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

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.