KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Saturday's 2-0 win for Orlando City was more than just three points at home.
For many of the players, including young fullback Mikey Halliday, it was just the confidence boost the team needed heading into a very tough stretch of games.
On Saturday night, the Lions will be up in Canada, playing CF Montreal for the first time this season. It will be the first time the two sides face off since the playoffs last year, when the French-Canadian team knocked the Lions out of the 2022 postseason.
"It was good to get the win. We needed that, especially for confidence and momentum going forward, especially into this week," Halliday said this week at Orlando Health Training Ground at Osceola Heritage Park. "The three games in seven days is a big week for us and we need some wins, we need to open up strong in the Open Cup and win our first round."
After the game over the weekend, the Lions will remain on the road as they travel back into the States to get prepared to defend their U.S. Open Cup title in Charlotte on Tuesday night.
From there, the Lions will come back home for a few days before again flying out to Columbus to take on the Crew the following Saturday, rounding out their hectic seven-day schedule.
"It's a busy week that we have to go away as we have done before," Pareja said. "This year, when we went to Philadelphia, when we went to Minnesota, [we went] with the urgency to win it. It kept us feeling on, feeling sharp, and feeling strong. That's the attitude together and then obviously just play in our ways and we'll just try to dominate the game the way we want."
As the Lions prepare for the week, the important note that Pareja talked most about is for his team to have consistency.
It's a word he's used quite a bit over the last few weeks as now, following a win, the key will be to keep that level of play and the cohesion between the team. Not only for this game for heading into the rest of the season as well.
"It's important to get consistency," Pareja said. "I answered last week as well, but this season is just starting. Teams are looking to just trying to settle things. It's early in the season, only the first third of the season, and this year, we're looking for that consistency because we want to be in the top places. In order to do that we have to get results."
Looking towards the immediate opponent this weekend, Montreal come into the matchup looking for their own consistency. Under new head coach Hernán Losada, the team has changed from the last time the two sides faced off, but Pareja's familiarity with the former DC United manager has paid dividends in his preparation for the upcoming fixture.
"They kept this structure that there is a team that has physicality, speed and they're very vertical," Pareja said. "They're very bold on the things that they do is that structure. We know them, and they know us and I think it's going to be a matter of how much of that intention that we have to win it.
"That's going to decide the game."
