(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
Aug. 16, 2017 at Sylvan Lake Park
Availability: HC Jason Kreis, MF Antonio Nocerino, DF Tommy Redding
HC Jason Kreis
Orlando City SC fell to the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Aug. 12.
[Training has been] really good. Really good, I felt the intensity yesterday and the same today. So, I feel like we’re headed in a good direction.
Forward Dom Dwyer underwent nose surgery and had a mask made.
Yeah, he was out here today. Wasn’t with the group ‘cause we’re still a little bit cautious of contact with his mask he’s gonna wear, and he’s getting in form still. So, we’ll pick up back tomorrow and do some more training tomorrow and some more training Friday.
Kreis is “hopeful” Dwyer will be available for Saturday’s home match against the Columbus Crew.
I don’t use the word “expect” too much—Hopeful.
City acquired midfielder Dillon Powers in a trade that sent Luis Gil to the Colorado Rapids.
[Powers looked] good. He’s coming along. It’s really his first two real training sessions with us, and you can see he’s got good soccer intelligence, so he’s picking up the ideas pretty quickly.
Columbus has recently utilized a three-man back-line.
I think to each their own. Trying to judge their own team’s strengths and weaknesses, so it’s hard for me to say. I think it’s obviously a world [idea], not just an MLS thing right now. I think it’s worldwide. There’s a lot of teams that are moving to three backs. And we can argue about whether it’s three backs or five backs. I tend to call it five.
It gives some real lift. There’s always gonna be guys that are very offensive-minded wide backs. And whether you call them wide backs or wide midfielders is, again, up to your discretion. But it can open up the field. It also makes it very clear as to who the players that are typically holding back in attacking movements. That’s usually the three center-backs. And then some teams will either hold one or two in front of the three center backs. So, for me, it’s about numbers and how many numbers you want in attacking phases, and how many you want in defensive phases.
Midfielders Cristian Higuita and Yoshimar Yotún were fined for putting their hands near the neck area of Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan.
Right now, it’s about how badly do we want it and how much are we willing to fight for it. So, for me, I don’t view that as a negative sign that we’ve got guys that are pretty emotionally invested here. They were obviously very disappointed about where we were at in the game, and I also think that when you play a team like the Red Bulls, it can be a very disruptive game. I think they got a lot of fouls in that game as the game wore on, disrupting pretty much every attacking movement we had very well. It’s tactically very wise on their parts. So, I think there was some pent-up frustration with our guys having to deal with that the entire match.
The Orlando Sentinel’s Alicia DelGallo reported center-back Jonathan Spector would miss up to three weeks on Aug. 10. Kreis looks to Redding, Léo Pereira and José Aja now.
It’s organization and communication. When we lose the guy that we really count on for that in our back four, you can see that it’s difficult. It’ll be difficult for our central defenders to solve that as to who’s gonna step up and who’s gonna take a little bit of charge back there. And all three of them are good center-backs in their own right, but it’s difficult for them to take on a leadership role that’s necessary when they play there. But they’re gonna have to if they wanna move their careers forward.
Without Spector, Kreis looks to not only goalkeeper Joe Bendik for leadership on the back-line, but the second-year head coach also looks to all his players.
First and foremost, it’s goalkeeper, but it’s everybody. There’s little things that every player on the field can do to relieve those situations. We addressed those things quite well yesterday. So, it starts with the goalkeeper ‘cause he’s the one taking goal kicks, but there’s also players in front of the central defenders. The holding midfielders, the strikers, wide defenders. There’s little things that every player can do to make sure that that type of momentum doesn’t continue against us.
Kreis is adamant about sticking to his team’s strategy from the beginning of the season.
What was our record in the first seven games? Was it different players? For the most part, all the same players. So, they’re still here, and we still have that ability to win games, and you see the way we played in the first 45 minutes against the Red Bulls. And, so, you see it. That’s what I mean when I say it. It’s really not me believing in some sort of fairy tale or Santa Claus. I believe in the players that we have, and I believe in them for a reason because I’ve seen them perform.
City sprung to an early 1-0 lead in the 18th minute, courtesy of Carlos Rivas, in the loss to the Red Bulls.
