Orlando City will host two Eastern Conference opponents this week – the first of which is a match-up with D.C. United on Wednesday evening. D.C. has had their struggles this season, but are coming off a strong road performance which saw them earn all three points against Vancouver. There is no doubt D.C. will be full of confidence heading into Wednesday night’s game and the Lions are aware.
For Orlando City, it is about turning strong performances into winning results. The team has come up short during the month of May, but are approaching each game with a positive mindset.
“The guys still believe in themselves and they believe in us. That’s what it’s going to take to bring ourselves out of this [winless streak]. And we do it one play at a time, one game at a time. The game directly in front of us is a very opportune one: it’s at home against D.C. United,” Head Coach Jason Kreis told reporters during training Tuesday morning.
Kreis was also asked if Wednesday’s game against D.C. United is a ‘must-win’ game for Orlando City: “There’s 34 games in a season. Our objective is to be better than we were last year. We continue to work the way we have worked and believe in our guys and believe that we’re good enough to make the playoffs. That’s a clear and simple objective for this team this year.”
Some may call it a ‘must-win’, but the Lions are after the three points every time they take the pitch. Fierce competitors like Will Johnson and Servando Carrasco bring forth an air of confidence that is infectious throughout the team.
“For us, each game is three points. We’ve got a good chance to rectify this bad streak that we’ve been on,” Orlando City midfielder Will Johnson told reporters at training. Fellow midfielder Servando Carrasco also commented on the team’s current mentality: “We’re very hungry. We’re ready to change the script. These two home games are a great opportunity to do that.”
