Orlando City signed Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres as a Young Designated Player on Jan. 24, 2022. After transitioning from a YDP to a standard Designated Player, Torres signed a new contract Jan. 10 through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. It seemed Torres had embraced the city and the club and was making a commitment to being an Orlando City leader for years to come, but things can, and do, change, and that time may be coming to an end.

For the third straight season, Torres ended up the leader of the Lions’ attack, but he also got off to a slow start in the season’s first half for the third time in as many years in Orlando. The slow starts are perplexing to Torres, the club, and the fan base, but everyone seems to forget that when the summer arrives and he becomes one of the league’s best players — something he did again in 2024.

It’s time to look back at what could be the final season in purple (more on that below) for the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Statistical Breakdown

Torres played in 32 of Orlando City’s 34 games during the regular season, starting a career-high 30 and playing a career-high 2,642 minutes. The Uruguayan equaled a career high with 14 goals during the league season to lead the club, adding six assists, which placed him fifth on the team in helpers. His 63 shots and 30 shots on target also led Orlando City. Torres completed 87.9% of his 1,322 passes, and he tied Nico Lodeiro for second on the club with 46 key passes. His 19 completed crosses were a career low, and he added 12 successful long balls, which was by far a career low — 17 below his 2022 total and a whopping 25 fewer than last year. Those low numbers in the last two categories may be a product of playing with a different style striker in Ramiro Enrique for a good chunk of 2024 than he played with the previous two seasons. On the defensive end, he recorded 29 tackles, 13 interceptions, 11 clearances, and one blocked shot. Torres committed 19 fouls, suffered 47 — second most on the team behind Cesar Araujo — and picked up three yellow cards.

In the postseason, Torres appeared in, and started, all five of Orlando’s matches, playing 88 minutes in the opener against Charlotte and going the full 90 the rest of the way for a total of 448 minutes. The Designated Player scored two goals without an assist on 13 shot attempts, with seven on target. He scored in the penalty shootout win in Game 3 against Charlotte after not participating in the Game 2 shootout loss on the road, where he would presumably have been the fifth shooter for Orlando. He completed 87.9% of his 239 passes, including nine key passes and three successful crosses. He provided an interception and three clearances on the defensive end. He committed three fouls, drew five, and wasn’t booked.

Torres played in all four of Orlando’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting three of them and playing a total of 244 minutes. He scored three goals and added an assist, attempting four shots and putting three of those on target. The winger completed 84.3% of his 102 passes, including four key passes and an accurate cross. He chipped in a clearance on the defensive end, committed one foul while drawing three, and was not booked.

In the 2024 Leagues Cup, Torres started all three of Orlando City’s matches and played 240 minutes. He scored a goal, assisted on two others, and scored on his penalty attempt in the shootout loss to Cruz Azul. He wasn’t his usual self in the competition, firing eight shots but only putting one of them on target. He was more accurate in the buildup than his final product in the tournament, completing an impressive 90.3% of his 113 passes, including five key passes and an accurate cross. He didn’t record any defensive statistics. As far as discipline, Torres committed one foul, drew four on his opponents, and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Torres had a number of candidates for this category, including four matches with braces across the various competitions. I’m going to go with his two-goal effort in a 3-0 home win over Nashville SC on Aug. 31. The Lions were coming off a lethargic and demoralizing 3-0 road loss at Sporting Kansas City out of the Leagues Cup break and needed a spark to regain the form it had during a five-game unbeaten run going into the midseason tournament.

Who better to lead the team to a bounce-back win than the team’s talisman? Torres contributed a strong outing to lead Orlando City to a dominant win, scoring twice and putting three of his four shot attempts on target. He passed well all night, completing 37 of 41 (90.2%). He contributed one clearance on the defensive end to help keep the clean sheet and committed one foul but wasn’t booked for it.

