COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Orlando City remain winless in their last 11 MLS road matches following Saturday night’s 0-0 draw at Colorado. But new head coach Jason Kreis continues to see positive signs following his fourth league match with the club.
“It was important game,” Kreis said of Saturday’s result. “Because in the three games since the new coaching staff took over, we’ve allowed six goals. I’ve been harping on our team to do things better defensively, but haven’t had the stats to back it up. Tonight, to get a shutout on the road, was hugely important.”
The Lions weathered the storm through 95 minutes of play at altitude, conceding 13 shots and eight corner kicks to Colorado, but only allowing one on-target effort for the duration of the match.
Kreis, who’s seen his fair share of games at altitude as a former player and coach at Colorado's rivals Real Salt Lake, had a strategy in hand for dealing with the challenges of playing at Colorado.
“I think the approach this time was saying nothing about [the altitude],” Kreis explained. “I think sometimes that’s a good thing. Coaches get so caught up in talking about heat or altitude that you talk your players into feeling those things. Another positive sign for me was that it looks like we’re getting fitter. We looked fresher at the end of this match than we have than any of the three before.”
There’s still ample room for improvement for Orlando City. The Lions won the possession battle on Saturday, completing hundreds of passes but directing just two shots on goal, both of them saved by Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard.
“It wasn’t great,” Kreis said of his team’s offensive performance. “We weren’t as sharp on the ball tonight. But sometimes you have to take baby steps and recognize that in order to put the effort in defensively, maybe we lost a bit on the offensive side of the ball.”
All in all, the result was another indicator that the Jason Kreis era is gaining traction in Orlando.
“There’s been a few tactical things we’ve been talking about doing. Tonight I saw some real indications that the guys are getting it now,” he said. “They’re starting to do it without being yelled at, so we’re heading in a positive direction.”
Up next: a midweek visit from red-hot Toronto FC.
