LAKE MARY, Fla. -- Orlando City SC may be an expansion team, but that isn’t stopping anyone in the organization from feeling confident about their chances in Major League Soccer this year.
Friday marked the first training session of the preseason for the team since joining MLS. The session was short, but the players joined coach Adrian Heath and club president Phil Rawlins afterward to speak to media members about the upcoming season, and the mood was buoyant.
“You’ll find it very difficult to take a picture of me without a smile on my face,” said Rawlins. “This is the day that we’ve waited for for seven years.”
Rawlins and Heath originally set out together with the goal to find their way to MLS in 2008, when they founded Austin Aztex FC in Texas. They moved the club to Orlando in 2011, winning two USL PRO championships before making the jump to MLS.
“We’re here to make a mark on Major League Soccer,” Rawlins said. “I fully expect that we will hit 14,000 [season ticket sales], and we’ll have a sold-out season for 2015. The playoffs are certainly an attainable goal.”
For his part, the always jovial Heath had a few laughs with the press, though it was clear that the weight of the moment was not lost on him.
“This is what it’s all about,” he said. “I’ve always firmly believed in what we’re trying to achieve. It’s one of those things where you think it’s not going to happen and then to see everyone in the locker room this morning. It’s good.”
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Of course, Brazilian Designated Player Kaka made headlines this week, when he told ESPN FC he believed Orlando City could win the championship this year. Heath was asked for his thoughts on his superstar's remarks.
“I think he was misquoted,” Heath joked. “His English is not very good.”
While Heath may be less inclined to guarantee an MLS Cup, he too showed confidence that Orlando would be successful this year.
“We think we’re going to be competitive,” he said. “That’s been the name of the game from the very beginning. We want to make the playoffs, we’ve made no secret of that.”
