Lions are 3-0-3 in last six matches
By Official Florida FC
Orlando City played an overmatched opponent, who was down a man for more than 50 minutes on Saturday night. The Lions did what was expected and required during a 2-0 win over Colorado.
The Rapids (2-9-7, 13 points) are the worst team in Major League Soccer this year. Though nine of their 13 points this season have been away from home this season, that quest was made more challenging when Braian Galvan received a straight red card for a high tackle on Orlando City’s Wilmer Cartagena in the 39th minute.
Despite the apparent advantage, Orlando City needed a deflected shot to breach the Rapids defense.
Facundo Torres’ 56th minute goal wrong-footed Colorado keeper Marko Ilic to open the scoring.
Torres is up to five goals and two assists in 1,180 league minutes this year.
He assisted Ramiro Enrique’s 83rd goal to kill the game.
Orlando City improved its unbeaten streak to six games. The next three games will go a long way in determining how good this season will be for the Lions.
Orlando City travels to New England (8-3-6, 30 points) on June 17, hosts Philadelphia (9-5-3, 30 points) on June 21, then heads to the Pacific Northwest to face Seattle (8-6-4, 28 points) on June 24. The travel and the caliber of opponents will reveal more than victories over Inter Miami, Colorado and the New York Red Bulls.
Inter Miami continues to prop up Eastern Conference
Inter Miami lost its sixth straight league match on Saturday night in Massachusetts. Their 3-1 loss to the New England Revolution means the Herons (5-12, 15 points) have two six-game losing streaks this season.
The defense has already been reconfigured. Temporary midfield reinforcements have been acquired. Club ownership has removed Phil Neville as manager. Nevertheless, the Herons have been exposed like an egret in a hurricane.
It doesn’t help when a team that is starting four academy players, concedes a first half penalty kick. It wasn’t 20-year-old defender Ian Fray or 19-year-old fullback Noah Allen. Nor were 19-year-old midfielder David Ruiz or 18-year-old midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi the culprit. Instead, it was current USMNT fullback DeAndre Yedlin.
Carles Gil converted the 27th minute penalty to give New England a 1-0 lead that was never going to be overturned. New England took a 3-0 advantage, and should have scored a fourth, but Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender made another phenomenal save in the 63rd minute to deny Latif Blessing.
Inter Miami has two weeks before its next league match. In that time, interim manager Javier Morales has his work cut out for him on the training pitch.
