VIDEO: Orlando City Grabs Big Win At Home In Front of 27,000 Fans, Beats New York City FC 2-1

By  //  August 29, 2016

ABOVE VIDEO: In its third match in nine days, Orlando City SC (6-7-13, 31 points) earned three massive points with a 2-1 win against second-place New York City FC (11-9-8, 41 points) Sunday at a stormy Camping World Stadium.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – In its third match in nine days, Orlando City SC (6-7-13, 31 points) earned three massive points with a 2-1 win against second-place New York City FC (11-9-8, 41 points) Sunday at a stormy Camping World Stadium.

Kaká earned his first multi-goal game in Major League Soccer (MLS) as the Lions took their seventh point of the season from 2015 expansion rival NYCFC.

“For me the most important thing tonight was the performance. I’m seeing continued improvement in the performance, continued improvement in how we’re defending and it’s pleasing,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said.

Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis

“Credit to the guys, they had a positive reaction to that adversity [from the beginning of the second half] and we end up winning. I’m really pleased for the players.”

Luke Boden, David Mateos, José Aja and Tommy Redding filled the back line, as Antonio Nocerino and Servando Carrasco manned the holding midfield behind a potent attack of Kevin Molino and Matías Pérez García with MLS All-Stars Kaká and Cyle Larin. Kevin Alston, Brek Shea and Tony Rocha–who made his fourth MLS appearance–came on in the second half.

Kaka
Kaka

Kaká opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a classic display of world-class skill. After working the ball up the right wing with Pérez García, the Brazilian superstar turned the corner on his defender and sprinted at NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders on the post.

Kaká’s first shot went through Saunders’ legs, but stopped just short of the line before he followed it up and tapped it in.

Orlando City continued applying pressure through the rest of the half as Larin, Kaká and Molino all had strong looks on goal. NYC would equalize early in the second half though, when Steven Mendoza fired home a close-range rebound after Joe Bendik made a strong save on another short-distance shot from Frank Lampard.

The Lions, urged on by 27,482 supporters that stuck around through heavy rain, pressed on for another go-ahead goal.

Orlando-City-NYCFC-580-2
Kaká earned his first multi-goal game in Major League Soccer (MLS) as the Lions took their seventh point of the season from 2015 expansion rival NYCFC. (OC Image)

Pérez García, who made his third start in purple, played a slick backheel pass to Kaká on the edge of the box. The captain took a touch to get open for a shot, forcing an NYCFC defender to trip him up. Kaká buried the penalty kick, sending Saunders the wrong way to win the game for City.

It took a special defensive effort from the Lions’ back line to stop the Eastern Conference’s third highest scoring team. Bendik made three saves, including on a strong shot from Lampard in the 81st minute that Bendik got his fingertips on to keep out of the goal. Aja also made several important clearances and Mateos continued his steady improvement under Kreis.

Orlando City SC recognized Orlando Pride in the Club’s National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) forward Christina Burkenroad at halftime for her work with the #RethinkHomelessnessYouth, part of the Orlando City Foundation and founding partner Orlando Health’s efforts to end youth homelessness in Orlando.

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Orlando Health will donate $1 (up to $20,000) for each post tagged with #RethinkHomelessnessYouth for tonight’s game.

The Lions go on a two-game road trip beginning Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Montreal with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff before going to Los Angeles on Sept. 11 to take on the Galaxy.

Orlando City returns to Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17, when it hosts Columbus Crew SC at 7:30 p.m. ET.