Orlando City to Battle Harrisburg City Islanders in USL PRO Title Game

Published on September 2, 2011 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orlando City SC News Release


ORLANDO - On Saturday, Orlando City will square off against the Harrisburg City Islanders in the USL PRO Championship Game. Kickoff for the league championship match is set for 7 pm at the Citrus Bowl for the FOX Soccer national broadcast.

On Saturday, the Lions look to make history. Orlando as a city has not won a professional sports championship in a decade. Orlando City, having stormed through the USL PRO playoffs, is on track to change that. The Lions have outscored their opponents 6-1 in the playoffs this season, and have outscored their championship match opponent 7-1 in their two previous meetings with the City Islanders.

Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath is well aware of the team's previous success against Harrisburg. He is well aware that the history of sports is filled with teams that fell victim to their own hype, and were shocked by an underdog. The Lions have focused all week on not being complacent and remembering that the match is not played on paper.

"We're going to have to treat them with the respect they deserve and go about it in a professional manner," said Heath. "Anything less than that and we can get beat."

Apart from staying focused, the key to victory for Orlando will be adapting quickly to their opponent. The lopsided 4-0 score line hides it, but Harrisburg was the stronger team for much of the first half when the Lions and Islanders last met. Orlando City's ability to bounce back after a poor first half propelled them to that 4-0 on August 12. Heath's squad looks to adapt even more quickly to their opponent this match, and is confident they can secure a victory and a championship if they do.

The Lions will be without key defender Kieron Bernard for the match. The Jamaican international tore his hamstring last week against Richmond and will be unavailable. His usual replacement, fellow Jamaican Demar Stewart, will also miss the match as he had to return to Jamaica for family reasons. Heath has several other replacement options, and has remained quiet on just how he will handle the situation.

The player to watch for the Lions is super-sub and local product Dennis Chin. Chin has exploded on to the USL PRO scene in recent weeks, and has become a key factor in the Lions offense. The Rollins College alum has scored in the last three Lions matches, including the game winners against Harrisburg in the regular season finale and the playoff opener against Charleston.

Tickets for this historic match are still available and start at just $12. To order tickets, call 855-ORL-CITY (855-675-2489). Tickets will also be available at the Citrus Bowl box office beginning at 4 pm on Saturday. For more information, visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com today.

Proposed Line-up (unofficial):

GK: Miguel Gallardo

DF: Jerome Mechack, Rob Valentino, Lawrence Olum, Luke Boden

MF: Kevin Molino, Yordany Alvarez, Ian Fuller, Lewis Neal

FW: Jamie Watson, Max Griffin

Subs:

Sean Kelley,Jack Traynor, Wes Allen, Erik Ustruck, Charlie Campbell, Devorn Jorsling, Dennis Chin

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 2, 2011


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