Orlando City SC players find balance, sequencing and themselves | OneFootball

Supporters and media alike wonder what went right as Orlando City SC returned to scoring.

It was a streak of three 0-0 draws in hard-fought games. All opponents played well. Orlando City SC then returned to scoring against a struggling Atlanta United FC. Yet, observers want to know exactly what went right this time.

Lions Head Coach Oscar Pareja hinted at this in the post-game presser after beating Atlanta 3-0. It was a return to the winning drive. It’s also sometimes called the killer instinct, but that doesn’t accurately describe the quality as well as Pareja did.

He described it as the players’ need to win this match. The drive simply was to add three points and escalate, in his words.

The players throughout this match stayed focused and patient in sequencing. Passing was accurate throughout, making it look like more than 11 players are lined up against the opponent. No red cards came out.

Pareja could see the progress.

Aug 26, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando City SC players run warmup drills before a soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Orlando City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

From the earliest training sessions in soccer, coaches look for a winning drive in players. For those not skilled enough to find it, the coach seeks to instill that drive during drills as they gain skill and confidence.

Aggression is part of the game, but that doesn’t mean recklessness. So, coaches help their developing players identify where there is an opportunity to take an opponent out of their game. This means dictating the play by forcing an opponent to move and identifying when that is the wrong direction.

Then a chance may be created.

Pareja described what he saw as finding their spaces, advancing with dangerous plays, seeing what they wanted, and scoring.

The team has worked hard to get that desire to win. It opened their eyes with an intense focus on what is happening on the pitch. They returned to a balance between offense and defense. During the streak of draws, opponents got few shots on target because the defense was so overwhelming.

Yet the offense couldn’t score. So in this match, the players returned to sequencing between offense and defense.

In finding balance and expressing the desire to win, Orlando City SC players and coaches found themselves.