ORLANDO – Cyle Larin will be given every chance to grab the rookie goal-scoring record in the last four games of Orlando City SC’s inaugural MLS season.
Despite his mid-season torrent of goals drying up in the last six weeks, Larin is still the top striker on the Lions roster and the club insists there are no worries about his current drought.
The big Canadian – just named 10th in the MLS’s 24 Under 24 group – remains tied with Chicago’s Damani Ralph for the 2003 rookie goals record, as he has been ever since firing his 11th of the season in a brace against Columbus Crew SC on Aug. 1.
The seven games since then have proved to be the longest dry spell of his young career.
Meanwhile, fellow rookie striker Bryan Rochez has tallied game-winning goals in Orlando’s last two games, both times as a late-game substitute.
While admitting Rochez has given the team a major lift off the bench, head coach Adrian Heath is in no hurry to kick Larin to the curb for Friday’s crucial Eastern Conference game at New York Red Bulls (7 pm ET; UniMas).
In fact, they are more focused than ever on that elusive 12th goal.
“As much as I would never jeopardize what’s good for the team, I do want Cyle to bring home that record,” Heath said. “He deserves it. He has had a fantastic first year, and I don’t want the season to peter out for him.
“He has certainly had his challenges this year, making the transition from college to the professional world, and he definitely looked a tired young man in our last home game. But in the last week he has looked a lot fresher, and we will monitor him closely in training the next few days.”
The team is quietly fuming at the huge amount of travelling he had to do with Canada on World Cup qualifying duty earlier this month, especially on the away leg of the double header when it took him nearly a full day to get back from Belize via Toronto instead of taking a two-hour flight direct back to Orlando.
On top of his 23 Orlando appearances this year, he has played seven times for his national team, including trips to Dominica, Puerto Rico and Belize. It is the kind of schedule that would tax a hardened pro, let alone a player fresh from a college season featuring only 16 games.
Certainly no one within the club is questioning Larin’s heart or ability, and Heath believes there is another factor working in his favor.
“He is a very level-headed kid,” Heath said. “He doesn’t let too much affect him one way or the other, and that stands him in good stead. We’ve also been able to get a few days rest into him, and now we are just looking to see if he still has that spark.
“We’ve been looking at his stats other than his goals, and they actually look very similar to earlier in the season, so sometimes you can over analyze these things.”
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Larin himself is certainly not feeling any extra pressure as the games tick away and goal No. 12 seemingly remains so elusive.
“No, it’s not a problem for me,” he said. “I am still working the same as ever and still feeling good. I just hope it will turn into a goal that helps the team. I don’t actually think about it that much.”
Rochez’s goals have certainly advanced his claim for a starting role, but Heath points out that scoring in the final stages of a game against a tiring defense is not the same as taking a starting role.
“There are a few things you take into account in situations like this,” he said. “It isn’t always the way that when you start you have the same impact as a substitute can, so it doesn’t necessarily follow that scoring as a sub translates to scoring as a starter.
“Bryan has certainly given us some food for thought, and I am delighted for him because it has been such a difficult and frustrating year for him. Now he definitely looks like he is part of the group. He is chomping at the bit, and I have no worries that he can do a good job for us either way.”
The writing on the wall is pointing toward Larin remaining in his starting role, but Heath has a number of lineup questions with star man Kaká back at training Tuesday and Darwin Ceren bidding to reclaim his midfield spot after recent knee problems.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Heath said. “The one thing we have lacked for much of this season is options and, while you are often reluctant to change a winning team, we know there are a number of different ways we can play it this week.”
