Orlando City: Dom Dwyer so much more than just goals

When Orlando City acquired Dom Dwyer in a record-breaking trade, the expectation was that he would lead a fluid and prolific attack. And he is doing, scoring lots of goal for the Lions. However, the centre-forward is so much more than the goals that he scores, and it was evidenced in Sunday’s win over the San Jose Earthquakes.

Orlando City SC have made quite the turnaround this season. After dropping their first two games and looking somewhat devoid of ideas and instruction, the Lions have since flipped their form on its head, winning a league-leading four successive games to sit at 4-2.

The latest of those wins came against the San Jose Earthquakes, as a blistering first-half performance put Orlando two goals to the good, a lead that they would ultimately hang on with a 3-2 scoreline.

And what has changed for Orlando is the number of goals that they are scoring. They have amassed 12 goals in their four wins, scoring more than one on every occasion. They have only scored 13 goals on the year, the first coming in an opening-weekend loss to Minnesota United.

Now it would be too simplistic to say that such a dramatic change is because of the return of one player, but it is not a coincidence that Dom Dwyer has played four games this season, the four that Orlando have won and their attack has bloomed.

The striker has scored five goals in those four games, very much establishing himself in the MLS golden boot race. But as the weekend’s win over San Jose indicated, Dwyer brings so much more to the table than just rippling the net. He certainly does do that, but there is far more to his game that unlocks the very best in this Orlando attack.

First and foremost, he demands attention. Look at the focus of the San Jose defenders for Chris Mueller’s opening goal. They are all looking for the movement of Dwyer — first, he drops deep, allowing for the long, cross-field switch to be played; then he hangs back in the penalty area, allowing Mueller to drive to the near post and ultimately finish. The attention that he demands is because he is such a prolific centre-forward. Defenders know that he is the primary threat, but because of that, they tend to leave greater spaces for other Orlando attackers.

Dwyer also has the technical skill and athletic ability to hold-up play and bring others into attacking moves. It was his clever touch, swerve, and lay-off that afforded such space for Mueller to scamper into for the second goals. These moments often go unnoticed. He did not record a goal or an assist for his troubles, and that is what many will glance at to determine the success of his performance or not. But they are invaluable to his team.

Dwyer is also a relentless runner. He chases tirelessly, he never gives up on a lost cause, he is always hounding and harassing the defenders. In a word, he is just ‘annoying’ to play against. And that is why Orlando gave away so much to get him — it was the richest deal in MLS history at the time.

You see, while he is a striker and he is paid to score goals, the reason that he was so dear is all the other things that he brings to the team. It may be his goals that grab the headlines, but it is his all-round play that is so crucial.

To Orlando City, Dom Dwyer is so much more than his goals. That is why he is so important.