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The Great Pretenders: Orlando City Squandered Its Fantastic Start to 2017

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8 years ago

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The promise of the best start in club history evaporated into a slow, painful death march, as Orlando City came into 2017 like proverbial lions and went out like lambs — ones that were repeatedly led to the slaughter.

Jason Kreis led his team to a 6-1 start to the season, including a 1-0 home win to christen Orlando City Stadium with a win over fellow 2015 expansion side New York City FC back on March 5. The Lions followed with a 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Union, showing great resolve to bounce back after the Union had equalized. While the team wasn’t playing the most scintillating soccer, the Lions were showing grit and spirit — something that disappeared later in the season and was rarely seen after the calendar flipped to May.

The first bump in the road of 2017 came in a 2-0 loss at Columbus on April Fool’s Day in Scott Sutter’s first match — 19 minutes of action in all — with Orlando City. An early defensive lapse allowed Justin Meram to score the first of his two goals that day and Orlando was unable to come back, suffering the first loss of the year.

But then the Lions bounced back, winning their next four games. And not all of those were at home. City began their season-best run by dumping the New York Red Bulls, 1-0, on a Servando Carrasco header on April 9. Then came the dramatic 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on Cyle Larin’s late winner, as the big Canadian discarded Jermaine Jones in the first minute of stoppage and blasted home Will Johnson’s cross.

The wins over the Galaxy and Union both showed an Orlando City squad that would not fold when the pressure was on. But it turned out later to be nothing but fool’s (purple and) gold.

The first road win was next, showing Orlando City could get it done away from the club’s new soccer palace. The Lions used a Larin brace to dispatch New York City at Yankee Stadium, 2-1. The final game of the run was a 2-0 home win over the Colorado Rapids, with the Lions wearing down the visitors and getting goals from Carlos Rivas and Kaká — the former being one of the best strikes of the year.

We didn’t know it at the time, but that win over the Rapids would be the last one until the last day of May. Orlando City stood atop the table as April ended, with a 6-1 record, having outscored opponents, 10-4 and kept three clean sheets over the first two months.

The turning point came in the first game of May. It didn’t even seem like a warning sign of things to come at the time. The Lions went to BMO Field on May 3 and lost 2-1 to Toronto FC, but Orlando played great soccer for much of the game and Larin uncharacteristically missed two sitters that could have extended City’s winning streak to five games. From there, the Lions traveled directly to Houston and got waxed by the Dynamo, 4-0, in what was the true first warning bell of the year. Kreis rotated his squad and the team’s young center backs and tired fullbacks were overrun by Alberth Elis, Mauro Manotas, and Romell Quioto.

Orlando’s first consecutive losses of 2017 became a six-game winless skid, which included the first dropped points at home — a 2-2 draw vs. Sporting Kansas City on May 13 — a heartbreaking late 1-1 draw at San Jose on May 18, and back-to-back embarrassing losses. The first of those was the club’s initial loss at Orlando City Stadium in a 3-0 New York City FC romp at the purple palace. The second was a 1-0 shutout loss at a dreadful Minnesota United squad playing without Kevin Molino.

The promise of that 6-1 start was proving to be an illusion, but there was still plenty of time to get back to grinding out results, playing solid defense, and showing that iron will to overcome adversity.

D.C. United provided an oasis in the desert of poor results. Orlando City captured a home win over the Black & Red, 2-0 on May 31 to avoid a winless month. But even that game was harder than it should have been, including a gift goal that Bill Hamid gave Giles Barnes.

June was a chance to turn the page and right the ship and it didn’t quite come off, even though it nearly did. The first three matches in June were draws, but two of those were of the “good” variety and one was not only “bad,” but also extremely fortunate.

A nine-man Lions squad withstood a bad early red card and the high flying (at the time) Chicago Fire for a 0-0 home draw on June 4. That heroic defensive effort couldn’t be replicated, however, as a horror show of a game by Jose Aja led to a 3-3 home draw vs. the Montreal Impact on June 17. Matias Perez Garcia’s goal probably shouldn’t have counted, as it appeared the ball went over the end line before being crossed into the box for him, and Jonathan Spector’s header late in overtime rescued the lone point.

