Orlando City faces a tough challenge on the road this week. Travelling to BMO Field, Orlando City will take on Toronto FC on Wednesday for the first time this season. Orlando City sits in the #1 slot in MLS Supporter Shield standings, but they can’t underestimate the power of a team that narrowly lost the MLS Cup last year and a quick turn-around from the weekend match.
“Very difficult, very difficult challenge in front of us to play Toronto, who I think right now is playing some fantastic soccer,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “We’ve seen in their last couple of matches that they’ve been extremely dominate at home, and so, for me, it gives us probably the most difficult challenge we can face in the league at the moment. And coming off the short rest, it presents some other challenges as well.”
Toronto FC are undefeated at home, earning two draws and two wins in their four matches at BMO Field. They played their last match on Friday night, hosting the Houston Dynamo, whom they beat 2-0 thanks to two goals from Jozy Altidore. Orlando City hosted the Colorado Rapids on Saturday afternoon, giving them just one day of training to prepare for Toronto.
“It’s difficult because we’ve got such a good rhythm in a way of working through our week and our training cycle and our preparation for the matches. Now we’re going to have to cram what we do in three days into one,” Kreis said. “I think we’re going to be okay. We played Toronto in the preseason and I think we’re very aware of what they do and so I think we’re in a good spot.”
The schedule in May is relentless, with midweek matches and much travel. For Orlando City players, it is critical that they take care of their bodies. No amount of training can prepare players for three matches in eight days.
"The games are coming thick and fast now for the next month. It's going to be a tough few weeks, with a tough few games. I've been in this type of situation before. I think a couple of the guys have as well, when you have these midweek games it's just key to recover,” Scott Sutter said. “It's just important what we do off the field, not so much on the field. We can't really train that much, so it's just about recovering and making sure that you're in the best way prepared. And that's with drinking a lot and eating the right things and getting enough sleep -- so that we're ready for Wednesday."
Orlando City players aren’t letting Toronto FC, playing on the road, or the quick rhythm of their schedule get to them. Joe Bendik said that the key to maintaining Orlando City’s success is taking the season one game at a time. Carlos Rivas expressed the same sentiment after the match against Colorado.
“I think we’re just going to look at this the way we always do,” Rivas said. “We’re just going to prepare for this game and go at it the way we do here.”
