ORLANDO, Fla. – Cyle Larin believes he should be credited with the Orlando City goal from their 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire that would have given him the new MLS rookie goal-scoring record, after the crucial strike was ruled an own goal by the Fire’s Eric Gehrig.
The big Canadian striker has been stuck on 11 tallies since August 1 and looked to have finally surpassed Damani Ralph’s 2003 MLS record with the 37th-minute equalizer, only to have his effort listed as a Gehrig own goal, as the defender had the final touch past his goalkeeper.
The goal is still being assessed by the league, and a final ruling will be made on Monday. Larin wouldn't mind the benefity of the doubt.
"Hopefully I get credit for it," he said. "I worked to get in that position and hopefully I can get that goal, because that would be my rookie...breaking that record."
Orlando head coach Adrian Heath admitted his team had passed up a golden opportunity to put themselves firmly back in the playoff picture, after having the best of the game but failing to make their periods of dominance count on the scoreboard.
The Lions desperately needed a win after a miserable August to give themselves realistic hopes of reaching the postseason, but they could not make the most of their chances in a lively encounter that also served up a much-improved display from recent weeks.
“I am bitterly disappointed we didn’t convert just one more of the quality chances we created,” Heath said. “It is a big missed opportunity with the way the other results have gone, but we were just lacking a little quality finishing tonight.
“The players certainly gave us everything in terms of the desire and commitment we had asked for and I honestly thought we were going to score again, especially in the second half. The players have had a tough couple of weeks, but I was delighted with their response this evening.”
Heath was also pleased the stormy conditions and two lengthy weather delays did not affect his men adversely, and they coped well with having to warm up on three separate occasions.
“I actually thought both teams put on a great show in the conditions,” he added. “It was a case of not letting the players get cold. You just had to let them relax and watch some TV, and then prepare as if it was the first time. In the end, I thought all the players handled it well.
“I also thought the officials were terrific tonight. I thought they handled everything well in very difficult conditions, and the fans also deserve a lot of credit. They were absolutely incredible tonight. Considering most of them have probably been here tailgating since three o’clock, they never cease to amaze me.”
Heath refuses to write his Lions out of the playoff scenario and thinks they could still fulfill their preseason ambitions of becoming only the third MLS expansion team to reach the postseason in their inaugural year.
“I said before the game that we were probably going to have to get five wins [from the last eight games] to get into the playoffs,” he added. “And that is still the case. We are just going to have to pick something up on the road now in terms of wins as we had counted on winning our home games.”
Simon Veness covers Orlando City SC for MLSsoccer.com.