MPG’s first goal as a Lion turned out to be his last as the Argentine couldn’t come to terms with Orlando City on a new deal, was waived on June 28, and left for his home country.

The run of Orlando City draws reached three games when Scott Sutter’s stunner in stoppage gave the Lions a 1-1 tie at Seattle — the club’s first ever point against the Sounders. But the team stayed on the road for the second time on consecutive road games, as it did on the Toronto-Houston trip, and the result was the same in the second match. The Chicago Fire smashed the Lions, 4-0, showing the team that staying in hotels was not conducive to success. Two early David Accam goals got things rolling for the hosts and Orlando never found a way into the game.

As it did in May, Orlando City avoided a winless month in the final match of the month, with a surprising 1-0 win at Real Salt Lake. Johnson sunk his old team as Jason Kreis was victorious in his return to Rio Tinto, where he’d had so much success throughout the years.

Little did we know, that would be Orlando City’s last win for quite some time. July was nearly a carbon copy of the previous two months. Orlando lost its first two games of the Gold Cup-shortened month and took a lead into stoppage time in the last match of the month before Hector Villalba’s 92nd-minute dagger earned Atlanta United a 1-1 draw at Bobby Dodd Stadium on July 29. That was part of an overall run of eight Orlando City matches without a win, as the club also went winless in August, capping the string of futility with another embarrassing 4-0 loss at the New England Revolution on Sept. 2.

The Lions won two of their final seven games of the year (2-3-2), but the damage had been done and we rarely saw more than an occasional glimpse of the grit, resolve, and spirit the team had over the first seven matches. At year’s end, Orlando City had turned a 6-1-0 start into a complete free fall of 4-14-9 over the final 27 games, including three months without a win (July, August, and October) and two months with just a single victory in both May and June — both in the final game of the month.

What happened? The team started off so promisingly that a playoff appearance seemed all but certain if Orlando could just be average the rest of the way. It couldn’t.

Even if Orlando City was a bad team, a 4-14-9 run seems inconceivable for a squad that managed to beat New York City FC twice — including once on the road — in the first seven outings. Isolated good outings after May 1 weren’t rewarded with three points — the loss at Toronto comes to mind. The 0-0 draw against Chicago with just nine men was a throwback to the resolve and determination the team showed early on. Where was that late in the first two meetings against Atlanta when Villalba was breaking hearts?

It’s hard to say how things spiraled so completely out of control. A more congested schedule — particularly in May — more road games, inconsistency at the center back position opposite Spector, and Larin’s mid-season scoring slump all contributed, to be sure.

Still, this team stopped playing like a team at some point, and that was all the difference to me. It’s likely the team was never as good as its record in March and April indicated, and yet could it possibly be as bad as the 4-14-9 nosedive suggests? If so, the 2017 Lions who began the year so brightly truly were the great pretenders.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/26

New signing for the Orlando Pride, MLS transfer happenings, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

21 hours ago

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January 20, 2026

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Image of the Orlando Pride starting XI prior to the 2025 NWSL semifinal against Gotham FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. If you were lucky enough to have Monday off from work, I hope you’re feeling rested and ready to tackle the week. If you weren’t so fortunate, take solace in the fact that you’re one day closer to the weekend. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, but before we get into the links, we want to welcome Josh Simon as a subscriber member of The Mane Land . If you’d like to subscribe and receive extra perks, please consider signing up at our Buy Me a Coffee site (or just check it out and swee what’s on offer) at buymeacoffee.com/themaneland. OK, now let’s get into the links!

Orlando Pride Add a Forward

The Orlando Pride kicked off the week by announcing the signing of Jamaican international forward Solai Washington on Monday afternoon. The 20-year-old FSU product joins on a deal that runs through the 2027 season and contains a mutual option for the 2028 campaign. At the international level, Washington has played five times for Jamaica, including three appearances at the 2023 Women’s World Cup when she was only 17. While she has yet to make her professional debut, she’s a young player with plenty of upside, and the Pride have been sorely in need of depth when it comes to the team’s group of attackers. She’s got some excellent players to learn from, and a contract that runs through next season means she should have a couple of years to do so. Welcome to Orlando!

