This weekend, MLS teams from all over the United States and Canada will face off against their historic rivals as teams seek to secure their spot in the playoffs. Orlando City will be facing New York City FC (NYCFC), a team that has been considered an Orlando City rival since the two teams entered the MLS in the same year and played their inaugural match against each other.
But this year, the rivalry brings even more heat. Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis spent last season with NYCFC as their inaugural head coach. Some have commented on the added drive the team will have to beat this team, but Kreis insists that this is just like any other match.
“No, there’s not,” Kreis said when asked if he had an even stronger desire to beat his former team. “And regardless, if there is extra motivation, it doesn’t necessarily mean I can motivate the players to align with my motivations.”
“It happens to be a game against a very good opponent. Another home match in which we’re looking to improve,” Kreis said after training on Thursday. “It’s another opportunity to show improvement and hopefully get three points at a critical time in our season. It’s not about me and it’s not about the opponent.”
Orlando City Takes on NYCFC Sunday Night
Kreis was asked if he had an advantage in knowing the team’s players and potentially their strategies. But Kreis noted that the team will be different under a new manager. “I have some ideas about tendencies of individual players,” Kreis said. “We need to prepare for the team not so much the individuals.”
As for the history between these two teams, Kreis believes that those matches are always competitive games. “From my point of view, they’ve always been really close matches,” Kreis said. “Last year I felt like all the matches we played against each other could have gone one way or another.”
“Good team, good team,” Kreis said about NYCFC. “We’ll be prepared.
