RBNY v Orlando
NY comes out with a very young lineup, the top goal getter of last year and of recent years is on the bench for a very young RBNY player in Hall. Many teenagers, many question as their new DP has not exactly filled the goal in his pro career thus far, with 16 goals and 9 assists in 100 games, good for .41 points per game, not even per 90, not even close to worthy of the big bucks if you ask me, please let the season prove me wrong. There is a 52% chance of a win for the home team.
From the word GO!, NY is pressing big time, it pays off with some steals but the ball has been lost in their offensive third. A ball over the top by NY is 20 yards beyond anyone. Down the wing into the area, nodded away and NY Holds, Cartegena steals and a throw for his side. Over the top headed into the area and Horvath well off his line to cover that up. Lead ball by NY into a pair of defenders is lost, a ball in, cleared out. Nealis and McGuire battle a bit and NY winds up with it. Hall with a great look, misses the ball and George is a bit short, Cowell a bit off on the follow up but does get a shot off. Lost at midfield by NY and a long pass to Horvath is sent back out. Donkor gets forward for Cowell at the endline he goes into the area, back, well out and now back again. Back out to Cade, he gets it twice and both times goes inside. NY not letting the ball out and keeping the pressure. Forsberg seems to run out of field but cuts it back for a first time shot and it is 1-0 off the foot of Hall. NY are just creating havoc as it just paid its first dividend. Spicer goes endline only to be turned away. Cowell after it and it is recovered by NY. Donkor pulled down by Cartagena and it is blown down. Cowell comes back for a ball and now to the backfield of NY again, and again. Into the area for George but he is off. Emil with a steal to George outside. Donkor at the center of the field, George is high on a shot, Hall beats the GK, but offside as he tucked away the rebound. Cartegena is down, another player is up. Guske is in at 14’. Horvath makes it interesting as he tracks a ball to him that was on net from a teammate. Outside to George, he goes back to Che. Dos Santos for George down the line and he pulls it back to Emil now to the center circle. Driven in and headed out but NY holds. Cowell on the wing and has it tackled out of touch, off him, goal kick. Orlando, unable to get forward, pulls it back. Guske suffers a foul near midfield. Dos Santos steals for George, across the area off the defender and off Donkor out of play. It is observed he did not get over the ball, etc. it was played to his feet by the defender a few feet away, no time to set himself. Cowell beats a pair, looks for Hall and defended out by Marin for a deep NY throw. Off Spicer a bit further back, NY throw. Cowell across the 6, at the edge of the 6 is George it is lost and Spicer plays it into a defender for a throw near midfield, back to the GK. Cowell into the area and George now muffs a shot, they must be tucked away, you will only get but so many. George across the 6, Crepeau and a defender get tangled. Emil on the corner at 24’, what a fast moving game. Hall penned in by the defense, Marshall-Ruddy sends one in from far but it was just wide and held by the backstop of Orlando. Cowell outside carries it leaves it out for Marshall-Ruddy into the 6, the GK grabs it. Cowell gets in a hard tackle on Orlando and he is writhing in pain, no acting. Again Cowell puts a player down, this one far less force. George holds, takes a shot, pushed wide, Cowell seeks to roof it and it goes off the frame. George loses it in the area. Spicer beats a few, lays it forward and Che gets to it, Orlando holds. NY is pressing and playing physical. Ojeda has the first shot of his team blocked, Donkor for George at the endline and wins a corner. Emil over the ball, Che in the center of the area, headed out far down field, NY throw near midfield. That the game is so close with so many chances from the visitors is a great thing for the home team. Orlando are clearly on their heels. George to Donkor for Emil at the top of the area, lost and a break for Orlando, NY had numbers and a long distance shot is at Horvath, a player is down, Nealis stays down. Hall taken down a late whistle has the crowd whistling, I see no foul. DFK from 30 yards, shooting distance for sure for Emil. Lofted, Orlando gets to it but Marshall-Ruddy for Che