MLS Transfer Roundup

With the beginning of the new Major League Soccer season drawing nearer by the day, the transfer business in and around the league is showing no signs of slowing down. We begin with Inter Miami, which has fully signed Tadeo Allende from Celta Vigo after he spent 2025 on loan with the Herons. Allende is now under contract through June of 2030. Next, there’s the Houston Dynamo, who Tom Bogert says are finalizing the signing of Mateusz Bogusz from Cruz Azul that has been rumored for awhile now.

Mr. Scoops also says that LAFC is putting the final touches on a deal to acquire midfielder Amin Boudri as an MLS U22 Initiative signing.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a whole slew of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and the Champions League is a recurring theme. Things get going later today when Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen take on Real Madrid, while Folarin Balogun’s Monaco side hits the road to face Real Madrid. Wednesday has Yunus Musah and Atalanta squaring off against Athletic Bilbao, while Tim Weah and Marseille host Liverpool. Attention shifts to the Europa League on Thursday when Auston Trusty and Celtic visit Bologna, while Tanner Tessman and Lyon face Young Boys. Things wrap up on Friday when Damion Downs and Hamburg play James Sands and St. Pauli in the Bundesliga, while West Brom and former Lion Daryl Dike have a road game against Patrick Agyemang and Derby County in the Championship.

AFCON Final Fallout

Saying that the AFCON final was a chaotic affair is an understatement, and now that the dust is settling after the end of the tournament, some of the fallout from the match is beginning to be felt. FIFA President Gianni Infantino criticized the scenes at the final as “unacceptable” and stated his belief that the Confederation of African Football will take disciplinary measures. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation stated that it will file complaints with both FIFA and CAF regarding the bulk of Senegal’s team withdrawing to the locker room after Morocco was given a late penalty kick. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw could be in line to receive match bans for his role in leading Senegal’s players off the field, although its unknown whether any ban would only be for CAF competitions or would come into play at this summer’s World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Cesar Araujo looks to be close to joining a new team.
  • Senegal’s backup goalkeeper didn’t play in the AFCON final but was still extremely active during the game.
  • Charalampos Kostoulas scored a ridiculous goal to help Brighton and Hove Albion rescue a late point against Bournemouth.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Three Biggest Current Roster Questions

What are the three most concerning issues for Orlando City this preseason?

Published

2 days ago

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January 19, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has begun its preseason training as the 2026 MLS season nears. The last few weeks have seen signings and departures that have given fans a closer look at what the team will look like when the Lions take on the New York Red Bulls on Feb. 21.

In some cases, the team has made moves that will secure positions that were questionable during the off-season. The two most notable are the signing of Maxime Crepeau as the starting goalkeeper and Martin Ojeda signing a new deal through the 2028-2029 season.

But there are also some questions still to be answered. Let’s take a look at some of the most concerning issues with the current roster.

Who Will Start at Left Back?

Rafael Santos became Orlando City’s starting left back for the 2023 MLS season after the departure of Joao Moutinho.  The Brazilian was a regular in the lineup until early last season when he was relegated to the bench in favor of David Brekalo. The club ended up trading Santos to the Colorado Rapids on Aug. 15, 2025.

Despite not being a natural left back, Brekalo started in the position for the majority of last season until the final three games, when Adrian Marin started in the role. Brekalo started two of the last three games at center back and was away on international duty for the other.

Marin was less than impressive in his first starts for the club. Even though he’s really a center back, Brekalo seemed better at the position than the newer arrival. However, that might not be an option this season and isn’t an ideal situation in any case.

Orlando City sold starting center back Rodrigo Schlegel to Atlas FC on Dec. 16. The decision seemingly forces Brekalo back into the center of the field, where he’ll start alongside club captain Robin Jansson. Even if the club complete the rumored acquisition of Brazilian defender Iago, the departures of both Schlegel and Thomas Williams mean Brekalo will likely need to play his natural position.

That leaves the question of what to do at left back. At this point, Marin starting makes the left back position the weakest of the four. The club doesn’t have any dependable options after Kyle Smith departed the club this off-season. Right now, it will be either Marin or Brekalo, which will cause concerns at the position or leave depth issues at center back. Regardless, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed as the season gets closer.

However, it bears mentioning that Marin had to adjust midseason to a new team on a new continent. It’ll be up to him to settle in during preseason camp and be ready when the season starts.