Ojeda’s smart defensive play and first-touch pass set up Ivan Angulo to score the opening goal early, setting the stage for Torres to take over and finish off Nashville. Just four minutes after Angulo opened the scoring, Torres was part of the buildup for his first goal of the night, sending a clever and perfectly weighted ball out wide on the right to Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who sent a cross toward the back post near the top of the six. Angulo was waiting for it, but Torres had continued his run to that spot and met the ball in the air, volleying it down off the ground and past Joe Willis to make it 2-0 in the 14th minute.

But one wasn’t enough for Torres, who nearly scored in the 51st minute on a chip shot that Willis just got a piece of, knocking it onto the roof of the net.

Torres killed off the game in the 85th minute. The play started in the back, with Pedro Gallese sending a long ball to the right, where he had both Duncan McGuire and Nico Lodeiro against a pair of Nashville defenders. McGuire did well to wall off his defender and Lodeiro took the ball into the right corner before cutting it back to the striker. McGuire spotted the late-arriving Torres on the left and sent in a great pass, putting him 1-v-1 against Willis. Torres hit the shot above Willis, but with power and perfect placement, putting it under the crossbar to make it 2-0.

It was a memorable night for Orlando City fans and one of Torres’ strongest performances in his time in purple.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Torres a composite rating of 8.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, which is a slight step forward from the 8 out of 10 he received both last year and in 2022. If Torres could ever start a season the way he plays from summer until the end of the year, he’d truly have a special season. As it is, 20 regular-season goal contributions is a solid return, considering how the first half of the year went. One improvement this year was that there were a few — not many, but some — moments when he produced with his weaker right foot, which is not something he has done much in the past.

It was a historic season for Torres as well, as he became the club’s all-time leading goal scorer in the MLS era on Oct. 2 against the Philadelphia Union with his 45th across all competitions, breaking Cyle Larin’s mark. On Nov. 9, he scored against Charlotte to take sole ownership of the club’s all-time combined USL and MLS goal-scoring mark, breaking Dom Dwyer’s record by notching his 47th across all competitions.

2025 Outlook

While Torres is under contract for 2025 and beyond, it’s impossible to ignore the reports of great interest from both Brazilian top flight side Palmeiras and Liga MX club Cruz Azul. Orlando City may not want to lose its career leader in goals, but ultimately these things are up to the player in our game. Although the Lions got closer than ever to a championship this season, Torres may feel that the club can’t get over the hump and it’s time for a change. Aside from financially, there doesn’t seem to be an advantage in going from Orlando City to either team if his ultimate goal is to play in Europe, but a financial incentive might be enough. Palmeiras would at least offer a shorter trip home for international competition for the Uruguayan. It seems like it’ll be Palmeiras — and soon.

Amid reports from reliable members of the media, it’s fair to assume Torres will not be back with Orlando City in 2025, although as we’ve seen, a deal isn’t done until it’s done, and even when it’s seemingly done, it can still fall apart (especially if that deal is with Blackburn Rovers). On last week’s episode of The Mane Land PawedCast, I put his departure at 50/50, but it seems likelier every day, so I’ll put the current likelihood around 85% and possibly higher.

If Torres returns for 2025, he’ll be the team’s talisman once again and I wouldn’t expect anything to change about his role. If he transfers out, the club will use its record transfer fee to bolster the squad however it can. The profit would be a tidy one for Orlando City, and selling players for higher fees than the Lions paid is a good way to lure a new Designated Player to the City Beautiful to take Torres’ place. A sale might give Orlando a way to play Muriel and Ojeda together, which would be great for whoever is playing striker, the two play makers would both need to increase their goal production in 2025 to replace what the team would lose with Torres. This is especially critical in the first half of the season, when McGuire is recovering from shoulder surgery.

