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It has been over two years since Jason Kreis pivoted right out of the tunnel at Rio Tinto Stadium instead of left. It was on that night in May 2015 that Kreis went to the opposing coach's box in a navy blue suit, blue tie and his signature game-day peacoat.
That was the first time Real Salt Lake's former coach — a man whose soccer acumen and helped the franchise gain liftoff and forever endear him to a fan base — returned to Utah after making the predictable, yet still-stunning decision to leave RSL in December 2013.
The bright lights of New York City came calling for the guy whose name and signature No. 9 are plastered high inside Rio Tinto Stadium. And on May 23, 2015, Kreis sat in the coach's box and watched New York City FC get shutout 2-0 — one of its 17 losses in the club's inaugural season in Major League Soccer.
"I just don't have really any fond memories of that moment," Kreis told ESPN700 Monday. "I'm hoping that this year could be different, hopefully it will be different and hopefully I can take a moment to enjoy what feels very much like a big, big part of me there in Salt Lake."
Kreis returns to Rio Tinto Stadium for the second time since departing the franchise, this time leading another big-market club with deep pockets and sky-high aspirations. Temperatures likely won't demand the peacoat, but instead of the NYCFC blue, Kreis will likely be sporting a tinge of purple as his new team, Orlando City, rolls into Sandy.
Hired last July as Orlando City's head coach, Kreis hasn't shied away from discussing the challenges of life post-RSL — especially those two years building an expansion franchise at NYCFC. That initial return was marred by what Kreis described as "a lot of stuff swirling behind the scenes."
Initially lauded as a home-run hire, Kreis' leash in the Bronx proved to be quite short. He was unceremoniously fired after NYCFC's first year of play, sent packing after a 10-17-7 finish. During his stint on the radio this week, Kreis said there were moments after his firing that he couldn't help but wonder.
"We had to look back and kind of say, 'Did we make the right decision here? Should we have stayed in Salt Lake?'" he said.
That was, Kreis explained, the first real experience with coaching failure. The decision to leave RSL allowed Kreis to take a risk, to leave the confines of what was at the time an established product to try something new. And with that brought unknowns.
"Ultimately, I think that we feel that now it's gotten us to the place where we feel that we belong, honestly," he said. "We felt like kind of the time in Salt Lake had run out a little bit. It was time to move on."
NYCFC was nothing like RSL, but Kreis said Orlando City — which entered MLS as the same year as NYCFC in 2015 — is reminiscent of RSL's early years in Utah. Orlando has transitioned from playing on an artificial surface inside a college football stadium to a soccer-specific stadium that is quickly garnering the reputation as one of the most raucous atmospheres in the league. And the club is taking off.
Will Johnson has a front-row view for this version of Kreis.
The longtime RSL midfielder, who was part of the core that helped launch RSL into an annual MLS Cup contender, signed with Orlando this offseason as a free agent. Which begs the question for someone who knows the ins-and-outs of Kreis: Has his coach changed in the last few years?
"Not really," Johnson said. "He's smarter, he's more mellow, he doesn't get tossed out of games anymore or anything like that. He does a good job protecting his players. I think he's matured in a normal way both on and off the field. But he's the same guy."
In Orlando, Kreis and Co. remain in the process of molding the roster to the coach's liking. Leading the way is an offensive group built around goal-scorers Kaká, Cyle Larin, Carlos Rivas and Giles Barnes. After a scorching start to the year, Orlando (7-6-5) has cooled, going 1-5-5 in its last 11.
"We're starting to get some pieces together, some guys that appreciate Jason's style and philosophy," Johnson said. "It takes time."
Back in Salt Lake, any mention of Kreis still makes franchise staples like Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman crack a smile. Beckerman refers to Kreis as one of the best coaches he's had and an instrumental figure in his rise in MLS.
"I definitely have a ton of respect for him," said Beckerman, who was made the club's captain by Kreis, "and he definitely played a big part in some of the success that I've had, for sure."
After a training session at Rio Tinto Stadium this week, Rimando immediately glanced upward when asked about Kreis' return.
"His name's up here at the stadium for a reason," he said. "He meant a lot to this club."
Four seasons after Kreis decided to alter course and ensure that one day he'd pivot right out of the player's tunnel instead of left, he anticipates a more fulfilling homecoming to a place and organization he helped elevate. This time, he says he's right where he wants to be.
"We had to go through a massive failure and a massive challenge in our lives to end up in a place where I know certainly my family, my wife, myself and all of my assistant coaches feel like we've ended up in the exact right place."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Jason Kreis file
At Real Salt Lake
Four Cup final appearances - 2009 MLS Cup, 2011 CONCACAF Champions League final, 2013 U.S. Open Cup final, 2013 MLS Cup
Record across all competitions - 111-87-69
2013 • 16-10-8 (56 points)
2012 • 17-11-6 (57 points)
2011 • 15-11-8 (53 points)
2010 • 15-4-11 (56 points)
2009 • 11-12-7 (40 points)
2008 • 10-10-10 (40 points)
2007 • 6-15-9 (27 points)*
MLS regular season record • 90-71-58
MLS playoff record • 7-6-6
*Named coach on May 3, 2007
After RSL
Kreis left RSL after nine seasons with the club in December 2013 to take the head coaching job at New York City FC. Kreis was fired after NYCFC's first MLS season, going 10-17-7. Kreis was hired as Orlando City's head coach in July 2016, where he is 11-12-9.
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Orlando City at Real Salt Lake
At Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy
Kickoff » 7:30 p.m.
TV » ESPN
Radio » 700 AM
Records » RSL 5-11-2, Orlando 7-6-5
Last meeting » 2-2 draw (March 6, 2016 at Orlando)
About Orlando » Forward Cyle Larin was cleared to return to competition by MLS after missing last three games as result of DUI charge on June 15. … Striker Carlos Rivas (ankle) is day-to-day per the Orlando Sentinel. … Former RSL players Will Johnson, Luis Gil and Donny Toia return with Orlando this Friday. … Orlando is 1-5-2 on the road this year. … The club recently waived midfielder Matias Perez Garcia. …. Larin leads the club in goals with eight.
About RSL » Defenders Tony Beltran (back) and Demar Phillips (hamstring) are out for the match Friday. … Midfielder Sunday Stephen (hamstring) is probable after missing the last two matches with an injury. … While RSL's road struggles continue, its won three straight at home. … In the 2-1 road loss last weekend at San Jose, homegrown player Jose Hernandez scored his first MLS goal. … RSL remains with the worst goal differential in MLS with minus-20.