(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)

June 12, 2017 at Sylan Lake Park

Availability: HC Anthony Pulis, MF Austin Martz

HC Anthony Pulis

Toronto FC II is sitting at the bottom of the table in the Eastern Conference of the United Soccer League.

Yeah, well, first and foremost, I think, when we look at opposition, when we start scouting them, what I don’t do, and what I don’t take a lot of notice at is the results and the league table ‘cause I think if you look at that, it can kind of give you a little bit of a false sense of security a little bit. When I look at Toronto, I see a really, really good team. They’ve got some talented young players who are very, very dangerous, especially in attacking areas. So, we know—we know, obviously, we had a good performance against them last time, but what happened at Orlando City Stadium a couple months ago is gonna have no bearing whatsoever on Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon, should I say. That’s what time the kickoff is.

Orlando City B players practiced with the Major League Soccer side a “little bit” more while the MLS side had 10 days off.

Little bit, not really. A couple, yeah, probably maybe two or three at most.

The coaching staff doesn’t allow complacency against any side in the USL.

That’s just, I think, the way that I am with them on a daily basis. I’m very sort of going against complacency. We spoke about that before when we were on a good run, that once one game’s done, and we’ve debriefed it, it’s straight on to the next game. And we’re very, very early in the season, and I won’t—myself and [assistant coach] Rob [Valentino] won’t allow any of that to creep into the group whatsoever.

Veteran goalkeeper Josh Saunders made his first appearance of the season in a 1-1 draw with the Rochester Rhinos on June 7.

It’s tricky, as I’ve said before, and I think everybody knows Earl’s [Edwards Jr.] been fantastic for us this year. [First-team head coach] Jason [Kreis] obviously wanted Josh to come in and get a game. And the experience and leadership he’s got was obviously great for the group. I think he’ll be the first to admit he probably—he made a mistake for the goal, but then his performance towards the end, the last 10, 15 minutes was outstanding, and he actually kept us in it. For as much as we controlled that game against Rochester, they had a few counterattacks right at the end where we were throwing numbers forward. And if it wasn’t for Josh, we would have probably ended up losing the game.

Midfielder Richie Laryea connected with forward Hadji Barry for a goal against Rochester.

Yeah, well I think everybody knows they’re good friends off the field. And this year they’ve certainly improved their performances on the field as well. And I think it just shows you the confidence that these young players get from playing competitive minutes. Whether it’s MLS, USL, they’ve both been playing, they’ve both been scoring goals, making goals, performing positively for us. So we’re pleased with that.

MF Austin Martz

Traveling to Toronto to play a game at noon poses unique challenges for Martz.

Yeah, obviously it’s different ‘cause now we’re on the road, and going to another country. So I think it’s really important, first, that we take care of our bodies in the travel. It’s gonna be a long day, and it’s kind of a quick turnaround because it’s an afternoon game, which is something we haven’t faced this year. So just preparing the right way and getting enough sleep the night before and just doing exactly what we’ve been running through all week in training and practices and just executing that. And I think if we execute, then we’ll come out with a good result.

Martz believes that training in the Florida heat gives OCB an advantage.

I think because we’re used to this climate and these conditions we can go anywhere else and kind of feel like we’re at ease and relax a little bit more and actually work a bit harder because we’re able to breathe better, and we’re able to run longer distances. So I know we’re looking forward to better weather and colder temperatures, and I think that’ll just work to our advantage as well.

For Martz, he sees TFC II as a team similar to OCB.

Yeah, they’re a good side. They’re really young, and they’re really technical, so if they’re given too much time on the ball, they’re able to pick out good passes, and they’ve got a lot of dangerous guys up front. So, I think they’re kind of like us. They’re in a situation where they’re all trying to impress first-team coaches, and that motivates them to work hard. So, I think even though the standings might not suggest it, they’ve still got really good guys who kind of hurt you at any point during the game.

Martz is not underestimating TFC II.

I think you have to approach it the same way, and I think you have to respect everyone in the league the same way. So, from the top with Charleston to the bottom with Toronto, I think you have to look at every team the same and understand that this league is getting better and better every year, and results aren’t always consistent. Results can go any one way on any weekend. So, I think it’s important that we approach the game as we would any other.

Laryea and Barry’s friendship off the field has created chemistry on the pitch for OCB.

Yeah, I think that’s exactly what it is. I think they understand each other really well, and I think they’ve been linking up with good combination play with each other, and that’s only made us better going forward. So, I think seeing them connect has been a really big influence for us this year.

For more updates on OCB and their journey to Toronto, follow Tommy on Twitter at @NDR_TomCardinal.