What Will Happen With Alex Freeman?

The left fullback position isn’t the only potential problem on the back line. A Homegrown product that came through the Orlando City academy and Orlando City B, Freeman made himself a household name last year. The right back quickly took the starting role from Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and started at right back for the U.S. National Team over the summer.

However, his stellar play has also led to interest from clubs overseas. Freeman has publicly stated his desire to play in Europe and he’s currently on a club option year for 2026. If he refuses to re-sign with the club, Orlando City might look to sell him before the European transfer window closes in early February or this summer in the MLS secondary transfer window to avoid losing the 21-year-old for free.

That would leave the Lions with a very serious problem at right back. The Lions traded Thorhallsson to CF Montreal this off-season and, as previously stated, Smith is gone as well. At this point, the starter if Freeman departs would probably be Zakaria Taifi. While the 20-year-old has shown quality for OCB and the first team, he’s still raw with little MLS experience.

As of now, Freeman will be the starter when the season begins and could end up extending his contract with the club, especially since playing in MLS hasn’t hindered his ability to get into the senior national team. But if contract negotiations don’t look positive in the near future, the club will have to figure out what to do with the future of that position.

Will Duncan  McGuire Solidify His Spot Up Top?

The defensive midfield and attacking midfield positions are pretty well set for the 2026 campaign. However, there are definitely some questions when it comes to who will play up top.

The position wasn’t exactly in a great state late in the 2025 season. The two top goal scorers on the team last year were midfielders in Ojeda and Marco Pasalic. Luis Muriel and Ramiro Enrique both scored in double digits in all competitions, but neither is with the club anymore.

The Lions sold Enrique to Saudi side Al-Kholood on Sept. 8, and sold Muriel to Colombia’s Atletico Junior on Jan. 15. That leaves McGuire as the club’s only striker with any considerable experience.

A first-round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, McGuire had a strong rookie campaign that saw him score 15 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions. He nearly left the club following the season — even traveling to England to finalize the deal — but a clerical error on Blackburn Rovers’ part saw the move fall through.

McGuire’s contributions dipped slightly in 2024 as he scored 11 goals in 37 appearances and it got worse when he suffered a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs that required surgery.

The 2025 season was McGuire’s worst since turning professional as he sustained an injury to his other shoulder and watched Muriel and Enrique carry the attacking position until Enrique’s departure. Even when Oscar Pareja put two players up top, he usually paired Ojeda with Muriel rather than McGuire. McGuire only appeared 23 times in 2025 with seven starts in all competitions, scoring just three goals. However, with Muriel’s departure this off-season, McGuire is the only experienced natural striker on the roster.

The main question for McGuire this season will be his health. The attacker has had trouble staying on the field with the back-to-back shoulder injuries. The recent departures and lack of additions into the squad mean he’ll likely be expected to start when the season begins. It could be a bounce back season if he can stay healthy.

However, that’s still a big question. In the meantime, the club still needs depth at that position, regardless of McGuire’s health. It’s something that must be addressed during the preseason. The club does, however, have an open Designated Player slot available.

This off-season has been somewhat troubling for Orlando City fans. The club saw some key departures and not enough additions to feel confident about the upcoming season, but there is still a month before opening day.

As the team goes through preseason training and the first regular-season game gets closer, there are still some issues that must be addressed if the team wants to improve on last year’s disappointing finish. These three questions are the most concerning.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/19/25

Lions signs Harvey Sarajian, Orlando City’s latest transfer rumor, Pride sign three players, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

January 19, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I’ve been staying busy at work and checked out the 2026 Chicago Cubs Convention over the weekend. Before we get started, let’s all wish OCB’s Titus Sandy Jr. a happy birthday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs First-Round Pick Harvey Sarajian

Orlando City announced Friday that the club has signed 2026 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick Harvey Sarajian to a first-team contract. The deal runs through the 2027-2028 MLS season, with three additional club option years that could keep him in Orlando through 2030-2031. The Naples native began his collegiate career at Georgia Southern before transferring to Wake Forest last year. He scored two goals and added two assists in 17 games last season for the Demon Deacons, but his side fell to SMU in the ACC Tournament and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Sarajian will likely be a reserve for MLS games this year and develop his game with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro.

