Orlando came into Saturday’s game with an unblemished record, perched comfortably atop USL Pro standings. Their team was strong, but weary, playing nine games in the month of May. Charleston came to town hovering just below .500. The team wasn’t bad, just a bit unlucky, and they played like they had something to prove when they took the pitch against Orlando.
The first action of the night came in the second minute when OC defender Tyler Turner flew down the sideline for a narrow miss. Shortly after, City’s keeper Miguel Gallardo would be tested with a shot right to his grill which he deflected with ease. Gallardo would have himself a day, rejecting a shot across his body at 14’. The remainder of the first quarter had a disjointed feel for City. Forward Corey Hertzog was called offside at 16’. Striker Kevin Molino split two defenders like a knife at 22’ before passing backward for a turnover. In the 23rd minute, Molino would repeat his mistake, passing into turnover once again. The tone of the crowd changed from uneasy to enraged when Molino was driving in the 27th minute. As he brought back his leg for the shot, a defender collided with him, bringing Kevin to the ground. A mirror of that play would happen at 32’. Again Molino would go for the shot, again the defender would contact him from behind. The crowd dissatisfaction was evident as the Orlando City faithful looked at the scoreboard and only saw doughnuts, but the Lions chance would soon come.
In the 42nd minute, shortly after two misses by his teammates, Corey Hertzog banged home a header for the one-nil lead. This was Hertzog’s first goal in USL Pro play on the year. Coach Adrian Heath has recently been complimentary of Corey’s selfless play. When asked about the score, Coach Heath said of his scrappy foreword “He got his rewards I think, tonight, for the work he put in over the last few games”. Hertzog echoed his coach’s statement, saying “I was focused on not so much scoring, but playing like I used to.” The former New York Red Bull finally got his reward tonight, and the chants of “Hert-zog Hert-zog” carried on throughout the night.
The second period opened in a flurry of yellow cards. First, City defender Tyler Turner was knocked to the ground, causing a card for Zach Prince of the Battery at 50'. Next, Lions Midfielder Darwin Ceren was carded for his physical play on Charleston defender John Williams at 51'. At 53’, Charleston was rewarded a free kick, which Gallardo picked out of the crowded box with no problem. For the next twenty minutes, the match became very physical as well as less controlled. Both teams dug in their heels as Charleston advanced again and again only to be rejected each time. At 73’ the stadium erupted alongside Tyler Turner as it appeared he had scored the first goal of his career. However, his hopes were soon brought crashing down by an offside penalty. The City fans wouldn’t have to wait long for more fireworks, however. At 75’, Molino turned a Da Luz pass into his ninth goal of the season, the Lions second on the day. For the rest of the half, City played solid defense and cruised comfortably into a final score of 2-0.
Orlando City will be getting some much needed rest this week before their match on June 7th against the Montreal Impact Reserves in Orlando.