Photo: Orlando City
Even Adrian Heath, the wise and hardened soccer veteran, probably couldn’t have predicted the final result of Saturday’s match between Orlando City and the Montreal Impact.
With his squad depleted to just 13 field players, Orlando’s gaffer was prepared to defend robustly, hoping to of sneaking out of Quebec with a solid point on the road. As it turned out, the Lions allowed more goals than in any game this season. Yet somehow they still managed to get that point.
Credit Heath for finding a scheme to exploit the strengths of the players he had available. With four starters called away to international duty, the Lions abandoned their usual 4-2-3-1 formation and opted instead for a defensive-minded 3-4-3 set-up.
Luke Boden and Tyler Turner, normally reserve fullbacks, were forced into action —both made their MLS debuts— as hybrid fullback/defensive midfielders in front of a three-man back line, effectively giving Orlando five natural defenders on the field. Okugo and Avila, both defensive midfielders, locked down the center of the pitch, while Kaka, Ribeiro and Mwanga formed the three-man, and mostly isolated, attacking unit.
The plan seemed to fall apart almost immediately. In just the 14th minute, Orlando’s Sean St. Ledger was whistled for a handball in the box and Ignacio Piatti drilled a penalty shot past the outstretched arms of Donovan Ricketts to put Montreal on top.
Then, in the 27th minute, Jack McInerney skillfully chipped two players, including the out-of-position Ricketts, to put the home side up by two and, one would think, firmly out of reach.
But the Montreal supporters had hardly finished singing their celebratory Olé’s when Luke Boden delivered a fine cross to Kaka (who else?) who immediately drew the attention of three Montreal defenders. The Brazilian dished off to his compatriot, Pedro Ribeiro, who calmly hit the back of the net to pull the away side back to within one.
Moments later the two Brazilians linked up again. This time Ribeiro forced a turnover at midfield, penetrated into the box and slid the ball to Kaka who defiantly drew the score even at two.
Four goals had been scored in 30 minutes. Not exactly the defensive battle Heath had imagined. Except that the next 60 minutes morphed into what the first 30 should have been: both teams fighting and clawing for, well, nothing at all.
Two goals each was all this match was going to deliver, yet Orlando City left the Stade Olympique with exactly what they had come for: a point and a moral victory.
“I’m really delighted with the players’ attitude,” Adrian Heath said later. “I can’t praise the players enough. It’s been a difficult week for us with so many of the guys missing and this is a difficult place to come and play.”
