Two weeks ago, young defender Mikey Ambrose took to the field against the Colorado Rapids, earning his first start for Orlando City. Ambrose was signed to an MLS contract at the end of July after playing with Orlando City B throughout the season. He’s grateful for the opportunity to play and do what he can to help his team.
“It was amazing. I had a great time,” Ambrose said regarding his first start. “I’m very thankful for the coaches for giving me an opportunity. And it was a lot of fun to go out and represent the club.”
“You always love to start games,” Ambrose said. “But I just want to work hard and do what’s best for the team. And just try to be successful in whatever way the team needs me.”
Ambrose comes into Orlando City at a time of great change on the defensive end of the pitch. Head Coach Jason Kreis wants all of his players involved in the defensive side of the game, keeping everyone on the same page. Ambrose is adjusting to the new system along with everyone else, and has taken great comfort in working with his teammates.
“Me and [Luke Boden] are very close and I’ve looked up to him ever since I got here,” Ambrose said. “I’ve just been trying to learn as much as I can. And every time I come out here and try to learn as much as I can.”
Ambrose thinks that his teammates are responding well to Kreis’ ideas and points to the improvement in the defensive performance, particularly in the last match. “We’ve been working really hard on our defensive discipline and tactics… I think it’s been working out really well. I think defensively we’ve gotten a lot better. That shut out this past weekend was good defensive performances.”
As for the match against Montreal, Ambrose says that the mentality is the same as always. “The same way we prepare for every game, we work hard all week and listen to the coaches, they’re tactics for the week and try to go out and give a good performance,” Ambrose said. “We’re just looking to improve from the last game.”
