As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s ninth in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

The Lions were floundering. A team that finished strong in 2023 and ended up second in the Supporters’ Shield race had bolstered the attack in the off-season by signing a Designated Player forward out of Italy’s Serie A and figured to pick up where it left off. It didn’t.

Orlando City struggled out of the gate to connect in the final third, to find a cohesive starting XI that worked well together, and to find the form with which it ended the 2023 campaign. Although the Lions swept Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in the first round of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup at the onset of the season, they once again played a scoreless draw on opening day of league play, got blown out at Inter Miami, gave up a 95th-minute goal to lose at home to Minnesota, and then got knocked out of Champions Cup by Tigres before falling at Atlanta.

The team’s 0-3-1 start to the regular season was followed by two wins and two draws, pulling Orlando to 2-3-3, but that surge proved to be fool’s gold. That run preceded a late-game collapse at home against Toronto that turned a 1-0 87th-minute lead into a 2-1 loss. That loss, to a Toronto team that finished 11-19-4, turned into a home losing streak after FC Cincinnati departed Inter&Co Stadium with a 1-0 win on May 4.

A 2-0-1 surge followed, but it could only bring the Lions to 4-5-4 on the season. But again, Orlando City fans had to take the bad with the good, as the club went 0-3-1 in its next four. Two late goals by LAFC and a missed Facundo Torres penalty — the first such miss in his entire soccer careeer — produced a 3-1 home loss that left the club at just 4-8-5 at the season’s midway point. Some fans were calling for Oscar Pareja’s job; no one was happy with new Designated Player Luis Muriel’s play; and the players seemed frustrated, disjointed, and at odds with each other on the pitch.

Things looked bleak for extending the club’s four-year postseason streak to five. It seemed as if there was no way to break out of the funk the Lions were in.

But then it happened.

The team’s fortunes didn’t turn around all at once, and the turning point sure didn’t seem like one at the time. Orlando City went to Charlotte on June 19, found itself up a man, and still had to scrape by with just a 2-2 draw. Down a man, Brandt Bronico put Charlotte FC up 2-1 with 13 minutes remaining, and things looked worse than ever for the Lions, who were on the verge of falling to 4-9-5 and threatening to contend for the wooden spoon. But Torres struck in the 81st minute to bring City level on a corner kick. Was this the goal that ultimately saved Orlando City’s 2024 season?

Once tied, Orlando pushed furiously for a winner but to no avail. The single point the Lions brought home from North Carolina didn’t feel good at the time, but it was a start — the first pebble in what ultimately turned into an avalanche. A win and a loss in the next two matches didn’t seem particularly noteworthy either, but the team was starting to put things together.

After beating Chicago 4-2 on June 22 at home, the Lions nearly mounted a comeback after a disastrous first half in a 4-2 loss at New York City FC on June 28 — a game in which Orlando lost backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar for the rest of the season. The Lions then won four straight matches and went 4-0-1 in their final five games prior to the Leagues Cup break, entering the MLS pause at .500 with a 9-9-7 record. It had taken the team half the season to recover from the poor start, but the Lions were back in the fight.

A win and two draws in Leagues Cup, despite some international absences, kept the Lions’ momentum going. Although a flat performance in a loss at Sporting Kansas City in the MLS restart weekend didn’t help matters, it was followed by three more consecutive wins — all via shutout, with Orlando outscoring its opponents 8-0 — and six victories in seven matches. The lone loss in that seven-game stretch was a 4-3 defeat at Columbus in which a valiant comeback effort fell just short.

After that 6-1-0 run, Orlando entered Decision Day with a 15-11-7 record and a top-four spot that wasn’t spoiled by a loss in the regular-season finale to Atlanta.

The Lions’ 11-4-2 finish over the final 17 matches of the 2024 season not only pushed the team into the postseason, it also put Orlando City in position to take advantage when Miami, Columbus, and Cincinnati all faltered in the first round of the playoffs.

Because the Lions were the highest remaining seed in the postseason, once Orlando City won its best-of-three, first-round series against Charlotte, it had home field priority for the remainder of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Lions hosted Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinal and knocked their rivals out of the postseason in a tight defensive battle in which the Five Stripes hardly troubled goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Orlando advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time, hosting the New York Red Bulls.

Although Orlando faltered in that conference final, which is not the result we (or the Lions) wanted, City put itself in the best possible position to reach the MLS Cup final by finding the right blend of chemistry, form, and grit in the season’s second half.

The Lions came closer to MLS Cup in 2024 than ever before, thanks to the team’s second-half surge. As such, that surge is a worthy inclusion in the list of the club’s top moments of the year, and a great way to kick off our annual series of the club’s most memorable accomplishments and events.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of Orlando City’s top 10 moments of 2024.

Major League Soccer provided a last-minute stocking stuffer for North American soccer fans when it dropped the 2025 season schedule six days before Christmas. It feels like the Orlando City season just wrapped (as is often the case when a team makes a deep run in the playoffs), and yet now we can spend the next few “winter” weeks meticulously breaking down the matchups as training camp is just around the corner. My fellow staff writers at The Mane Land can attest that I have a horrible case of scoreboard-watching from Matchweek 1 of the regular season on, and that obsession starts now with my top three games to watch in 2025.

