Orlando City Vs New York City FC: 3 things we learned – Grinwis saves the day
1. Another tough outing for Dom Dwyer
Dom Dwyer has endured a difficult 2019 season. Whether it be his struggles off the pitch with injuries or his appeared lack of confidence, Dwyer has not been the player that the club needs, and frankly expected of him.
Dwyer was again unable to make his mark on the pitch against New York City FC. He never looked comfortable after coming on for Nani in the final ten minutes of normal time. He may very well be trying to remove some rust that has accumulated from his injuries. He was involved in a few of the escalations between the two clubs and committed two fouls. Again, he just did not look like the player Orlando was hoping they would get when they traded for him back in 2017.
Yet, while Dwyer certainly was capable of taking control of the match and leading the exhausted Orlando City players, he was also lacking in some crucial attacking support. O’Connor took off Nani, Sacha Kljestan, and Chris Mueller in an attempt to secure the defense and see out the rest of the match. Unfortunately for O’Connor, that was the wrong decision but was ultimately mitigated thanks to the penalty shootout victory. The tactical shift to protect the lead led Dwyer with very few reliable options up top to create space.
The English born American international had the perfect opportunity to boost his confidence and make Grinwis’s work a tad bit easier in the penalty shootout. Unfortunately, he missed the penalty, which served as another reminder that Dwyer is just is off his game.
The MLS season is more than halfway gone, but that does not mean that Dwyer does not have the opportunity to remain an impactful player for the club. After all, he still has five goals and two assists to his name through 15 games played this season, and in 2018 he recorded thirteen goals in 26 games played.
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Yes, he has not had the best of seasons, but if he can put the injuries behind him is given a chance by O’Connor, the talented striker has all of the potential to become a major piece in the hunt for Orlando City SC’s first MLS playoff appearance, and perhaps the club’s first U.S. Open Cup trophy too.