KISSIMMEE, Fla. — For the first time in what feels like forever, Wednesday didn't have an Orlando City game. No pre-game rituals, no recovery session after a late kickoff, no rain delays. Just a nice and normal training session. For a group that has played three straight midweek matches in August, that alone has been a gift.
"We have actual training week now instead of just game, recover, game, recover," defender Zakaria Taifi said at Orlando Health Training Ground at Osceola Heritage Park on Tuesday. "So it's good."
Interim Head Coach MartÃn Perelman was equally grateful for the break. After a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake over the past weekend, the week has been less about pushing the group and more about restoring balance before a demanding final stretch of the season.
"We try to take the best from everything we find," Perelman said. "Now we find the week, and we try to use it. At this point it's more about balance, because we came from a very, very long amount of games in a short period of time. We are not pushing, but we are trying to use the time to work, to improve the things that we need to improve, and to maintain those things that we are doing well."
The physical demands of August have been relentless but the mental side of the games, and the toll it takes, has been just as much of a priority.
"Fortunately, here we have a really good mental coach, which is Andrea (Gonzalez)," he said. "She does a really good job and helps us a lot in that area. Here in Orlando, I am proud because we have a really good interdisciplinary staff, and that mental part is well protected and well managed by her."
For Taifi, who started the last match at left back, the versatility has become a point of quiet pride. The Orlando-born homegrown has adopted the moniker longtime defender Kyle Smith held when he was here from 2019-2025, and he wears the title with a badge of honor, doing whatever is needed of him for his hometown team.
"Coach calls me soldier," Taifi said. "I'm a soldier since I've been in OCB. I just do my job, do my role. That's the most important thing for the team."
Saturday's destination is Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where the Lions haven't been since 2023. That game ended with a late winner by the Lions, taking a 2-1 win back to Orlando. Currently, Minnesota United are 10th in the West under first-year head coach Cameron Knowles, with Kelvin Yeboah leading their attack with 10 goals on the season.Â
"It's a team from the other conference. We analyze them, we have a really good department of analysis, and they help us a lot," Perelman said. "But focus first of all is on our team, because we respect every opponent. We need to take care of ourselves, and then of course the strategic preparation will be there."
Kickoff at Allianz Field is set for Saturday at 8:30 p.m ET, with the match available on Apple TV.
