Connect with us

Opinion

Halfway Home: Three Thoughts from the First Half of the Season

Some things that stood out from the first half of the 2023 MLS season.

Published

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

After a forgettable match last weekend against the New England Revolution in Foxborough, Orlando City officially became the last team in the Eastern Conference to reach the halfway point of the regular season. A quick check of the table shows the Lions firmly entrenched in the playoff hunt currently sitting at seventh place on 27 points, but upon closer examination (looking at you Atlanta and D.C.), there a few teams who closely surround Orlando City in the standings which the Lions have a game or two in hand on. As the season slugs along into the dog days of summer and the matches level out, OCSC could very easily see its position climb up a rung or two on the ladder of the division.

The halfway point provides a great opportunity to take a look back at the first 17 games of the season (though the Lions have played 18 after Wednesday’s home game against the Union) and reflect on the highs and lows of the year thus far. What follows are my top three thoughts on how Orlando City has fared throughout the first half of the MLS regular season.

Consistently Inconsistent

After Orlando City was bounced from the Concacaf Champions League, the team found that its MLS results would best be personified by a rollercoaster rolling up and down several hills in quick succession. Described by yours truly as the poster children for inconsistency, Orlando City alternated wins and losses for seven straight matches from March 18 to May 6. To add insult to injury for most diehard fans, Orlando found itself losing at home and winning on the road. However, with the season consisting of 17 home and 17 away games, it truly doesn’t matter in which venue the points are gathered. Prior to match 17, in which Orlando fell to the Revolution while being quite shorthanded, it seemed as though at least on the surface the squad had figured things out, putting together a string of six matches without a loss.

Draft Pick Success

Chalk it up to injury, chemistry, or just bad luck, the beginning of the season was a grind for the players that the coaches and staff were counting on to put the ball in the back of the net. Designated Player Ercan Kara dealt with a knock. Facundo Torres, after scoring the first goal of the season in the opening match, struggled mighty until his recent run of good form pulled his season back on track just before the international break. As these hiccups were working themselves out, one catch phrase started to rise above the fray and that was that Orlando runs on Duncan (McGuire). Selected with the sixth pick overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft out of Creighton University, McGuire quickly and with authority has made his name known to all those in Central Florida.

Scoring his first MLS goal in the 53rd minute against D.C. United on March 11, McGuire has demonstrated that he has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net, maturity in his decision-making, and a slight flair for the theatrics, as three of his five goals in the first half of the season came after the 80th minute.

Orlando City has found success drafting strikers in the past and it looks like the team has found another quality contributor in the youngster, who had seven goal contributions in the season’s first half.

Designated Players Starting to Click

The biggest question through the first few months of the season was whether or not the Orlando City attack would actually figure things out. New Designated Player Martin Ojeda started the early season strong, with three goal contributions in matches against D.C. United and Charlotte FC in the middle of March. At one point he led MLS in shots taken (the man is not afraid to shoot…seriously from anywhere). As with any new player in the league, it appeared as though he has experienced some of the growing pains of acclimating to the physicality and demands of MLS. Over the last five matches prior to his rainy start in Foxborough, Ojeda had been utilized as a super sub coming off the bench with fresh legs to bolster the attack, and he responded with a goal and two assists in four of those five appearances. Kara has rebounded from the injury in the beginning portion of the season that kept him out of several matches and used the month of May to remind fans and critics just what he is capable of, as he scored four times in five games. Torres had recorded dry spells of six games and five games without finding the back of the net, but after a brace in New Jersey against the New York Red Bulls and a goal and assist at home two weekends ago against the Colorado Rapids, it appears that the Orlando City superstar might finally be back to his confident self. If the second half of the season can see these three DPs combine their powers all at the same time, the Orlando City attack could quickly take a massive leap forward.


Bonus Thought: Role Players Contributing Early and Often

A quick shout out to Ivan Angulo and Kyle Smith seems to be in order when looking back at the first half of the season. Angulo opened his scoring account this season and has been carving up defenders left, right, and center while contributing offensively. Smith has been deployed this year in his typical Swiss Army knife style, has provided Orlando City defensive services on both flanks, and recently has been allowed to roam forward, which has proven to be a fun and effective wrinkle in the formation.

Bonus Bonus Thought: CCL Effort Still a Sense of Pride

While not technically part of the MLS regular season, I keep finding myself drawn back to the effort that the coaches and players put in during their short run in the Concacaf Champions League. Matched up against Mexican perennial powerhouse Tigres, Orlando City went to Mexico and did what very few U.S. clubs have done, as they played the hosts to a draw without two main starters in Kara and Antonio Carlos. A week later, the Lions hosted the second leg of the match and wound up with a draw once again. Tigres only advanced because of rules — stupid rules, but rules nonetheless — regarding total away goals, but despite not advancing in the tournament, Orlando City played better than many experts predicted, and I still feel a strong sense of pride thinking back to those matches.


