Finals Bound! Orlando City Solidifies its Place in the U.S. Open Cup Final After a Historic 5-1 win
ORLANDO, FL. (FNN) — On a night of flash rainfalls, flares, and fiery competition, Orlando City rose to the occasion when it mattered most. For the first time since the NBA Finals in 2009, Orlando is back in a major league American sports final. Orlando City fought against adversity and answered back after losing 1-0 just before halftime. The Lions went on to score five goals uncontested with two goals coming from the unlikely protagonist Cesar Araujo. Through a combination of heart, skill, and composure, Orlando City overcame a determined NYRB squad that had their hearts set on Open Cup triumphs.
Orlando Has Arrived
After weeks of dismal shooting performances and building confidence among their ranks, all bets paid off for Orlando City on Wednesday night. Despite the home-field advantage, Orlando had their backs against the wall given New York’s last 0-3 drubbing they delivered at Exploria Stadium. This time, however, the high defensive line of NYRB worked as far as the first half. The counter-press has been a hallmark of Gerhard Struber’s philosophy. Attacking form began to take shape as Klimala was able to whip a weighted ball into the box which found Lewis Morgan in stride.
Luckily for Orlando, the 1-0 NYRB lead did not last long. Just three minutes later, Cesar Araujo found the back of the net after a corner kick set piece ricocheted off the post as Araujo calmly volleyed it towards goal. What followed in the second half was simply a master class on counter-attacking football from Orlando City. The Uruguayan contingent for OCSC continued to find the back of the net after Mauricio Pereyra’s sniper rifle shot to start the second half.
At that moment, Orlando City was simply off to the races. Every effort on goal seemed more effortless than the last. The groggy legs of NYRB obviously showed and pacey players like Facundo Torres and Benji Michel thrive in those scenarios. Gerhard Struber lamented this fact in the post-game press conference. When asked if the erratic Florida weather played a factor at all in their loss, Struber quickly shot down any form of excuses:
” I would say in the end we were not ready. Second half — I was absolutely unhappy with our performance. And in the end, you cannot step into a final when you do not have the physical power and the mental belief to change your result. And we missed some of that resilience from the last few months that we [normally] bring… “
— Gerhard Struber on NYRB’s Semi Final U.S. Open Cup exit
On the Cusp of History
As the flares continued on the streets of downtown Orlando with celebrations occurring in and out of the locker room; the Lions’ job is yet to be done. The final test for Orlando City arrives in the form of Sacramento Republic FC. The USL side has had a Cinderella run through to the Final, beating the likes of Sporting Kansas City, LA Galaxy, and the San Jose Earthquakes on their journey. The Lions will surely look to end Sacramento’s miracle run in the city of Magic as they look to become the first professional sports team in Orlando to bring a major sports trophy to the city.
The final showdown for the U.S. Open Cup game featuring Orlando City and Sacramento Republic FC takes place on September 7. The Cup-decider will kick off at 8pm Eastern time at Exploria Stadium where Orlando City gets the unique opportunity of possibly winning a title on home turf. Pre-sale information for season ticket holders was released on July 28, with general public sales taking place the following day on July 29.
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