Orlando City Lions Begin Postseason Play Saturday!

Orlando City Soccer Club
Photo: Allison Petro

Orlando City Lions Begin Postseason Play Saturday Night

Pittsburgh Riverhounds come to town for opening round of USL PRO playoffs

ORLANDO, Fla.- Orlando City SC (16-4-6, 54 points, No. 2 seed) welcomes the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (10-8-8, 38 points, No. 7 seed) for the opening round of the 2013 USL PRO postseason this Saturday, August 24, at Fifth Third Bank Field at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Quarterfinal match kicks off the playoffs for the Lions, who will attempt to win their second USL PRO Championship in three years.

“I think the important thing is that anything less than our best won’t be good enough,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “We have to bring our ‘A’ game this Saturday.”

Orlando and Pittsburgh have met twice this season, with the Riverhounds holding the series advantage with one win and one draw in 2013. The most recent match saw Pittsburgh top the Lions 1-0 on August 3 at the Citrus Bowl.

The Riverhounds are led by Forward Jose Angulo, who finished tied atop the league’s goal-scoring leaders with 15 in 2013. The striker shares the Golden Boot title with Sporting Kansas City loanee and Forward Dom Dwyer, who also totaled 15 scores. Angulo’s 15 goals are nearly half of Pittsburgh’s team total, which ended at 36.

Playoffs are knockout-format, with the No.1 seed facing No.8, No.2 v No. 7, No. 3 v No.6, and No. 4 v No 5. Seeds remain the same after each round. If the Lions should advance past the first weekend of playoffs, the Semifinals would also be in Orlando- with the date set for Friday, August 30.

On the injury front, Midfielder Jamie Watson and Goalkeeper Jon Kempin will be working over the upcoming week to get back to full health- but Heath stressed that rushing injuries can lead to worse results.

“Depending on where they are, they may be available for Saturday’s game,” Heath added. “The important thing is to not rush them back.”

The Lions are 3-1-0 in postseason play in franchise history, which includes a victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders in the 2011 USL PRO Championship match in Orlando. Heath’s side was upset by the Wilmington Hammerheads 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs last year.

Tickets for the playoff game are available by calling (855) ORL-CITY or by visiting OrlandoCitySoccer.com. Tickets start at just $15.

Orlando City Soccer

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 OrlandoCitySoccer.com and OrlandoCityYouth.org.

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Wordless Wednesday: Happy Anniversary

Wordless Wednesday: August 20, 2013

Wordless Wednesday

This week’s Wordless Wednesday I am going to do something a little different…

I thought that I would share one of my favorite personal pictures. This is Dave and I (Thanks to Todd for taking the picture) at the Magic Kingdom during New Year’s Eve a few years ago. It’s my favorite picture of us, because it really shows how he is always there to support me no matter how crazy or silly my idea is at the time.

Today we celebrate our 9th Wedding Anniversary, and I am the luckiest gal in the world!

Dave, you are the most amazing husband, father, best friend, and partner in crime that I could ever dream of having in my life!

I love you!

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