Very, very good first half. Everybody, defensively and offensively, was excellent. I believe that the Red Bulls had zero shots on goal. I believe they scored their goal on our shot on goal. So, that’s saying something when you can play a team like the Red Bulls in their stadium and have that kind of performance for 45 minutes. And now it’s about translating that performance into 90 minutes ‘cause nobody remembers the 45. It’s coaches that are trying to stick up for themselves that remember the 45 minutes. The rest of everybody else needs to see the 90 minutes, so that’s the task in front of us.
Kreis is “uninterested” about sticking up for himself through his team’s winless stretch.
I’m really uninterested in that as well. I’m doing my job. I’ll tell you that this coaching staff—I will tell you without any hesitation—is working harder than we ever have before. And this coaching staff has had a lot of success in this league. So, I believe that if we continue to work that way, the success will come.
We just have to take the game as it is. It’s just a game. It’s just like any other game. I think the very first game we played in our stadium was a lot of similar sounding emotions of how badly we wanted it, and you’re going to have all those feelings. I think that through practice, your team understands that, at the end of the day, it’s just a game. At the end of the day it’s just 22 players on the field, a ball and some lines. So, we’ve been here before, so we need to perform like we did in that game.
MF Antonio Nocerino
For Nocerino, training has been mentally difficult.
The training, it’s little bit no happy because the result—it’s no good. But who change the moment is the player, and this is a moment that’s important the player transform the nervous, the angry in the pitch for Saturday because Saturday have the big opportunity, have a bigger responsibility because it’s play in the home, it’s play for staff, it’s play for everyone, for community, and it’s important to play for win. Because I don’t remember many week—two, three week—is no win. And it’s important now change the moment.
The Lions started the season 6-1-0. They have since compiled an overall record of 8-10-6.
The season have the different moment, no? The start—it’s play well, play with intensity, play with the angry. But, now, it’s important to stay with the feet in down. Because I know I’m very happy when I win. I no worry when I lose. I have the balance because I have experience, especially in this moment. The teammates play with confidence, with no stress, no worries. I understand it’s no simple, but, now, in this moment, it’s important play with a good mentality, with good angry, especially when you have the fortune is play now two games in the home.
Without Spector, Nocerino is confident in the three young center-backs.
To the player, the different, two player, it’s the age, but the player, every player, is a good player. I like when it’s possible help with training after, the normal training with the defender, because, normally in the game, is play both with the two defender. It’s important. I understand the idea de Redding, the idea de José, the idea de Léo and my idea because it’s important play together, no? Especially when the space is small. It’s close. Here, it’s important to play together. The movement, it’s same movement. No one up, and two stay, but it’s important the exercise is moving together. And have, fortunately, have the staff is help the player, is play hard with the tactically, and it’s not simple because with the younger players have the passions. Have the player, have the staff help the younger—I’m happy because the young player is understanding fast. It’s important, but it’s important not only the two players, three players, but to understand everyone with the same idea when he’s come in the pitch.
Redding played his first match in five games in the loss to the Red Bulls.
Tommy’s play—is good player. He’s younger player. Play national team. But it’s important for Tommy, especially for younger player, because before I am a young player, no? Have the two games it’s well, one up, down, up—it’s normal. It’s normal. It’s the road de soccer for player. But the work—it’s important Tommy understand he’s a good player. Tommy’s very good player, he’s a good guy, and Tommy, for me, have the good—two, three years, for me, Tommy play in the 11 national team because he’s a good player and is good guy, fundamentally for play. I’m happy have Tommy for a friend in the pitch because Tommy, I repeat, it’s good, understand, have humility. And this is, for players, is very important. I’m very happy. Tommy is a great player. He’s young. Have a very, very, big career in front, and higher up for him is play in the 11 for the national team for 50 year.
For Nocerino, his objective is simply three points on Saturday.
Saturday, no words. Saturday, I no have a word, I no have a voice. Saturday, I have only one objective: three points. Because it is fundamentally. It’s very fundamentally for, I repeat, for everyone because I never player it’s a like a lose. And Saturday, I hope is trust for the angry the pitch, and I will play to win the game.
