Orlando Continues Winning Start
April 23, 2012 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release
RICHMOND, Va. - Second-half goals by Luke Boden and Anthony Pulis gave Orlando City its third consecutive victory to start the USL PRO season as the Lions took a 2-0 victory against the Richmond Kickers on Saturday night at City Stadium.
In overcast conditions, both sides had chances to take the lead, with Matt Delicate and David Bulow both being denied by Orlando goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo and Jamie Watson shooting over for the Lions. Seven minutes into the second half the game entered a 42-minute lightning delay, after which Orlando pressed the issue.
The pressure paid off in the 61st minute from a corner as Ian Fuller's delivery found Boden for his first goal of the season. Fuller had only come on moments before, replacing John Rooney.
Richmond tried to hit back, and forced Gallardo into a spectacular double save in the 71st minute as it searched for an equalizer. But Orlando put the game away in the 89th minute after Dennis Chin was brought down in the penalty area, with Pulis converting from the penalty spot.
Orlando and Richmond will meet again Saturday at the Florida Citrus Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET to complete the home-and-home series between the two teams.
TUESDAY
CHARLESTON 3, CHARLOTTE 0: A pair of first-half goals by Tony Donatelli and Ryan Richter led the Charleston Battery to victory against the Charlotte Eagles at Winthrop University. JC Mack III added a third goal late on to put the game away as the Battery won their second game of the season.
The Eagles had the first good chance of the game in the 17th minute as Joseph Kabwe drove a low shot that was saved by Battery goalkeeper Andrew Dkystra. Charleston created their first chance moments later, as Tony Donatelli creating an opening for Ryan Richter only for Eric Reed to save for the Eagles.
The Battery took the lead in the 22nd minute as Jose Cuevas created a chance for Donatelli with a well-flighted cross that the veteran was able to put home, giving Reed little chance. The Battery then doubled their lead just before the halftime break, with Richter breaking the offside trap on a counter-attack before firing a low shot past Reed at his near post.
Charlotte made four substitutions at the break, and one of them almost paid immediate dividends as Mauricio Salles went close to pulling a goal back five minutes into the second half with a crisp volley that went over the crossbar. The Eagles continued to press, but couldn't find a decisive final touch in the penalty area on a handful of chances to pull a goal back as Salles continued to make his presence felt.
Charleston almost added to its lead with just more than 15 minutes to go as Jose Cuevas' driven shot was saved by Reed, but the Battery put the game away with three minutes to go as JC Mack tucked away the rebound after Richter's shot was initially saved.
FRIDAY
ROCHESTER 2, LOS ANGELES 0: Second-half goals by Andrew Hoxie and JC Banks allowed the Rochester Rhinos to claim victory against the Los Angeles Blues at Titan Stadium, giving the Rhinos two wins out of two on their west coast trip to open the USL PRO season.
After a slow opening half-hour, the game began to pick up steam. The Rhinos got the first good opportunity as Blues goalkeeper Jose Miranda mishandled a through-ball that came to Danny Earls on the right side of the penalty area. Miranda was able to recover enough to get a piece of Earls' shot before Ricky Waddell completed the clearance.
Los Angeles then came close moments later to opening the scoring, as George Davis IV's rifled shot from 25 yards flashing just wide of the right post. Rochester's Drew Cost also went close, his shot from outside the penalty area following a corner being deflected just over the crossbar.
Rochester scored twice quickly to start the second half as halftime substitute Hoxie gave the Rhinos the lead in the 50th minute, rifling home a shot from 25 yards into the left corner of the net. The Rhinos doubled their advantage six minutes later as Miranda was able to parry Hoxie's header from a corner, but Tam McManus was able to swing the ball back into the penalty area, finding Banks for a close-range header.
Hoxie almost added his second when he was able to break in on goal alone, but Miranda was able to deny him with a fine save. The Blues tried to rally, as Waddell went close with a curling shot shortly before Irving Garcia hit the left post off a close-range effort and Waddell saw a free kick well saved by Rhinos goalkeeper Kristian Nicht.
Los Angeles was unable to find a way through, though, as Rochester took maximum points back to the east coast.
HARRISBURG 2, CHARLOTTE 1: Andrew Welker and J.T. Noone scored either side of halftime to give the Harrisburg City Islanders victory in their opening USL PRO game of the season at Charlotte Christian Stadium on Friday night, keeping the Charlotte Eagles winless.
Welker, who had eight goals in the regular season last year, picked up where he left off, giving the City Islanders the lead in the 23rd minute as he headed home. But the Eagles were able to hit back before the halftime break, with Mauricio Salles scoring their first goal of the season from a free kick after Jason Pelletier had been shown a yellow card for his foul outside the Harrisburg penalty area.
The City Islanders regained the lead six minutes into the second half after earning a penalty kick. Noone fired home from the penalty spot for a 2-1 lead. Harrisburg was then able to hold that lead, getting its season off to a winning start.
SATURDAY
PITTSBURGH 2, DAYTON 0: Goals in either half by Seth C'deBaca and Tino Nunez lifted the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to victory in their home opener against the Dayton Dutch Lions at Chartiers Valley Stadium.
The Riverhounds took the lead in the 17th minute as C'deBaca finished off Stefan Lundberg's pass. The goal was C'deBaca's first of his professional career, with the rookie making his first start after appearing as a substitute in both of the Riverhounds' games in Antigua to start the season.
Neither side was able to create much in the way of opportunities following that, in part due to the heavy rain throughout the night that briefly caused a power outage in the first half. Riverhounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap was able to record his second shutout in three games this season to lead his side to victory. The Riverhounds wrapped up the victory with nine minutes to go as Nunez scored his first goal of the season after some good work by Niko Katic to create an opportunity, with Nunez finishing the move off with a chip over the goalkeeper's head from the left side of the penalty area.
WILMINGTON 0, HARRISBURG 0: The Wilmington Hammerheads and Harrisburg City Islanders played to a scoreless draw at Legion Stadium, allowing the Hammerheads to claim their first point of the season and the City Islanders to round off their two-game trip to North Carolina with four points.
After a half-hour delay of the kickoff due to lightning, neither side was able to create much in the way of chances in the first half. Wilmington almost created an early chance, with Daniel Roberts' cross flashing through the penalty area in the first five minutes, while Harrisburg's Jason Pelletier had his side's best opportunity before the break, but his shot from 25 yards flew over the crossbar.
The pattern continued in a physical second half, with the City Islanders creating the slightly better of the opportunities overall. Chandler Hoffman, on loan from the Philadelphia Union, forced a save from Hammerheads goalkeeper Alex Horwath in the 75th minute, but neither side was able to break the deadlock.
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United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 23, 2012
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