Brek Shea’s recent return to the team has produced nothing less than excitement and action. With an assist in his first moments on the pitch against Sporting Kansas City, and a major role in Rochez’s goal in Chicago, Brek’s positive momentum keeps on rolling on the field as well as off the field.
Brek and his long-time girlfriend Carling welcomed their baby girl Phoenix into the world on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and Brek plans to use the experience to fuel his motivation this Friday night at Red Bull Arena.
Brek returned to training Thursday morning with high energy and positive vibes. The whole team was in strong unison and his teammates showed their enthusiasm both on the training field and after practice. The inspiration Brek received from the boys was anything but ordinary. He claimed that the best advice he received was that he should sleep on the road trips, with similar wise words coming from Coach Adrian Heath, “He’s gonna need to catch up on sleep.” Tally Hall tucked away his sense of humor and offered pearls of fatherly counsel, “The miracle of life is right there in front of Brek. There will be a lot of support from family, especially for the first couple of weeks, but the baby will ease him into parenthood and he’ll knock it out.” Hall added, “Just relax, and take it slow.”
After observing his return to practice, Heath remarked, “Shea’s focus [on Orlando] remains strong. [Phoenix] will change his life in a good way.” Shea is over the moon after the birth of his daughter, he explains, “It was different than anything I’ve ever experienced.” He also remains in high spirits looking forward to Orlando’s next game, “Now that I know that everything is good with Phoenix, I can focus on Friday night’s game.”
The guys have been congratulating Brek since his return, but the focus remains on the Red Bulls. Shea is ready to give his all when speaking of Friday night’s match, “I feel really good. I’m confident and really happy with the way I’ve been playing.” With the starting XI still to be revealed, Brek is mentally committed regardless of his play time, “Whether I start, play 5 minutes, or 30 minutes, I’m just gonna do the best I can.”
Orlando City travel to New Jersey to face the Eastern Conference leaders, the New York Red Bulls Friday at 7 p.m. With the team’s roster back to normalcy, Heath will be able to put together the best possible combination. “Big players come alive in big games,” Heath concluded, “Let’s keep it alive. Let’s go there and win. Let’s get Montreal here when there’s still everything to play for.”
