With under one week until the #MLSisBack Tournament kicks off at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando City UK caught up with some special guests.
Also making up Group A, I was joined by Fire Fans of the UK, Inter Miami UK, Nashville SC UK and UK NYCFC to preview the upcoming summer action.
Do you think the #MLSisBack Tournament is a good idea? Or should’ve MLS waited to resume the regular season?
Giaco (Fire Fans of the UK)
You look at the billionaires that run the teams and I know what their impetus is – mitigating loss. In all honestly, I’m a little bit concerned about the COVID-19 situation, how that’s playing out in Florida, and how that affects the teams. They can be in whatever bubbles they want but the hotel workers and the people they’re potentially putting in jeopardy… There’s no right way to do it but as much as I love football… I don’t know. Great idea but for me, let’s push it back a month or two.
Sam (Inter Miami UK)
I think the #MLSisBack Tournament is too early with everything going on. I know Florida opened up pretty quickly and that’s why they’re in the situation they are. The players are in their own bubble but it’s not a bubble for the workers that have to look after them. Everyone wants MLS back and we’re all craving it but health is more important at the end of the day. I think if MLS pushed it back, nobody would’ve been mad about it.
Gareth (Nashville SC UK)
I’m happy to see MLS back. But at the same time, maybe it could’ve been pushed back another month with the COVID-19 spike. It’s different in the UK where things have settled down a little but it seems to be up and down in the States. The MLS is back so it’s good and bad – it’s hard.
Barney (UK NYCFC)
No, I don’t think it was a good idea. I think it was a good idea to get the footballers into a bubble and potentially keep them safe. But with the spike that seems to be happening in Florida particularly, I don’t think it’s a good idea anymore. From a footballing sense, it’s going to be different having this World Cup-style. I think it’s entertaining to have all the clubs play in a single place. At the end of the day it’s football and it’s our MLS that we’ve craved to have back.
Realistically, how far do you think your side can go in the tournament?
Giaco (Fire Fans of the UK)
Chicago Fire are one of those sides where we’ve got all of the pieces to really put something special on the field. But I’m going to be surprised if they do it. I feel like I’m in the same boat as Inter Miami and Nashville SC where we’re almost an expansion side because unlike New York City FC, we haven’t had carry over minutes from squad to squad, season to season. We’ve got a bunch of players who’ve never played together and with these COVID-19 reunion practices, maybe they’ve had a chance to feel each other out. I almost forgot that games had actually started this year. I would love to say I’m 100% confident Chicago Fire will get out of Group A but it’s really going to be hit or miss. We’re a team that will grow into the field and a tournament style might not suit them. We’ll have to wait and see.
Sam (Inter Miami UK)
I’m confident we’ll get out of Group A. It’s hard with Inter Miami because we’ve only played two games and it was starting to look like it was going to gel and click before MLS stopped. It will be interesting to see whether all the hard work will pay off. I know we’ve only had a few training sessions with the full squad but I think we’ll be alright and get out of the group.
Gareth (Nashville SC UK)
Going back to the first two matches, I was really surprised with how well we played. Nashville SC had looked like they had been together a lot longer than what they have. For me, my surprise package was probably Aníbal Godoy. I know he’s a decent player in MLS but he really shined for me and I’m pretty confident going into the #MLSisBack Tournament. It all depends on the first match against Chicago Fire really. If we can get three points, I think we’re okay but it’s hit or miss.
Barney (UK NYCFC)
After our U.S. Open Cup game with Orlando City SC last year, perhaps we won’t meet on penalties again this time unless we face each other in the knockout stage. But I’m pretty positive. I’d like to hope, with all due respect to Nashville SC and Inter Miami as new clubs, that they should be easier to beat – maybe. New York City FC has got a very established team with barely any changes since last season so the squad is used to each other. It’s just about fitness and getting their game sharpness back. As long as they can do that, I’m confident we’ll qualify from Group A.
Who will be your top goalscorer and name a young player to watch?
Giaco (Fire Fans of the UK)
Top goalscorer for Chicago Fire will probably be C.J. Sapong (pictured). He’s not a new name and a known commodity throughout MLS but honestly, a consistent performer and someone that puts up the numbers. Obviously we brought in Robert Berić in the off-season and if you didn’t get to see his signing video, please do because it’s the most classic Chicago Fire drop I think I’ve ever seen! It’s just pure comedy gold. Guys that are going to produce but are possibly lesser-known commodities are Ignacio Aliseda and Gastón Giménez. I think we made a little bit of noise throughout MLS with Giménez. He’s a solid enough player that when you see him on the pitch, you will pay attention to him. By the way, our match against Nashville SC, we’ve dubbed El Daxico for Dax McCarty!
Sam (Inter Miami UK)
We still don’t have an out-and-out marquee striker so out top goalscorer will probably be Rodolfo Pizarro (pictured). Maybe it’s Matías Pellegrini. They’re probably Inter Miami’s two main threats. The guy we signed from Celtic, Lewis Morgan looked really good in the first two games. The goals are going to come from the wings. It’s the only place where we have a goal threat at the moment and where we have our best players. Robbie Robinson and Julián Carranza are others. It will be interesting to see if they can chip in with their fair share of goals.
