City’s first preseason under Jason Kreis has been in full swing for eight days now. No surprise, the intensity has only multiplied as training shifted to Jacksonville. The goal for Kreis? Molding this 2017 City group to become a more fit and tactically astute club. A club with a defined identity on the pitch.

Through day eight, Kreis has acknowledged the progress from the boys since ‘starting over’, but heading into his first full season as Head Coach, Kreis knows now is not the time to be content on the team’s progress.

“Right now we’re checking the boxes of what we wanted to see over the first week,” said Kreis concerning where he sees the club after week one. “I’m pleased, very pleased with where we are at so far, but also know we have a long way to go.”

The progress from week one has been evident but today was the first opportunity to highlight how the work has translated to the pitch in an intrasquad scrimmage, Kreis’ first opportunity to see just how far the focus on fitness and tactical awareness has progressed.

“Today was the finishing piece of that [work] in an eleven-a-side in a little bit of a smaller field,” remarked Kreis on today’s scrimmage. “I think we accomplished all those things, really competitive affair, really intense, and the guys I think handled it really well.”

One aspect of the scrimmage was not lost on Kreis, however, as he reiterated the intensity of the scrimmage. “This was an extremely fiery affair out here. Extremely competitive. I think the guys, again, this was an extremely good test for them.”

The boys have hit their benchmarks through the preseason so far in the eyes of Kreis but week two will only see them pushed further as the Gaffer aims to take the club to the postseason in his first full year at the helm.

The next test, City face Jacksonville University in a tuneup on Saturday as the home opener in the new downtown stadium lingers just a little over a month away.