Last week was certainly a forgettable one for Orlando City, a US Open Cup loss to Miami FC on Wednesday, then Cyle Larin’s arrest for DUI on Thursday. All topped off by a draw with the Montreal Impact on Saturday despite controlling the game for most of the match.
But moving forward the slate for Orlando doesn’t look too much easier. Their next three matches are on the road, all part of a stretch that will see the Lions play four games in a span of 14 days. The last time Orlando played four matches in two weeks, they came away with just four points.
“I don’t think it’s a question of doing it differently,” head coach Jason Kreis said. “It’s a question of doing it better.”
Better will have to come against some stiff competition. Orlando will face Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire, the top two teams in the East.
“We will have to use multiple players,” he added. “We aren’t going to stick with the strongest 11 and try and play as many games as we have with as much travel as we have.”
“We have a deeper roster, we have a lot of players that we believe in and we’re going to need to just do better.”
It’ll all come down to playing a full 90 minutes of soccer, something coach Kreis says the team has yet to do, but certainly came much closer to accomplishing it at the beginning of the season.
“I think it goes back to the work rate that we were showing at the beginning of the year,” said forward Giles Barnes. “I thought the first 45 minutes was exceptional, I thought we attacked very well, we defended very well, it was some really exciting football.”
“So that’s what we’ve got to look at, look at the positives and take that through to all the games throughout this month.”
A month that could truly make or break Orlando City’s season.