The first half of the season is officially behind us, and while there have been some ups and downs on the season thus far, I feel like Orlando City is in a great position to climb the table towards hosting a home playoff match. What have been your biggest impressions from the first half of the season? Let us know in the comments below.

Opinion

Orlando City’s Start to the Season a Pleasant Surprise So Far

The Lions have started the new season well enough, but we shouldn’t get too carried away just yet.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City didn’t have a ton of roster turnover to deal with during the off-season, it was really anybody’s guess as to what sort of start the Lions would make to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. There was obviously the loss of all-time leading goal scorer Facundo Torres to deal with, then Wilder Cartagena was lost for the year in preseason, although the club did a great job in landing Eduard Atuesta to replace him. There were also questions about depth at left back, center back, and central midfield. It was anyone’s guess on how Marco Pasalic would adjust to life in MLS, and there were serious questions about whether the Lions had enough firepower up front with Duncan McGuire unavailable to start the season while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

While the club returned the vast majority of the guys who played key roles in helping reach the Eastern Conference final, on paper, the roster didn’t improve and arguably got weaker, so was it truly realistic to expect the team to go a step farther and make the final this year?

Despite all of those concerns, and despite a confidence-shaking 4-2 opening game loss to the Philadelphia Union, Orlando has largely made a good start to the campaign. The Lions have compiled a respectable 3-2-3 record and have 12 points to show for it, currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the first-place Columbus Crew.

Even in the two losses, it’s hard to make the argument that OCSC played truly bad games on the whole. Rather, the Lions were undone by moments of bad defending and losses of concentration that led to silly mistakes, particularly against the Union. The shaky defending has certainly been one of the bigger concerns, especially on an Oscar Pareja-coached team, but things have begun to look better after keeping two straight clean sheets.

Ironically, even though the offense seemed to be most people’s biggest concern before the season started, it’s been the part of the team that has consistently functioned at the highest level. Before the two 0-0 draws, Orlando had scored the most goals in the league, and despite being held scoreless twice in a row, they still have the third-most goals scored. Out of OCSC’s six games played with a first choice XI, the Lions have scored more than one goal four times. Even in the games when they haven’t been as prolific, or have largely been on the back foot, the Lions have still managed to carve out a healthy number of chances. While their finishing has let them down at times, they’ve still managed to get several good looks at goal in every game, and that’s half the battle.

All in all, it’s been a perfectly respectable start to the season, and the team honestly has performed higher than my (probably slightly pessimistic) expectations. While the start hasn’t been white hot, it’s been nice to not see the sort of slow start that so often has seemed to plague this club during Pareja’s tenure at the helm.

That being said, I think it’s important to place the beginning of the year in the proper context. It’s worth noting that of the teams that Orlando has played to this point, Philadelphia is the only one currently above the playoff line (although the New York Red Bulls occupy the last play-in spot). The Lions have beaten an LA Galaxy team that is the worst in the West; Toronto FC, which is second from the bottom in the East; and D.C. United, which is third from the bottom in the East. They drew the fifth-place Union on the road, and lost to NYCFC at the baseball stadium. But it has to be said that Orlando has faced a noticeable lack of top shelf opponents so far.

Essentially, Orlando has played three bad teams, two decent ones, and one that started very well but has cooled off in recent weeks (twice). Of course, OCSC can’t do anything about that, but it’s worth asking if the solid start to the season is due to the Lions legitimately being a good team, or if it’s more of a paper tiger situation where they just haven’t had to play many tough opponents yet.

There isn’t really any way of knowing for sure, and there won’t be any hints for awhile. With the way the standings currently look, Orlando won’t face a team above the playoff line until they go up against Charlotte FC on the road on May 14. I don’t bring all of this up to try to dampen the mood, but I just don’t think we have a truly accurate idea of this team’s level yet. Which is fair and totally fine, after all we’re only eight games into the season.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t give OCSC its due for a solid start to the year. It hasn’t been perfect by any means, but the team has done more good than bad, and the Lions’ current place in the standings reflects that. We should still keep things in perspective and resist the urge to dole out too much praise just yet, but we can be happy with what we’ve seen so far.

Continue Reading

Opinion

Likes and Dislikes from this Week of Orlando City’s Preseason

Let’s break down some good and bad things from this past week of preseason preparations.

Published

on

It’s Friday once again, and just like that we find ourselves barely over a week away from the start of the 2025 Major League Soccer season. It feels like this off-season has passed by in a blur, and somehow the Lions are already about to play their final preseason match later today. This week was another busy one for Orlando City, so let’s run through some things that I liked from this week and some things that I didn’t.

Likes

Eduard Atuesta Arrives

It took awhile, and the transfer saga had some twists and turns, but Orlando City landed Eduard Atuesta to replace the injured Wilder Cartagena. Given the league’s budget constraints and the fact that he isn’t a Designated Player, Atuesta is about as good a replacement as fans could have hoped for. Not only is he familiar with the league, but he knows what it takes to win here, as he helped LAFC win the Supporters’ Shield and U.S. Open Cup during his time with the California club. Plus, he theoretically offers more going forward than Cartagena typically does, which could add a much-needed extra punch to the Lions’ offense. The structuring of a one-year deal with an additional club option also gives OCSC some flexibility at the end of the season if the Lions decide they want to move on, but if he replicates the form he typically showed at LAFC, then that option year can be triggered.

