On Sunday night, Orlando City christened their new stadium with a 1-0 win over New York City FC. But equally as impressive as Cyle Larin’s stunning header was the defensive performance, which held New York City FC’s impressive offense scoreless.
“The guys continued to fight, they continued to stay together,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said after the match. “Even though there were some mistakes happening, a lot of mistakes happening, people had positive reactions to those mistakes and we made plays. So big, big night for everyone defensively and that’s something to build on.”
While the team’s defensive performance as a whole was impressive, the four men on the backline stood out: Donny Toia, Jose Aja, Jonathan Spector, and Will Johnson, none of whom were with Orlando City at this time last year.
It was the first time Orlando City has seen the partnership of Centerbacks Jose Aja and Jonathan Spector. Spector talked about their relationship after the match, noting that they were able to overcome their cultural and linguistic challenges to work together in a crucial way.
“It’s extremely important, and I think having that partnership is key,” Spector said. “We see eye to eye on a lot of things and that’s helpful.”
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Coach Kreis the performance of Defender Will Johnson, who stepped up and took over as Team Captain once Kaká left the match.
“Massive defensive performance,” Kreis said. “I know he was at the right spot at the right time on many occasions in and around the penalty box. I really appreciate his commitment level and his leadership and his fight.”
Still, the men weren’t able to take all the credit for the shutout. “It wasn’t just the back four tonight, it was all eleven guys, and we needed that,” Spector said. “We were resilient, we got our goal, and we won the game.”
Kreis summarized it best when talking about the togetherness of his team. The team worked together very well, and Kreis said that has always been a priority for him as a coach. “I don’t think it comes down to talent always,” Kreis said. “I think it comes down to a lot more than that.”