Nocerino said the Lions are united through their recent winless stretch.
Yeah, the team is united because it’s a simple have the team united when the win. To win, so simple. You happy, I happy. It’s important to have, in this moment, no? You have the men. It’s important. We are the men because when have the negative moment, now, enter not the player. Now enter the man. For me, the man needs before the player. It’s fundamentally. I have 100 percent, 200 percent the team is united because have the good staff, have good player, have a good men, and I no worry, but I—Saturday, I play everyone for week because it’s fundamental.
DF Tommy Redding
Redding said that whenever any of the center-backs are on the field, they actively seek a leadership role.
Yeah, I think, in general, whenever any of us are on the field, we want to take a leadership role. And now, without Jonathan, who’s a key player for the team, obviously. Last weekend, me and Léo on the back-line. Two very young players. It’s important for us to learn quickly and on the job, how to become leaders of the team and make sure everything is organized. So, definitely all three of us are looking at that and thinking we need to step up. It’s really important for our team right now.
The Lions and Redding saw positives in his team’s play during the first half of the loss to the New York Red Bulls.
We watched the game back a couple times, and I know I watched them on my own a couple times as well. It’s just a couple little, small things, and it’s frustrating ‘cause we had a great first half, and then the second half was a much different performance. But it’s definitely something to just look at. You learn from your mistakes, and you just move forward from it.
Redding invites pressure. And despite his team’s recent form, he still draws positives from first-half performances, like the one against the Red Bulls.
I think it’s important for everybody to understand: Yeah, it’s a must-win, but, at the same time, we have a great team, and we can do it. Everybody sees it. The first 45 minutes of the last game, I felt like we were all over them, but just a couple mental lapses and a couple mistakes did us in last weekend, and I think it’s important for us to understand that the pressure is good. It’s good pressure. You want pressure. You don’t wanna just coast through it. I, personally, love the pressure, and I think it makes me play better. So, I’m really looking forward to get these three points.
For Redding, the three-back shape allows for teams to throw more attackers forward. That’s something the Lions will face when hosting Columbus.
Personally, I haven’t had too much experience in it, but it definitely looks like—I wouldn’t say it’s more a defensive shape, but, attacking-wise, it feels like you can throw more numbers forward and have three solid guys at the back. So, a lot of teams—it’s working for them. And it’s not something I’ve really played with, but I’ve seen it a good amount. So, that’s just from what I’ve seen.
The Orlando Pride and Orlando City B have each slipped into a playoff spot with their respective regular seasons winding down.
I think it’s a big thing that all three teams are treated the same. We view each other as the same. When one has success, everybody feels happy for them. And when one’s down, the other teams are there to pick them up. And I think it’s important for us to just keep going, and it’s really big for us to get the three points this weekend.
Orlando City suffered their first loss of the season to Columbus 2-0 on the road on April 1.
I mean, obviously they have a lot of threats going forward. And that’s a big thing. That was one of the problems we had when we played them earlier this season. But I think it’s just important for us to stay compact, play smart and just limit the mistakes. Because when we don’t make mistakes, we can win the game for sure.
Redding spent time with the United States U-20 men’s national team and helped the U.S. to a U-20 CONCACAF title. During that time, he embraced an unprecedented leadership role.
I guess a little bit. It’s still different because, here, the guys are veterans and played for years, and with the national team, everybody had the same experience or less than I had. But I think it was important for me to get that experience with the national team, and having that in my back pocket, starting this off without Spector, I think it’s big for me to step up for the team.
For Redding, his most recent performance against the Red Bulls wasn’t even one of his best.
For me, it’s only been a month and a half, but it’s felt like a year. It’s always tough to be out, and getting back on the field was great. I don’t think it was my best performance. I don’t even think it’s up there with my best. But it’s a stepping stone, and I’m learning from my mistakes and moving on.
Edits Log:
- 8/18/17, 5:28 p.m.: Fixed factual error about Redding’s experience with U-20 USMNT.
For more on Orlando City, as they look to capture their first win since June 30, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
