Sports stats



Lions Prove Ferocious at Home Once Again, Defeat Dayton Dutch Lions

August 31, 2014 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orlando City SC News Release


Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - Orlando City SC (18-4-4, 58 points) celebrated its 100th USL PRO match with a convincing 7-0 victory over the Dayton Dutch Lions (6-17-4, 22 points) at ESPN Wide World of Sports (WWOS) on Saturday night. The victory moved the Lions a step closer in their pursuit of the coveted Commissioner's Cup.

Midfielder Kevin Molino continued his excellent attacking form during the win, scoring his second hat-trick of the season while providing two assists. The midfielder's 2014 goal tally now stands at 19.

Commenting on the 7-0, Head Coach Adrian Heath said, "I'm pleased for the boys because the past few weeks haven't been easy. It's nice to get a result like that, moving six points ahead with two games to go. We've given ourselves a really good opportunity. I've said in the past that we've left a lot of goals on the table, but today we went after it."

Orlando went on the attack early on in the game, putting Dayton Goalkeeper Matt Williams under immense pressure. After hitting the post and forcing Williams to make several saves, the Lions opened the scoring in the 6th minute of play when Molino calmly curled Giuseppe Gentile's pass into the back of the net.

Gentile and Molino proved to be a dangerous tandem all night, breaking down the Dutch Lions' defense on several occasions. As a result, Gentile scored his second goal in Purple and White in the 38th minute after pouncing on a rebound originally struck by Molino.

Two minutes later, Gentile was once again involved in an Orlando City goal, creating a prime scoring opportunity for Molino. The striker latched onto Molino's pass and hit a shot that was saved by Williams, but the goalkeeper's deflection landed in Molino's path setting up a comfortable finish for his 18th goal of the season.

City opened the second half with the same relentless attack from the first 45, scoring in the opening four minutes from Darwin Ceron's cross in the box. Ceron's service found Molino for a clear look at goal, but the Trinidadian unselfishly opted to knock it wide to da Luz whose powerful volley found the back of the net.

The onslaught continued in the 57th minute when Molino bagged his second hat-trick of the season. The Trinidadian pounced on another save from Williams on Gentile's strike, slotting home his third goal of the night.

Three minutes later Molino continued to cause problems for the Dutch Lions' defense, playing a crafty through-ball to Mbengue who went one-on-one with the 'keeper.

The Senegalese midfielder took his chance well and carefully placed the ball into the back of the net to give the Lions an astonishing 6-0 advantage with 30 minutes left to play.

Shortly afterward Rafael Ramos created the ultimate finish for Orlando, whipping a precise ball into the box for da Luz, who nodded home a strong header for his second goal of the match.

NEXT MATCH: The Lions are set to take on the Wilmington Hammerheads on September 3. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Legion Stadium.

For more information on Orlando City SC, 2015 MLS Season Tickets or tickets to the Club's remaining USL PRO home games, including the Lions' first playoff game on Sept. 13, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com or call 855-ORL-CITY. Also, follow the latest Orlando City news and updates via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 31, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central