ORLANDO, Fla. -- Adrian Heath insisted the pressure is now firmly on the Montreal Impact after his Orlando City edged to a fifth win in a row to stay firmly on the heels of the Impact for the final Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoff place.
The Lions’ thrilling 2-1 win over fellow expansion team New York City FC on Friday at the Citrus Bowl didn’t come without another huge slice of drama, with the visitors scoring first, Orlando taking the lead with two second-half goals, and then a potentially-serious injury to goalkeeper Tally Hall.
Victory lifted Heath’s men to just a point behind Montreal, who have two games left to Orlando’s one, but look like they will need to win against fellow playoff contenders New England or Toronto to hold off the red-hot Lions.
Technically, Orlando could still edge out either New England or Columbus if those two both lose their last pair of games and City make it six wins in a row against Philadelphia next Sunday and make up a fairly big goal difference, but in reality the focus will be on catching Montreal.
“I think [Montreal] are going to have to win against Toronto to stop us,” Heath said. “We want to finish with six wins on the trot and we’re perfectly capable of doing that now. This team has enormous belief.
“If Montreal get a result, good for them. We won’t be able to affect that. But we will certainly have given them a run for their money and I think they are going to feel the pressure.”
Heath was upbeat with his men after they shook off going behind on the stroke of halftime to ease home with two more goals from MLS Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cyle Larin, taking his tally for the season to a record 17.
“I thought we were really unfortunate to go in one behind at the break,” Heath added. “The desire of the players to get a result was absolutely incredible, every single one of them. Their response in the second half was fantastic and I think we fully deserved to win.
“The supporters never cease to amaze me, too. The atmosphere was electric and to have more than 40,000 for the third time this season just shows how far we have come so quickly. I couldn’t be prouder of the fans.”
The Lions head coach admitted they would have some anxious moment awaiting further news on Hall’s injured right knee after he crumpled to the turf six minutes from the end. The goalkeeper had only returned earlier this year from ACL surgery on the same knee.
“I don’t know where we are with Tally,” he said. “We will get a better idea tomorrow when he has had X-rays. I won’t comment any further until we know.”
Larin insisted the team’s confidence was now at full tilt after five wins out of five and his fifth and sixth goals in that spell, which is easily the best of Orlando’s debut MLS season.
“The sky’s the limit for this team,” he said. “We have great coaches and great staff and we are all pulling together. We knew we had this game, we just had to keep going. They had one chance and scored in the first half, but we always thought that once we got our first goal, which had to come, we could go on and win it.”
Full back Corey Ashe, playing out of position on the right, was one of the unsung heroes with a series of rampaging runs and pinpoint crosses, including the 62nd-minute inswinger with his weaker right foot that gave Larin the chance to head home his first goal.
“I was just trying to be as dangerous as possible,” Ashe said. “That was the way it was designed to be. Adrian had seen something with the way they were set up and just told me to stay high and run at their outside backs. It paid off well.
“Everything is clicking now and, if we get into the playoffs, we’re going to be coming in with the hot hand. The guys are highly motivated and full of confidence.”
