In front of a sold out crowd, Orlando City came out swinging, fulfilling its objectives and bringing 25,527 fans to their feet.
Cash Mueller Strikes Again
The rookie forward Chris Mueller captivated the stadium 63 seconds into the match when the stricker booted the ball into the roof off the net off a ball from midfielder Yoshimar Yotún. Mueller’s third goal in three games set a Club record for the fastest goal scored in Orlando City SC history and checked off an objective for this game set by the team.
“It was important for us to get a fast start, it was one of our goals,” Dom Dwyer said. “Chris made a fantastic individual effort. The kid’s coming on leaps and bounds every week. We’re very happy with him right now and very excited.”
Thirty-three minutes later he added to the lead.
In the 35th minute Mueller crossed the ball over to Kljestan to give the forward his first assist as a Lion and the team a 2-0 lead.
“He was the assist leader in college last year and you could see early on in training sessions and even in preseason he always had a good knack being around the goal, but if there was an extra pass to be made at an open guy, he would slot it to him for a tap-in,” Kljestan said. “He’s got good vision, and you can definitely say that he’s working hard and he’s getting goals but he’s setting them up now, too.”
Dom ‘100’ Dwyer
Coming into the match, Dom Dwyer scored four goals in three games and was determined to hit the 100 career goals mark, taking five shots before the magic moment when Justin Meram served a ball directly to Dwyer, who weaved around the goalkeeper, sending the ball into the goal and the fans into a frenzy.
The team immediately engulfed him in celebration and Dwyer stood at midfield and watched as the entire stadium stood and chanted, honoring the forward on this momentous occasion.
“There was never a doubt in my mind it was going to come tonight, it was meant to be,” Dwyer said. “It was a special occasion. It was nice to have my family here, but to have my son on the field afterwards was a special day and I’m glad to share it with them. Very thankful to be a part of this team and a part of this group.”
Going for Number Five
The 3-2 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes gives Orlando City its first four-game win streak in a year.
And while the team is pleased to be walking away with another three points, things are not slowing down for the Lions anytime soon.
“Four wins in a row is definitely nice, let’s go for five!” Kljestan said.
That feeling was echoed around the locker room as the team will now shift focus to their next opponent.
“We’re hitting our stride now and we feel confident, but we’ve gotta continue to work hard, try and keep this run going and get a result in Colorado,” Dwyer said.
