Orlando City was dead in the water.
David Villa had put the Lions on notice, finishing a long cross to put New York City up 2-0. The ghosts of a 7-0 loss for NYCFC from last week were quickly dissipating.
New York City FC was waltzing to victory.
Carlos Rivas changed things first. His energy and pace began to take up the little space there was at Yankee Stadium as he found Julio Baptista in the box to fire in a shot for the first goal.
72' GOOOAL! Baptista pulls one back with his first @MLS goal! A turn and nifty finish to Saunders' right. 2-1 pic.twitter.com/7YvCs0Dx9D
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 29, 2016
There was hope. But New York City FC was going to keep possession. Keep the ball on their side of the pitch and away from Orlando City. The Lions struggled all game to get the ball into the attacking third. They struggled to generate a consistent attack. The loss of Kaka and the short field condensed Orlando City’s speed and ability to attack.
And in one instant, it all changed for Orlando City. The tides turned and despair and frustration turned into victory. Or at least a draw.
In its last-gasp effort in the 94th minute. Rivas crossed the ball into the box to Cyle Larin. He headed it back center where Baptista waited to scissor kick it in. Kevin Molino beat him to it, heading the ball into the underside of the crossbar and past Joe Saunders.
Never count us out. #VivaMolino pic.twitter.com/vZ6LR9qywC
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 29, 2016
As it has on numerous occasions this year, the Lions had stolen a point at the very end of the game. With virtually no time left. Every moment got used to its fullest.
It did not matter that New York had the run of play. It did not matter that Orlando City had no business being in the game, missing the few opportunities they truly had until the final 15 minutes. When the urgency finally picked up, Orlando City produced.
The sleepwalking otherwise was certainly distressing for a team that needed points. Even if they were undermanned to get them.
But a point is a point. And every road point matters. The only thing that can harm Orlando City most is a loss. Surviving at this stage of the season without Kaka during Copa America is a bonus.
The Lions have not picked up many wins of late — just one win against one loss in the last five games. Those three points will have to wait for the next opportunity. At some point they will have to come.
Until then, Orlando City is simply trying to survive. To every last moment it can.
UCF not worrying about Big 12 expansion
Both the Big 12 and the American Athletic Conferences will hold their conference meetings this week. The American is meeting in Florida while the Big 12 meets in Texas.
Yet, it feels like the two conferences are tied pretty close together as they meet with UCF stuck in the middle.
It is no secret that if the Big 12 should expand, UCF will be one of the schools that gets considered in the long run. The focus though as the conference meets — and UCF joins the American at the meetings — is not on the Big 12 or the potential payday of an expansion.
“I think there’s a lot of politics at play in what they’re doing. I’m not sure that anyone knows what they’re gonna do, but we’ve really kind of stayed focused,” new UCF athletics director Danny White told Shannon Green of the Orlando Sentinel. “We have so much work to do here at UCF that I don’t really have time to think about stuff that we can’t control. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. If we’re in the American or the Big 12, I got to have the right coaches, they’ve got to be recruiting the right student-athletes and [we’ve] gotta make sure that whole engine is going.”
Even before his first summer, Danny White has had a lot to do. He has hired a new football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball coach. He has seemingly transformed the energy around the UCF athletic department in a very short time.
Expansion does not seem to be at the top of his mind at the moment as he gets his feet under him for his first football season.
If the opportunity does arise though, White and the Knights will have to act quickly and be ready to strike. It is a big opportunity should it come.
The Knights are not focused on it until the opportunity becomes real though. They are focusing on doing what they can with what they have. And that is continuing to thrive in the American.
Orlando Magic not hiding free agency desires
The Orlando Magic are expecting big changes this summer. They have made moves signaling they are ready to make a major move and take steps forward in free agency.
They fact they are doing this publicly is what is new for the team. The Magic are not hiding their intentions anymore. They want to make a splash in free agency and they want to bring in a veteran or two:
“Because that’s what we need at this point in time to take the next step,” Magic CEO Alex Martins told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. “Secondly, this has been a plan, this has been a process. The first part of the plan and the process is to develop your own [players] and grow your own [players]. And when you inject veterans at the wrong period of time, it has an impact in the way that you’re trying to develop your corps of young players. It can’t just happen immediately. It’s got to happen at a certain point in time — after your players have matured and developed.”
The Magic have said this in several instances too. At exit interviews Rob Hennigan said he wanted to pursue veterans. Frank Vogel in his introductory press conference said he wanted to add a veteran or two — tough-minded guys too.
The Magic are not hiding their intentions this summer. Now it comes down to execution as July 1 creeps ever closer.
