Lions’ Shea likes new role — and it’s not on defense.
Orlando City midfielder Brek Shea — that’s what he is now. Earlier this season, that phrase would have said, “Orlando City defender Brek Shea.”
Though he played in the midfield much of his career and toggled back and forth between positions since joining Orlando City last season, his main role was at left back for the Lions. Shea’s performances there this season have largely underwhelmed, save for an inspiring outing against Portland in April.
Some questioned where and if the former U.S. men’s national team member fit with Orlando City’s current roster. Shortly before new head coach Jason Kreis took over, Shea made consecutive appearances at left wing. Now, Kreis has him playing right wing.
“I’m enjoying it,” Shea said after training earlier this week. “Just enjoying being back in the midfield. Left back is all right, I just like to attack, so this is a chance I get to attack more.”
Kreis talked about Shea’s potential a few weeks ago and seemed to have no plans of moving him back on defense any time soon.
Kreis subbed Shea on at right wing for the first time during halftime of his coaching debut for the Lions. The move paid off.
“He had a pretty strong performance there, and he obviously was on the pitch for three goals for us and zero goals against us, so we need to consider that for sure,” Kreis said of Shea, who notched an assist to help Orlando City win 3-1 against New England.
Shea started the next three games in the same position and subbed on for the final 15 minutes of the loss against Toronto on Wednesday night.
“I’ll say it this way, when Brek came out of the draft, and when he was playing the under-17 national team, I watched him and thought, ‘Wow. What an exciting left back prospect that would be,’” Kreis said earlier this month. “But, analyzing the games before I came here, I see that it’s a big liability and the team, defensively where we’re at right now, we don’t have room for liability defensively.
“So, for me, it’s about saying to him, ‘We’re going to play to your strength, where it is right now, and that’s in the attacking side of the field. We’re going to expect certain things defensively from you, and when you do those things, you will get a free license to attack how you want to and where you want to.’ And I think when we do that we can get some creativity out of him and start to fulfill his potential.” At 26 years old, Shea still has time to reach that potential.
Academy kids
Some unfamiliar faces have been training more frequently with Orlando City’s first team and reserves, especially after matches when starters head inside a little earlier than the rest of the squad.
In addition to a couple Orlando City B players, who typically have been part of training since the beginning of the season, two Orlando City Academy players were on the pitch this week: Esteban Carmona and goalkeeper Carlos Melendez of the U15-16 program and Isaque Couto of the U17-18s.
They join in with the group in scrimmage-type drills. Couto and Carmona also helped Lions defender Rafael Ramos, who is working his way back from a hamstring injury, with defensive two-on-one defensive drills.