I'd be lying if I said I was confident heading into Tuesday night's do-or-die Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tie against Atlanta United just days after we'd looked so poor against them in Major League Soccer play, but don't let it ever be said that I can't admit when I'm wrong.
Simply put, Orlando City were absolutely sensational. Early strikes from David Brekalo and Griffin Dorsey swiftly banished any worries of a hangover from conceding a late equaliser three days earlier before a brace from Tiago capped off what was a swashbuckling first half from Martín Perelman's men, all but winning the cup tie there and then.
Sure, we might've slowed down in that second half as players were given a well-earned rest and Atlanta huffed and puffed to little avail, but that should take nothing away from one of the most one-sided games of football I've ever seen. We genuinely could've put ten past them.
After such a shaky start I'm still not overly convinced, like a lot of fans I'm sure, that Perelman is the right man to take us forward beyond the fast-approaching summer break. But at the same time, I don't envy the difficult decisions he's had to make every single game because, whisper it quietly, Ricardo Moreira has put together a really competitive roster with depth and quality in most areas of the pitch.
Assuming Perelman is awarded the job permanently and he continues operating his three-at-the-back system, then this is how I think Orlando should line up for our season-defining semi-final against Columbus Crew in September:
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crépeau
This feels slightly harsh on Javier Otero who's done a fine job as our starting 'keeper in the Open Cup so far, but it could be a fatal mistake not to field your very best players in such a huge game.
Just take a look at Arsenal in this season's Carabao Cup. After starting Kepa Arrizabalaga in every game en route to the final, Mikel Arteta failed to show the backbone to drop him for David Raya. That, of course, cost Arsenal big-time against Manchester City.
I'm sure that Otero's time will come, but we signed Maxime Crépeau for a reason. The 32-year-old is still yet to find his very best form since moving to Orlando this winter, but his track record speaks for itself.
Left centre-back: David Brekalo
I've actually been left pretty disappointed by Brekalo's individual performances so far this season, but he certainly made up for that by opening the scoring on Tuesday.
This one is a bit of a toss-up between him and Adrián Marín, but since Brekalo is a slightly better defensively I've gone with him.
Constantly being moved between centre-back and left-back over the past year I can understand why he's struggled for form, but if we consistently play him in his preferred position from now on I'm sure he'll quickly get back to his best.
Central centre-back: Robin Jansson
I suppose Robin Jansson's return after missing the first month of the season through injury has helped steady the ship ever so slightly, but we still don't look particularly convincing at the back.
At the same time, the 34-year-old is by far and away our best centre-back and is, of course, one of the few remaining stalwarts from our previous Open Cup triumph.
It goes without saying that Jansson should start, but he will also be crucial in developing our next defensive star.
Right centre-back: Iago Teodoro
Despite being guilty of a few mistakes during his young Orlando career so far, Iago has probably been our most impressive centre-back this season.
Making goal-saving block after goal-saving block, he clearly has the potential to be Jansson's long-term successor and, probably, move onto bigger and better things in the future.
Strangely, Perelman has opted to drop Iago in recent weeks as he's experimented with a more typical four-at-the-back formation, but reverting to the three-at-the-back system he's employed throughout most of his interim tenure so far will not only ensure that all of our best defenders share the pitch at the same time, but also help continue bringing the best out of another of his recent star performers.
Left wing-back: Iván Angulo
Wow, talk about a resurgence. It's been a running joke really over the past two seasons that Iván Angulo can't translate his admirable work rate into attacking productivity, but that looks to have all changed recently.
Being deployed noticeably deeper down that left-hand side, the 27-year-old has finally been able to make the most of his speed and the sheer effort he puts in by bombing up and down the wing. Not only that, but he just looks so confident on the ball, and his attacking numbers have improved as a result.
His two assists over the past week have been almost identical. Hugging the touchline, he created acres of space for Martín Ojeda and then Marín to thread inviting through balls for him to attack, before using his left foot to put it on a plate for Dorsey.
Of course, I'd like to see Angulo finally break his long goalscoring duck, but this more defensive role means that we're not relying on him to do so.
Central midfield: Wilder Cartagena
Injuring his hamstring just fourteen minutes into his long-awaited return from injury during the opening game of the season, Wilder Cartagena has only managed a handful of substitute appearances since returning once again late last month.
