Orlando City Lions Blank Riverhounds 5-0,
Will Host Semifinals Friday Night
Tan records brace in win, Orlando to face Charleston Battery Friday
Orlando City SC (No. 2 seed) defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (No.7 seed) 5-0 Saturday night in the USL PRO Quarterfinals, advancing to the league Semifinals. 8,486 fans watched the Lions top the Riverhounds, with Orlando set to host the Charleston Battery on Friday, August 30, in the league Semifinals.
“I think the work rate that (Long) Tan and (Dennis) Chin produced set the tone for the entire night,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “My favorite quote to the players is ‘The supporters want to see you play like they would play if they had a chance.’ I think they did that tonight.”
The Lions got off to a hot start, with a goal occurring in just the 3rd minute of play. A well-placed corner by Winger Luke Boden found the head of Forward Long Tan- who whipped his attempt past Pittsburgh Goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap for the 1-0 lead.
Immediately following, Pittsburgh went on the attack- with Riverhounds’ Midfielder Rob Vincent finding himself with open space behind the Orlando backline in the 4th minute. Vincent slid his attempt past Orlando Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo, only for Defender Rob Valentino to make a sliding save inside the box- clearing the chance out of danger.
Just a minute later, the Lions converted a second goal, with Renan Boufleur cleaning up a loose ball inside the 6-yard box for the score. After an Anthony Pulis corner, Tan flicked it on for Boufleur in open space inside the 18-yard box- with the Phoenix FC loanee blasting it home for the 2-0 lead in just the 5th minute of play.
Orlando didn’t let up for the remainder of the first 45 minutes, with Pittsburgh having few chances against a solid backline that included Valentino, Erik Ustruck, Luke Boden and Boufleur.
The second half started off much like the first, with a quick score by Orlando giving the Lions a comfortable 3-0 lead. After getting behind the Pittsburgh defense, Chin played a brilliant back heel pass to Tan – with the striker putting his shot past Gilstrap for his second goal of the night. The two scores in one game by Tan was the first time the striker notched a brace since joining the team in the 2012-13 offseason.
Orlando tacked on two more goals to seal the deal, with Chin converting in the 68th minute while Midfielder Anthony Pulis drove home a penalty kick in the 79th for the 5-0 advantage and victory.
The Lions will face the defending league Champions Charleston Battery in the league Semifinals on Friday, August 30, at Fifth Third Bank Field at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Orlando holds a 7-1-2 advantage (W-L-T) against the Battery, with the most recent meeting on July 11 resulting in a Lions win.
Tickets are available for Friday night’s Semifinal by calling (855) ORL-CITY or by visiting OrlandoCitySoccer.com. The ticket office will have extended office hours leading up to the match: Sun 10am-2pm; Mon-Thu 9am-7pm; Fri 9am-2pm. Tickets will also be available on Friday at the Florida Citrus Bowl box office after 2p. For more information on the upcoming playoff game and more, please visit OrlandoCitySoccer.com.
Orlando City Match Recap
Team 1 2 Final
Orlando City 2 3 5
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
ORL- Long Tan (Luke Boden) 3rd
ORL- Renan Boufleur (unassisted) 5th
ORL- Long Tan (Dennis Chin) 48th
ORL- Dennis Chin (Long Tan) 68th
ORL- Anthony Pulis (penalty) 80th
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City- GK Miguel Gallardo, D Rob Valentino, Erik Ustruck, Renan Boufleur, Luke Boden, M James O’Connor (Ian Fuller 80’), Anthony Pulis, Adama Mbengue (Christian Duke 67’), Kevin Molino, F Long Tan (Freddie Braun 77’), Dennis Chin (Jean Alexandre 72’)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds- GK Hunter Gilstrap, D Sterling Flunder, Rich Costanzo (Mike Seamon 58’), Mike Green, Andrew Marshall, M Rob Vincent, Kevin Kerr (Stefan Lundberg 58’), Alfonso Motaglvan, Matt Dallman (Ryan Kinne 76’), F Mike Seth, Jose Angulo
Penalty Summary:
PIT- Andrew Marshall (Yellow) 4th
ORL- Luke Boden (Yellow) 54th
Match Facts:
Time of Match: 7:30 p.m. EST
Weather: Cloudy/Light Rain
Attendance: 8,486
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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