped an in-swinging ball to the far post. The Toronto native leapt over his defender and headed it past Ousted for his ninth goal of the season, which tied him for third in MLS. It was also Molino’s team-leading sixth assist of the year.
Goalkeeper Joe Bendik, who entered the match fifth in MLS with 64 saves, put forth another spectacular performance. Bendik made two particularly strong saves in the second half, first on a quick Christian Bolaños header that Bendik flew to his right to parry away. Eight minutes later, the Marietta, Ga., native charged out to cut down the angle on Mezquida, who picked up a loose ball just yards from goal.
Center back Seb Hines wore the captain’s armband. Barry, a former University of Central Florida standout, made his first career MLS start in his fifth appearance.
This was the second of a three-game road trip. City finishes the trip when it visits Columbus Crew SC on Saturday, July 23, for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Lions return to Camping World Stadium on Sunday, July 31, when they host the New England Revolution. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
First Half
3’ Joe Bendik makes a strong punch to clear Vancouver’s corner service safely away.
5’ Luke Boden finds Júlio Baptista inside the box. Baptista takes a touch and feeds it to Kevin Molino, who curls a hard shot just wide of the near post.
6’ The Lions continue a strong early push when Baptista feeds a through ball into Cyle Larin, but Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted comes out to scoop it up.
11’ Larin receives a pass and quickly feeds it to Molino with one touch. Molino dribbles into the box and drives another shot wide.
12’ Hadji Barry sprints up the right wing with the ball, takes a touch past his first defender and curls a dangerous cross into the box that barely misses a diving Larin at the far post.
14’ The Lions open the scoring after Luke Boden makes a nice play to move inside the box before feeding Baptista with his right foot. “The Beast” drives a hard, low shot through traffic, off Ousted and into the back of the net.
16’ Boden lofts a nice cross into the six-yard box for Larin, whose header goes just over the bar.
23’ Kevin Alston makes an interception at midfield and springs the attack to Barry. Barry whips in another strong cross to Larin on the six-yard box, who earns a corner with a defender draped over him.
24’ Boden curls a ball that Ousted punches to Servando Carrasco outside the box. Carrasco lofts it to Cyle Larin on the far post, but the Canadian’s header is cleared off the line.
31’ In his first bit of action in several minutes, Bendik charges out to make a sliding stop on a through ball from the right wing to thwart the Vancouver attack.
35’ Vancouver equalizes after Nicolás Mezquida puts the finishing header on a messy sequence, as the ball bounced around several times before either team could control.
40’ After a quick restart, Molino lofts a ball into Larin at the six-yard box, but the Whitecaps clear.
41’ Boden flicks another dangerous cross into several Lions in the box. Vancouver clears but City maintains possession on the attack.
42’ Darwin Cerén earns a corner kick. Ousted juggles before throwing it up the right wing.
43’ Masato Kudo heads in Pedro Morales’ free kick delivery into the back of the net.
45 (+2)’ Cerén delivers a free kick from the right wing into Molino on the opposite side of the box. Molino flicks a header back into the middle that Larin drives on frame with a turnaround shot, forcing Ousted into a flying save.
45 (+2)’ After two minutes of added time, the referee indicates the end of the first half.
Second Half:
49’ Larin dribbles through the box while fighting off a defender, takes a strike and earns a corner kick.
50’ Molino curls a ball to the far post, where Larin leaps over everyone and heads it inside the far post for the equalizer and his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
59’ After Molino makes a great hustle play to keep the ball in the attacking third, Baptista picks up the loose ball and dribbles around the box before being taken down for a penalty kick.
60’ Baptista misses the penalty kick.
61’ Joe Bendik makes a spectacular diving save after Bolaños puts a strong header on target.
69’ The ball squirts free in the City box after a free kick delivery. Joe Bendik charges out and makes a diving save on Mezquida.
77’ 15-year-old Alphonso Davies enters the match in place of Nicolás Mezquida, becoming the third-youngest player ever to play in MLS.
79’ Cristian Higuita enters the match in place of Júlio Baptista.
87’ Antonio Nocerino, who entered the match in the 84th minute, plays a nice through ball to Cerén, who earns a corner kick.
88’ Boden’s corner service finds David Mateos on the six-yard box. Mateos drives a strong header on target but Ousted makes an incredible reaction save.
90 (+3)’ After three minutes of added time, the referee ends the match. Orlando City 2, Vancouver Whitecaps 2.
Scoring Summary:
ORL - Júlio Baptista (Luke Boden) 14’
VAN - Nicolás Mezquida 35’
VAN - Masato Kudo (Pedro Morales) 43’
ORL - Cyle Larin (Kevin Molino) 50’
Misconduct Summary:
ORL - Servando Carrasco (Yellow Card) 68’
VAN - Andrew Jacobson (Yellow Card) 90 (+2)’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D Luke Boden, David Mateos, Seb Hines, Kevin Alston, M Servando Carrasco, Darwin Cerén, Kevin Molino, Júlio Baptista (Cristian Higuita 79’), Hadji Barry (Antonio Nocerino 84’), F Cyle Larin
Substitutes Not Used: GK Earl Edwards Jr., D Tyler Turner, Conor Donovan, Devron García
Vancouver Whitecaps FC - GK David Ousted, D Jordan Smith, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Jordan Harvey, M Andrew Jacobson, Matías Laba (Cristian Techera 63’), Christian Bolaños, Nicolás Mezquida (Alphonso Davies 77’), Pedro Morales, F Masato Kudo (Erik Hurtado 83’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Paolo Tornaghi, D Cole Seiler, Marcel de Jong, M Ben McKendry
Details of the Game
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Weather: Indoors
July 16, 2016
Attendance: 22,120
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 52.1 %
VAN - 47.9 %
Shots:
ORL - 12
VAN - 14
Saves:
ORL - 2
VAN - 2
Fouls:
ORL - 9
VAN - 17
Corners:
ORL - 6
VAN - 6
