“This is by far and away the strongest squad I’ve had in six years in the (United) States.”

Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath has said this quote a few times as his squad heads into the 2013 USL PRO regular season. He’s made it very clear that there’s no clear-cut winners in terms of starting spots, making the next couple of weeks crucial for all players on the team.

“I think the players understand it’s going to be tough to earn a starting spot,” Heath continued in his post-game comments on Saturday after the Lions beat Florida Gulf Coast University 6-0 at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford, Fla. “There’s been a little bit of intensity gradually ramping up and from a coaching point of view it’s pleasing. There are a couple tough decisions to be made but I’d rather have that than the team picking itself.”

Adding onto the already hyper-competitive squad was the arrival of the four players on loan from Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Sporting Kansas City. As per the agreement between Orlando City and Sporting KC, the four, which include Dom Dwyer, Christian Duke, Yann Songo’o and Jon Kempin, would come to grow in Orlando’s system while also competing for starting spots.

All four played in Saturday’s victory, with Heath commenting on their performance afterwards.

“I’ve known for a while which four we were getting,” said Heath in his postgame interview. ”I think they are all going to contribute this season. As I’ve said previously, we have 22 players that are equally capable of being put in the starting XI.”

Even though the starting lineup on the Lions season opener on April 7 at Phoenix FC may be a good indicator of who set themselves apart in the preseason, Heath said that no spot is set in stone.

“It’s up to the people who get the starting nod on opening day to not lose their shirt. Competition for spots is picking up and I expect it (competition) all the way through the season.”