ORLANDO, Fla. – Non-stop effort was how Orlando City SC head coach Adrian Heath summed up his team’s come-from-behind 2-1 win at home on Saturday against the Montreal Impact. And he pointed to the blossoming relationship between his captain, Kaká, and two-goal scorer Cyle Larin as the ultimate pay-off.
The Lions dug themselves out of an early hole against a lively Impact team as Kaká served up another pair of assists (watch them here or in the video above) and Larin converted his fifth and sixth goals of the season.
But it was the captain’s hard-running example that most impressed his head coach, especially with the game becoming so open in the final stages.
“I thought the skipper was unbelievable tonight,” Heath insisted. “He drove the team on for long periods and he was still going in the 92nd minute. He showed to everybody how much this means to him.
“His relationship with Cyle is continually getting better and, as Cyle gets a better understanding, you can see that it is working. It was an incredible free kick for the first goal and then Cyle appears from nowhere and slides it in for the winner. He’s worked hard for his goals tonight and that will help his confidence.”
Heath could point to heroes all over the field, from goalkeeper Joe Bendik– “We had to rely on Joe too much for my liking,” Heath admitted – to midfield duo Cristian Higuita and Servando Carrasco– “They covered a million miles this evening” – and substitute defenders Kevin Alston and Tommy Redding, who replaced injured duo Rafael Ramos and Seb Hines in the first half.
“I was just delighted for the players tonight,” he added. “It would have been easy for them to feel sorry for themselves after going behind to a deflected goal early on, but I told them we had to keep going to the final whistle and they did, and they got their rewards.
“There are a lot of tired bodies in the locker room but they can take a lot of confidence from this and it sets us up nicely for the game with Philadelphia here on Wednesday.”
Larin picked up his share of bruises in a constant battle with the Impact’s physical defense, but he was delighted to get back on the board after three scoreless games, and he also credited his growing partnership with Kaká for bagging the three points.
“Last year, I don’t think I would have been in those positions or scored those goals,” he admitted. “When Kaká is on the field with me I keep growing with every game. He is screaming at me to do certain things but I take it the right way and, if I keep learning, I will keep scoring.”
