Adrian Heath admitted his Orlando City team was off the pace and off color in their 2-0 defeat at Montreal, a result that ended their six-game unbeaten run and their five-game charge up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Lions’ head coach was left shaking his head afterwards at a lackluster display that saw his men fail to convert early chances – and fail to add to a run of three wins and two league draws on top of a grueling midweek US Open Cup win after extratime and penalties at Charleston.
“We carried too many players,” Heath insisted. “Too many people let us down. We know we have one or two hurting, one or two injury problems, but, in general, I’m disappointed with our application.
“There were maybe three or four who could hold their heads up tonight, but, for the rest, it wasn’t good enough at all. We’re better than that.”
The Orlando boss refused to use their marathon Open Cup exploits and a third game in seven days as an excuse for their first defeat since a loss at D.C. United on May 13.
Losing center back Aurelien Collin to a hamstring problem for the second time in little more than a month was another blow, but Heath insisted that was not part of the problem.
“There was a lack of energy in too many of our players, but I don’t know whether it was tiredness,” he added. “I just don’t think we were at it today. We know the parity of this league, and you just can’t afford to carry five or six players.
“We kept the ball relatively well in the first half and I thought there was something in the game for us. If one of those early chances for Cyle [Larin] had gone in, who knows, it might have been a different game. But it is all ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and when I look at the 90 minutes, it wasn’t good enough. Too many people let us down.”
Heath is still pleased in the progress of No.1 SuperDraft pick Larin this season. But the Canadian striker was still not let off the hook despite two goals for the national team in their World Cup qualifying games against Dominica last week.
“Cyle is getting better,” Heath admitted, “But the one thing he will have to understand is that when you are away from home, with the chances we’ve have had, you would expect to get on the scoresheet. As I always say, goals change games and we had the first two great chances today.
“He is developing. He is starting to understand the game more, starting to be more of a threat. He is at the beginning of what should be a really good career. If he listens and keeps working hard, he has all the talent to be a top-drawer player.”
Heath now has to turn his team around in time for Wednesday’s home visit by Colorado (7:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE). With Collin almost certainly out, Seb Hines will likely be called in to partner Sean St. Ledger in central defense, while Pedro Ribeiro may earn a recall after looking more of a threat off the bench in Montreal.