Friday, July 25 — at Columbus Crew

As the final match of three games in 10 days and the last match of July, the first meeting against perennial the Eastern Conference powerhouse Columbus Crew should serve as a great measuring stick for fans and pundits to assess where the Orlando City season stands heading into the final third of the season. Traditionally speaking, over the last few years, late July into early August is the time frame when Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s teams have caught fire.

If that historical trend holds, then I expect Orlando City to hit Columbus in strong form, once again looking to secure a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. While it is hard to predict what rosters will look like by then, as there have been reports and rumors of both stars and Head Coach Wilfried Nancy’s possible departure circulating. However, it is difficult to imagine Columbus slipping much, as the club has established a winning culture and has a knack for finding and signing outstanding players like Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez. A matchup between the Crew and Lions at that point of the season could serve as a marquee event for MLS in 2025.

Saturday, Feb. 22 — vs. Philadelphia Union

There are two things I know to be true when it comes to Orlando City soccer. First, Orlando City has kicked off every MLS regular season in front of its home fans — a unique trend that I was excited to see continue in 2025. The second thing that I know is that Orlando City is unbeaten in season openers (3-0-7). In 2025, Orlando City welcomes the Philadelphia Union to Inter&Co Stadium and the unbeaten record will be on the line once again. The Union will be the seventh different opening day opponent for the Lions in 11 seasons.

What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that this will be the first time in Orlando City history that they will face the Union without now-former head coach Jim Curtin. One of the longest-tenured head coaches in MLS at the time, Curtin parted ways with the Union at the end of the 2024 season. Often I find myself in the “managers don’t make a large difference” camp when it comes to the outcome of matches, but to look back at what Curtin did with Philadelphia, its academy, and modest roster spending can only be viewed as wildly successful. Orlando will try to start its season off on the right foot, while a new Union manager will be looking to start his tenure in Philly with a road victory. Something will have to give, and I am going to put my money on Orlando winning the day.

Saturday, April 12 — vs. New York Red Bulls

While the first opportunity to exact revenge over the club that eliminated the Lions from the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs will happen roughly a month earlier on the road, the true opportunity to stick it to the Red Bulls in front of a home crowd has to be my most anticipated match of 2025. A lot has been said about rivalries in MLS. Some seem manufactured, and some come down to genuine hatred, but I firmly believe that for the time being our squad’s biggest rival is the one that ended Orlando City’s season one game short of the championship match.

It seems a little strange to me that the Lions will wrap up their season series with the Red Bulls just eight games into the year (so much for spacing out some matchups), but Orlando City will look to pounce on the Red Bulls early on and would likely love nothing more than to take all six points from the team that ended its MLS Cup hopes before the calendar even hits Memorial Day.

Those are the top three matches I have circled on my calendar. Let us know in the comments below which matches you’re most excited about and which matches you think will carry the most significance in 2025. As always, vamos Orlando!

Orlando City signed Argentine forward Ramiro Enrique on Jan. 26, 2023, from Club Atletico Banfield. The then-21-year-old attacker was signed as part of the MLS U22 initiative. Enrique had a decent initial year with the Lions, but there was some concern whether his size would prohibit his effectiveness in the league. He put those concerns to bed in his second season, doubling his goal output and seizing the starting spot at the top of Oscar Pareja’s formation while Duncan McGuire was away at the Olympics and never relinquishing it through the rest of the year. The highlight was his six-match scoring streak across all competitions from July 6 to Aug. 4, breaking Daryl Dike’s club record for consecutive games with a goal.

Let’s take a look at Enrique’s second season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Enrique appeared in fewer matches in 2024 than he did in his first season with the club, falling 10 games shy of the 30 appearances he made a year ago, owing to an ankle injury that kept him out of action for a good chunk of time in March, April, and May. He also missed a few games dealing with a personal matter in June. The native of Burzaco, Argentina, made 20 appearances, starting 12 and playing 1,082 minutes. Those were career bests in starts and minutes in his first two seasons in Orlando. He scored eight goals — compared to four last year — in league play, and equaled last season’s output of two assists. He fired 37 shots, putting 17 on target, and improved his passing from 72.9% to 78% with 16 key passes and two successful crosses but no completed long balls. Defensively, he recorded five tackles, three interceptions, 15 clearances, and one block. Enrique committed 14 fouls, suffered 20, and picked up four yellow cards on the year without being sent off.

The Argentine started all five of Orlando’s playoff games, playing 312 minutes and scoring one goal but not recording an assist, and he did not participate in either of Orlando’s penalty shootouts in the first round against Charlotte FC. He attempted 12 shots but put just three on target. Enrique passed at an 82.2% rate with four key passes and a successful cross. On the defensive end, Enrique chipped in four tackles, an interception and three clearances. He committed four fouls, suffered seven, and picked up a pair of postseason yellow cards, but those were not both shown in the same game.

