Orlando City Coach’s Show Recap: Adrian Heath Talks NYCFC, Looks Forward to Columbus

On Tuesday night’s Orlando City Coach’s Show with Adrian Heath, the Lions boss discussed Sunday’s loss to New York City FC, talked about new signings, previewed Saturday night’s game against the Columbus Crew, and more.

Sunday Lineup Decisions

“We made the most of what we had. Obviously Rafa Ramos went down with an injury and Tyler (Turner) wasn’t feeling 100 percent. So we tried to put people in positions. We were a little bit short at wingback, if you want to call it that. Avi’s (Eric Avila) played there for Chivas and he’s played there in Mexico so we went with that. It enabled us to get our three center backs on the field. And with the pitch being so narrow we thought the three would be able to cover the width of the field. And up until David Villa’s goal, they hadn’t really caused us any problem. I think it was about 30-odd minutes before Tally (Hall) had been called into any sort of action so the shape worked well. Not a lot going forward but I thought we looked dangerous. I thought the shape was very, very good.”

David Villa's Goal

"I thought Ledge could've defended it better but it was a quality goal."

Yankee Stadium Configuration

"It was very strange."

"Defenders said it was very difficult to hold the line because everything was on a tilt."

Positives

"They did keep going right until the bitter end."

Cyle Larin Hat Trick

"You saw all of what Cyle has to offer."

"The first one was very powerful. He got on the wrong side (of the defender) and then hit it with his left foot. The second one for me was the most enjoyable one because he did two movements to get himself in space to score the goal. Went to the near post, dragged the marker there, then checked back to the back post. That was nice for me to see because we spend a lot of time with him and he's picking up a lot of what we're working on."

Losing Streak

"We have to stop the bleeding a little bit. This weekend is conceivably the most important game of the season."

New Signings

"I'd like to take one in all positions. There's been a story this morning about David Mateos. That's going to happen. We're hoping to bring another couple of players in."

"I think we need a right-sider. This season we've been a little bit short down that side. That's something we're looking to address. We think we've sorted something out there. That will be announced in the next day or so."

Big Name vs. Right Fit

"It's not a case of just betting a big name."

"We want good players at the right price and with a little bit of longevity in them."

"We have to take a bigger picture rather than last week or this week."

Homegrown Game

"It's a good honor for the guys."

“H (Harrison Heath) is really disappointed he couldn’t go and be involved.”

Kaká at All-Star Game

"Hopefully he'll come back unscathed and we can move on from there."

NYCFC Goals

"I think on one or two our defenders made rash decisions to go out of their positions to approach the ball and that's something we've spoken about and will speak about going into the next couple of games."

Brek Shea Update

"Brek has got another four days of complete rest and then he can start his rehabilitation. It was going to be anything between six and eight weeks and he's virtually at two weeks now. He's normally a very quick healer and a very impatient guy so I think it's going to be closer to four than six hopefully."

Kevin Molino Update

"He's coming on. He's working really hard in the gym, which he hates. He hates doing weights and all that stuff."

"He might be a more physical Kevin Molino than the skinny little Trinidadian that we're used to."

Small Field in New York

"We trained all week on what we thought we had the measurements all right. The lads were asking "Well, why are we doing this?' And I said, ‘Until you see the stadium you won't realize.' And then when they got there you could see that people could throw the ball from the sideline to the back post, never mind the near post if you've got a long throw."

Strengths and Weaknesses

"The biggest strength will be the collective. I fully expect that we'll make the playoffs and it'll be that everybody's contributed."

"Depth is the biggest weakness this year even though we've spoken about it. We've had too many injuries. We have to get to the bottom of that."

Proudest Day from First Half of Season

"The best day for me is still the opening game because that was the realization of a dream for us that we had been working so hard toward for a long period of time."

Leading Cheers in Supporters Section

"Maybe if I get sent off again I can do it on the way off."

Columbus Game

"Gregg (Berhalter) played three at the back in the Open Cup game which they don't normally do. Wil Trapp has come back now, who is going to be a U.S. National Team player."

"I think they play football the way it should be played. The games have been incredibly entertaining."

"They play different than anybody else in the league. They ask questions of you that nobody else asks."