COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 23, 2016) – In the final match of a three-game road stretch, Orlando City SC (4-5-11, 23 points) used two second half goals to rally for a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew SC (3-7-10, 19 points) at MAPFRE Stadium. Cyle Larin scored his 10th goal of the season while Kevin Molino scored and earned his seventh assist of 2016.
“We made some tactical adjustments [at halftime] and tried to play higher up the field and I challenged them. [The players’] performance showed their determination in the second half. They gave everything they had to get back into the game,” Interim Head Coach Bobby Murphy said. “We rode that wave [of the substitutes] and got ourselves back in the game.”
Columbus opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Justin Meram found Tony Tchani, who dribbled into the box and slotted it into the back of the net. Crew SC took a 2-0 lead into the break following a stoppage time penalty kick goal from Ola Kamara.
The Lions came out firing in the second half and Murphy’s substitutions of Kaká, who returned from injury, and Carlos Rivas paid off immediately. Five minutes after Kaká and Rivas entered the game, Molino found the back of the net after a Kaká corner service bounced dangerously around the box.
City equalized just five minutes later after Molino made a clever move to get on his left foot before finding Larin in the box. The Canadian striker leaped over his defender to head it inside the near post for his team leading 10th goal of the season. It was also Molino’s team leading seventh assist.
Lions goalkeeper Joe Bendik put out another incredible performance. Bendik, who entered the match tied for fourth in MLS with 68 saves, made six fantastic saves. The six-time Save of the Week winner stopped several shots from point-blank range, including an Ethan Finlay shot just six yards from goal two minutes after Finlay entered the match.
Just a few inches separated Orlando City from a three-point game. Larin struck the corner of the post on a wicked strike in the seventh minute before hitting the crossbar in the 51st minute. Kaká also hit the bar in 64th minute.
The game pitted Crew SC left back Corey Ashe against his former club. Hadji Barry played 60 minutes in his second consecutive start and his sixth MLS appearance. This was also Murphy’s last game as interim head coach, as Orlando City this week hired Jason Kreis as the team’s new head coach. Kreis will take over coaching duties Monday.
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
7’ Cyle Larin dribbles into the box and rips a shot off the corner of the post.
11’ Joe Bendik makes a great diving save to his left off a shot from distance.
13’ Kevin Molino races onto a ball in the box, takes a touch and finds Júlio Baptista. Baptista works the ball to Hadji Barry, who does well to earn a corner kick.
15’ David Mateos fearlessly dives into a Tony Tchani shot, blocking it safely away.
17’ Bendik makes a good save off a dangerous centering feed from Corey Ashe.
20’ Tchani dribbles through the box and slots it past Bendik for the opening score.
22’ Kevin Molino makes a clever run through the Crew SC defense and rips a shot just wide of the far post.
26’ Kevin Alston’s long throw finds Baptista in the box and bounces around before Alston earns another corner.
31’ Bendik makes another great save off Mohammed Saeid shot. Bendik dove to the far post to catch the ball.
32’ The match is paused for a water break. Water breaks are observed when the wet bulb temperature exceeds 89.6 degrees.
37’ Larin hauls in a long ball from Servando Carrasco, brings it down and rips a shot that goes over the bar.
45 (+2)’ Molino springs the counterattack, sprinting up the center of the pitch before working it to Darwin Cerén, who centered it for Molino and Larin for a corner kick.
45 (+6)’ The referee awards Columbus a penalty kick. Bendik guesses right but Ola Kamara slots it inside the far post.
45 (+6)’ After six minutes of added time, the referee indicates the end of the first half.
Second Half:
50’ Mateos is well positioned and blocks a shot from inside the box.
51’ Larin works a clever give-and-go with Baptista, works his way into the box and rings it off the crossbar, his second encounter with the woodwork of the match.
52’ Bendik makes a good diving save on a shot from distance from Meram.
59’ Ethan Finlay enters the match in place of Cedrick Mabwati.
60’ Bobby Murphy makes two switches, first bringing on Carlos Rivas for Hadji Barry, then bringing on Kaká for Baptista. It is Rivas’ 13th appearance of the season and Kaká’s 10th.
61’ Bendik makes a strong save off a point-blank shot from Finlay.
63’ Carlos Rivas rips a right-footed shot high of the bar on his first touch of the game.
64’ Carrasco serves a ball up for Kaká, who heads it off the bar. The ball bounces around before going out for a corner kick.
65’ Molino puts Orlando CIty on the scoreboard after a Kaká corner service found David Mateos. The ball bounced dangerously around the six-yard box before Molino put it into the back of the net.
69’ Molino makes a clever move to find space on the right wing to feed Cyle Larin in the box, who heads it past Clark for the equalizer.
74’ Molino and Kaká combine to find space for the Trinidadian winger, who is dragged down in the box but no penalty is called.
77’ Molino and Kaká make another slick combination play to find Larin on the left side of the box. Larin rips a shot to the far post but Clark does well to parry it away.
81’ Mateos makes another heroic block to stop a Finlay shot from the six-yard box.
84’ Bendik makes another incredible save to his right on an open from Kamara.
90 (+1)’ Bendik comes up big again with another strong save off a shot from inside the box.
90 (+6)’ After six added minutes, the referee indicates the end of the match. Orlando City 2, Columbus Crew SC 2.
Scoring Summary:
CLB - Tony Tchani (Justin Meram) 20’
CLB - Ola Kamara (PK) 45 (+6)’
ORL - Kevin Molino 65’
ORL - Cyle Larin (Kevin Molino) 70’
Misconduct Summary:
ORL - Joe Bendik (Yellow Card) 45 (+5)’
ORL - Kevin Molino (Yellow Card) 45 (+6)’
ORL - Luke Boden (Yellow Card) 62’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D Luke Boden, David Mateos, Seb Hines, Kevin Alston, M Servando Carrasco (Cristian Higuita 66’), Darwin Cerén, Kevin Molino, Júlio Baptista (Kaká 60’), Hadji Barry (Carlos Rivas 60’), F Cyle Larin
Substitutes Not Used: GK Earl Edwards Jr., D Conor Donovan, José Aja, M Cristian Higuita
Columbus Crew SC - GK Steve Clark, D Corey Ashe, Tyson Wahl, Michael Parkhurst, Harrison Afful, M Wil Trapp, Tony Tchani, Justin Meram (Dilly Duka 83’), Mohammed Saeid (Federico Higuaín 71’), Cedrick Mabwati (Ethan Finlay 59’), F Ola Kamara
Substitutes Not Used: GK Brad Stuver, D Chad Barson, Waylon Francis, M Hector Jimenez
Details of the Game
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
July 23, 2016
Attendance: 20,034
Stats:
Possession:
ORL - 46.5 %
CLB - 53.5 %
Shots:
ORL - 18
CLB - 18
Saves:
ORL - 6
CLB - 3
Fouls:
ORL - 12
CLB - 11
Corners:
ORL - 3
CLB - 9
