USL Feature
Thursday, May 19, 2011
By NICHOLAS MURRAY
SANFORD, Fla. – There are certain things Orlando City midfielder Lewis Neal is thinking about as he sets the ball before him to take a free kick.
He sees the defensive wall before him, the position of the goalkeeper, the spaces he thinks he can hit. He thinks about the number of times he’s fired the ball towards goal not just in games but also during the endless repetitions after practice that have brought him to this point.
He also visualizes the ball hitting the back of the net, and while the final part of the equation hasn’t happened every time Neal has teed a free kick up this season, it’s happened often enough for him to have quickly become a favorite of Lions fans.
“If it goes in, great,” Neal said. “Fortunately enough in the time I’ve been here up to now it’s been working for me, so I hope that continues.”
It couldn’t have started any better for Neal. In his first preseason game for the Lions a bending free kick from just outside the penalty area gave his side a 1-0 victory against Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union. After a handful of similar moments that either resulted in goals or near-misses, including a game-winning free kick against F.C. New York last month, Neal has started to generate his own phenomena at the Lions’ home games.
“All of a sudden every time we get a free kick all the cameras come out trying to get a picture of a goal going in,” Orlando City coach Adrian Heath said. “I think that tells you he’s making an impression with people.”
It’s definitely the impression Neal was hoping to make as he came to Orlando looking for a fresh start after going through a tough spell in England with Shrewsbury. After being in and out of the side with injuries in the 2009-10 season, and the team underperforming as a whole according to Neal with a 12th-place finish, when a new manager arrived over the summer he became surplus to requirements at the club and was left looking to find the same feeling as he had when he turned professional as a 16-year-old with Stoke City 11 years ago.
“That was a really frustrating time because at the end of the day you just want to play football and I just wasn’t enjoying it,” Neal said of his time in Shrewsbury. “To come here and come to America and start playing again and get in there and get your form back and get playing regularly has been a massive help.
“Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve just genuinely enjoyed playing over here. I’ve enjoyed my time in America, and if you’re enjoying yourself off the field and are happy off the field then on the field it makes you a lot happier and makes it a lot easier to play.”
Neal also believes the leadership Heath has shown has also been a big benefit. Already aware of his reputation thanks to playing against Heath’s sides in England, Neal said the opportunity to play for him in Orlando meant he didn’t have to think twice before agreeing to make the trip across the Atlantic.
At the same time, Heath is very glad to have Neal in Orlando.
“I think at this time it was a good opportunity and a good challenge for him,” Heath said. “Obviously, we’re not naïve enough to think that he didn’t want to come out here and go to MLS, but we’ve given him the opportunity to show what he can do, and if he keeps performing like he is I’m sure someone in the MLS will have an interest in him.”
If Neal keeps playing the way he is currently, that certainly could be the case. Already named to the USL PRO Team of the Week twice this season, Neal’s knowledge and experience has allowed his creativity and knack for finding space in midfield and attacking areas to thrive. As a result, the Lions put together an impressive run of form, going 5-0-1 since they dropped their opening game of the season.
But Neal believes that USL PRO hasn’t seen the best of the Lions yet.
“As a team, I still don’t think we’ve quite hit the heights we can,” Neal said. “I think we’ve still got a lot to come, so for us to have a nice little run as we have up to now without having played at what I believe is our best is quite a good sign.”
If Neal’s assessment is as on target as his free kicks have been this season, the Lions will remain a force for the remainder of the season, and beyond.