Orlando City will be refreshed and ready to go Wednesday night against Miami FC. The team has enjoyed a short break in action this past week to prepare both physically and mentally for another busy stretch of fixtures.
After training on Friday, Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis was asked about his team’s break in the schedule.
“I think it’s an ideal time. It comes between two stretches where we’ve got multiple games in weeks and it’s going to be very taxing on us from a physical standpoint and also a mental standpoint,” Kreis explained to Orlando City reporters.
The hectic run of play starts on Wednesday night against Miami FC in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Orlando City Stadium will host its first ever U.S. Open Cup match and the team is excited for the opportunity to push onto the Round of 16. Servando Carrasco was interviewed after training on Friday and the Lions midfielder was asked about the importance of the Open Cup to the team:
“It’s vital. It’s an opportunity to win a Cup so we should be taking it very, very seriously,” Carrasco said. “You win the U.S. Open and you’re in the CONCACAF Champions League. That’s a huge goal for this team and this club so it’s definitely a tournament we take very seriously.”
U.S. Open Cup Tickets
The prospect of CONCACAF Champions League competition is just one of many benefits that winning the U.S. Open Cup offers.
Orlando City has a Head Coach in Jason Kreis that brought loads of experience with him to the Club. Experience that includes U.S. Open Cup success both as a player and manager; giving him unique insight into what it takes to advance in the tournament. “I think that the team is really well put together for this type of competition. We have a lot of guys that the coaching staff feels very strongly about and believes can give you a match at any given moment,” Kreis told reporters on Friday. “So we think we’re deep enough to handle this competition in the middle of things.”
Kreis’ experience, coupled with his leadership and competitive drive, will be crucial for the team as they balance a busy MLS schedule with U.S. Open Cup fixtures.
Orlando City’s Head Coach was asked about how his team will be approaching the U.S. Open Cup: “I look at this and say ‘This is an opportunity to win something.’ It’s a very meaningful trophy – it’s been in existence for a long, long time I know more than 100 years. And it’s an opportunity to get involved in a regional championship in CONCACAF Champions League. This is a really important thing for our club and for our team right now.”
