AS Roma are a team in mid-season form, and Orlando City found that out the hard way on Wednesday.
Roma defeated the USL Pro club, 5-0, at Barker Family Stadium in Winter Park, Fla. in a friendly on Wednesday afternoon that capped off their brief U.S. winter stop in Central Florida. Erik Lamela scored the winner two minutes into the friendly and added a second in the 13th. Miralem Pjanic, Mattia Destro and Alessandro Florenzi added the other three goals.
U.S. Men’s National Team midfielderย Michael Bradley started and played 45 minutes for Roma, and he helped the Italian heavyweights dominate possession against an Orlando City team that was playing in front of a sold-out crowd.
What do you think of Roma’s win over Orlando City? Impressed with Bradley’s outing?
Share your thoughts below.
I attended the game and the thing I enjoyed the most is that Michael Bradley, is an unquestioned star for this team.
He dictated much of the play and his teammates rely on him to run the midfield.
Michael Bradley the unquestioned star on this team? ahead of Totti, De Rossi? you are dreaming!
Not THE star, but certainly one of the team’s top players.
Some of you are really pathetic. Yes, we get it, Roma is a premier club and Orlando City isn’t. You’re not being ironic or showing any more soccer knowledge by pointing it out AGAIN in the comments. Geesh.
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This guy didn’t get to play in the game….
Wow are they smiling as laughing as he tries to take the ball away from MB lol??
The one thing that goes unmentioned is that Roma fielded more starters than Orlando City did. They only brought a handful of players and Orlando was fielding a team with more trialists than first-teamers. It was a lot of fun either way and I had a great spot to watch the action as close as can be.
For those wondering how Bradley played, his vision was as good if not better than anyone on his team. It was easy to tell that he just knew exactly where everyone on the field was and was supposed to be at any time. The whole game can be found on the AS Roma youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/asroma
Wouldn’t that be awesome. To be some 19-23 Prospect kid gettin a look and coach says, suit up, your starting against Roma!!
Roma was in town winter training at disney ESPN world of sports.
Bodes well for a lot of interesting friendlies when we gwt a SSS and MLS in town!
Orlando City’s strip looks a lot like Fiorentina’s
Orlando likely retains more players than some other USL Pro teams but I highly doubt that Orlando had anything near a full squad. Roma likely didn’t play a lot of players either. Still is really cool for a USL team to get a friendly against a Serie A team. Too bad they couldn’t get this game solidified earlier at a larger venue to create a bit of revenue for the club.
Watched the first 45 min. Bradley looked sharp…extremely comfortable on the ball and saw the field well. Beyond that it was an amazing display of the Grand Canyon gap between Serie A & US Pro.
It didn’t help that Orlando City are in-between seasons either. They haven’t played a competitive match since August 31. That’s 4 months!
Yeah,that’s along time without playing.
You mean USL Pro?
No he means US Pro (Canada is US Amateur)
You make no sense,we have no US pro? it’s either USL pro or nothing.
99% sure he was joking, dude.
Roma trained at Disney for a couple days since they have a partnership with WWOS and Disney.
Roma has a sponsorship deal with Disney, hence the trip to Orlando. Bradley has been starting and playing in most games this season. He’s really making a name for himself in the Serie A. It’s good to see him hold his own against international veterans like Pirlo, Cavani and Robinho.
Just once I’d like to see a big team take a friendly like this seriously and put things in real perspective. I bet Roma could have put 10-15 on Orlando City.
Why?
Do you enjoy 20-0 games?
I would think it would get embarrassing for all involved once it got to a double digit difference.
Go watch college football and their 56-3 scores when big programs play small ones? Or the US women in CONCACAF qualifying…
You find those entertaining?
No, not at all. But those are my suggestions if he finds sporting events where the win probability rapidly enters the 90-10 range entertaining…
I was at the game. Roma was clearly the superior squad. Overall they played crisp football and are in midseason form.
The game was a legit sellout. They have about 1,000 people in the stands and a good 500 people surrounding the fences around the gate. Tickets were going for $25/$10 a seat. The game was played in a small college venue just outside of downtown Orlando. Because the game was confirmed at the last minute, Orlando City could not secure a larger venue on natural grass. It is hard to take much out of this game considering the disparity in talent. That said, Orlando City played very well in the second half splitting posesion of the ball and getting a few good looks on target. A few of their younger prospects took full advantage of the big stage and played well. The Lions should do well in USL competition next season.
“Roma was clearly the superior squad…”
I should hope so… or else JK needs to call up more Orlando City players.
“Roma was clearly the superior squad.”
Does this even need to be said? Roma, who are pretty much the most exciting team in Italy right now under Zeman, just put up 4 on both AC Milan and Fiorentina, I doubt they had to break a sweat vs third division Orlando City.
“Roma, clearly, was the superior squad tonight”…….just sayin’. ๐
There, you did it again. Third division.
Why would Roma play a USL team? Vacation?
trip to Disneyworld ๐
Michael Bradley, Gangnam Style
Was this friendly open to the public? If so, how did this game do attendance wise?
“playing in front of a sold-out crowd.” Apparently, they played in front of Orlando fans who were bribed into rooting for Roma. Sell-outs.
This is exactly how bradley looks up in the club.
Oh, in “da” club. He’s shaking his bald money-maker.
LoL perfect caption
What brings them to Florida in the middle of the winter?
What brings have of the north to Florida for the winter? The Cuban food of course.
Nice
Ropa Vieja, Congri, Fufรบ de platano, pastelitos…
well thats surprising!
File this in the least shocking routs folder. Nice to have Roma and MB come over for a winter friendly, though.
Didn’t see the game, but not surprised. For those who watched, how did Bradley do?
Who cares, he was playing in a meaningless game against third division Orlando City?
Calling USL the third division is a little misleading, don’t you think? There aren’t really tiers like that to US Soccer.
There are to varying degrees and while they aren’t as pronounced as overseas the point is Orlando City and their quality of play isn’t near MLS and the “top tier” within US.
Its more like a 2A and 2B with NASL and USL
Bradley always does well with Roma. He was in good form