Columbus Crew Wins 2014 Disney Pro Soccer Classic, Orlando City Tie For Third
Columbus Crew made up for losing in the final of the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic last year with a convincing 4-1 win over Sporting Kansas in this years final.
Jairo Arrieta, Bernardo Anor, Federico Higuain and Justin Meram all scored for Columbus as Claudio Bieler scored his fifth goal of the preseason in reply for Kansas.
The game ebbed and flowed with both sides creating chances before Arrieta (pictured above) scored from the penalty spot in the 20th minute. After that goal Kansas pushed forward but The Crew always looked dangerous with swift breakaways but half time arrived and the score was 1-0.
After the break, play continued in the same fashion with both team threatening to score. It was no surprise when Anor scored with a flying header in the 69th minute from a fast breakaway move that saw defense turn into offense within moments.
5 minutes later Meram rounded the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 as Kansas left themselves exposed pushing for a goal. Columbus then scored the goal of the game as some neat interplay saw the ball worked through to Higuain who lofted a neat shot over the head of keeper Eric Kronberg, who had come off his line.
Bieler grabbed a consolation goal for Sporting KC in the 87th minute but the game was already over by that point as Columbus sealed their first Disney title.
In the day’s other games Fluminense beat Toronto 4-2, Philadelphia beat Montreal 4-1 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in their game and Orlando City shared a 4-4 draw with New York Red Bulls in an incredible game. It was the second consecutive 4-4 draw for Orlando after a similar game against the Columbus Crew earlier in the week.
The game started with New York on the offensive before Corey Hertzog seized on a defensive mistake between defender Kosuke Kimura and goalkeeper Luis Robles. Robles came out to meet the ball but somehow managed to miss it altogether allowing Hertzog the simple opportunity to roll the ball into the net after 7 minutes.
The goal unsettled New York and Orlando should have extended their lead as Hertzog went close again and Kevin Molino saw a superb effort cannon back off the crossbar. It was all Orlando at this point and a second goal looked in the offing until New York scored in the 28th minute against the run of play.
After receiving the ball on the right hand side, midfielder Lloyd Sam whipped the ball across to the near post and Bradley Wright Phillips slotted home past the advancing Orlando keeper Miguel Gallardo.
At half time Orlando Head Coach Adrian Heath brought on Dennis Chin for Hertzog and Chin made it 2-1 within two minutes of the restart as Yordany Alvarez whipped a corner to the near post for Chin to nod past Robles.
As usual with Orlando City, they had little time to celebrate as Wright-Phillips leveled the game with his second goal of the night in the 50th minute. New York then took the lead in the 68th minute as Ibrahim Sekagaya scored with a tap in after Gallardo had got a hand on free kick from Dax McCarty.
The Lions have a never say die attitude though and substitute Adama Mbengue scored 19 minutes after coming on in the 76th minute. The goal came from another Alvarez corner and Mbengue blasted a screamer in off the bar from the edge of the penalty area.
Two minutes later the Red Bulls added their fourth goal of the night as sloppy defensive work by Orlando allowed midfielder Jonny Steele to slot home.
Orlando then leveled the game again in the 85th minute after some nice link up play that saw Mbengue release Molino who knocked it past the advancing Robles to give Orlando their second consecutive 4-4 draw. In theory, third place should then have been settled by penalty kicks but both sides chose to forgo the spot kicks and to share third place in the tournament.
“We played a pretty good New York side tonight and I think we made a good account for ourselves by finishing the tournament unbeaten,” added Heath.
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