Photo: Kevin Krause

With the first game of the preseason under a week away, Orlando City Forward Dennis Chin is itching to get back onto the pitch. The Rollins College grad looks to get back into the shape he exhibited during his breakout season in 2012 in which he led the USL PRO in goals with 11.

Going into just the first week of the team’s preseason, Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath believes Chin has started off very well.

“He looks sharp, and looks as though he’s fit,” Heath said. “Hopefully he’ll have a season like his breakout (one) and we’re looking forward to working with him again.”

Chin has spent his offseason at Spectrum Sports Performance in Orlando working on his speed, touch on the ball, box cutting, and just maintaining the current trademarks that makes him the player he is today. The forward has also spent time to gain an even better feel on the field to make sure he is always in the right place at the right time.

“I’ve been especially working on making sure I’m creating more space for myself and my teammates, making correct runs based on certain situations, etc.,” Chin said. “That’ll help out our team immensely. It’ll give me more time on the ball and space to create goals.”

Coach Heath noted that last year Chin often times left early and was ruled offside, but the two spoke about it together. Heath expects big things out of him this year and also said that he was maturing nicely.

“His speed is his asset and what we have to do is utilize it at the appropriate time,” Coach Heath said. “We’re very possession oriented, but what we have to do is to be better in the final third and to make the most out of what his physicality is and the rest of group.”

The Lions are known to score, and to score in bunches. Just look at the USL PRO Championship from last season if you need any proof of that. Going into the final season in the USL PRO, Chin does not believe that is going to change.

“We just need to buckle down and when one guy gets turned I know where to make my runs,” Chin said. “It ties in perfectly with our system.”

Heath reiterated Chin’s feelings about the upcoming season’s attacking prowess.

“If you look at it, we’ve probably scored more goals then anybody in the last three years,” Heath stated. “Offensively, we’ve never had an issue and so I expect it to carry on the same. We know if you look at the league table you’re going to have to score 50, 60, 70 goals to win it. Every year you look at the squad before the season starts and say ‘Do we have that many people that can score that many goals within the team?’ I think we will have that this year.”

Players on this year’s roster also have their sights set on Major League Soccer (MLS). Heath has said multiple times that players on the 2014 squad are being evaluated for a possible spot in 2015. Chin is one of those players fighting for a spot.

“This year is a huge year for him,” Heath said of Chin. “The next seven to eight months are going to be a huge opportunity for him. He knows the repercussions of this season and no one wants to go to the MLS more than he does.”

Chin knows there is something large looming in 2015, but knows that 2014 may be the most important year in his young professional career.

“Moving forward personally, I just want to play and get back to what I usually do – high energy, high pace, good touch and technical ability,” he said. “Just making sure every thing is clean while I’m constantly improving. Not just being satisfied with winning a Championship and trying my best to make it to MLS.”