The gravity of Saturday’s match against the Chicago Fire was not lost on Orlando City before the match. This was a do-or-die match. The team desperate for a win to stay in the playoff race needed all three points against the team at the bottom of the table — something Orlando City failed to get in its last home match in a similar situation.
Nothing is easy.
The Fire were not going to roll over. The goalpost was not going to cooperate. Not even the weather was going to make finding some positive momentum easy.
Perhaps that is why Orlando City walked off the soggy Citrus Bowl field a bit disappointed.
The Lions recovered from conceding a late-first half goal to David Accam getting a beautiful header in traffic from Cyle Larin to force the equalizer late in the first half (the goal was officially credited as an own goal from Eric Gehrig). It was 1-1 and Orlando City was firmly in control.
For the first time in several weeks, the Lions played with their foot on the accelerator. They pushed for a goal. They put everything they had into it.
Lewis Neal followed Larin’s goal with a late-first half chance of his own. Receiving a free ball in the box from Larin that he sent over the net and over the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Sean Johnson. It was nearly a return favor from Larin to Neal, whose perfect cross gave Larin the chance to threaten goal and force the own goal.
Kaka went unmarked at the top of the box and put a shot that just narrowly missed the frame. Another missed opportunity.
And there would be more to come. Larin set up Carlos Rivas who sent a shot off the post with less than 10 minutes to play. And, in the dying moments of the game, Darwin Ceren saw a shot saved by Johnson.
All the possession — 63 percent for the game as Chicago tried to absorb pressure and counter attack with the speedy Accam — was not enough. The Lions were still searching for a better way to connect the midfield to the attack and the attack to the back of the net.
More importantly, the Lions lost the opportunity to get their three points they so desperately needed. While they pull into the final Playoff spot for now on points, they know it is a shallow with all the games they have played and all the opportunities they have lost.
The result was certainly disappointing for Orlando City, as Lions coach Adrian Heath to the Orlando Sentinel after the game:
“Obviously when you create the chances we did in the second half it’s a bit disappointing not to take the three points. In light of what’s gone on today everywhere else, it could’ve been a huge three points for us. But hey, it’s another point and we go again next week.”
This was a major opportunity lost for sure — both because of the quality of the opponent and the way the game unfurled. At the same time though, Orlando City controlled the game for the most part. This was their game to lose, or draw. They had to play from behind momentarily, but the Lions were in control from the point they equalized on.
That is not something Orlando City could say.
The team still looks a bit off kilter, but the opportunities created should breed some hope for confidence. Orlando City did good things to create opportunities. The team just struggled to finish.
Some of that certainly had to do with the opponent, but a more confident team is a team that can break out of the slump the Lions are in.
Of course, close is not good enough. These were still points left on the board.
Orlando City desperately needed this one. The team will not have Kaka for the New England game next week and will be without Carlos Rivas, suspended a game for yellow card accumulation. An undermanned Lions team will have to find a way to steal even just one point on the road.
In that sense, the disappointment and frustration continues for Orlando City.
