Orlando City
is coping with injuries to Rafael Ramos and Kevin Alston, who have had multiple hamstring strains.
When all the right things are done — rehabilitation, proper nutrition, following doctor’s recommendations, strength and conditioning, studying body mechanics and more — but injuries keep coming, what happens next?
Two Orlando City right backs are in that situation now, having suffered multiple hamstring strains this season and last. Rafael Ramos, 22, and Kevin Alston, 29, are at a loss for what else they can do to prevent the setbacks.
Lions coach Jason Kreis didn’t have the answer, either.
“It’s an impossible situation, right?” Kreis said, lowering his gaze in what looked to be sympathy and frustration when Ramos first was mentioned.
“We all want to look for the black-and-white answer. We’re handling all the black-andwhite information. We’re doing all the right things, the rehab, the nutrition, the strength
work, the one-v-one work he’s doing outside the field. We’re putting in all the right information, but for some reason it’s still eluding us. So, I just don’t have an answer.”
Ramos’ latest injury, suffered while playing with Orlando City B during the weekend, is a Grade 1 strain. A spokesman for the club initially said he would miss about four weeks while recovering, but Kreis is hopeful it will be closer to two weeks.
Ramos missed 21 consecutive games between the end of May and beginning of October with hamstring issues last season. He’s played in just two MLS matches this year for the same reason, and now questions about his future with the team are being raised.
“We’re hopeful it’s a small, minor problem,” Kreis said. “It’s also not to the exact same muscle that he’s been dealing with, so we’re hopeful it could be a minor issue that we can move forward from very quickly. But it’s concerning, it’s concerning no doubt.”
Alston was loaned to OCB for the season after a hamstring injury during the preseason. He worked his way back only to re-injure himself twice, the most recent coming in a May 27 OCB game against Charlotte. Kreis said he’s still not training fully.
As a veteran player who has overcome significant health issues, including leukemia, Alston doesn’t think Ramos should be too worried about his career.
“He’s a young player who’s just getting started. I think he’ll put it behind him at some point,” Alston said. “We’re just here to support each other. We know what each other are going through. it’s not easy. So many people ask what happened or why does it keep happening? You don't have a clear answer for them. You’re doing what you can, working hard and trying to get back. Me and Rafa are just leaning on each other, supporting each other.”
OCB rivalry
The I-4 Derby comes to Orlando City Stadium on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. when Orlando City B (5-6-6, 21 points) hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies (7-5-6, 27 points) in a United Soccer League match.
OCB dropped its first game of the season 1-0 to the Rowdies in St. Petersburg. Thursday’s match will be streamed live at OrlandoCitySC.com.
“It’s a huge game,” OCB coach Anthony Pulis said. “Obviously there’s more than points at stake for this one, it’s local pride. We know how much this means to the supporters. I think we’re a lot better team than we were at the beginning of the season.”
OCB is coming off of a 0-0 draw against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Tampa Bay beat FC Cincinnati 2-1 in its last match.
With Orlando City on a two-week international break, some additional MLS players could get time with OCB in the match.
Tampa Bay submitted a MLS expansion bid in January. Pulis said he’s noticed a bit more intensity in the Rowdies’ play this season, similar to what he witnessed with Orlando City when the former USL team was trying to make the leap to the big leagues.
“There’s an added extra spice it being against the Tampa Bay Rowdies,” OCB captain Lewis Neal said. “But for me, it’s about making sure we play the game and not the occasion. We prepared tactically and technically on how we’re going to go about twinning the game, and that’s what we need to focus on when the whistle blows.”