Orlando City Coach’s Show Recap: Adrian Heath Talks Sporting KC, Looks Forward to Chicago

On this week's Orlando City Coach's Show with Adrian Heath, the Lions' boss discusses Sunday's victory over Sporting Kansas City, updates on the recovery of injured players, and previews this coming weekend's game against the Chicago Fire.

Winning at Home

"It was a bit of payback for us because I think they (the fans) have been trying to get us over the line the last few games so we actually gave them something to cheer about at the weekend which was nice."

"We spoke about starting well. When you're on the run we've been on where it's not been going as well as you would've liked, there's a lot of apprehension about and even the supporters are a bit nervous, the players are as well. I just sensed that if we could start really, really well and put them on the back foot and get them out of their comfort zone and maybe get a goal, I thought it would be the key to the game. And that's how it turned out."

Brek Shea

"Brek coming on obviously changed everything for the crowd. He got the crowd going and he's a very important player for us on and off the field. He came on at just the right time to give everybody a lift."

"People don't realize how big he is. How powerful and athletic he is. He's six-four, he's incredibly quick, just a great athlete. And all of the sudden, when their fullback goes ‘Here's a guy who's quicker than me, faster than me, stronger than me," it just changes the dynamics a little bit."

Bryan Rochez

"Bryan Rochez gave us a huge lift."

"It's been a frustrating year for Bryan Rochez. People haven't seen much of him. I thought we saw a little glimpse of a little bit more of him. He's upped his training levels, he's got his weight back under control, and I thought he gave us a little boost and I think it'll be interesting now to see if we can get more out of Bryan between now and the end of the season."

"We now have an option. Bryan has shown us that he's fit enough to come on and have an influence on the game. That hasn't been the case. Bryan's really had a frustrating season with us. First he had an injury, then he didn't get fit, then he ended up losing his passport down in New Zealand at the Under-20 World Cup and he couldn't leave the island for six weeks."

"I think in the next couple of weeks he'll get more time and hopefully get more goals."

Cyle Larin

"For the first time on Sunday, I thought Cyle looked really tired. We knew it would come at some stage but I thought that the week had caught up with him."

"He's always got by on just being bigger and stronger than people he played with at college. And now it's a lot more physical for him. Mentally he's taken so much on he's mentally and physically tired. We've given him a break this week. He won't be in training until Thursday. Recharging the batteries and getting the life back in him."

"I want him to get that goal because I think it's important he ends up being the top scoring rookie of the league. It's something we have to help him with because I think he's deserved that record."

Sporting Kansas City Game

"We knew they were going to press so their 4-3-3 becomes quickly a 4-4-2 when they push one of their midfield guys on. The first ten, fifteen minutes we got Lewis Neal and Adrian Winter into holes on either side of their midfield so we nearly had a box in midfield which is something we were working on. At times it worked well. At times our spacing on the field wasn't as I would've liked it. But it does cause that system a problem. Their deep lying midfield player didn't know whether to go to Luke (Boden) tight or go to the other hole to Adrian Winter. It was a problem for them."

"I think them scoring the goal when they did actually helped us because then they had a better belief that they could go on and win it so they started to push men forward a little bit easier and a little earlier. I think that's when the game opened up and I think that's when we had the breakaway for Brek and then later on we had another breakaway."

Importance of Three Points

"It was a game where we knew we had to take the three points. As much as you put a brave face on it, had we not got a result it would've been ridiculously difficult for us to make the playoffs but we've given ourselves an opportunity and if we can pick a result up on the next two on the road, if we can go and get a result somewhere, and hopefully Montreal don't take maximum points which I don't think they will, we have a chance."

Conor Donovan

"Conor's had his operation and everything went well. He obviously had an ACL and he had some meniscus problems as well. He had to wait a little bit longer for his operation but he's up now and he's started his rehabilitation."

Harrison Heath

"Harrison's been training the last week so he's got this week to go and hopefully by then he'll be available for selection."

Darwin Ceren

"He's been training with the rest of the group today running in straight lines. We don't want to open him up too much at this moment in time. We're hopeful for the weekend."

Kaká

"Ricky's questionable but day-to-day."

Corey Ashe

"Corey's got a slight knock. He trained this morning. We're hopeful that if he has no repercussions overnight then he'll join in and maybe be available for the weekend."

Seb Hines

"Seb's back. He's been training so he'll be back for the weekend. He'll be available for selection. His knee's settled down."

Kevin Molino

"We've given Kevin a few days off, he's gone back home, and then he starts the final bit for himself. So Kevin's running now on the treadmill and the next two or three months are going to be huge for him. We need to get him back fit because we've certainly missed his creativity in the final third this year. He's going to be back, we think, for the start of next year."

"He's been in the gym doing some weights which is incredible that we've managed to get him in the gym. He doesn't mind being on the training pitch working with the football but pumping iron in the gym is not Kevin's cup of tea."

Injuries

"We've had too many. Whether it's overtraining or undertraining, there are so many variables. The ACLs and MCLs, there's nothing you can do about them, they're going to happen. But the soft tissue injuries are something we're going to look at to see if there's some correlation between certain sessions over the year. Has it been an overload of games? Or has the training been too hard? Or not enough? So we'll go over it after the year."

Luke Boden

"Bodz's biggest strength is when he's in possession of the ball and going forward. That's not a secret. In terms of marking people in the box, it's something that he has improved on, got to get better. But I thought he was very, very good on Sunday. He was one of our better players. It's stuff that he's been working on because he's only been playing that position since he's been here in America."

"He's going to be with us for quite some time."

Winning without Kaká

"The most important thing was to win. This is no disrespect to Ricky or anybody, the club is more important than any individual. We have to realize that we're all here. This club is going to be here long after we've all gone. Whether it be me, Phil Rawlins, or all the people that've been here from the beginning. The team will always come first. The team is always more important than individuals. So it was important for us to win full stop. I know people were asking ‘Can we win without Kaká?" We've won in the past without him and we'll win in the future without him. We want him in the team. We want him fit and well because over the next two or three years he's going to be integral part of what we do. Yeah we need him fit. Yeah we need him back. But we won and that's the most important thing."

Cyle Larin Getting Back After Mistake

"There are certain aspects that he's got to get better at. He does dwell on it too much when he, certainly that five seconds when he's made a mistake or he's done something, he does watch. But he's learning. He's getting better. He's still in the formative years of his career but he can be pleased with the year he's had. He's the least of our worries at this moment in time. Cyle Larin."

Added Pressure Due to History with SKC

"No added pressure, just the fact that we needed a result."

International Players in College Soccer

"It's a great opportunity for those like Dom Dwyer. Dom came through this route but that's not really doing an awful lot for American soccer long-term."

Chicago Fire

"They played all four (David Accam, Kennedy Igboananike, Patrick Nyarko, Gilberto) against us here. Accam played wide left and they played Igboananike through the middle with Gilberto and then played Nyarko on the right. So that's probably the strong part of their team. That's the strength on the counter attack. They're really, really quick. You saw their game against the Red Bulls last week. They were 2-0 up within 20 minutes and only the penalty that came for New York changed the game. Their attack is their strong point. Apparently, Igboananike is nursing an injury and Gilberto, they're not sure if he's going to be fit, so now you're worried whether Accam plays through the middle or plays wide left. Whatever they do you know it's a game they're going to be prepared for because I think it's the last chance for them if they have any hope of making the playoffs."