Orlando City closed the season with a decisive win for the home crowd, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference as the Lions miss the playoffs for the second straight year.
The high hopes for City were dashed by stagnant starts and eight draws to begin the year. Midway through the stretch, Head Coach Adrian Heath was let go and Jason Kreis replaced him.
“I can say that we had very good lessons from these two years. We did the same thing from the first season and we finished in the same place. So next season if we want to finish in a different place, we have to change a few things,” said City midfielder Kaka.
“And I said this in the week leading up to our last game, most of what we have to change is our mentality. I hope these guys understand that and we can make something different for next season to have a different result.”
The difference may come at the expense of who is on the roster. Coach Kreis making it known, no one is safe when it comes to a losing record.
“If the players don’t believe that every time they step on the pitch they are auditioning, then they are getting the wrong message. Because they are,” said Kreis.
The message is loud and clear. Kreis is going to work this off-season and fans should expect a different look when it comes to the roster in 2017.
“We’ve come up short. We didn’t make the playoffs, so we need to improve. And we need to figure out as quickly as we can where those areas are, identify them, and go find the players to fill them.”
The pressure is already on for year three.