It’s only been a week, but new Orlando City SC forward Tyrese Spicer is already feeling right at home with the Lions.
Thirteen days ago, he was in Toronto, Canada, the team that drafted him first overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. This past Sunday, the Trinidad and Tobago native was standing on the sidelines of Inter&Co Stadium, getting ready to make his Lions debut.
“It was a special moment just being there in that atmosphere,” he said on Wednesday after training. “I think the stadium, the fans, it’s an unbelievable atmosphere. When I walked in the stadium, and I started hearing the chanting and seeing the lion mascot and all the lads were just like, ‘Let’s go, let’s get this win’ that really pumped a flame in me.”
That fire carried him onto the pitch late in the match in the team’s 4–1 rivalry win over Inter Miami, where he almost notched an assist with his first few touches of the ball.
“I made a debut against Inter Miami, of all the teams, and we won 4-1. So it was great,” he said.
Even with the limited training time, Spicer has made his mark on the training pitch, terrorizing defenders with his speed and strength. That combination seems to be a perfect fit with what Head Coach Oscar Pareja wants in a player in his position.
“I think I’m a perfect fit for Oscar, and he really likes my dynamicness, my instinctiveness, and I’m really, really direct,” Spicer said. “Just doing all these intense practices, close control, all the different kinds of stuff I think has really helped my game. The sky’s the limit for me, but I just got to focus in and stay humble and follow the directions of the coaches.”
It hasn't always come easy for the Trinidad & Tobago native. Growing up in his home country, Spicer had to work hard to get to where he is today, which keeps him humble as he continues his professional career.
“The most thing that drives me is my family,” he said. “I came from a really poor background in Trinidad, and I know my family gave up every thing for me to get to this point. There’s times I didn’t have food to eat, but thanks to God and my devotion, I’m here now at the professional level and getting to represent Trinidad.”
That Trinidad connection also coincides with some Orlando City history. The current captain of the T&T national team just so happens to also be a former long-time Lion from the USL Pro and early MLS days: Kevin Molino. The two talked via FaceTime when the deal went through, with Molino almost as excited as Spicer for him to join the Lions squad.
“It was a special thing for (Kevin),” he said. “He knows the ups and downs, what the team has won and stuff like that, so it was good. He gave me a little bit of info about the city, the team, how the coaches are here, and I really liked it. That’s why I decided to come here as well, to have that legacy going from Trinidad.”
While that game adjustment is fully underway, the adjustment to Florida is still a work in progress.
“The humidity is very high here," he said, "so that’s the only thing I need to adjust to.”
What’s struck him most so far, though, is the togetherness in the locker room.
“I feel like everyone pushes each other. Even if you make a mistake, they’re just motivating you and want you to do better, and they never tell you anything but positivity," he said.
"I feel like Orlando is a really, really good team. I feel like this team is a team that contends for titles, so it’s a no-brainer to just go there and achieve some stuff.”