Enrique played in all four of Orlando City’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting once and playing 165 minutes. He contributed one goal and one assist — both in the Cavalry FC series — firing nine shots with five on target. He completed 85.4% of his 48 passes in the competition with one key pass but no successful crosses on two attempts. Defensively, Enrique managed three tackles, one interception, and one clearance. He committed two fouls, suffered five, and was not booked in the tournament.

Starting all three of Orlando City’s Leagues Cup games, Enrique played 232 minutes, scoring two goals and adding an assist. He was subbed off each game, so he did not participate in either of the shootouts against Mexican sides Atletico San Luis or Cruz Azul. He attempted nine shots, putting five on target. Enrique completed 79.6% of his 49 passes with four key passes, without attempting a cross. On the defensive end, Enrique logged four tackles, one interception, and four clearances. He committed three fouls, suffered three, and was not booked.

Best Game

Enrique made a big impact in several games this season, including his performance in Orlando City’s Leagues Cup opener against CF Montreal — a 4-1 home win on July 26. Enrique and the rest of the Lions ran over Montreal, posting three first-half goals in what turned out to be an easy win. Enrique contributed to the offensive explosion with a goal and an assist on a season-high six shot attempts. As impressive as his performance was that night, I’m going with his big night against FC Cincinnati in a 3-1 win on Oct. 5 — the team’s final road match of the regular season. The Argentine striker figured in all three goals, scoring two of them himself, as the Lions set a new club record for goals in a season, surpassing the old mark of 55 by scoring the 56th, 57th, and 58th goals of the year.

The striker got the game off to a great start just 10 minutes in, timing his run perfectly to get onto a gorgeous, curling cross from Kyle Smith and getting his right foot onto it to push it past Roman Celentano and open the scoring. It wasn’t an easy goal on the volley, but Enrique made it look that way.

Luciano Acosta tied the match just before halftime, which could have given the hosts momentum, but the Lions held firm. Enrique helped Orlando seize the momentum back in the 66th minute by setting up the eventual game-winning goal. Smith sent another good cross into the area. Enrique had his back to goal, with a much bigger defender on him. Rather than bring the ball in and try to turn on his defender, Enrique laid off his first touch for Angulo, who didn’t get all of it on his shot, but it somehow squirted through Celentano and in to make it 2-1. Even though Angulo’s placement and power weren’t what he’d likely envisioned, the soccer gods rewarded Enrique, as the layoff was worthy of an assist.

Enrique provided an insurance goal six minutes later, as Angulo returned the favor for the Argentine’s assist. The Colombian turned on the jets to beat Celentano to a soft back pass from Luca Orellano and calmly poked it to Enrique on his right with the goal wide open. The striker knew he had time and space, took a calming touch, and gently tucked the ball home to make it 3-1, completing his brace.

The hosts scrapped to try to get back into the game, ultimately firing 19 shots to Orlando’s six, but City’s defense held firm, and thanks in large part to Enrique’s goal contributions, won the game at TQL Stadium.

Aside from his goal contributions, Enrique fired four shots, putting three of them (75%) on target. He connected on 71% of his passes, including the key pass that turned into Angulo’s goal. He won three of his six aerials, chipped in a recovery on the defensive end, committed a foul, drew a foul, and was not shown a card. It was a strong outing.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Enrique a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for his second season in the City Beautiful. This was a big improvement over the 5.5 we gave the young striker a year ago. In last year’s grade, we cited his inconsistency as an issue. Enrique was much more consistent in his second year, as shown by his six-game goal-scoring streak and ability to hold onto the starting striker spot after McGuire returned from international duty. While some of that inconsistency returned in the postseason — in which he fired eight shots and scored a goal in Orlando’s three wins and failed to attempt a single shot in the two postseason losses — you have to credit two exceptional defensive teams (Charlotte FC and the New York Red Bulls) for some of the latter, while giving Enrique props for being effective against Charlotte twice and scoring the winner against Atlanta in a tightly contested match. Enrique was a bit streaky, which isn’t unusual for a striker, he remained dangerous once he became a starter.

2025 Outlook

Signed through 2025 with two additional option years, the 23-year-old should continue to develop his game with the Lions next season. In fact, due to McGuire’s shoulder surgery this month, Enrique figures to begin the season as the first-choice striker unless the Lions add an important piece in that position group. If he can avoid the injury bug, Enrique showed this year that he is capable of double-digit goals. He had 10 regular-season goal contributions in less than two-thirds of a season in 2024, and he started only a third of Orlando’s MLS games. While his effectiveness is still questionable against certain types of opposing defensive clubs, and his finishing can sometimes let him down on big chances, Enrique’s knack for getting himself into dangerous areas and his quick counter-pressing skills are developing nicely. It will be interesting to see if he can take another step forward as he starts to enter the prime years of his professional career.

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)
• Facundo Torres (12/14/24)
• Rodrigo Schlegel (12/15/24)
• Rafael Santos (12/16/24)
• Kyle Smith (12/17/24)
• Martín Ojeda (12/18/24)
• Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (12/19/24)
• Nico Lodeiro (12/20/24)