and then endline his offering over the endline by Spicer, Dos Santos to take this one at 35’. Center of the 6, Orlando skies and partially cleared. What a touch by Horvath under some pressure he takes the cleared ball down and passes it off. Orlando steals a ball and gives it right away in the NY defensive third. Marin gets beyond a pair his ball in, turned away. Dos Santos gets the ball on a pass. Emil outside, Forsberg with an in the air side volley and off a defender. What a ball from Cowell for Emil. The Swede over the corner at 37’. Shot and a high ball over the top, Nealis called for foul on Marin in the area. 14 touches for Hall and McGuire has 3, is that ever lopsided, Hall of course has a goal and another great look. Cowell with a quick shot and pushed out by the GK. Corner far side of the 6, another corner this one unlike the last by Dos Santos is for Emil. Hall has been getting moved around a lot now his mark hears it from the ref. At the post Crepeau missed it a bit, again Hall, a ball through the 6. 2-0 at 40’. As great as this looks, the ball from Mahmeti is all but a set piece. NY wants this half to go forever as the home team cannot have it end soon enough. Marin and Spicer combine and NY gets a goal kick, but a decent run by Orlando. Shot totals are 13-2. George into the area, blocked and NY holds Donkor on the side of the area. Donkor on the far side, to Cade, through the 6 into the hands of the GK, upfield by Orlando and Horvath all but gives it away in the area at 43’. Emil springs a player wide, Marshall- Ruddy fed and his effort was just wide. Across the 6 again off the foot of Hall, nobody home. On the wing, Orlando gets forward, then go back. Spicer looks in and Cowell sends it out, he is covering so well. The throw by Spicer into the area and cleared out, Orlando goes to the GK. Marin gets it and back he is marked well, Spicer gets it, Che steals and a caution on Spicer as he took down Hall late and he is holding on to his ankle. With the injuries, 5’ of added time. Che drives the ball well out at midfield, Orlando go back in the waning minutes of the opening half. Spicer looks in, Che heads it out and Orlando hold to their backfield. Dos Santos taken down and the play is whistled down. Nealis with a long DFK, gets to the GK and now Orlando getting forward, Spicer saves it for Marshall-Rudddy, Marin with a great tackle, Dorsey on the wing, NY has number defending. Well back as Orlando hold the ball near the area and the half ends.
The boo birds are loud and the 24k strong faithful in Orlando are making their feelings known. Orlando has to find a way to slow this game down, or be fully left in the dust. NY missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years as Orlando squeaked in, NY wants to make a statement in this game.
Miller and Angulo on for Orlando. NY goes back to the GK, his ball goes out just in the half of Orlando. Orlando over the top for Orlando, Nealis sends it out of play in his defensive third. A long throw into the area expected, Dorsey looks far side of the 6, it is out of play NY goal kick. George at midfield plays it to the foot of Orlando and they hold to the top of their area. Caution to NY for pulling the shirt of his mark by Che. Nealis again puts out a fire defending a ball in, out, but in his defensive end. Another long throw from Spicer now and cleared out a bit. NY still pressing all over the field, Ojeda for Dorsey and Marshall-Rudy sends him to the ground with a push from behind. Lots of pushing going on, Mina and Guske, Minar getting the best of him as the corner headed in by Ojeda, Dorsey nods it home, a handball calls it back. A talking head refers to the laws as rules, a mother in the stands seems to say a curse with a child at her side. McGuire has space, takes a number of more touches and his shot is blocked. At just 54’, this so far is the tale of 2 halves, NY barely getting the ball and Orlando with a few good chances. Orlando with a turnover in their defensive third and they hold on the other side, Marin to Spicer and NY gets a goal kick, the tide has ripped out not just turned. RBNY now have an 83% chance of winning. On the doorstep, McGuire cannot touch it home, off the glove of Horvath. Out on the wing Orlando loses it NY getting forward, Ojeda sends Emil sprawling the ref right there, no call. George gets forward his ball to Donkor just off, back to George he drops now outside for Cade. NY