He has already brought a boost to the supporters, but Head Coach Jason Kreis is hoping that Dom Dwyer’s arrival will boost the energy level of his whole squad.
The MLS All-Star striker joined the team earlier this week after Orlando City acquired him for Sporting Kansas City. Close to 1,000 supporters arrived to greet him at the airport on Tuesday night, chanting and cheering him on as they walked him to the City Beautiful. But as attention shifts to his role on the field, people can expect to see him lift the energy level there as well.
“When you make changes in the middle of the season and bring new players in, often times it does two things,” Kreis said after training on Thursday. “It just raises the energy level of the group because you’ve got a guy who is super, super happy to be here. That’s pretty evident. But then, it also raises the level of competition. So, the players know they must give everything they have and be on their best performances if they want to play.”
Dwyer hasn’t shied away from how much he wanted to make the move to Orlando. He played with the team in 2013, during their USL days, and felt a spark. His goal is to help the organization keep moving forward and ultimately to win a championship.
“You can’t ask for anything more as a coach than a player who comes in and tells you how desperately he wants to be here,” Kreis said at training. “How desperately he has wanted to work with this group of players and this coaching staff. And help Orlando City move this project forward.”
Dwyer joined training on Thursday and will have the opportunity to earn an appearance in Saturday’s road match against Atlanta United at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Kreis said at the press conference today that Dwyer will absolutely be considered for the start. The whole organization is excited and ready to see what he can do.
