On Wednesday, Orlando City played their first of two home matches this week. After a disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC, Orlando City will look to Sunday and their match against New York City FC (NYCFC). Playing three games in nine days is certainly a struggle, but Head Coach Jason Kreis has a plan to rotate players and help maintain fitness.
In the match against Toronto FC, the starting lineup featured five players who did not start against Colorado. After the game, Kreis talked about the importance of player fitness and hinted at more changes in the starting lineup on Sunday. “I think we will probably look to do some more rotation so that we have fresh players,” Kreis said. “Perhaps with recuperation and regeneration we can get ourselves fresh.”
While NYCFC does not have a midweek game, Orlando City has the added benefit of not having to travel. The team will look to rest, stay hydrated, and stay healthy before Sunday’s match. But Kreis emphasized another aspect that the team will need in order to be successful on Sunday.
Kreis noted that after a game like Toronto FC, a team can choose to look at the positives or the negatives. As Orlando City continues to try find points and make it into the last playoff slot, Kreis believes that the most important thing that the team needs right now is confidence. “For me, it’s just a continued belief,” Kreis said. “We choose to look at the positive side… I choose to believe.”
Kreis and his team will be back at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, August 28th facing NYCFC. The match will kickoff at 7:30pm.