holds back and forth across the field Cade to Emil and it is off the woodwork. Emil now from the top of the area and high. Marin great ball to Spicer, in to McGuire defended out for a corner at the hour mark, still Orlando doing far better. Nealis on the much taller McGuire, to Miller, he is too high on his header. Forseberg for George, NY wins a corner. Emil over to the far post punched up and recovered. A break by Orlando, Ojeda for Spicer loses it in the area, foul and yellow on Mehmeti at 63’. Horvath sets his wall. Ojeda over the ball with McGFuire, Ojeda beats the wall but not the GK what a save, for another corner. Ojeda puts it atop the goal. Ethan just earned his first game check for NY. Mina & Valencia set to enter for Dos Santos and Marshall-Ruddy. NY with a long clearing ball, played by Orlando to their GK. Back out Che gets to it NY holds then out for a throw. From midfield to their GK, Emil goes down on a challenge. Spicer from Angulo as Orlando is high and wide. NY off the frame from the paw of the GK again by Mina, his first touch. Mina too much for Cade in the area. Orlando take a clearing ball, they look into the area Mina sends it out. Spicer into the area Mcguire cannot get to the flick on, into their defensive half then Orlando keeps it, Nealis puts it over the endline for a corner at 70’. Ojeda inside, shot and Ethan again saves the day. Valencia called for a foul. From wide and 25 yards, Horvath is first to the ball. Mina plays it out, taken away, foul called on Orlando. Very long ball to George lost to Dorsey, played to NY, they go back . Mina under pressure to Ethan. Cade has been quiet this half. Emil outside for Donkor and he does not get a touch on it. Chupo-Moting is up. Angulo beats a bunch now Dorsey and curls back to Angulo who directs it to Horvath. Emil to Donkor Cowell sends it in, deflected back and off him for a goal kick. Che is down. George out as is Mehmeti. Trainers are on for Che and a player is up for him but the trainer is telling them to hold off on that change. Thiago in for Orlando in for Spicer Brazil for TNT. Ojeda loses Hall, Valencia fouls DFK from halfway between the side of the area and touchline at about 15 yards. Ojeda to take it, knocked down in the 6, Hall nutmegged, now Valencia and NY is coming out Choup-Moting with a lead ball, it gets lost and Orlando has it NY takes it in their defensive third give it up and get a throw. Foul on NY at the bottom of the circle at 80”. Donkor for Emil he passes a shot at the GK. Thiago from McGuire, Horvath comes out of the area and clears it out. Orlando with a deep throw with less than 10 to go. Dorsey to the area nodded out and Angulo for Ojeda, Thiago with the header and Ojeda with a shot defended out for a corner, clear of the 6, blasted on goal and another corner to come. Ojeda looking on goal and finds the top of the net again. Dorsey wins a tackle seeks McGuire NY takes it out of the air and now getting forward with Cowell on the wing, he looks in gets it back and now goes back. Again Cowell and again back a bit, Che moves up goes across for Valencia, what a blast, saved and Emil sends the rebound back, saved, NY holds, Taifi in for Dorsey at 86’. Dorsey trained just 1.5days, he fit right in, he will prove to be a great addition. Rosborough for Hall, last year with RBNYII. Emil passes to the ref. NY with a late corner at 89’, Emil kills some time g getting to the corner mark. His effort is high and far onto Valencia to Chupo-Moting off his head and then shot but offside. Donkor with a great steal to Rosborough and back now. Cowell blocked out for a corner. Emil for this one as well, it goes short to Che now outside with 5’ left. Rosborough with a deft move and ball but off the mark a bit. NY with an easy giveaway but recover outside for Cowell and Rosborough fouls in the area. NY throw at the Orlando technical area and it pops through to Cowell no he does not shoot it, he does and it does not have much on it to the GK. Thiago does not get all of it and Horvath covers it up. Horvath again out of the area and heads it down. Forsberg, now Chupo-Moting and a whistle. Horvath off his line and a break beats him as he did not get back fast enough 2-1 at 96’. Tiago sends it home from the top center of the 18. This is why you stay home as a GK, for all the balls he did get to when he was not near the goal where they were not terribly dangerous, but to lose the shutout like that.