Dissecting Orlando City’s 2024 Schedule

Strange though it might seem, we’re a little under five weeks until Orlando City kicks off its 2024 campaign with a Concacaf Champions Cup match up in Canada against Cavalry FC. With that being the case, I wanted to take a deeper dive into the Lions’ schedule for 2024 and go over some things I like, things I don’t like, and highlight a few games that I’m looking forward to.

What I Like

Once again, weekend games rule the roost as 26 out of the team’s 34 regular-season games are played on Saturday or Sunday. That’s a push that has happened league-wide for the last couple of seasons, and it was one that I really appreciated. Given that I live an hour and 15 minutes away from the stadium if there’s no traffic (there always is), it’s very difficult for me to make it to weeknight games, particularly given my work schedule. Last year, I got the most bang for my buck out of my season tickets that I ever have because almost all of the team’s home games were on weekends, so it was easy for me to attend.

It’s also nice to catch a break in that of the team’s eight weeknight games, only three of them are at home. The reasons I stated above also apply here. More people get to the stadium for weekend games, which means a better atmosphere and a better environment for the team to play in. Major League Soccer doesn’t seem to do this team favors too often, but it may just have done so in this case.

What I Don’t Like

My first gripe with the schedule is something I actively despise. Namely, the league scheduling the home match with Inter Miami at 7:30 pm E.T. on a Wednesday. On the one hand, the club isn’t going to have any problems whatsoever selling tickets for that game, so the aforementioned point about attendance probably doesn’t apply here. With that being said, keeping the kickoff time at 7:30 means fans coming to the stadium will have to contend with the notoriously difficult Orlando traffic, so there’s no guarantee that the place will be full by kickoff. While I understand the league’s desire to standardize kickoff times, a little common sense would have gone a long way here.

I also think it’s annoying that the Lions’ home game against Miami falls on a Wednesday while the reverse fixture is nice and tidy on a Saturday. Some people might call that nitpicky, but it feels far less so when you check the fixture list and see that the previous Saturday has Orlando City playing on the road in Philadelphia, and the following Saturday sees the Lions take a cross country trip to play the San Jose Earthquakes. This might by a little tin-hat-conspiracy-theorist of me, but it feels like that home Miami match was made about as difficult for Orlando as it possibly could have been.

Another brutal stretch hits in June. Orlando plays LAFC at home on the 15th, travels to Charlotte on the 19th, has Chicago at home on the 22nd, then has NYCFC on the road on the 28th, Toronto on the road on July 3, and D.C. United at home on the 6th. That fun little stretch has the club playing six games in the space of 21 games, and since it falls smack in the middle of the group stage for Copa America, the Lions could be without Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, Facundo Torres, and Cesar Araujo. Ouch.

Each team is naturally going to have tough parts of its schedule, as fixture congestion is simply part of the wallpaper these days, but damn, that’s a truly uninviting three weeks.

Games I’m Looking Forward To

• Sat., Feb. 24 vs. CF Montreal: It’s the home opener, what more do I really need to say about it?
• Tues., Feb. 27 vs. Cavalry FC: The second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Cavalry, which will hopefully see the Lions well positioned to advance past the opening round of the competition. If the atmosphere is anything like last year’s home game against Tigres, it’ll be a night to remember.
• Wed., May 15 vs. Inter Miami: Annoying Wednesday date and 7:30 start time aside, a home match against Inter Miami is always something to look forward to.
• Sat., July 6 vs. D.C. United: This might seem like a very random game to choose, but D.C. has been one of the very worst teams in the league for the last two seasons, but I can’t remember the last time Orlando actually won in this series. I’d like for nothing more than OCSC to get a tidy 3-0 win at home and put one of its bogey teams to bed.
• Sat., Oct. 19 vs. Atlanta United: Not only is it Atlanta United at home, but it’s also Decision Day. Given the expectations for these two teams during the 2024 season, this is a clash that could have huge implications on the final day of the season. If that doesn’t get you excited, then I don’t know what does.

What are your thoughts on this season’s schedule? Are there any games that you have circled on your calendar? Be sure to have your say down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!