SON EDGED THE GRASS, CA -- Remember a couple days ago when FC Cincinnati's Jurgen Locadia scored a PK against Portland Timber GK Tyler Miller but when it came to the penalty kick shootout (PSO), Miller got his revenge and made the save against Locadia? Well, here in the mismatch between never-made-the-playoffs Orlando City SC and scored-3.75-goals-per-match Los Angeles Football Club.... but, let's start at the beginning.
ORL, with two more days rest, played even with LAFC and had a breakthrough when they were awarded a PK. But LAFC's GK Kenneth Vermeer came up big with a diving stretched out save against Nani to keep the match scoreless in the 57'. And 3 minutes later, LAFC were on the board with Bradley Wright-Philips' fourth goal in 5 matches with LAFC in the 60' (first LAFC of the match). Host ORL were still fighting and on a CK, ORL headed it for a goal in the 90' which did not make head coach Bob Bradley happy. The stats were actually heavy in favor of ORL (17 shots to 8, 7 CKs to 4, 52% possession to 48%). Opta, once again is its usually self, somehow crediting ORL with
5 shots on goal but LAFC with 5 saves.... then the goal was not a shot on goal?
Only Opta as we say in the LA Galaxy Press Box.
In the PSO, LAFC hit the crossbar on their second attempt but made the other four. Vermeer actually saved ORL's fourth shot but the ball trickled behind him into the goal. At 4-4, Nani had a chance to win it (got to give it to him going 5th, that's what we want our DPs to do) and, did I mention the CIN-POR story above, Nani got his revenge and nailed the game-winner,
5-4, in the PSO. Nani ran with a "can you hear me now?" pose and the celebration in both the
clubhouse and at ORL's stadium were great. I do not like the stutter-steps when players take PKs though. With prior exuberant celebrations by San Jose Earthquakes and Minnesota United FC, and now ORL, this makes it feel like a World Cup atmosphere. As great as LAFC are, they tend to falter in knockout matches. They finally beat LA Galaxy last year in the playoffs and then lose to Seattle Sounders FC. They beat SEA in Round of 16 and then lose to ORL. And Bradley is not happy.
In the pool,
no one picked ORL and 9 lost out on LAFC. And with 5 matches to go, we have our champion!
Bobby Cee Racer (
70 pts) is our first HWCI MLS Pool Champion.
TarjetaRoja (2nd, 63)
who had clinched a spot yesterday will finish 2nd or 3rd.
Four others will fight for that last prize spot.
Tomorrow, 5 picked MIN and 5 picked NYC. Beyond that, The Six Foot Box (3rd, 59) has MIN in final and Deutschland = Koenig (4th, 57) has PHI in final. Those two could snatch 2nd away from TarjetaRoja. With LAFC out, no one will pick the correct champion. Go Chivas, who had LAFC as his champ, has clinched last place (47). He, along with BigRedMessy (5th-Tied, 56) and BigRedMessi 2 (10th-T, 53) were eliminated.
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