Orlando City Looks to Start a Winning Streak in Charlotte

April 15, 2011 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orlando City SC News Release


ORLANDO - Orlando City looks to start their first winning streak of the season tomorrow in North Carolina against American Division rival Charlotte Eagles. Kickoff is set for 7 pm at Charlotte Christian Stadium.

City looks to earn its first road win of the USL PRO season in the match. A win will also be City's first in divisional play. Like the previous divisional match against the Richmond Kickers, Head Coach Adrian Heath expects a physical match.

"This is going to be a very tough game for us," said Heath. "If we play like we did in Richmond, we'll get beat again. We've got to be prepared, focused, and make sure we give a better account of ourselves."

The Lions are riding high after their 3-0 victory last week against FC New York. They are hoping to ride the momentum of the victory to another strong win in Charlotte. Coach Heath is not at all worried about losing momentum from traveling.

"[Travel] is the same for everyone in the league. We're going to approach the game in the same manner we did last week. A little bit more mental toughness is needed when you go on the road, and we're going to need that to come away with a result on Saturday."

With this match being on the road, defense will be the key. City's defense is bolstered this week by the return of Jamaican Center Back Kieron Bernard. Bernard missed the first two matches of the season dealing with visa issues in Jamaica. He is not expected to start, but will be available off the bench. Bernard was a fixture the last two years in Heath's system when they were together in Austin.

"On the road, first and foremost, no matter what division or level, you've got to defend well," said Heath. "That means defending from the front as well. Forwards have to do their job; midfielders have to do their job. If we do that, if we concentrate, and everyone works together to get back behind the ball, we'll be difficult to beat."

Since this is the first meeting between Charlotte and Orlando, play styles are a mystery. What is known about Charlotte is that they are an athletic team. City will look to counter that with athleticism and physicality.

"The one thing we do know about Charlotte is they're very aggressive," said Heath. "They've got a lot of pace in the team. At this stage now, it's all about concentration and doing our jobs properly. If we do that, I'm always confident our group has enough ability to give people trouble. Our problem will be if we don't approach the game properly."



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