Today marked the dawn of a new era in the history of Orlando City Soccer Club.
New City head coach Jason Kreis was formally introduced last Wednesday and has spent the time since then getting to know his new team. He met with each player individually and then again as a group, and by all accounts, the feeling is exceptionally positive.
“We talked about what it’s going to mean to be an Orlando City player and how we want to represent ourselves,” Kreis said today during his first media training availability. “I thought it was well received.”
He echoed the message he introduced himself with at last week’s press conference – the last step of a tumultuous few weeks and the first of an especially bright future.
Finally, today, the real work began.
“This morning’s meeting was all about tactics and to give them a general overview of how we want to play and how they’ll see the game going forward,” Kreis said. “There was some interaction and some questions and hopefully we’ll have some clarity.”
At training, the players went through those tactics with Kreis and new assistant coaches CJ Brown and Miles Joseph ahead of their next MLS match Sunday against New England. Tomorrow, though, they’ll face English Premier League side Stoke City at Titan Soccer Complex in Melbourne.
“Honestly, when I first saw that I was a little bit aggrieved,” said Kreis, who played four years of soccer at Duke University. “I would’ve preferred a full week of training but we’ll approach that match and use it the right way. I think it could be actually beneficial.”
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of the players to play against such a historic English side – and for fans to see such a team up close and personal – so there’s no shortage of excitement for the game.
More importantly, though, it’s their first chance to show their new coach what they can do. It’s an audition to keep their place in the starting XI – or to show why they should be there.
“This is a turning point for us as a Club,” said midfielder Kevin Molino, who has been with Orlando City since 2011. “Individually, each and every one of us has to fight for our position because with a new coach, you need to impress him each and every day.
“We’re not going to take this game lightly.”
The positivity comes from a sense that, with a new coach, things have finally settled down for the Lions. But above all, their ultimate goal of reaching the MLS playoffs is within reach.
The Lions are just three points out of the playoffs with 14 games to go. And on Sunday, they face the Revolution – the team just ahead of them in the standings.
After Saturday’s comeback in Columbus, Molino and Kaká both declared their certainty that the Lions will qualify. Today during his interview, Kreis, who has been clear from the beginning that this will not be a quick fix, was asked what he thought about that confidence and whether or not he thought he wanted that kind of talk around.
“Thousand percent. We want positivity and we want confidence. We want the players to believe,” Kreis said. “I also believe, but I’m just not willing to make any promises.”
After being hired midway through the 2007 season, Kreis took Real Salt Lake to the playoffs every year from 2008 to 2013. He went to two MLS Cup Finals in that time, and won it all in 2009. He and the Club’s ownership and management have a vision that will likely take time to achieve.
“There’s a short-term objective, which is to try and make the playoffs,” he said. “There’s a long-term objective, which is to put the Club right for a long time to come.”
Today, that finally began.
