COLUMBUS, Ohio – Orlando City SC are no longer the only perfect team in MLS, but the Lions don't feel the sky falling in on them.
Saturday's 2-0 away loss to Columbus Crew SC was only a speed bump, Orlando City's coach and captain both said.
“We’re OK,” midfielder Will Johnson said after the match. “We’ve got a group of guys now that’s starting to create an identity of who we we’re going to be and what we’re going to be about. … We’re still getting our group of guys [together] and identifying who is going to be our best 11, but in the meantime we’re establishing an identity on how we’re going to play and what we’re going to do.”
Head coach Jason Kreis said he was disappointed in the result, but felt there were plenty of positives to take away from the trip to Columbus. With better finishing and attacking bite, he said, the result could have been different.
“It’s our third game of the season, so it’s not too surprising that we weren’t deadly and real sharp in the attacking third of the field when we had to combine and make plays,” Kreis said. “That’s pretty typical, and I’m not too surprised by it or disturbed by it.”
Johnson has seen plenty of teams develop in his 11 MLS seasons, and said the margins of error are narrower for a team figuring itself out. Rather than massive systemic problems, he said it’s comforting to have problems with decision-making or finishing, which he said will come with time.
“It’s a game where you’re in it and you play well enough to get a result out of it, but you don’t because you make mistakes that a new group of guys (make),” he said. “It just wasn’t quite there today, in terms of quality.”
Both Johnson and Kreis said the loss points to a need for overall improvement, not a glaring problem in any one area.
“Just get better in all facets of the game,” Kreis said. “We go home next week with a fantastic opportunity to show a really positive reaction to our first negative of the season.”
