Orlando City SC has stepped up the level of focus. Striker Ramiro Enrique has stayed ready for this level all season.
Once Orlando City SC signed forward Ramiro Enrique, supporters first asked who he was. Then, during a period this season when Enrique was injured, they asked where he’d gone.
That’s the testimony of what a positive impact the striker has made in Orlando City matches.
Orlando acquired Enrique in January 2023. Arriving from Club Atletico Banfield in Argentina’s Primera Division, his contract is through 2025 with options through 2027. He had played 73 matches in the country, scoring 12 goals.
In 40 games since then he’s logged 10 starts. He’s scored seven goals and two assists in those games. But in the most recent matches, he’s stepped his game up. And his play fits Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s strategy.
This season Orlando City players have drilled against the game situations that caused their slow start. In their first 10 MLS regular season games, they went 3-4-3.
But in the latest 10 matches of 24 played, they went 5-3-2. The wins in these 10 matches signal the gathering momentum.
In most of those 10 games, Pareja described the focus in terms of discipline, confidence, and teamwork that the players gained first through drills and then through winning.
With a high level of focus, players are aware of teammates' positions during match situations. They stayed ready to pass or receive the ball from these positions.
So now Pareja describes their execution as resulting in a serious game.
Ramiro Enrique began talking about the goal of a serious game earlier this season.
Even in disappointing matches, Enrique spoke of the need to maintain clarity, his term for focus. He said to get there he and his teammates would continue to push ahead and work with effort.
He was the sole striker in the main Orlando formation that shut out Nashville SC. But when not going for the goal, Enrique is ready to help create chances and exploit them against opponents.
Scouting reports show that Enrique demonstrates superior chance-creating skills. The team isn’t known as a strong aerial duel threat. Yet one of Enrique’s signature strengths is in aerial duels and dribbling.
He won six aerials against Nashville plus scored a goal.
Orlando City SC will have to carry the momentum gained against weaker teams to the more formidable to get deep into the post-season in the MLS East Conference. With contributions from forward Ramiro Enrique, they can progress along that post-season path.