VIDEO: Orlando City Salvages A Point At Home Against New York Red Bulls With 1-1 Draw

By  //  May 7, 2016

Orlando City Returns Home On May 21

ABOVE VIDEO: After trailing behind in the first half, Orlando City SC (2-2-5, 11 points) salvaged a point at home against the New York Red Bulls (3-6-1, 10 points) with Kevin Molino’s team lead-tying fourth goal of the season. (Orlando City SC Video)

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – After trailing behind in the first half, Orlando City SC (2-2-5, 11 points) salvaged a point at home against the New York Red Bulls (3-6-1, 10 points) with Kevin Molino’s team lead-tying fourth goal of the season.

Canadian forward Cyle Larin earned his third career assist on the play.

Adrian Heath
Adrian Heath

“I was pleased with the performance. I thought it would’ve been a travesty if we hadn’t have taken something out of the game. Can’t really remember Joe [Bendik] having a save to make, so it was a big improvement. On any different night I think we could’ve gone on and won the game,” Lions head coach Adrian Heath said.

“Pleased with the performance, pleased with the effort and I think it gives us something to build on.”

Red Bulls’ Bradley Wright-Phillips started the scoring in the 19th minute when he corralled Sacha Kljestan’s through ball on the right side of the box and slotted his shot past Orlando’s goalkeeper into the left side of the net.

The Lions were able to tie the game in the 67th minute on a play started by Darwin Cerén. The Salvadoran launched a ball up to Larin on the right wing, who fought off two defenders as he dribbled into the box.

The 2015 MLS Rookie of the Year was able to slip the ball to Molino in front of goal, who threw himself to beat Luis Robles to the ball for the tap-in equalizer.

The goal was Molino’s third in four games, tying Larin for the team lead with four. Larin also earned his third career assist and second in consecutive games after feeding Carlos Rivas for the 90th-minute equalizing goal on April 30.

Orlando continued threatening in the second half, forcing Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch to substitute Wright-Phillips for defender Chris Duvall in the 74th minute.’

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The Club returns to the Camping World Stadium, formerly known as the Orlando Citrus Bowl, on Saturday, May 21, when it hosts the Montreal Impact at 7:30 p.m. ET. (Orlando City Image)

The Lions’ efforts were thwarted, though, when Colombian midfielder Cristian Higuita – who this week was named to his country’s preliminary 40-man roster ahead of next month’s Copa América Centenario – was given a straight red card in the 85th minute.

Despite losing a man, the Lions continued pressuring and almost found the go-ahead goal twice. First in the 88th minute, Seb Hines got his head on Kaká’s corner service, sending the ball just wide of the post.

Then in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Bendik lobbed a ball from near midfield into Brek Shea in the box. The ball was reminiscent of Servando Carrasco game-tying assist in the season opener, but Shea’s effort was deflected out for a corner.

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The game marked the return of former Lion Aurélien Collin, who started in his first match with New York after being traded on April 29. The French defender was a stalwart for Orlando in 2015, starting 27 games and registering two goals and an assist. Collin earned a yellow card in the 18th minute.

Next, Orlando City heads to Children’s Mercy Park for the first time since joining Major League Soccer in 2015 to take on Sporting Kansas City on Sunday, May 15.

The Club returns to the Camping World Stadium, formerly known as the Orlando Citrus Bowl, on Saturday, May 21, when it hosts the Montreal Impact at 7:30 p.m. ET.