SANFORD, Fla. — When the three Orlando City rookies entered this year, they spoke often about a simple plan for their first MLS season — make an impact as soon as possible.
Rookies Benji Michel, Santiago Patiño and Kamal Miller first began talking about that impact during their first preseason symposium. At the time, all three players were still caught up in adjusting to their first days as professional athletes.
Now, after earning starts, netting goals and settling into reliable starting positions, that feeling of awe has begun to fade into something more comfortable.
“We used to talk about it a lot,” Michel said.