Larin Owns NYCFC, Lions Stay Hot
One of the league’s youngest and elite strikers, Cyle Larin, officially made himself known in the big apple this weekend. He led Orlando to a HUGE road win against NYCFC in the Bronx, 2-1 on Sunday.
This time around, things were different for Larin. In his last appearance at Yankee Stadium he picked up a hat trick, this time scoring two goals, both being impressive. Larin has scored 13 goals against NYCFC and the New York Red Bulls in his MLS career.
The first goal came just before the first half ended, but Larin used the locker room to get some hype, flying over Rodney Wallace to complete the header and give Orlando a nice 2-0 lead.
NYCFC in the second half would start creep back into things after Larin scored his second goal. City scored the lone goal when former MVP David Villa took the cross off the bounce and but it into the back of the net. Chances developed in the final 15 minutes for City, but they couldn’t capitalize. Joe Bendik was a key to Orlando’s success in those final minutes, picking up 5 saves to secure the victory. The game was a physical affair, 35 fouls and 8 yellow cards called in the game.
The weekend for Orlando wasn’t just about Larin, it was about the return to Yankee Stadium for former NYCFC coach Jason Kreis. Kreis only spent a short time with NYCFC, but the way he is coaching currently in my mind could put himself in the running for coach of the year. He came into a tough situation last year midseason, Orlando missing the playoffs for the second time in two seasons of existence. Kreis has brought in tremendous players that are a great asset to the club and it showed playing at one of the hardest stadiums in the league.
Orlando City’s defense throughout the game was more than Kreis could have asked for. Other than the goal of locking down David Villa, Jack Harrison was on their radar, and they did a great job of keeping him out of the box. To start the game, Viera had Harrison on the left side, but eventually would change him to the right side in the second half to avoid the 1v1 matchup with Stutter and Tiola.
Impressive statement win for Orlando, this win puts them in 1st place in the Eastern Conference. With 15 points out of 18 to start the season, the Lions are on track to make the playoffs for the first time in club history. This is their third straight win and fifth win of the season. They are looking to keep the magic going when they take on Colorado on Saturday at home. For NYCFC it is all about revenge when they look to take the second spot away from Columbus on Saturday.
Stay tuned for Out on the Pitch this week, Jared McCabe will join me on the show as always for more breakdowns from the week as well as a look ahead to next week.
For continued coverage of the MLS, stay with Upstate Sports Zone… @upstate_sports
By Jake Martino
