ORLANDO, Fla. -- Adrian Heath could be forgiven for thinking the soccer gods are not smiling on the Citrus Bowl so far this season in the wake of Orlando City SC’s second successive last-minute 1-0 defeat, this time at the hands of D.C. United.
The Lions head coach has now seen his team take just one point from their opening three home fixtures, and the manner of the latest setback was painfully familiar to the last-gasp heartbreaker they suffered with the visit of Vancouver on March 21.
But Heath was quick to separate the two defeats and appeal to both his troops and another 32,000 fans not to let the recurring disappointment lead to an early-season bout of depression.
“This was a very different case from Vancouver. We didn’t create enough against them,” he insisted. “It is not often you create as many chances as we did tonight and not score, and then get done at the end by a set piece.
“I really feel for the players as I thought they were terrific in a lot of aspects, but goals change games and we didn’t score when we had some brilliant opportunities. We could have been two or three up in the first half alone and we did some great work in the final third but unfortunately we paid the price at the end.”
Orlando out-shot the visitors 17-11, but in clear-cut chances it was more like seven to three, with United keeper Bill Hamid coming up big on at least four notable occasions and Kevin Molino, Cyle Larin and Carlos Rivas all failing to hit the target when put in the ideal positions, leaving D.C. supersub Luis Silva to pilfer the points with a 91st-minute free-kick.
“Nobody does more work on finishing in training than we do,” Heath added. “I would back Carlos to score that chance of his every time but, for some reason, they just didn’t go in tonight. But they will in future.
“It is most important now that we maintain our confidence and don’t allow ourselves and the supporters to get edgy. There were still a lot of positives tonight, we played a lot of good football and we have to move on. It is not the end of the world, even though it feels like it.”
Midfield workhorse Amobi Okugo was also able to put a veteran’s spin on the disappointment that was palpable around the Citrus Bowl at the final whistle.
“We did a lot of good things and have to focus on that,” he explained. “We are not assassins in the final third yet, and we got punished for not putting the game away. But if we keep at it the way we did tonight, things will fall our way.
“After the game, United coach Ben Olsen came up to me and said ‘You guys killed us,’ and we have to remember that. Bill Hamid is a great keeper and he made himself big and cut down the angles but if we keep at it, those goals are going to come.”
Center back Aurellien Collin echoed his teammate’s sentiments, insisting it was a learning experience for the many younger members of the roster.
“When I arrived back in the locker room, I said ‘Let’s have no losing faces’,” he insisted. “We showed a lot of positive things and I know the next one will be different.”