For now, we wait for the other shoe to drop (or not) on what Torres is going to do next year. It seems particularly cruel to lose the 24-year-old as he’s just entering the prime of his career and has turned in such a productive season, but that’s part of life as the supporter of an MLS team.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Alex Freeman (12/5/24)
• Michael Halliday (12/6/24)
• Yutaro Tsukada (12/7/24)
• Mason Stajduhar (12/8/24)
• Javier Otero (12/9/24)
• Jack Lynn (12/11/24)
• Shakur Mohammed (12/12/24)
• Luis Muriel (12/13/24)
• David Brekalo (12/14/24)

Orlando City completed a weeks-long courtship of Viking FC and Slovenian international defender David Brekalo on Feb. 8, signing him to a contract through 2027 with an option year in 2028. The expectation at the time was that the former Norwegian top flight center back would replace the Lions’ departed starter, Antonio Carlos, who transferred out after the 2023 season.

That happened at times, but through some injuries and international breaks creating some issues with him finding rhythm in the season and with his teammates, he lost the battle down the stretch to Rodrigo Schlegel, who played under control more consistently from July on than he had previously throughout his MLS career. Schlegel became the starter and Brekalo came off the bench as a fifth defender to see out wins or as an aerial target when the Lions were trailing.

It’s time to look back at the center back’s first season in purple.

Statistical Breakdown

The Ljubljana, Slovenia native made his debut as a Lion Feb. 24 in Orlando’s 0-0 opening-day draw against CF Montreal. He appeared in 19 games during the regular season (12 starts), logging 1,128 minutes. He scored one goal but did not register an assist, attempting nine shots during the season with three of those on target. He completed 85.3% of his 618 passes, including one key pass, 13 accurate long balls, and no crosses. Defensively, he contributed 23 clearances, 19 tackles, 18 interceptions, and five blocked shots. He committed 10 fouls, suffered six, and was booked once.

In the MLS Cup playoffs, Brekalo made four appearances — all off the bench — totaling just 10 minutes as a late-game sub. He did not have a goal contribution or a shot attempt. He passed at a strong 88.9% rate, albeit on only nine attempts, but did not complete a cross, a long ball, or a key pass. Brekalo recorded two clearances on the defensive end. He did not commit or suffer a foul or pick up a card of any color.

In Concacaf Champions Cup, Brekalo played in two matches — both starts — playing 180 minutes. He didn’t record a goal contribution but attempted two shots, putting one on frame. He completed 88.4% of his 69 passes without a cross or a key pass. Brekalo contributed four clearances on the defensive end. He committed on foul, suffered one, and wasn’t booked.

Finally, in Leagues Cup, Brekalo started all three matches and played 270 minutes. He didn’t provide a goal contribution and attempted just one off-target shot. The defender completed 86.2% of his 94 passes with one key pass but no crosses. Brekalo contributed three clearances in the tournament. He committed seven fouls, suffered one, and was shown one yellow card.

Best Game

It would be easy to take the game in which Brekalo scored his goal, and…well, yeah, that’s what I’m going to do. But it wasn’t only for his goal. Brekalo started, played the full 90 minutes, and scored his first Orlando City goal on April 13 at Audi Field in the Lions’ 3-2 win over D.C. United. Trailing 2-1 late in the match, the Lions won a corner kick on the right side. Facundo Torres served a good ball to the top of the six. Brekalo went up and gave the cross a perfect flicked header to beat Alex Bono, tying the game in the 82nd minute.

The Lions rode the momentum of that goal and added another in the first minute of stoppage time, as Duncan McGuire timed his run perfectly to get in behind D.C.’s back line and won the match.

In addition to scoring his first career goal and helping his team come from behind to win on the road, Brekalo added two tackles, two clearances, and an interception on the defensive end. The goal was one of two shots, but it was the only one on target. His passing rate of 77.1% could have been better, but he managed three complete long balls, which was one off his season high. He also won two aerials. By contributing on both ends of the pitch and spurring an Orlando City comeback, I think it’s a worthy choice.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Brekalo a composite rating of 6 out of 10 for the 2024 season. His season got off to a stop-start beginning, as he played in the MLS season opener and then missed three of the next four matches. He missed five more games during June and July at the Olympics. Once he returned, he came off the bench in four straight games before starting again at Sporting Kansas City and then coming in at halftime at home against Nashville SC. From that point on, Brekalo did not play in the final seven games of the regular season, before coming on for a few minutes late in four playoff matches. His playing time was inconsistent, which may have contributed to an inconsistent season on the pitch, but at times he showed he can be an effective partner for captain Robin Jansson.

