Every sports franchise matures at different paces. Rarely is there an organization that starts great and maintains its greatness for its life. At least not in the expansion age where there are already franchises and programs established.
Ups and downs are normal. Growing pains are normal. But the pressure never ceases.
And as quickly as a city can fall in love with its team, it can be apathetic toward it. Success can be fleeting. And fan attention spans can be fleeting too.
Orlando City has faced some of these trials in its second season in MLS.
The promise to “Defy Expectations” and the packed crowds and Kaka at Camping World Stadium need to be cashed in. The championships of the USL Pro days brought an expectation and a quest for championships that set expectations very very high.
All these things are not a problem. Those kind of expectations are a healthy thing for a franchise to set.
But they can turn the casual fan off when they fail to meet them. And the organization then has to meet the big expectations at every turn. And a potentially upset home fan base.
There have been signals throughout the early part of this season that have manifested themselves in small ways. The controversial firing of longtime assistant coach Ian Fuller and the uncertainty in the front office raised some alarms, but nothing serious. The team would persevere and getting out on the field would fix all those things.
It has been a frustrating season there too though. And attention has turned to the front office as the team struggles on the field and supporters seek answers for the sudden dismissal of coach Adrian Heath.
Three home wins in 10 games, all winnable it would seem and a few saved at the last moment. There are no losses, but still plenty of frustration.
That frustration was felt in the boos that rained down on the team following a frustrating and lethargic 0-0 draw against the Houston Dynamo on Friday.
The high-priced signing of Antonio Nocerino has not worked out and just a few months since acquiring him, there is already transfer talk. Kaka has missed several games with various injuries.
Orlando City remains in the playoff hunt. The season has not been a disaster. But it has become easier to become a slave to emotions.
Another late home goal conceded to a draw creates mounting disappointment in the home performance and puts more pressure on the team to win on the road. Add in the constant injuries to Kaka and there is plenty of reason to be disappointed.
This disappointment has leaked into management as they try to put their own stamp and help the organization mature in the way they want.
There are reports of a strange push and pull between the old elements of the team and the new elements of the team. Paul Tenorio of Four-Four-Two writes:
It would have been difficult, though, for any coach to maintain a standing in the locker room after the events of this offseason. Ownership was obviously ready to move in another direction. Multiple sources said Heath barely escaped with his job after the Lions’ late-season run. Pushing out McDonough and bringing in Armando Carneiro undermined the three-year plan Heath helped devise. Reversing the Carneiro decision only temporarily stemmed the bleeding.
Orlando City has shifted away from the grassroots organization that reached MLS by pure force of will and turned into a regular franchise trying to scratch out wins and money.
The decision not to broadcast the U.S. Open Cup game against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers last week did not sit well with supporters. Neither did the decision not to include that ticket with the season ticket package. It was no surprise that the game was the least attended game of the MLS era and one of the worst attended games in the franchise’s history.
The team has put it at odds with its fans. The long-term vision seems to have been lost for some short-term gains that are not panning out. All the risks the team looked to take are not panning out.
It is a troubling time for Orlando City.
In many ways, the team has gone down the same route the Orlando Magic went, perhaps at a more accelerated pace.
The Magic experienced wild success and fan excitement initially and then quickly fell off after their fall from grace. Shaquille O’Neal’s departure kept expectations high and management failed to keep things stable. Many could argue the Magic are still recovering from the fans they lost after O’Neal departed. And they certainly mismanaged Dwight Howard’s exit.
Teams go through these growing pains as organizations. The initial rush of the franchise’s founding dies down and decisions gain greater scrutiny as the luster wears off.
The luster appears to be wearing off on Orlando City. Fan excitement is still present. The new stadium will ensure that. But something has changed behind the scenes. And the restlessness for winning or for running things a certain way has taken hold.
That shift will have an effect on the team the rest of this season and until things straighten out. Orlando City is in some dangerous waters now as their franchise shifts. Any franchise that makes this kind of a shift and change enters these waters.
Go in the wrong direction, and the momentum stops. Really alienate the fans and things could go really south for this grand experiment.
