TORONTO – Given the circumstances, a scoreless draw was not that worst thing that could have happened. It was not the best either.
Orlando City SC went into BMO Field on Wednesday night and walked away with a single point following a 0-0 draw. The result left Orlando five points shy of the Eastern Conference's red line, but the club has three games remaining to try and make up the difference.
“I'm pleased. Performance was really good,” said Jason Kreis in his opening statement after the match. “We asked for massive defensive commitment from the players. They gave us that tonight. When they do that, we get shutouts and put ourselves in position to win games.
"We had a fair amount of chances. On a different night, maybe we walk out with all three points.”
The defensive improvements were sorely needed. Orlando entered Wednesday's affair on a three-game losing streak that saw them concede four times in each match. They also had had a rough time in recent visits to Toronto, losing both matches last season by a combined score of 9-1.
“A shutout away from home is a very positive thing,” said midfielder Servando Carrasco. “Defensively we were very compact and structured. We were willing to work. Coming to a place like here, which is a very hard place to play, and getting a shutout is a step in the right direction.”
Toronto did have the impetus throughout much of the first half, at least until Kreis reverted to a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation and away from the 4-4-2 diamond set-up that he had Orlando City start the match with. Still, the ejection of Toronto FC attacker Tosaint Ricketts in the 70th minute left the Lions wishing they could have gotten the victory.
“To be a man up for a little bit, I would have loved to have seen us get the full three points,” said Kreis. “But at the moment and where we're at in the season, it's much more important to stay focused on the performance: the fact that we got a shutout tonight, got a draw, and we're still in this thing.”
With three matches remaining in Orlando City's campaign and five points between the club and the final playoff spot, a tough stretch lies ahead. Even so, spirits will be buoyed by the hard-fought point picked up in Toronto.
“We’re going in the right direction and still have a chance to do good things at home,” said Kevin Molino. “To come and tie a good team, in [first] place, we look forward to our games coming up.”
