Orlando City put on a great show before a great crowd that included two English Premier League coaches as they hosted the KC Athletics in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The reigning USL Pro champions showed no mercy against the USASA entry en route to a 7-0 victory with two goals each from Max Griffin and John Rooney to earn a Third Round meeting on the road versus Sporting Kansas City.
The match started with a goal for Orlando City in the 4th minute when a dangerous cross was knocked in by a KC Athletics defender. Athletics got their first shot off in the 23rd minute but it was well defended by goalkeeper Sean Kelley.
Unfortunately the first half did not get better for Kansas City. Campbell put a ball in the box to Griffin who collected it, turned, and buried into the net in the 25th minute. The first half continued with Orlando City creating many opportunities with good crosses from both sides. It was only a matter of time before crosses from Watson and Campbell were converted by Rooney and Griffin into goals in the 28th and 42nd minutes.
In the second half, Orlando City continued where they left off, pressing the ball forward and creating many opportunities. The Athletics had several opportunities on quick counters, but failed to convert them.
Orlando City scored 3 more goals in the 2nd half. In the 60th minute a curling shot by Jamie Watson went into the upper 90. Rooney scored a goal when he launched a a short corner in the 71st minute. The final goal was scored by Matt Luzunaris when he picked up a keeper deflection in hte 85th minute.
Earlier in the day Orlando City announced friendly matches against Stoke City and Nottingham Forest. Tony Pulis of Stoke City and Steve Cotterill of Nottingham watched the match with Orlando City owner Phil Rawlins. Pulis’s son, Anthony, plays for Orlando City.
Scoring Summary:
KCA – Coady Andrews (own goal) 4
OC – Max Griffin 1 (Charlie Campbell 1) 26
OC – John Rooney 1 (Jamie Watson 1) 28
OC – Max Griffin 2 (Charlie Campbell 2) 42
OC – Jamie Watson 1 (unassisted) 60
OC – John Rooney 2 (unassisted) 71
OC – Matt Luzunaris 1 (unassisted) 86
Lineups:
Orlando City – Sean Kelley, Jerome Mechack, Kieron Bernard (Wes Allen 77), Kyle Davies, Erik Ustruck, Ian Fuller, John Rooney, Charlie Campbell, Jamie Watson (Dennis Chin 75), Max Griffin (Kevin Molino 46), Matt Luzunaris
Substitutes not used: Miguel Gallardo, Anthony Pulis, James O’Connor
KC Athletics – Steven Grow, John Markey, Josh White, Oran Andrews, Coady Andrews, Kevin Shrout, Josh McDaniel, Jesse Baker, Martin Johnston, Garrett Webb, Kyle Perkins
Referees:
Referee – Ted Unkel
Referee’s Assistants – Edison Aragon, Abdel Kuttaineli
4th Official – Matthew Miscannon
Match Facts:
Time of Game – 7:30 pm
Weather – Clear, 90 degrees
Attendance – 946