Lions drain Battery, Hertzog bags first goal

By Mike Gramajo

LAKE BUENA VISTA — There’s a first time for everything and for Corey Hertzog, that’s his first league goal for the Purple Kits to continue their winning ways. 

Orlando City SC defeated Charleston Battery 2-0 on Saturday night at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, in front of 4,987 fans to remain unbeaten in USL PRO play. 

Hertzog converted his first goal in league play in the 42nd minute after Odisnel Cooper’s clearance found Kevin Molino who headed the ball back into the box, finding Hertzog to head the ball from close range for 1-0 lead. 

Molino capped the match in the 75th minute when Ausin da Luz executed on a Battery mistake, finding the Trinidad & Tobago international to tuck the ball behind the keeper. 

OCSC remain in first place in the league standings and finish with a 7-1-1 record in the month of May, with their only loss occurring against AS Roma during an international friendly. 

Heath confirmed with reporters that Kevin Molino (Trinidad & Tobago), Darwin Ceren (El Salvador) and Tommy Redding (United States U18) will ship out on Sunday for international duty. They will miss out on Orlando’s next league match on June 7 vs. Montreal Impact Reserves. 

Span’s winner lifts Orlando City to victory

By Mike Gramajo 

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — All it took was a dream debut to prevent a nightmare night. 

Brian Span’s late-game winner proved to be the difference, as Orlando City SC (2-2-0) defeated Charleston Battery 1-0 on Saturday night at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, in front of 4,826 fans. 

“It would of been a travesty if we hadn’t won the game with the chances we created,” Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath told reporters on the result. “Overall, I’m pleased with the win because I thought we deserved it. I think the stuff we were disappointed last week was the general work ethic, but I thought we were very good at that tonight.” 

Span, who came in as a second-half substitute for midfielder Aodhan Quinn in the 56th minute, found the back of the net after midfielder Adama Mbengue sent in a low cross, which found Span unmarked in the box as he slotted the ball past Charleston Battery goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper in the 74th minute. 

“It felt great, I was really preparing myself for any time my moment was,” Span said on his game-winning goal. “Coach was telling us to get into the box, and he wanted us to get many numbers in the box, and I was in the right place, right time.” 

Heath made three substitution throughout the game, all of which came early in the second half. Dennis Chin and Adama Mbengue entered the match in the 58th minute for Austin da Luz and Corey Hertzog. 

OCSC goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo earned his first clean sheet of the season despite making only one save, with much of the credit paid to Orlando’s back line that stopped the Battery from scoring. 

A strong second-half surge from Orlando proved to pay a huge factor in the victory, outshooting the Battery 8-1 as they finished with a total of 14 shoots for the total tally mark. 

In the first half, possession was evenly shared, but it was the Battery that had the upper hand after they came a lot closer to opening the scoreboard. Charleston outshot Orlando 7-5, much of the action came from the flanks when Battery midfielder Zach Prince tried taking advantage of 17-year old left back Tyler Turner.  

Corey Hertzog nearly came to scoring twice for the Lions before the halftime whistle after Turner found him in a low cross, only for Hertzog to send the ball wide of the post. 

The second chance arrived moments later when the midfielder Austin da Luz found Hertzog in a through ball, leaving Hertzog in a one-on-one scenario with Battery goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper which resulted into the ball being sent high over the cross bar. 

City’s second-consecutive victory will follow with a road trip on Tuesday, April 22, when they take on the FC Dallas Reserves. In the meantime, they sit provisionally atop the USL Pro standings with eight points. 

Photo: OCSC 

Orlando City draws Charleston at Blackbaud in 2014 USL Pro season opener

Photo - OSJ staff file

CHARLESTON, SC. — In the first match of their final USL PRO season, Orlando City SC drew the Charleston Battery 1-1 at Blackbaud Stadium. After conceding in the second half, City equalized in the 75^th minute when new signing Austin Da Luz scored his first goal in purple and white.

