3 Players That Need To Step Up for Orlando City
Orlando City returns a large portion of their squad that fell just short of making the Eastern Conference playoffs in their inaugural season. Some notable names like Lewis Neal and Tally Hall are no longer around, but the vast majority of Orlando City’s key players will look to build on their encouraging first year in hopes of dancing with MLS’ best come October. Here are 3 players (or positions) that need to step up and shine for Orlando City to reach their ultimate goal.
Brek Shea
This is a no-brainer. Shea has maintained his rock star status among Orlando City faithful despite his first season in purple being ravaged by injuries. Most soccer fans that have watched Shea play over the last 5 years are desperately waiting to see if he can realize his full potential. Making it a full season, injury free, would be a great start. Shea is likely to play LB full time this year and possesses qualities that most LB’s simply don’t have. Shea has it all, talent wise. He’s lightning fast, is not afraid to take on opposing players one-on-one, and has a good shot from long range. He’s also one of the tallest players on the team, which is unusual for a fullback. He should help Orlando City on corner kicks and set pieces, both defensively and offensively.
But for Orlando City to take the next step, Shea needs to be more than a role player. He has to be a difference maker. He needs to be a player that other teams account for and with the potential to have Carlos Rivas playing in front of him, that pairing needs to strike the fear in every opponent they play. Of course, Luke Boden will always be there to provide quality minutes if Shea is unable to play, but a full season without injuries and finally living up to the billing that originally made him an EPL target will go a long way for the Lions in 2016.
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Darwin Ceren
This might seem odd as Ceren was fantastic in 2015, going on to win MLS’ Latino player of the year as well as Orlando City players “player of the year.” For his efforts, Ceren was awarded with a pay raise and will be a targeted man among opposing teams in 2016. No longer an unknown, if Ceren can simply duplicate his career year in 2015 then Orlando City will be in good hands in the holding midfield.
The only complaint with Ceren last year was his lack of goals and assists, as I’d like to see him be more assertive in attack. 2 goals and 1 assist isn’t enough. Ceren has the best shot from distance in open play on the team and, with a little luck, should easily improve on his goal totals from 2015. However, with a new contract comes new expectations, and Ceren is now expected to be one of the best players on the field every game. It remains to be seen how he handles the added pressure.
Joe Bendik/Earl Edwards Jr.
As far as outfield players go, Orlando City maintained or improved it’s talent across the board during the offseason. However, the Lions have taken a major step back at the goal keeping position. Tally Hall was a fan favorite, and one of the better GKs in MLS. His large contract has moved on and in steps Joe Bendik from Toronto(expected to start), and 2nd year man, Earl Edwards Jr. Whoever wins the starting job will have to play above expectations as Orlando City wasn’t exactly strong defensively in their first year. Bendik gave up 27 goals in 13 games last year, while Edwards Jr. played sparingly, but has the talent to become Orlando City’s #1 for a long time to come. Let’s hope either Bendik or Edwards Jr. win the job outright. If Heath is constantly switching keepers in 2016, that’s likely a bad sign.