Gareth (Nashville SC UK)
Funnily enough, the biggest goal threat for us so far has been Walker Zimmerman because of his threat from set pieces. He’s so dangerous and I would be shocked if he didn’t score at least five or six for the rest of the season. I would like to think that Dominique Badji (pictured) will be Nashville SC’s top goalscorer. He hasn’t looked sharp in the first two games but I have faith in him. I’ve liked him for the past three or four seasons. I think he’s a decent player, especially one to have in our first MLS season.
As for a younger player, Randall Leal looks phenomenal. When he gets going, he looks really good. He’s got speed, flair and he really has it all for the team and league in general. If he plays the way he did against Atlanta United, he looked like he’d been playing with the team for years. He was sharp and the team looked so well gelled together. Leal has been one of the standout players for me and even against Portland Timbers, they could not deal with his speed when pushing forward. All we did was push and push the whole match, and we were so unlucky.
Barney (UK NYCFC)
New York City FC’s top goalscorer has got to be Héber (pictured). He got a hat-trick away from home in our first CONCACAF Champions League game of the season. It was a phenomenal performance. Since then, nobody has seemed to turn up for the team so I hope that they remember that performance away to AD San Carlos in Costa Rica. Everybody’s got to make sure the ball comes through to Héber, whether we play him as just a single striker or whether he gets support from Valentín Castellanos. Ronny Deila already seems to favour bringing on Castellanos later and just starting Héber as the main striker so I’ve got trust. It’s a familiar team with a new manager so hopefully he can get them playing. Now Ronny’s had a bit more time to get used to the players since he was a very late addition, hopefully he’s got them singing from the same hymn sheet.
As for a young player, we’ve had a few coming through recently. Keaton Parks we had on loan from Benfica last season but he’s now a permanent player for NYCFC. In terms of a young American player, he’s definitely one to watch out for. He could be massive and he looks really confident at taking the ball from the back of midfield and getting forward. Also you’ve got James Sands who can play in that same role or can drop into centre back too. Both of these players are good defensive options.
What was your reaction to the late, late UK kick-off times?
Giaco (Fire Fans of the UK)
It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. The weight of the air – trying to intake that as a player is brutal. That’s why you’ll always have an advantage playing home matches in Florida. As far as the scheduling is concerned, that’s an early bedtime, set an alarm and hopefully wake up in time. There’s no way you’re staying up for every game unless you’re 20 without a job! I’m going to get myself some shuteye and then I’m going to get up to watch the matches. The 1am kickoffs are a little more reasonable but those early 2pm kickoffs are golden.
Sam (Inter Miami UK)
It’s not ideal for UK fans. MLS were obviously always going to make it more accessible for the U.S. market because that’s where it’s going to be watched the most. We all know the score and that we’re going to have plenty of late nights when you start supporting a team in MLS and many American sports. I guess you just get used to it. It’s not ideal but we’ll all put up with it.
Gareth (Nashville SC UK)
I’ll be free to watch all the games but I’ll have to get some shuteye before the 3am kickoff against Chicago Fire – that’s going to be a tough one. I’m going to have to set an alarm maybe 15 minutes before just to get myself up for that one because I have a son and I’m already tired by like 9pm! If I can get to sleep by then, I’ll probably be fine. That’s the only game I’m worried about. 1am is fine, I’ve done it before and I’m used to it.
Barney (UK NYCFC)
I’m a massive night owl so I’m actually fine and manage to make it through. I’ve stayed up to watch 3am kickoffs before thinking I’ll just see the first five minutes and before I know it, it’s 5am and I’m getting up for work at 9am. But I’ve actually managed to play with my rota at work so I’ve moved my shifts around so I can watch the New York City FC games against Philadelphia Union, Orlando City SC and Chicago Fire. For the Fire game, I have to work the next day but not until 10am so I should get a six to seven hour sleep.
5 substitutes are permitted in the #MLSisBack Tournament as we’ve seen in the European leagues. Who is your first impact sub?
Giaco (Fire Fans of the UK)
I think a lot of our young homegrown signings will need some blooding in. So I think you’ll see them go up to our new partnership with Forward Madison. I think we might shop around a few for minutes but we’ll keep them on the roster. As for a sub, I would love to see Andre Reynolds II (pictured) come in but he’s third on left back depth behind Jonathan Bornstein and Boris Sekulić so I don’t know if we’ll get a chance to see him. I want to see him on the pitch though. Mauricio Pineda would be another young starter or impact sub depending on what Raphaël Wicky wants to do.
Because it’s so early doors in the season, we’re looking to see what the actual starting lineup is, who needs to sit and who needs to come in and make an impact. I can say we’ll terrorise backlines with C. J. Sapong once the opposition is a little tired if he doesn’t start and we play Robert Berić as a lone striker. Or I could say, maybe later on we’ll put in Gastón Giménez. Or since we don’t have any outright speed merchants, maybe I’ll put in Ignacio Aliseda because of his youth and the fact he’s nippy. He’ll go in late around tired legs and we’ll have to have him avoid heavy challenges. But that’s about where I’m at with what I’ve seen so far.
