Match Recap: Orlando City Falls to Fluminense FC

Orlando City
Photo Credit: Allison Petro


Orlando Puts Up Fight, Falls to Fluminense FC 4-3 In Front of 11,127

Club sets international friendly attendance record against Brazilian Champs Saturday night

Orlando City fell to Fluminense FC 4-3 Saturday night in front of 11,127 fans at Fifth Third Bank Field at the Florida Citrus Bowl, an international friendly club record for attendance. The mark was previously set back in July of 2011 against the English Premier League’s Newcastle United with 10,889.

“It was great for some of our younger players to play against them (Fluminense),” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “On the whole, I’m pleased with the evening.”

Saturday’s opponent, Fluminense FC, competes in Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A- the top level of Brazilian soccer. This year they are also one of the sides representing Brazil in the prestigious Libertadores of American Cup, making a great mid-season opponent for the Lions.

Orlando City
Photo Credit: Allison Petro

Orlando got on the scoreboard first, with league-leading scorer Dom Dwyer slotting his own give-and-go past Fluminense FC Ricardo Berna to give Orlando the 1-0 lead. In the 19th minute, Dwyer played a ball past a Fluminense defender, sprinting past the backline and finding space to convert a low roller to give Orlando a one-goal advantage.

Fluminense equalized in the final minutes of the first half, with a well-placed cross by Carlinhos finding Gum inside the 18-yard box- who whipped in a header to equalize the match at 1-1 in the 40th minute.

Orlando City
Photo Credit: Allison Petro

The Brazilian champs added a second goal at the beginning of the second half, with Ryner slotting in a score after Rafael found him in stride in the 47th minute. The striker put Orlando City Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo out of position, finding the back of the net for the 2-1 lead.

Two more goals were added by the Brazilian Champs in the second half, including individual strikes outside the 18 by Rafael and Samuel to put Fluminense up 4-1.

Orlando City
Photo Credit: Allison Petro

Orlando didn’t go into the night quietly, with two quick scores by the Lions in the 78th and 80th minutes cutting the lead down to one. Midfielder Adama Mbengue was involved with both scores, slotting home a goal after Jonathan Mendoza found the Senegal native in space while whipping a cross just two minutes later that eventually found the head of Jean Alexandre for the score. Despite the late attack, Fluminense held strong and came out on top with the 4-3 win.

Orlando City
Photo Credit: Allison Petro

The squad now turns their attention toward Wednesday night’s US Open Cup quarterfinal in Bridgeview, Ill., against Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Chicago Fire. Kickoff for the game is set for 8:30 p.m. EST. The Lions advanced past MLS affiliate Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in the last round of US Open Cup play, with an early score by Forward Long Tan giving Orlando the lead and win. The win marked the club’s first-ever win over Sporting KC and advancement to the quarterfinal round of the US Open Cup. If the Lions advance past Chicago, Orlando will host the semifinals onWednesday, August 7, at Fifth Third Bank Field at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Orlando previously topped MLS’ Colorado Rapids 3-1 at the Citrus Bowl and the PDL’s Ocala Stampede in the second and third rounds of the knockout tournament.

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is the oldest on-going national soccer competition in the United States and is open to United States Soccer Federation (USSF) affiliated teams. This year marks the centennial edition of the tournament. This year’s field consisted of 68 teams, the largest field in US Open Cup history.

Orlando City Fluminense FC Match Recap:

Team                      1    2    Final

Orlando City              1    2    3

Fluminense FC             1    3    4

Scoring Summary:

ORL- Dom Dwyer (unassisted) 19’

FLU- Gum (Carlinhos) 40’

FLU- Ryner (Rafael) 47’

FLU- Rafael 61’

FLU- Samuel 68’

ORL- Adama Mbengue (Jonathan Mendoza) 78’

ORL- Jean Alexandre (unassisted) 80’

 

Lineups/Substitutions:

Orlando City- GK Miguel Gallardo (Jon Kempin 61’), D Yann Songo’o, Bryan Burke (Erik Ustruck 67’), Luke Boden (Brian Fekete 75’), Rob Valentino (Oumar Diakhite 76’), M Anthony Pulis (Christian Duke 62’), Adama Mbengue, James O’Connor (Freddie Braun 61’), Kevin Molino (Jonathan Mendoza 68’), F Dom Dwyer (Dennis Chin 61’), Long Tan (Jean Alexandre 46’)

Fluminense FC- Ricardo Berna, Bruno, Gum, Edinho (Valencia 71’), Carlinhos, Digao, Wagner (Deco 78’), Rhayner (Biro Biro 72’), Rafael Sobis, Samuel (Felipe 74’), Fabio (Elivelton 86’)

Penalty Summary:

ORL- Anthony Pulis (Yellow) 42’

Match Facts:

Time of Match: 7:30 p.m. EST

Weather: Cloudy

Attendance: 11,127

Orlando City Soccer - Weekly Review

About Orlando City Soccer Club:

Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is a premier professional soccer sports franchise in the United States and is a member of the USL PRO. The Lion’s pro team has won two regular season titles and one postseason championship during their short time in Orlando. Outside of the pro squad, OCSC also has their own youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U23s team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs, visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com and www.orlandocityyouth.org.

 

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