Comprehension training has prompted players peak for Orlando City SC

Orlando City SC players are peaking now – the right time to ride momentum deep into the MLS post-season.

To make this year’s MLS post-season experience matter, Orlando City SC players must find their peak now. That has happened based on their performance in recent matches.

Forward Luis Muriel is one of the players peaking. In their 2-1 win over Philadelphia Union, he picked up two assists for the scores vital to Orlando City picking up three points.

Muriel said the momentum the team is experiencing headed toward the post-season comes from players understanding each other completely. That means the peaking of their focus and concentration.

He described playing with fellow forward Duncan McGuire earlier in the season, sometimes preparing a pass to him and wanting him to go straight. Instead, he might unexpectedly go outside.

But in the 64th minute against Philadelphia Union, Muriel sent a long pass to McGuire. Both players knew exactly where they were at the beginning of the pass and they knew where the pass would arrive. Even with two Union defenders closing in, McGuire delivered the ball for a score.

Muriel credits the team’s peaking both to physical drills and mental preparation. This was emphasized by Head Coach Oscar Pareja during the halftime strategy session in their match with Nashville SC. This mental concentration and comprehension is how players like Muriel and McGwire know what each other intends to do.

The mental part of the game also figures strongly in creating the chances necessary to score. That also means recognizing when the opponents are creating chances and attacking them.

As Muriel puts it, the team has arrived at the doorstep of the playoffs. He describes their mental training as a process of learning where to find each other. It’s a process that has worked.

The players now find themselves entering the MLS post-season.