Red, white, and blue...and purple?
Orlando City has quickly taken over the United States Men’s National Team, a movement that comes to a head in the City Beautiful this Sunday, as the Americans battle Trinidad & Tobago in a friendly at Exploria Stadium (7 p.m. ET, FS1/Únimas/TUDN).
Not only is the game in Orlando, but the hometown Lions have a team-high four players in the squad: wingers Chris Mueller and Benji Michel, striker Daryl Dike and midfielder Andrés Perea.
Mueller is the only one of the four to receive a USMNT cap so far, earned last month against El Salvador. The 24 year-old won Man of the Match honors after a two goal, one assist performance in his international debut. Called into a second consecutive camp, he was effusive about the bonds he’s forming with his new teammates.
“Camp has been a lot of fun,” Mueller said in a press conference this week. “I think that we’re getting some really good work in. A lot of good team camaraderie going on, we’ve had some time to get to know each other, and it’s been a blast. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to continuing to move forward towards this game on Sunday.”
Mueller’s first camp, in Fort Lauderdale in December, came off the heels of a breakout third season with Orlando City. The Schaumburg, Illinois native racked up 10 goals and seven assists in 22 games, catching the eye of USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. Now in his second stint with the national team, Mueller has increased his comfort with the side.
“I think I’m just a little more comfortable now with the guys,” he said when asked to compare this camp to December’s. “I think that’s a huge thing when you step into a new team and there’s a lot of new faces and you’re getting to know the guys you’re playing along with...I have built some really good relationships with some guys on the team and that part’s been great. I think it just makes going onto the pitch, when you play with each other and you guys are really good friends, I think that makes it all that more exciting and it makes you play better.”
Mueller, despite his young age, is the oldest of the four Lions on Berhalter’s roster. Michel, an Orlando Homegrown, turned 23 in October, while Dike and Perea are both just 20 years old.
Asked if he felt he was a mentor for his younger teammates, Mueller had a laugh. “I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily a big time mentor for these guys, I haven’t been around for all too long,” he said.
“They’re all great players, they’re adapting quickly and I’m so proud of each and every one of them. They’re all so young and they’ve just done so well for themselves to be here and for all of us to be here together.”