Sam (Inter Miami UK)
I think for us it’s a bit of a strange one because we didn’t really have a set team we were happy with before MLS stopped. If Diego Alonso sticks with the same sort of squad he left it with and eases in players like Julián Carranza (pictured) who didn’t play before, then you can easily see someone like him being an impact sub. If not, it’s probably going to be someone like Juan Agudelo who is the player that has been coming on for us around the 60th or 70th minute trying to get that goal that we need.
You’ve seen in the Premier League that the way they’re using the subs is making two at half-time and then if a game is not going in their favour, then an extra two subs are used a lot later in the game when players are coming up with cramp. I don’t necessarily think they’re using the substitutions in an impact sense as we know it but it’s just to get players through the games because the fitness just isn’t there at the moment and you can really tell.
Gareth (Nashville SC UK)
For Nashville SC, I think our best impact sub is Daniel Ríos. Against Portland Timbers, we pushed the whole match and looked good going forward. We just didn’t have the greatest touch when it came to shooting. As soon as Ríos came on, it completely changed everything. His movement was so much better than Dominique Badji’s. I hope Badji is going to be our top goalscorer but he didn’t look up to it that day. Daniel Ríos coming off the bench is going to be so dangerous for us all season. I can’t wait to see what happens.
Barney (UK NYCFC)
For New York City FC, our impact sub is probably Gary Mackay-Steven (pictured). He’s so chaotic and the way he plays, you almost can’t predict. He seems to play on either wing. He’s one of those players you watch and it’s almost like he doesn’t know what he wants to do sometimes. He tries to out-skill players and then kind of out-skills himself sometimes. But I’m hoping that as our British representative on the NYCFC team, he can finally nail a place in our starting eleven after a couple of impact sub appearances.
Apart from Gary Mackay-Steven, we always seem to rely on Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. He’s been a good impact sub for us. I’m pretty sure he came on against Toronto FC in the MLS Cup Playoffs and he did score a goal so he’s got history of coming on and scoring. I think he’s the more realistic impact sub option but my personal hope is Gary Mackay-Steven.
Fire Fans of the UK – What would represent a good tournament for Chicago Fire?
Over the past decade, there’s unfortunately been a culture that’s taken over whereas the decade before, Chicago Fire were really good. At least we were always in conversations of contention, we were in the Eastern Conference finals for three out of four years running and then it just went south. Unfortunately it seems like that expectation and mentality… the difference between people who win and who don’t is typically the belief, the confidence and the push to expect that level of performance and continuity.
Over the years, we’ve gone from if we don’t win at all, then what the hell are we doing here. Slowly and unfortunately, it’s turned into hey… we’re grouped with a couple of expansion teams. Maybe we’ll be able to get out of this. If that’s our level of expectation, we’ve acquiesced to a loss already. Call it a day and walk away. Getting out of the group stages is a bare minimum. If we don’t do that, I’m calling it a failure end of.
Inter Miami UK – What drew you to supporting the club?
A big part of why I support Inter Miami is because I’m a huge Miami Dolphins fan. I’ve always followed them and I was always hoping and praying that Miami would get an MLS franchise eventually. I always had a massive interest in who David Beckham was going to end up having his franchise with after getting a bargain deal following his time at LA Galaxy. When it was announced that this was going to be with Miami, it all fell into place. It was a massive pull that Beckham was going to be the co-owner and it was just massive for Miami to get an MLS franchise.
Nashville SC UK – What drew you to supporting the club?
It was before Nashville SC got announced as the next expansion team. Obviously, I was interested to see who was going to be announced next. At the time, I’d been watching MLS for about three to four years and I never found a club that suited me. But when you see the Nashville SC fans and how excited they were about the potential of their team being in MLS, it was just something really exciting. It’s the Music City as well so there’s so much to love about the city itself.
I support Liverpool back home and Ian Ayre took over Nashville SC so there’s a Liverpool connection as well – that’s pretty cool. Everything sort of fell into place and I thought that’s something I want to be a part of. It’s been great and since I started my Twitter account, I’ve had so much love from the people of Nashville who can’t believe that there’s a guy in the UK who supports the team! It’s been around five months since I started and they still can’t believe there’s this guy from the UK that supports them. So that’s pretty cool as well.
UK NYCFC – Would you say Orlando City SC are your secondary rival?
We were each other’s first ever game in Major League Soccer. I guess you could say New York City FC versus Orlando City SC is a friendly rivalry. I’ve been to an Orlando City SC game against Atlanta United. I thought the atmosphere was incredible so I have respect for Orlando fans. A couple gave me their company for the evening of that game. They were fabulous talking about the stadium and the fans. They were trying to explain some of the songs to me that were too hispanic for my understanding. So yeah, it’s a friendly rivalry to me. I have an Orlando City SC goalkeeper jersey that I got my friend who lives in Orlando to send me. It’s a rivalry maybe but I see it as a friendly one.