Lions’ share of rest
Orlando City soaks up rare break and preps to host Inter Miami
The last three months flew by at a breakneck clip for Orlando City. The team logged 12 matches in two months between the MLS is Back Tournament and Phase 1 of the league’s restart.
This week, however, offered a more relaxed period of recovery and preparation for the Lions with a full seven days between last weekend’s match against Atlanta and Saturday’s match against Inter Miami.
After the team hosted Atlanta, the coaching staff gave players Sunday and Monday off from training. During the hectic pace of the past two months, that time typically would have been dedicated toward immediately preparing for the next opponent.
The Lions have enjoyed just four days off at home, including the two days this week, since the start of the tournament in early July.
“The urgency for us was to rest the players,” coach Oscar Pareja said.
A full week between matches also afforded the team more time to help each player work on details of their games that can go overlooked during a week featuring multiple games.
The future is still somewhat uncertain for the Lions and the rest of the teams in the league as the final week of Phase 1 play comes to a close.
Pareja said the league should inform teams of their Phase 2 matchups by the end of Thursday, offering another short turnaround to prepare for a new set of opponents.
The Lions are looking forward to new matchups. The team only had the opportunity to play against the same three opponents in their regional group — Inter Miami, Nashville and Atlanta United — in the weeks since it left the tournament.
Orlando City performed well, recording two wins, two draws and a loss for the best record in the group during Phase 1. But Pareja said the team is eager to test itself against a wider range of opponents, who will offer varying challenges and styles.
The Lions are currently in strong contention for playoff qualification at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference table. They celebrated their success this week when Ruan, Nani and João Moutinho received their tournament Best XI trophies.
But Pareja said the team is still carrying frustration after settling for draws during its past two matches.
“Sometimes for the human being, it is difficult to retain a good memory of what just happened because [we] want to move ahead and keep going,” Pareja said.
Aiás awaits visa
The Lions will have to wait a little while longer to see new striker Matheus Aiás on the pitch in Orlando.
After signing with the team Aug. 21, Aiás has spent the last three weeks in Spain as awaiting the completion of his necessary visa paperwork to depart for the U.S
Pareja said the filing process is complete and Aiás’ visa has been confirmed. However, the striker is still waiting to receive the paperwork. Once the visa is in hand, Aiás will depart for Orlando and will undergo a 10-day quarantine and testing period before joining the rest of the Lions for the first time.
“As soon as he receives that and he is able to fly — at this point we’re just waiting on that,” Pareja said.
Moutinho remains sidelined
Moutinho has yet to return to training with his teammates after suffering a groin injury Aug. 29 on the road against Atlanta.
Pareja said Moutinho will remain out of training for several more weeks as he continues to slowly rehab his groin. However, the coach said Moutinho’s recovery is continuing to progress
“This week has been a better week for him,” Pareja said. “João is getting better.”
The outside back played a critical role in the team’s success after the season restarted in July, earning a spot in the league’s Best XI for his performance in the MLS is Back tournament.