Orlando City Draws Columbus Crew

ORLANDO, Fla. (August 19, 2017) – In its first home match in nearly a month, Orlando City SC (8-10-7, 31 points) drew Columbus Crew SC (11-12-3, 36 points) 1-1 Saturday at Orlando City Stadium. Yoshimar Yotún and Dom Dwyer made their Orlando City Stadium debuts and Giles Barnes scored his second goal of the season.

“From my point of view it’s a result we didn’t want, of course. We wanted three points in the worst possible way,” Lions head coach Jason Kreis said. “But the performance I thought was very good. It was a 10 or 15-minute spell in the first half where I felt we dropped a little bit with our level but the other 75 minutes I thought we were very good - on top of them. Frankly, I think we deserved to win this game.”

Orlando City pressed early and - with the support of captain Kaká in The Wall banging the drums with the supporters while serving a one-game suspension for a red card in the previous match - nearly found the opening goal several times in the first half. Shots from Will Johnson, Barnes and Yotún challenged Columbus goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Yotún looked comfortable on the ball, finding teammates with pinpoint long balls and quick short passes and showed great hustle on defense.

Johnson exited the match hurt in the 32nd minute, passing the captain’s armband to goalkeeper Joe Bendik. Three minutes later, Columbus struck off a free kick when Lalas Abubakar headed in Waylon Francis’ delivery.

The Lions turned up the pressure the remainder of the game. Kreis inserted Dwyer in the 63rd minute, and four minutes later City equalized. Higuita played a slick through ball between the legs of his defender for Barnes, who drove a sharp-angle shot off the far post, across the goal and off the other post before it bounced in. It was Higuita’s second assist of the season.

In the 77th minute, Columbus was reduced to 10 men after Harrison Afful was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following Video Review.

Again, City turned up the pressure on Columbus in search of the game-winning goal and came within inches of it several times over the final 20 minutes. Dwyer looked like he would score every time he touched the ball - two of his three shots hit the target - and he nearly scored twice in stoppage time.

The match saw Donny Toia make his 100th MLS appearance, including playoffs. Bendik’s lone save was his 200th as a Lion and tonight was his first time wearing the captain’s armband for City.

The Lions host Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 7:30 p.m. ET, before embarking on a four-game road trip to New England, D.C., Atlanta and Portland.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

First Half

1’ The Lions attack South to North to start as Kaká rallies The Wall on the drums.

2’ Yoshimar Yotún, in his Orlando City Stadium debut, makes a clever move to find space before firing a shot that bounces just wide of the far post.

5’ Yotún chips a sweet ball in the middle of the pitch to Will Johnson, who drives an arching shot that challenges Zack Steffen.

8’ Donny Toia does excellent work not to lose the race against Cristian Martínez in the box. Joe Bendik clears.

9’ Johnson curls a free kick from 37 yards out to Giles Barnes in the box. Barnes tries a clever backwards flick but it goes wide.

12’ Scott Sutter does well to control the ball near the corner flag against two Crew SC defenders but it goes out for a goal kick.

13’ Justin Meram’s shot from 10 yards out rings off the inside of the far post and across the face of goal but the Lions clear. Carlos Rivas controls and slips it through for Cyle Larin 1-on-1 but Josh Williams is able to clear.

16’ Larin draws a free kick 25 yards from goal. Lalas Abubakar is shown a yellow card. Rivas curls his delivery through the wall and straight at Steffen but he can’t control. Barnes jumps on the rebound but puts it high.

28’ Rivas lines up over a free kick from 35 yards out; his delivery goes out for a corner. Yotún curls an out-swinger that is cleared. Yotún earns a yellow stopping the counter.

32’ Cristian Higuita enters the match in place of Will Johnson. Joe Bendik takes the captain’s armband.

35’ Abubakar heads in Waylon Francis’ free kick delivery. Orlando City 0, Columbus Crew 1.

37’ Ola Kamara is in alone but Bendik charges out to make the save.

42’ Yotún’s long ball goes 60 yards to the foot of Rivas on the left wing. Rivas takes it in and curls one into Steffen. Sutter lofts it in for Higuita but the Colombian can’t make contact as the Lions apply the pressure.

43’ Barnes collects the ball and drives the middle of the pitch, eventually working it to Yotún and Sutter, who curls it in for Barnes but his header bounces wide.

