In preparation for Saturday’s match against Jacksonville Armada FC, defender Luke Boden and Head Coach Adrian Heath reminisced about some of the former Lions now playing in Jacksonville. “In the offseason, I’ve been training with Burke and Miguel,” Boden said. “It’ll be good to see them.”
Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo and defender Bryan Burke now play in the for the Jacksonville Armada FC. But before moving north, they were members of the Orlando City USL team. “We traveled around the country winning games,” Boden said. “We’ll always be close friends.”
Coach Heath smiled at the mentioning of Miguel Gallardo. When asked what it would be like seeing him on the other sideline, Coach simply said “It will be great to see him. I love Miguel to bits,” Heath said. “I wish him nothing but the best.”
Gallardo and Burke both played with Orlando City in the years leading up to their transition to MLS. “They were great pieces that helped build what we’ve got here,” Heath said.
When asked about the friendly rivalry between the players, Boden laughed. “Whenever you play your friends, you want to beat them.” But more than anything, Boden is excited to see his friends. “They’re great people,” Boden said. “We’ve always had great people.”
