Cyle Larin and Giles Barnes celebrating after scoring against NYCFC (Photo Credit: Orlando City SC)
Cyle Larin proves that he is a goal scoring machine against New York FC. Larin shows that he is a threat in the attacking third in a 2-0, Lion victory. Standing at 6’2”, 190 pounds, Larin possesses the skillset and speed of a smaller forward but can play like a giant. Earning a road victory for the Lions was crucial since they have not lost a game in their new home stadium
The Lions traveled up to Yankee Stadium to battle NYCFC for the second time in the 2017 season. Larin continued to display why he will be a problem for defenses around the MLS. The 31st minute is when Larin made a run between two defenders to score his first goal. 20 minutes later, Larin would be back to building a home on the scoreboard. A well placed header delivered from Donny Toia allowed for Larin to box out NYFC defender Rodney Wallace, before he headed the pass into the net. David Villa did not allow NYCFC to go down without a battle. Reminiscent of game 1, he toiled to create chances for his team to score. Villa capitalized on a set piece pass that he placed into the net and well out of reach of Lion goalkeeper Joe Bendik. Villa’s goal gave NYFC the proper momentum they needed to equalize but, they would come up short before as time ran out.
“I think the intensity we put into the last 50 minutes of the game was excellent, and I need to understand why we did not do it from the start” expressed NYFC coach Patrick Vieira during a post-game interview. NYCFC had created various opportunities to outscore the Lions throughout the game. In particular, David Villa blasted a shot on Lion Keeper Joe Bendik in extra time that he surely wishes would’ve found the back of the goal. “We put them under pressure. We closed them down and forced them to play difficult ball. That is what we need to do from the start” stated Vieira.
The Orlando City Lions sit are at the top of the MLS table with a 5-1 record. NYCFC sit in sixth place with a 3-1-3 record. “We just need to know how important these next few weeks are to bounce back. You never want to drop points but when you do it’s always good to try to rebound and get three points on the road. There’s a good test ahead of us but we’ll be prepared and I think everyone is really hungry to bounce back from this” stated NYCFC Midfielder John Stertzer. Next week, the Lions will be back in Orlando to face the Colorado Rapids as the NYFC head to Mapfre Stadium to play the Columbus Crew.
NYCFC
Orlando City