The opening USL PRO match featured two of the league’s powerhouse teams, as both sides have claimed the past four USL PRO Championships.

Coming into today’s match, City has had the upper-hand against Charleston with the Lions’ boasting an 8-1-2 all-time record against the Battery. Most recently, Orlando defeated the Battery twice in three matches in 2013, including a win in the USL PRO semi-finals.

However, in the 2014 season-opener, the home-side began on the strong-foot and caused City to make numerous nervous clearances. Charleston’s chances came within the first five minutes, but Miguel Gallardo’s quality saves brought reassurance to the City backline.

After a turbulent start to the match, Orlando began settling in, and their possessive style of play became evident. By holding on to the ball, City controlled the tempo and forced Charleston to chase with heavy numbers in behind the ball.

Orlando City’s first chance of the match would come in the 11^th minute when Austin Da Luz was found on the left-side of the area and drilled a low effort that was destined for the back of the net. Unfortunately for City, veteran Defender John Wilson managed to make a last-minute clearance from the goal-line to keep the match level.

New signing, Aodhan Quinn was given the nod from Head Coach Adrian Heath for his professional debut and had a good opportunity to put the Lions ahead in the 22^nd minute. Orlando was awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position, just outside the Battery’s area, but Quinn placed his effort just over the bar.

The best chance of the half came in the 43^rd minute, after an impressive build-up from the Lions. After a strong-challenge from Defender Justin Clark, City coordinated a calculated counter-attack that featured several one-twos and allowed Molino to find space in the final third.

Molino’s final effort forced Odisnel Cooper to parry it over the bar, providing an encouraging sign. in a first half that didn’t feature many clear-cut chances. The 0-0 score-line at halftime was a fair a reflection of the first 45, as neither side was able to create very many dangerous efforts on target.

The second half began with a much different tone, as Midfielder Darwin Ceren hit a cracking effort that skipped within inches of the post. In his USL PRO debut, the El Salvadorian National Team Captain was relatively quiet in the opening half but looked threatening with his first chance of the match.

Ceren was involved once again in the attacking third for Orlando in the 55^th minute. After a poor clearance from the Battery, the ball landed back out to Ceren who skipped past Wilson and floated a lovely ball into Yordany Alvarez, whose header was saved by Cooper.

Moments later, Hertzog got his first good look of the game and nearly capitalized on an error from the Charleston backline. Known as a poacher, the former Vancouver Whitecaps Striker got in behind the defense and hit a strong effort that went just over the bar.

Nevertheless, the Battery continued to cushion Orlando’s heavy numbers and employ their pace up front for their counter-attacking tactics, leading to the first goal of the match.

Mamadou Diouf, who was brought on by Battery Head Coach Mike Anhauser in 58^th minute, was released on the left-hand-side and took advantage of the lack of City defenders.

The speedy midfielder cut inside the area and snuck his effort past Gallardo at the near-post, putting Charleston up 1-0 in the 65^th minute.

In light of the Battery’s goal, the numerous supporters who travelled to South Carolina for the opening match began singing even louder, motivating the Lions to push forward in search of a goal.

The Lions’ fans would get their wish when Da Luz pounced on a loose ball inside the area placed his strike past Cooper for the equalizer in the 75^th minute.

Orlando made no effort to settle for a draw though, as Heath brought on attacking Midfielder Adama Mbengue and Forward Dennis Chin to provide more firepower up front.

Charleston, on the other hand, began dropping deeper in an attempt to secure at least a point. City continued to probe and found several chances from crosses into the box, but the Battery’s progression deeper into their half made it difficult to break-through and find a winner.

The Lions will now return back to Orlando to play their USL PRO home-opener against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at City’s 2014 stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

In 2013, City squared up against the Riverhounds three times and held a 1-1-1 record, with their only victory coming in the USL PRO playoffs at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

— Press release via Jhamie Chin / Orlando City SC