Lions eager to exhibit consistent, strong play
Orlando City will take the next step of the regular season on Saturday, hosting its first non-regional opponent as the Lions begin Phase Two of the MLS regular season against the Chicago Fire.
The match — which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will air regional on WRBW-Channel 65 — will set the tone for the Lions as they prepare for the second half of the regular season.
Orlando City (5-2-4, 19 points) is in a good spot heading into Phase 2. The team is unbeaten across the past six matches, racking up 11 points during the first phase of the restart to hold onto the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference table.
There’s still plenty of soccer left to play, but the Lions are well positioned as they aim for the first MLS playoff berth in club history. The next week will test Orlando City, however, as it prepares to for another three-game week begin
ning with the Chicago Fire (2-6-3, 9 points) on Saturday.
“[We have] good momentum right now,” Orlando City defender Robin Jansson said. “We just want to play games.”
Chicago’s record doesn’t necessarily reflect its presence on the pitch in recent weeks. The Fire had to face the top-ranked Columbus Crew twice during Phase One’s regional play, managing a 2-2 draw during their most recent meeting with a team that’s won seven of its 11 matches so far during the regular season.
The Fire’s main difficulty is its defense. The Fire allowed 18 goals across 11 games, the most of any Eastern Conference team. Chicago has shut out only one opponent since the season restart — FC Cincinnati, which currently sits on one of the bottom rungs of the Eastern Conference table.
Despite these struggles, coach Oscar Pareja said the Lions need to be wary of an “ascendant” Chicago team that is beginning to click on the offensive end.
“[They are] a team who
has
been improving lately, especially on the way they’re moving and building the ball,” Pareja said.
As Orlando City enters the next phase of the regular season, Pareja says competition will become “much harder.”
The Lions will travel further and face opponents higher in the table such as Sporting KC and FC Dallas. And unlike the home-andaway series of Phase One, the next step of the regular season will not allow teams the chance to adjust and prepare for a rematch against familiar foes.
As Orlando City adapts to these challenges, Pareja said his team needs to carry the buoyancy of its first-half performances through to the final whistle.
The Lions have recently struggled with adjustments made by opponents in the second half. As a result, the team ceded all four goals allowed in the past four matches during the second half.
“We want to be consistent the whole game,” Pareja said. “If there is one thing [to improve], it’s that — consistency.”
Although the Lions’ defense was a strong suit early on, the team didn’t record a shutout in Phase One. Key injuries through
out the past three weeks have been a factor in the defensive performance.
The Lions managed to clinch a 2-1 victory at home over Inter Miami last week despite major changes along the backline, with starting outside back João Moutinho and Jansson, a starting centerback, sidelined with injury.
Moutinho’s groin injury, originally suffered in a match against Atlanta in August, will sideline him for several weeks. Jansson, however, resumed “training normally” this week and Pareja said he will be available this weekend.
Jansson’s return will provide reinforcement to the Orlando City backline as the team works to lock down crosses more efficiently. The Lions have struggled to maintain marking and discipline while defending crosses throughout recent matches. As a result, the team has been picked apart in transition and off set pieces even in games that resulted in an Orlando victory.
Pareja is asking for sharper performances out of players all the way up the field to the forwards, who feature in full-field defense, particularly in the box on set pieces.
“We have to continue improv
ing on both sides of the game,” defender Rodrigo Schlegel said. “We have to make sure we stay focused on defense and continue to improve there and work on not letting in goals.”
For Pareja, a key emphasis of Phase Two games will be increasing his team’s efficiency. The Lions have been aggressive on the attack, with midfielders Mauricio Pereyra and Nani weaving a dynamic and exciting style of play. But that hasn’t always translated into a high volume of goals.
Pareja said the team is still allowing opponents to hang around in games that should be more decisively won. The Lions let Nashville and Atlanta to scrape draws out of matches during which they were firmly outplayed.
Against Chicago, Pareja wants to see his team take and maintain control of the game.
“We’re creating a lot of volume on sequences on the attack,” Pareja said. “I think we need to be more precise in that part and put the game away earlier and not have to suffer as we have done in the last two games.”