Adrian Heath minced no words after Orlando City SC's 3-1 loss at the Chicago Fire in the US Open Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday night, telling media that he was "embarrassed" by his team's performance and lamenting their failure to take a great opportunity for a memorable run in the competition.
The Lions head coach also warned the poor display could cost several players their place in the team in the coming weeks as the club’s focus switches back to the final 14 league games.
Despite only conceding the winning goals in the 87th and 90th minutes, Heath acknowledged his team had been second best for much of the game – and he made it clear he was not at all happy with it.
“You probably don’t want to hear what the message was in the locker room afterwards,” he said. “The first half was very, very poor and I was embarrassed to say that was a team of mine. We had a few words at halftime and moved it up a few notches and were better, but that wasn’t difficult. Overall, it was too little, too late.
“The team that wanted to be in the semifinal of the Open Cup got through. And that’s the sad part. We’d spoken about the opportunity for three days beforehand. No disrespect to Philly, but you would rather go there than New York, and I think they will realize what they missed now.”
The uncompromising Lions coach refused to use the Open Cup’s limits on international players – which left him unable to use the likes of strikers Martin Paterson, Carlos Rivas and Bryan Rochez – as any kind of reason for the lackluster display.
“It would be an excuse and they don’t deserve an excuse,” Heath said. “You could say there was a lack of energy, but what about a lack of desire as well? We were second best in every decision.
“We played slow, played sloppy, and didn’t look like we cared an awful lot. As I said to one or two players afterwards, you can’t pick or choose when you’re going to play. Unfortunately, for one or two of them, one or two decisions have now been made.”
Although No.1 SuperDraft pick Cyle Larin scored his seventh goal of the season in all competitions on the day he learned his red card from last weekend’s game with New York Red Bulls had been rescinded, that was the only strike the visitors managed on goal all night, and they were outshot 20-8.
And Heath made it clear he is looking to bring in some new blood to try to give the team a lift in their quest for a playoff place.
“The one thing that is clear for me tonight is that we need to bring some players in during the window and we need to do it as soon as we can,” he said. “Sure, they [Chicago] have got some pace coming off the bench, but they have paid good money for those guys and good luck to them. They’ve had a rough go of it of late.
“We just weren’t good enough and we didn’t want it badly enough and I haven’t been able to say that much this year. And I’ve just said to our players, you cannot pick and choose when you think it’s important because then other people will pick for you. That’s what’s happened today.”
