ORLANDO – While Orlando City SC’s inaugural goal against Cincinnati FC was not counted as a knockout blow, Cincinnati’s Jurgen Locadia said it was definitely a solid blow.
“Especially in the first few seconds of the game when you start a game like this it’s so hard to come back and I’m not saying you necessarily lose the game but it has something to do with the team,” said Locadia. “It’s hard man.”
Cincinnati FC left-back Ronald Matarrita described Tesho Akindele’s opening record, taken within 30 seconds of a casual turn-around from Nick Hagglund, as a mental hit.
Matarrita added that the goal is the “complicated part” of the game for the FCC.
Various words have been used to describe Orlando City’s opening goal, which was the fastest in the club’s MLS history, but everything pointed to a lack of defense against Cincinnati FC immediately after the opening whistle.
The end result was Cincinnati FC’s second consecutive defeat in a 3-0 loss to Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday in front of 11,503 spectators.
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Akindele opened the goal in less than 30 seconds when he pounced on Hagglund’s back pass, who didn’t have enough pace to reach Cincinnati’s goalkeeper Przemysław Tytoń.
Other goals followed. Luis Nani doubled the lead in the 18th minute with a creative individual performance that was valuable on the role.
Junior Urso threw a loose ball home in the Cincinnati penalty area in the 80th minute to round the goal.
FCC head coach Jaap Stam called the goal a joke in his post-game remarks. Urso’s goal, however, wasn’t the consistent one in the game.
“You can imagine my disappointment, to be honest,” said Stam of Akindele’s opener. “If you concede such a goal after 25 seconds or what is that, 30 seconds? Then you chase (and) then you make it easy for the opposition. You know, they don’t have to go anymore and they ‘I’m just waiting for us lose that ball and hopefully go forward and come out in transition. So you don’t want to start a game because you start with a certain plan of how to play, and so you can do that. If you are immediately behind the first minute, yes, then this whole plan can change and sometimes has to change.
“It also changes the way players think, making it harder for you to get into the game and give yourself a chance.”
Cincinnati grew into the game, but similar to a 5-0 loss to New York City FC a week earlier, the FCC’s response was neither clinical nor effective enough.
Cincinnati FC were kept off the scoreboard for the second straight game after failing to make a switch on any of their seven shots.
For the third time in a row, Cincinnati was overtaken by a large margin – Orlando had a 22-7 lead in that division.
“The whole team is responsible,” said Locadia. “I’m responsible and I think like I said when you start a game like this it’s difficult. We’re trying to create opportunities like we did in the first half … It’s a completely different game though Don’t give in the first second. ” It is our fault. I didn’t play well but we showed our class and it’s hard to say or weird to say that we lose our class 3-0 but I didn’t think Orlando was that upper class. So in the end, it’s our own mistake that cost us the game like last week.
Here’s what we learned from Saturday’s game:
• Cincinnati FC had to react to their loss to New York City FC and did not. The sharp truth of the game was that they were unlikely to produce a reaction that could satisfy growing criticism after cashing in less than 30 seconds after the game. The game didn’t end there, but parts of the FCC’s plans for the game did, and catching up isn’t this club’s forte.
As a result, criticism and pressure will steadily mount in just three games in the 2021 season.
Cincinnati FC haven’t scored a goal in about 260 minutes. You have now conceded 10 goals in three games. Basically, not much works the way it was intended. The club is excited about the Nashville draw, and aspects of that game weren’t particularly pretty either.
“I agree that something has to change and I think everyone agrees that something has to change in the team,” said Locadia afterwards.
Ahead of the Orlando game, Cincinnati FC CEO and controlling owner Carl Lindner III reaffirmed his confidence in the plans for 2021. It’s too early to talk about layoffs, but Locadia is right in saying that has to change something.
With two weeks between games for the FCC before the TQL stadium opens against Inter Miami, it is possible that there will be changes on the staff front during this time.
• Przemysław Tytoń returned to the starting line-up after running late and busy against New York City FC a week earlier. He had some acrobatic stops and looked like a number one goalkeeper. There wasn’t much he could have done on the first goal, although the second goal seemed to be within his reach. In any case, he didn’t get to it, but deflected other shots. And Tytoń would obviously want to look back on the expected arrival of goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer next week, who was called upon by the club for exemptions.
• Winger Isaac Atanga made his debut for Cincinnati FC after less than a week of training and looked decent considering that. His name won’t jump off the stats sheet, but a 55 minute run is a great way to acclimate him. Stam brought Calvin Harris into play for Atanga early in the second half. Perhaps Atanga was not a good tactical solution for the game given his limited time at the club, but if the fast winger is going to have an impact in the near future, it is better to get him up and running as soon as possible. While I’m not sure he added much to the Exploria Stadium process, he nonetheless overrode a few goals that could be of use later. He wasn’t part of the loss problem either.
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