Lions back on pitch as transfer window opens
All was quiet except for faint shouts and whistles coming from the far side of the field.
Orlando City returned to training Monday after four days off for a light workout to get back into the swing of things.
Off of the pitch, however, nothing was quiet.
Rumors ramped up and fans buzzed because Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window opened. The window, which will close Aug. 9, allows teams to acquire new players through intra-league trades or international transfers. The primary window ran from Feb. 14 to May 8.
“We like our team, and we think we’re in a good position,” Orlando City coach Jason Kreis said. “Would we like to be one of the best teams and at the top of the table? Absolutely, but we also look at it and say we’re still in a transformation process here, we’re still in a developmental phase. So we go into this transfer window and we’re
not saying, ‘Oh, we need to blow up the entire team!’ because clearly we do not, but do we hope to get better? Absolutely.”
Orlando City is expected to make limited moves and has been looking to bring in more attacking players, according to Kreis and general manager Niki Budalic.
No potential deals were close enough to report as of Monday, and anything in the works likely won’t come to fruition in the opening days of the transfer window, according to league sources. However, player transactions are typically volatile. Deals can come together or fall apart at any moment.
“If it’s done right, it’s done over time,” Kreis said of building a team. “That’s [what] I believe. If the team is to be built for consistent success over years, then it needs to be built in the right way, which is
slow and steady and methodical. We had a plan when we got here. We had a plan that we put together in the offseason as well, and now we’re at a point in the middle of the season where we may need to adjust it just slightly.
“The easiest way to say all of that is that we are still looking to steadily improve this team, but we are not going to cut off our nose to spite our face.”
Kreis said there are three or four things the team is specifically working on during the next two game-free weeks of training, though he would not divulge specifics. One of those areas is possession, according to centerback Tommy Redding.
“We have great team chemistry so far, but we need a change in our possession style, we need to keep more of the ball,” Redding said. “It’s hard sometimes, so maybe someone who can bring that to the team would be great [to acquire in the transfer window].”
Other areas that need improvement based on recent performances include attacking strategies, passing accuracy and decision making. Kreis said the defensive mindset of the team was under a lot of strain because of the team’s lack of scoring before this break.
After scoring 10 goals in its first seven games, Orlando City (8-7-5, 29 points) scored just 12 in the last 13 matches and now is among the bottom five teams in the league for goals scored.
“Defensively, we felt like if we allow one goal, we may not be able to score a goal during the game,” Kreis said. “So we look at that and say perhaps we need more players that are goal-dangerous.”
Aside from a rampant rumor involving 24-year-old Colombian midfielder Juan Quintero — who is linked to various MLS clubs — it’s been a much quieter start to the transfer window for Orlando City than last season, which kicked off with former coach Adrian Heath’s firing.
Kreis was then hired July 19, and player movements followed. Matías Pérez García, who was recently waived, signed last summer in a trade that shipped Darwin Cerén to San Jose. Centerback José Aja came in on a six-month loan during that time as well, and former OCB players Mikey Ambrose, now with Atlanta, and Tony Rocha.
Ramos hurt
Orlando City defender Rafael Ramos will miss about four weeks after suffering a hamstring strain, a club spokesman confirmed Monday.
Ramos suffered the injury during an appearance with USL side Orlando City B Saturday, taking advantage of the opportunity to get minutes during the MLS Gold Cup break.
The Portuguese defender has been hounded by hamstring injuries throughout his Orlando City career. He had just returned in June after missing the first portion of the season due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the preseason.