Lions Reportedly in Negotiations to Sign Brazilian Defender

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, Orlando City is reportedly in negotiations to sign 20-year-old center back Iago from Flamengo in Brazil’s Serie A.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/2012983324361343248

Iago joined the club in 2024 and has played for the Flamengo U-20 squad, making 10 appearances and scoring six goals. He has also made five appearances for Flamengo’s first team, scoring one goal across all competitions. According to another report, the two sides have been in negotiations for the last 10 days, and the transfer fee is reportedly $3.5 million. Iago has exceeded the age limit for Flamengo’s U-20 side, and his contract expires at the end of the year as the club looks to sell the defender.

https://twitter.com/JulioMiguelNeto/status/2012974189527855558

Orlando Pride Sign Three Players to One-Year Deals

The Orlando Pride announced Friday that the club has signed forward Seven Castain, goalkeeper Cara Martin, and defender Nicole Payne to one-year contracts for the 2026 NWSL season. Castain spent four seasons playing collegiate soccer at Texas Christian University. She earned 2025 United Soccer Coaches All-America first-team honors, was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, and tied the school’s single-season goals record with 17 in her senior season. Martin played college soccer at Georgetown University, where she was named Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, starting 23 games in her senior season, and recording eight shutouts and 59 saves. Payne was a free agent and had previously played for the Portland Thorns and Paris Saint-Germain.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

There is plenty of transfer moves from the past few days. Austin FC has reportedly submitted a transfer bid to acquire former Lion Facundo Torres from Palmeiras. A week ago, Torres was linked with a potential move to Benfica. Orlando City would receive a 15% sell-on percentage if the transfer move is finalized.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/2012264099913085209

St. Louis City is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Mamadou Mbacke Fall from Barcelona.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/2012626458376646923

Toronto FC has signed goalkeeper William Yabrough to a contract through the 2026 season with an option through June 2027. Real Salt Lake has acquired Lukas Engel from EFL Championship side Middlesbrough. Engel is under contract through December 2028 with an option for 2028-2029. New York City FC announced the club has loaned defender Mitja Ilenic to Polish side Rakow Czestochowa through December 2026. Lastly, the San Jose Earthquakes announced that defender Nick Lima has retired from professional soccer after nine seasons in Major League Soccer.

Rose Lavelle, Lilly Earn U.S. Soccer Recognition

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced its 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year and Young Female Player of the Year Award Friday. NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle was voted 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Lavelle scored the lone goal to help Gotham FC defeat the Washington Spirit to win the 2025 NWSL Championship, earning match MVP honors. She returned to the U.S. Women’s National Team last June and had six caps and one goal contribution in each of those matches. She beat out Sam Coffey and Catarina Macario for the award. Lavelle’s teammate, Lilly Reale, was voted the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. The 22-year-old defender made 29 appearances last season in the NWSL, played 2,217 minutes, and was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. Reale had five caps for the USWNT and recorded one assist in her debut against Ireland last summer. She won 48% of the total vote, beating out Jordyn Bugg and Micayla Johnson.

Senegal Wins 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal beat host Morocco 1-0 after extra time to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title for the second time in five years. The match saw drama late in the second half when Morocco was awarded a controversial penalty kick in stoppage time. Senegal Men’s National Team manager Pape Thiaw instructed his team to leave the pitch. Players from both teams argued over the controversial VAR penalty call, and violent altercations ensued between Senegal supporters and Moroccan authorities. After a 15-minute delay, the Senegal players returned to the pitch, and Brahim Diaz saw his Panenka penalty attempt easily saved, keeping the match scoreless and sending it to extra time. Pape Gueye scored the winning goal for Senegal, while Morocco missed out on ending its 50-year wait for a continental title on home soil.

Free Kicks

  • Our Lions have been busy at preseason training camp over the weekend, working on their conditioning.
https://twitter.com/OrlandoCitySC/status/2013004943645413401
  • Orlando City gave new signings Braian Ojeda and Maxime Crepeau a warm welcome at Inter&Co Stadium.
https://twitter.com/OrlandoCitySC/status/2012585711128510914
https://twitter.com/OrlandoCitySC/status/2012948099820302473

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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