45’ Rivas and Higuita combine to find space in the box and Higuita’s shot goes out for a corner. Rivas’ out-swinger skips through the box and to Yotún at the edge of the area but ‘Yotúns shot whizzes past the post.

45+2’ Larin earns a free kick and Higuita immediately plays it up for Rivas, who earns a corner. Rivas serves another out-swinger that is headed out for a throw-in.

45+3’ After three minutes of added time, the referee ends the first half. Orlando City 0, Columbus Crew 1.

Second Half

50’ Larin does well to fight off his defender and find Rivas at the top of the area but the Colombian whiffs on his first-time attempt. Sutter comes in and fires his shot wide.

54’ Larin shows some skill on the ball to work around his defender and earns a corner.

55’ Martinez is shown a yellow card.

57’ Barnes earns a free kick near midfield.

63’ Dom Dwyer enters the match in place of Antonio Nocerino.

64’ Sutter lifts one into the box that Dwyer and Steffen both jump for. The ball goes out for a goal kick and Steffen stays down in pain.

66’ Rivas slides it through for Dwyer who turns and fires but Steffen is there.

67’ Higuita plays a slick through ball for Barnes between the legs of his defender. Barnes blasts it off the far post, back across the other post and into the net. Orlando City 1, Columbus Crew 1.

73’ Yotún takes a forearm shiver from Harrison Afful as he’s driving up the pitch on the counter. The referee indicates there will be a Video Review. After further review a red card has been issued for violent conduct to Afful.

77’ On the ensuing free kick, Rivas delivers for Dwyer leaping through the box but Steffen dives to make the save.

81’ Higuita earns a free kick from 22 yards out in front of the box on the left wing. Mohammed Abu is shown a yellow card. Barnes puts it over the bar.

83’ Richie Laryea enters the match in place of Donny Toia.

85’ Barnes earns a free kick on the left wing. Yotún swings it in and it bounces out for a throw.

87’ Léo Pereira’s centering feed goes off a defender and bounces to Larin, who puts it off the bar with his hand.

88’ Meram is shown a yellow card for diving and then fouling Higuita.

90’ After some fancy work from Laryea, Yotún lofts it into the box for Dwyer, who goes for a bicycle kick.

90+3’ Barnes’ attempt from the corner of the area is saved.

90+4’ Dwyer gets the ball turns and fires a shot that Steffen can only tip over the bar.

90+5’ Rivas swings it in for Dwyer but he bounces it inches wide of the post.

90+6’ After six minutes of added time, the referee ends the match. Orlando City 1, Columbus Crew 1.

Scoring Summary:
CLB - Lalas Abubakar (Waylon Francis) 35’
ORL - Giles Barnes (Cristian Higuita) 67’

Misconduct Summary:
CLB - Lalas Abubakar (Yellow Card) 16’
ORL - Yoshimar Yotún (Yellow Card) 28’
CLB - Cristian Martinez (Yellow Card) 55’
CLB - Harrison Afful (Red Card) 77’
CLB -  Mohammed Abu (Yellow Card) 81’
CLB - Justin Meram (Yellow Card) 88’

Lineups/Substitutions:

Orlando City SC - GK Joe Bendik, D Donny Toia (Richie Laryea 83’), Léo Pereira, Tommy Redding, Scott Sutter, M Antonio Nocerino (Dom Dwyer 63’), Yoshimar Yotún, ⓒ Will Johnson (Cristian Higuita 32’), Giles Barnes, F Carlos Rivas, Cyle Larin

Substitutes Not Used: GK Josh Saunders, D José Aja, M Dillon Powers, Servando Carrasco 

Columbus Crew SC - GK Zack Steffen, D Jonathan Mensah, Josh Williams, Lalas Abubakar, M Harrison Afful, Will Trapp, Mohammed Abu, Waylon Francis, F Cristian Martínez (Pedro Santos 62’), Justin Meram (Jukka Raitala 89’), Ola Kamara

Substitutes Not Used: GK Brad Stuver, D Nicolai Naess, Alex Crognale, M Hector Jimenez, F Adam Jahn

Details of the Game:
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
Date: Aug. 19, 2017
Attendance: 25,527

Stats:

Possession:
ORL - 55.5 %
CLB - 44.5 %

Shots:
ORL - 20
CLB - 4

Saves:
ORL - 1
CLB - 7

Fouls:
ORL - 17
CLB - 20

Corners:
ORL - 6
CLB - 2