However, with the FIFA World Cup fast approaching, the 31-year-old will have two whole months to get himself back to full fitness before our next game. By the time we make the trip to Columbus another month later, there's every chance he's back to his best.
And we certainly need him to be. For all of their quality on the ball, neither Eduard Atuesta nor Braian Ojeda are particularly reliable defensively. Especially with just three out-and-out defenders on the pitch, we've been crying out for Cartagena's physicality and ball-winning ability. Plus, we all know he's got history in the Open Cup.
Central midfield: Braian Ojeda
This one really was a toss-up. Although neither Atuesta nor Ojeda have been particularly impressive so far this season, we are all aware of the quality they can produce when on top form.
The issue is, they're both pretty similar players. In games where we're expected to control most of the ball, like on Tuesday, it can be useful to have both on the pitch at the same time. But in Columbus, where we'll probably set up to let them have the ball and try to catch them on the counter, we should only start one of them.
I've gone with Ojeda simply because of his performance on Tuesday. Somehow, his pinpoint cross for Brekalo to open the scoring wasn't his most impressive assist of the night. Instead, that went to his gorgeously weighted through ball to Tiago for our fourth.
Right wing-back: Griffin Dorsey
It's pretty remarkable how we've found ourselves a right-back who's even more attack-minded than Alex Freeman, but there you go. Finding the net in three consecutive games, Dorsey is in unbelievable form right now.
Like most of the team, the 27-year-old endured a pretty shaky start to the season, but he's since put that behind him to become probably our biggest goal threat at the moment. By ghosting in at the back post he's become almost impossible to mark, and his connection with Angulo is getting more frightening by the week.
It feels pretty crazy leaving someone like Marco Pašalić out of the team, but Dorsey just fits this system better and there's every chance Pašalić returns to Europe over the summer.
Attacking midfield: Antoine Griezmann
It still blows my mind that Antoine Griezmann will be playing for our club in just two months' time, but it's happening alright.
Without disrespecting the other three teams still left in this competition, we've done the hard part by making it this far without a permanent manager. Add Griezmann into the mix, and we've got a very real chance of winning this thing.
The only question was where to fit him in. Both he and Justin Ellis have the trickery and passing range to play as an attacking midfielder and the finishing ability to play up front, but I do feel that Ellis has been a little guilty recently of holding onto the ball for too long. Griezmann still is one of the most formidable players in the world, so I'd trust him to pull the strings.
Attacking midfield: Martín Ojeda
This one is obvious. Even with Griezmann's impending arrival, I'd still put my money on Ojeda being our most influential player.
The 27-year-old has still put up really impressive numbers this season despite our poor start, and I'd love to see Perelman fit both him and Griezmann into the same team. We, as fans, deserve to witness the carnage the two would cause.
Perelman has used Ojeda as a false nine in recent weeks, but unfortunately his composure in front of goal doesn't seem to match his unrivalled vision for a pass or finishing ability from outside the box.
Striker: Justin Ellis
After an unbelievable run of form, Ellis hasn't contributed to a goal in four games. And yet he still looks like the best player on the pitch whenever he's on the ball.
That said, I want to see him higher up the pitch. Anybody could score a few goals with Griezmann and Ojeda spoon-feeding you chances, but the 19-year-old would almost certainly replicate the numbers being produced by Julian Hall for New York Red Bulls this season.
Ellis is probably off to Europe sometime in the near future, but not before he has the opportunity to win us only a second major trophy in our history.
Honourable mentions
I mentioned at the top of this article that, despite our awful start to the season, Moreira has rather quietly put together a really competitive roster. Those players who haven't made this team only corroborate this.
Despite his defensive fragilities, Marín has helped himself to three assists this season. I'd also love to see Zakaria Taifi be awarded more minutes than he's currently getting, but nobody is keeping Dorsey out of the team at the moment.
On his day, Atuesta is a really capable midfielder for this level. Tyrese Spicer and Tiago have each contributed impressive numbers of goals and assists in pretty limited minutes across all competitions, but they probably don't suit this particular system as well as Angulo does. Add to that Duncan McGuire, Luis Otávio, and some of the other young lads like Tahir Reid-Brown and Colin Guske, and I'm confident that with a bit more time we'll come good.
But who cares if we don't make the play-offs? We're only two games away from winning another Open Cup, and that is far more important.
Add us as a preferred source on Google