New Kit Looks Sharp

The club also debuted its new home jersey this week. Dubbed the “Perfect Storm” kit, no two are supposedly alike, as it pays tribute to the intensity and unpredictability of Central Florida’s weather. For my money, it isn’t anything revolutionary, but there’s a lot to like about it. The pattern is interesting without being too overwhelming, the collar adds a pop of welcome gold to the purple and white motif, and the 407 lightning bolt and doppler radar storm patches are nice, vibrant touches. Teams were also permitted to customize the Apple logo on the sleeves this year, and Orlando chose to do so by incorporating the lion’s mane/sun element of the club crest into the logo. My biggest gripe is that the pattern is only on the front of the jersey while the back is plain purple, but overall I really like it.

Dislikes

Thin Cupboards at Striker and Fullback

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Orlando City is still looking short on bodies at striker and fullback. Granted, the striker position will look better once Duncan McGuire returns, but that’s likely to be at least six to eight weeks away. Fullback isn’t quite as dire, as the Lions have Kyle Smith, Mikey Halliday, and Alex Freeman, who are all in contention to come off the bench. There are caveats though, as Halliday has struggled with injuries the last two seasons, and while Freeman was outstanding with Orlando City B last year, he’s almost completely untested at the MLS level. Plus, all three of Smith, Halliday, and Freeman are most comfortable on the right side. You obviously don’t want to take minutes away from the young guys, but I’d feel a lot better if there was a proven vet in the fold.

Final Preseason Match Prices

At the time of writing, the cheapest ticket listed for today’s preseason match against Inter Miami is $49 plus fees. That gets you in the door and up in the 300 level of Raymond James Stadium; any lower down than that and you’re looking at $65 plus fees and higher. It isn’t the most egregious pricing I’ve ever seen, but at the same time, when my season ticket in The Wall breaks down to being about $19 a game, it’s hard to not feel a little put off. I’m not saying that this is the club’s fault as I don’t know who set the pricing for the event, but I just don’t have much interest in paying over $100 for two people to go to a preseason match. It’s a shame, since Ray-J is about a five-minute drive from my house, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.


What stood out to you from this week of Orlando City’s preseason preparations? Be sure to have your say down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Opinion

Likes and Dislikes from this Week of Orlando City’s Preseason

Let’s talk through some of the good and bad from this week of the Lions’ preseason preparations.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Just like that, another week of Orlando City’s preseason is in the books. We’ll be staring down the barrel of the season opener before we know it, but let’s make sure we take the time to stop and reflect on some good and some not-so-good things that took place this week.

Likes

Marco Pasalic Arrives

Orlando City is back up to three Designated Players after the club completed the signing of Croatian winger Marco Pasalic. It’s a piece of business that has been rumored for awhile now but took some time to get done and across the line. Between Pasalic and the previous signing of Nicolas Rodriguez, the Lions have got bodies to fill the right wing position. While neither is likely to be able to immediately replace the production of Facundo Torres on their own, they’re both young and will have the chance to grow their games and show what they can do.

Season Ticket Member Match

OCSC will take on CF Montreal Saturday in a preseason scrimmage which is an event exclusive to season ticket holders. This is the sort of thing that I, along with my fellow season ticket members on staff, love to see. An event that rewards you for that membership and does so by giving you an extra peek at the team before everyone else. It might not be some wildly extravagant event, but it doesn’t need to be. The club has formed a habit of designating one of the preseason scrimmages a season-ticket-members-only event, and for my money, it’s been a good call.

Dislikes

Closed Door Scrimmage Radio Silence

This feels a little nitpicky, as closed-door scrimmages are by their very nature, closed door. The whole point of them is to not have a ton of access and insight about what’s going on, and teams will often agree beforehand about what level of information, if any, will make its way out to the public afterwards. We know that Orlando took on Atlanta United in a preseason scrimmage Wednesday, and we know that Alex Freeman put in a goal from a header, thanks to a post from the club on the website formerly known as Twitter, but that’s about it. It feels greedy to ask for information from something we weren’t guaranteed to get any from in the first place, but the brief taste has me wanting more, damnit.

Depth Still a Worry at Several Positions

As stated above, getting Pasalic in the door means that the Lions now have the winger slots fairly well stocked, but there are still other areas on the field that could use some reinforcement. The most crucial of those remains defensive midfielder, and although the rumored arrival of Eduard Atuesta would help considerably, I’m not counting him as a Lion until pen has been put to paper. If he does get signed, that still leaves striker and fullback perilously thin when it comes to guys who are proven MLS-caliber players, and the first game of the season is just shy of two weeks from now. There’s still time to do business, but the clock continues to tick.


What jumped out at you from this week of OCSC’s preseason? Be sure to have your say down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending