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Orlando City

Orlando City at D.C. United: Five Takeaways

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3 years ago

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Orlando City scored early but missed multiple opportunities to extend the lead and conceded twice in stoppage time in a 2-1 loss on the road against D.C. United. Head Coach Oscar Pareja rolled out the same lineup as the one used in last week’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal win, but the Lions weren’t able to replicate that success. Although winning on the road in MLS isn’t easy, the Lions had plenty of opportunities to ensure they left Audi Field with all three points. Here are our five takeaways from the loss.

The Bear Stepped Up

Junior Urso’s goal was one of the best scored by Orlando this year and he did a great job providing some needed oomph to Orlando’s offense. When it comes to scoring, the Lions have leaned heavily on their Designated Players this year. While that’s what DPs are for, it’s resulted in opposing defenses locking down those players and daring someone on Orlando to beat them instead. Urso did so in this match and put three of his four shots on target to serve as a constant threat in the first half. The lineup allowed Urso to thrive on the right wing and attack the goal, filling that void on the wing opposite of Facundo Torres that has been empty for most of the year. Missed shots aside, Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel also did great jobs creating chances so that the burden didn’t completely fall on the shoulders of Facundo Torres and Mauricio Pereyra. With Ercan Kara on the bench, it was important that Urso and the others stepped up to provide new ways for Orlando to score. While the floodgates didn’t exactly bust open, it was nice to see a goal between two Orlando players that weren’t DPs.

Poor Finishing Plagues the Lions

Urso’s chip shot to beat Rafael Romo and give Orlando a goal in the ninth minute was a great start to the match. However, the Lions wasted plenty of chances in the first half to increase that lead on the road. While poor finishing has plagued the team all season, misses from Pato and Michel were especially egregious in this match. Pato had four shots and none were on target as he seemed intent on putting the ball in the stands. His worst miss was in the 28th minute as he got too much under a shot that just needed to be on frame as Romo was miles away from the net. It still wasn’t the worst shot of the afternoon as Michel shanked a sitter right in front of goal in the 38th. While the offense did a great job creating chances in the first half, they didn’t impact the scoreboard all too much. Orlando’s one-goal lead was razor thin and D.C. made Orlando pay for not putting the game away when it could.

The Defense Bends and Then Breaks

Orlando’s defense was solid until it wasn’t, conceding twice in stoppage time as all points were lost to the hosts. While the timing of the goals makes it look like a complete collapse from Orlando’s defense, D.C.’s offense was getting closer and closer to scoring as the second half wore on. Heroic goalkeeping from Pedro Gallese and calculated defensive plays from center backs Antonio Carlos and Robin Jansson kept the Lions alive throughout the match, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. The congested July schedule seemed to catch up to the Lions all at once as they were sluggish when D.C. switched the run of play and men were left unmarked in the box. Tired legs or not, Orlando allowed the same player that scored a hat trick in Exploria Stadium earlier this month to beat them yet again. It was the third straight road match that Orlando’s defense was unable to hold onto a lead in the second half.

Mauricio Pereyra’s Exit Changed the Flow

Orlando City’s captain came off the field in the 55th minute due to knee pain and the Lions struggled to maintain possession while he was off the field. Pereyra’s passing ability allows him to sit deep in the midfield to serve as an outlet for passes out of the back while sending accurate balls up the field to jumpstart the offense. He completed all but two of his 30 passes and was sorely missed as D.C. found its footing in the second half. Andres Perea came on for Pereyra but lacked the offensive bite that kept D.C. on its toes. While Perea completed all of his passes, he only had 14 of them in over half an hour of action and Orlando lost some of its flow as a result. The Lions don’t have a like-for-like replacement for Pereyra, so hopefully his injury isn’t too serious.

Four Subs Offered Few Solutions

None of Pareja’s subs helped much in the second half, although a couple of them didn’t necessarily hurt the team either. The substitution of Perea for Pereyra, as noted earlier, was out of necessity and changed the match. Perea simply can’t do what Pereyra can and it’s not fair to expect it from the 21-year-old, especially in his 2022 form. Perea watched the assist pass go right by him on Chris Durkin’s equalizer and he was also a bit passive on the buildup to the winner, allowing Martin Rodriguez plenty of time and space on the ball to pick out Kimarni Smith on the far side. Kyle Smith didn’t necessarily do anything wrong in the match, but Joao Moutinho left the game with the team lead in touches (79) and his exit deprived the Lions of one of their most composed passers and ball handlers in the back. The game may have gone differently had Smith gone in for Ruan, but it’s understandable given Moutinho’s injury history to be careful with the left back’s workload.

Nicholas Gioacchini came on for Torres, but he’s still getting used to the team and the system and didn’t seem quite connected with the group. It might have been better to have used Tesho Akindele in that role, given the game situation, or to have dropped Michel to the wing and brought on Kara. Niko attempted a shot in the 87th minute, but missed well wide of the target from a tight angle.

Rodrigo Schlegel was brought on for the usual see-it-out situation but not until the 89th minute. That didn’t work out either, even if it was tactically sound. The reasons the Schlegel sub didn’t work were down to bad luck and a starter switching off for half a second. With Ruan getting hurt on the lead-up to Durkin’s goal, D.C. had plenty of space to pick out the passes on the two United goals and Schlegel couldn’t stop either from his spot on Jansson’s left. Schlegel could perhaps have blocked Durkin’s effort if he’d shot to the right, but he shot left for the goal. On the second, Jansson switched off for only a heartbeat, calling for an offside on Kimarni Smith. That hesitation was just enough to allow Taxi Fountas the bit of space he needed to cleanly collect the cross and score the winning goal.

That’s what I took from Orlando’s frustrating loss to D.C. United on the road. What stood out to you when watching the match? Let me know in the comments down below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

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57 minutes ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

Free Kicks

  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028

The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

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11 hours ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach

“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.” 

Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.

With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.” 

As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.

Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.

In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.

Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.

Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)

Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1

Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55

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Lion Links

Lion Links 4/16/25

Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.

All the Rankings

With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.

OCB Falls to Inter Miami II

Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.

Generation Adidas Cup Matchups

Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.

U.S. Eyes Gold Cup

We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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