Lions hope to roar in tourney
Orlando City enters bubble looking to shed its losing past in MLS.
In the final days leading up to Orlando City’s departure for the MLS Is Back tournament, coach Oscar Pareja was eager to dive straight into quarantine.
The team entered the bubble at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel on Thursday, starting a period of isolation that could last up to 35 days depending on how deep of a run the Lions make.
Despite the distance from friends and family, Pareja said he feels grateful for the opportunity to train and compete amid the coronavirus pandemic. And the new coach sees the tournament as a chance to rewrite the script for the Lions.
“Seeing all that is happening around us with this pandemic and seeing how the economy and people are suffering and seeing the struggle, it makes us see that we are blessed,” Pareja said. “Everybody looks ready. We have not thought about very many other distractions. Our families feel the same way, they feel this is our job and if we have to be in there for a month, it’s our job and we have the support of our families.”
The tournament structure will force teams to dive back into high-paced, highstakes play after months of quarantine. This is a challenge for every team’s fitness, which naturally deteriorated between the league’s halt in March and its return to full-team training at the start of June.
Strength and conditioning coach Fabian Bazan has focused heavily on core strengthening for the team, attempting to overload players in their base to protect against injury and build endurance in a shortened period.
The lengthy time away from the pitch also allowed several players to recuperate from injuries. Striker Dom Dwyer is now fully recovered from a lower body injury and midfielder Uri Rosell is back to full speed after a groin strain.
Several players are carrying specific areas of muscle soreness as the team
moves into the hotel Thursday, but Pareja said the team is healthy all-around.
Although team fitness poses a challenge, Pareja said his main concern for the team is the mental aspect of the match.
“The most difficult thing in this game is to maintain the collective pureness of the game and to try to maintain the group with the same idea when they play the game,” Pareja said. “Fitness-wise, we’ll be fine, but now we are trying to be more specific about the game itself.”
The experience of playing in a bubble without fans will be unique for Pareja and his team, but he says that won’t greatly impact the team’s tactical approach to the game.
Pareja entered the season with the goal of molding a fast-paced style for the Lions highlighted by high-volume passing. The different look was visible in the team’s first two matches, and although the team will adjust to each opponent, Pareja said fans can expect to see that same style on display in the tournament.
“We have a clear way to do
things,” Pareja said. “That hasn’t changed. The players are convinced this is the role to do this. Every game will be different of course, but the model of the game is clear.”
Coronavirus restrictions continued to limit the team’s ability to study the mental aspect of the game, which contributed to Pareja’s eagerness to get into the hotel bubble on Thursday. Players and coaches weren’t allowed to congregate inside their training facilities, which forced Pareja to hold film sessions individually or virtually.
Ultimately, Pareja feels the mental aspect of the tournament will come down to versatility.
“Mentally we have to be strong,” Pareja said. “We can’t look around for any excuses because of the newness of the tournament. Teams will struggle on rhythm. When you think about all those challenges and you stand up and say, ‘I’m going to put all those things aside and I’m going to concentrate on all the things we can do’ then you have an opportunity to perform well.”
For the Lions, Pareja believes the greatest challenge will be unburdening the team from the disappointment of past seasons.
Despite strong streaks and star signings, Orlando City has struggled to live up to its promise in past seasons. After the team’s fifth season without a playoff berth, Pareja feels the collective history of the team has begun to affect the way players see themselves.
“The past, you know, [is] something that we are dragging from past years and it is probably the thing that is the heaviest,” Pareja said. “People don’t trust them, people don’t believe in them, people don’t believe we are good or that we can be a good team.”
The tournament offers an opportunity to change that. Pareja believes that opening up action in the first match further centers the Lions as the protagonists of the tournament, a role he’s been emphasizing for the club since he took the helm.
The next two weeks for Pareja will be focused on instilling that confidence into his players.
“It’s always been something,” Pareja said. “In past years, this happened and this happened and this happened. Since we are dragging that, we need to cut that thing and just look at what we have around us and the players that we have and just help each other to improve. After that, it’s just a game.”