If Orlando City players
want to impress their new coach, they’ll have a chance as the Lions take on Stoke City later this week.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — There was a visible increase in intensity among Orlando City players training last week. Everyone wanted to prove themselves in front of new head coach Jason Kreis, and he technically wasn’t even in charge yet.
Now that the Lions have completed their three-game road trip, capping it with a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew Saturday night, they’ll head back to Orlando where Kreis is waiting to kick off a new era.
Kaká smiled and laughed a little when asked if the team was feeling pressure to impress.
“I think it’s normal when you change things that everybody wants to show something different or, ‘Hey, look, I’m here,’ ” Kaká said. “That’s good, a positive thing and a little push for the rest of the season.
“I think the team is playing good. We played
very good in Vancouver, and the second half of [Columbus]. We’re ready for this week that we start with a new coach and new part of the season for us.”
The team captain was eager to prove himself as well, having missed three games with the latest of multiple injuries this season. Kreis stopped to watch his star player execute additional drills after training last week.
Kaká said he understands that at 34 years old, he becomes more vulnerable to injury every day. He played 30 minutes in Columbus and said he felt no pain and is hoping for no additional setbacks this season.
“Everybody has something to prove to the new coach, who obviously has never seen us from the inside and has only seen us in games,” Orlando City goalkeeper Joe Bendik said.
If Kreis watched the Columbus match, which he said he was going to while finishing his move to Orlando, he saw how threatening Kevin Molino and Cyle Larin can be on the attack. Molino scored his seventh goal of the season and notched his seventh assist, making him the team’s assist leader this season and tying him with Kaká for most assists in franchise history.
Larin’s header in the 70th minute marked his 10th goal this year, which makes him tied for fourth among the league’s top scorers.
“Definitely, we’re going to make the playoffs,” Molino said after the match, displaying conviction not seen during the past few months. “We’re confident and looking forward to working with the new head coach.
“We’re going to take the point and stay confident and look forward to the next game. It’s going to be a home game and we’re going to have to push hard to get three points.”
Kaká said the group still is lacking a little bit of confidence, in his opinion, but echoed his teammate’s playoff declaration, saying, “I trust in this group and we will make the playoffs.”
In June and early July, it was more likely to hear phrases such as, “If we hope to make the playoffs.”
Making it above that playoff cut line will still take work, but interim head coach Bobby Murphy said after the Columbus match no one can question the team’s resiliency.
“Knowing all the circumstances going on, I’m as lame duck as they get right now, and they went out and did the job,” said Murphy, who will remain on Kreis’ staff.
“The way they responded to the things I said, the effort they gave me, if they do that Monday with Jason, they’re going to kick off and do really great things.”