ORLANDO, Fla. – Less than a month away from its season- and home-opener against D.C. United, Orlando City SC finds itself searching for a captain. With global superstar and former captain Ricardo Kaká retiring from the sport after this past season, there is now a unique opportunity for a host of players to step into a leadership role.
“… We have a group of players that we are very closely watching how they are working and how the dynamic is within the team, and we will choose a captain out of that group,” Lions head coach Jason Kreis said at the team’s media-day presser Monday. “We may choose a couple captains out of that group; we may do things a little differently. We may not just have one guy that’s the club captain.
“We have a small group of guys that are the club captains. But I do think that we have some terrific candidates, and we are watching them over the next month to make a decision before the first regular-season match.”
A frontrunner for the job is first-year Lion Sacha Kljestan. He captained New York during his three seasons there, recording 51 assists and 16 goals. Kljestan also has significant postseason experience, making seven playoff appearances in eight Major League Soccer seasons.
“I’m just trying to get to know these guys right now. Trying to let them know who I am and how I operate,” Kljestan said during the team’s media day Monday. “And also just having them watching me train every day and let them see how serious I am about my business. So, so far so good.”
There is also a candidate for captaincy on City’s defense: center back Jonathan Spector. The second-year Lion is one of just a few returning players from last year’s roster and has already begun talking about building a winning culture akin to the New England Patriots.
In 2017, Spector recorded a goal and an assist while starting all 25 of his appearances in his first MLS season. And as the second-oldest player on the roster at 31, he’s also familiar with leadership duties.
“[Leadership] is nothing new to me. I’ve been doing this a long time, and it is just something you grow into when you become a veteran,” Spector said during media day Monday. “I’m not exactly sure when that exactly happens, but I think I’m being classed as that being the second oldest on the team.
“But I think it’s just important—as I said before—just building the culture here and the right mentality and getting the guys to understand what it is to be professional on and off the field and ensuring that we make the most of this opportunity that we have.”
Forward Dom Dwyer is another player that the Lions will look to for leadership. He was a standout for Sporting Kansas City, where he spent almost six seasons, scoring 57 goals in 111 starts and 128 appearances. Those numbers helped Kansas City to playoff appearances in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Now, after posting 4 goals and a career-high 4 assists in just 12 games for City last season, Dwyer looks to propel the Lions into the playoff mix.
“[What I expect] is a lot clearer. I think it’s a lot clearer picture. It’s an exciting time to be with this club,” Dwyer said during media day Monday. “Obviously the last couple of years weren’t what we dreamed of and especially last season. Not quite making the playoffs kinda drained the fans and a lot of the club and the city.
“I think that it’s important this year that we put that in the past and that this club is now and in the moment, and we just kind of work forwards from that.”
Kreis and his Lions will determine who will take the captain’s armband for the team’s season-opener as they enter their third week of the preseason. City will next play Minnesota United FC on Saturday for their second preseason friendly.
For more on the Lions, as they prepare for their second preseason friendly and their first against an MLS side, follow Sarah Kelliher on Twitter at @sarahkelliher4.