2025 Outlook

Brekalo is under contract for 2025, so he’ll be on the squad unless something unforeseen happens. Although the Lions did not protect him in the MLS Expansion Draft, I’m not reading much into that, as we don’t know how many players may have had to be protected due to their contract terms, and his price tag was likely not favorable for an expansion side at a base salary of $600,000. I expect Brekalo to give Schlegel a run for the starting right center back position. Just a couple of weeks shy of his 27th birthday, he’s early in his prime years as a center back. If he can build a solid foundation with Jansson and right back Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in preseason camp, he may become a mainstay in the starting XI as long as he can stay healthy.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Alex Freeman (12/5/24)
• Michael Halliday (12/6/24)
• Yutaro Tsukada (12/7/24)
• Mason Stajduhar (12/8/24)
• Javier Otero (12/9/24)
• Jack Lynn (12/11/24)
• Shakur Mohammed (12/12/24)
• Luis Muriel (12/13/24)

El Soldado will be a Lion for another season. Orlando City announced today that the club has re-signed defender Kyle Smith to a new one-year contract through 2025, bringing his free agency to an end after just a few days. The club had announced Dec. 5 it was in negotiations with Smith for his return when the end-of-season roster update came out.

“Bringing Kyle back to Orlando for 2025 is a great step in our project for next season,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s been such a vital piece of our successes over the last few seasons with his versatility and work rate both on and off the field. He’s a player that we know we can always depend on, and we’re excited to have him back with us next year.”

The 32-year-old Cincinnati, OH native originally signed with Orlando City on Dec. 21, 2018, after serving three seasons in the USL with Louisville City. He was well known by then-manager James O’Connor, who had coached Smith in Louisville. Few could have foreseen the length of his stay in Orlando at the time, which has far outlasted O’Connor’s tenure. Muzzi re-signed Smith on March 29, 2021, to a new deal through 2022 with an option year for 2023, which the club exercised Nov. 15, 2022. Although he was already under contract for the following year, Smith signed another new contract through the end of the 2023 season with an option year for 2024 on Dec. 5, 2022. The club picked up that 2024 option almost exactly one year ago on Dec. 11, 2023.

Smith is coming off his sixth season with the Lions, in which he did not score a regular-season goal for the first time since 2020, but he provided three assists to equal his career high. He scored his only goal in any competition in 2024 in a 3-1 win over Cavalry FC in Concacaf Champions Cup play Feb. 27.

He made 40 appearances across all competitions this season (18 starts).

The versatile fullback has made 180 appearances in all competitions (105 starts) in his first six years with the Lions, placing him second on the club’s all-time appearance list behind fellow defender Robin Jansson. Smith has scored five goals and added nine assists during his Orlando City career. In 2022, he helped the Lions win their first trophy since joining Major League Soccer, playing in every match of the tournament as Orlando City claimed the U.S. Open Cup.

What It Means for Orlando City

There is no doubt every club needs at least one player like Smith. He works hard, gives you everything he has, plays wherever he’s asked to play, and has the versatility to play several positions. He has played multiple midfield and back line positions in his time in Orlando, primarily as left back in 2024 after spending most of his previous appearances at right back. He has also been an inexpensive player for the club to fit under the salary cap. In 2024, he made a base salary of $290,000 — the lowest salary of any non-Homegrown who played on Orlando City’s back line this season.

Smith will turn 33 in January, and he’s not always able to keep up with some of the league’s speedy wingers, but he’s still rarely a liability because of his awareness and experience. His role will likely be the same as it’s been in recent times — to provide depth at both fullback positions, starting when injuries or fixture congestion become problematic, and entering games late to help see out wins or spell tired starters. He knows Pareja’s system as well as anyone, has the respect of his teammates, fits in with the team’s culture, and (as previously mentioned) puts in an honest shift. This signing can only be seen as a positive for Orlando City.