U.S. youngsters roll past Peru in Orlando
Orlando City SC traveled to Philadelphia without six regulars. It came home without points.
Milan Iloski scored three times and the Philadelphia Union beat the Lions 4-2 Saturday at Subaru Park. Orlando played with a depleted roster. David Brekalo, Wilder Cartagena, Justin Ellis, Marco Pašalić and Tyrese Spicer were away on international duty, and Braian Ojeda was out with a foot injury.
Philadelphia struck first. Iloski drew a foul in the box and converted the 11th-minute penalty, then added a second in the 19th, finishing a fast break set up by Indiana Vassilev. The Union extended the lead early in the second half. Vassilev scored in the 47th minute, and Iloski completed his hat trick four minutes later with a strike from outside the box into the top left corner.
Orlando kept pushing. Antoine Griezmann, listed as questionable with a thigh injury, started and set up Iván Angulo for a 78th-minute goal off a set piece. Martín Ojeda added a second in the 90th, finishing a pass from second-half substitute Harvey Sarajian.
Maxime Crépeau made five saves for Orlando.
The loss leaves the Lions seventh in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, holding the final automatic playoff position by one point. Philadelphia sits sixth with 39.
Orlando returns home Oct. 10 to host the Columbus Crew at Inter.Co Stadium. By then the internationals should be back in the lineup.
Seven matches remain. The Lions will need everyone.
U.S. youngsters roll past Peru in Orlando
The U.S. men's national team showed Inter.Co Stadium its future Saturday, beating Peru 4-1 in an international friendly with a roster full of players making senior debuts. Orlando City's Justin Ellis needed four minutes to make his first cap count, rising in the box to power Giovanni Reyna's cross into the bottom right corner from 13.5 yards.
Peru had its own Orlando connection. Lions midfielder Wilder Cartagena wore the captain's armband for the visitors.
Gianluca Lapadula leveled for Peru in the 15th minute, but the second half belonged to the Americans. Malik Tillman converted a penalty in the 66th, Julian Hall finished a Sebastian Berhalter cross in the 72nd, and Berhalter closed it in the 90th with a right-footed strike from 28 yards into the top right corner. The U.S. faces Chile and Mexico. Justin Ellis is definitely making a name for himself with Orlando City and USA.
