Orlando City
César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena Are Playing Obscenely Well Together for Orlando City
An analysis of the midfield pairing of César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena’s performance during the 2024 season.

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said in 1964 that his definition of obscenity is “I know it when I see it.” Now, obscenity is not a topic we often cover at The Mane Land, except when talking about the Professional Referee Organization, but it is the quote, rather than the topic, that I thought was prescient for the topic I want to cover today. And yes, this story drops when one of its subjects is suspended for the match tonight.
There are not a lot of statistics that can help define how effective a defensive, or holding, midfielder is. Of course there are statistics (passing completion percentage, defensive tackle win percentage, ball recoveries) that you can look at for every player and then isolate them to compare holding midfielder to holding midfielder, but even those statistics do not ever tell the full story, because they are dependent on the style of play of the team just as much as the players themselves.
Orlando City generally plays a 4-2-3-1 formation with two holding midfielders, but some teams play with only one holding midfielder, so how can you compare the statistics evenly? You can, but only to a point, and the style of play of teams requires more or less from a holding midfielder, making it even harder to compare effectiveness. Therefore, to some degree you have to default back to Supreme Court Justice Stewart and use the eye test.
Using the eye test of S. Andrew DeSalvo (alas the S. does not stand for Supreme Court Justice or even just Supreme, though perhaps I should think about a name change), I have been wildly impressed for three years now by the play of César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena. Both players arrived at Orlando City in 2022 — Araújo before the season began and Cartagena in August during the transfer window — and have been mainstays on the field since joining the team.. The table below shows their MLS regular-season stats since 2022, and illustrates how both players have started and played nearly 90% of the games and minutes that they could have played in MLS play:

Fbref.com tracks and codes players’ performances by position, and among MLS players who are classified as pure midfielders (as opposed to a player like Facundo Torres, who they classify as a hybrid midfielder and forward), Araújo ranks sixth and Cartagena 33rd in minutes played during the past two seasons. Those ranks would likely be even better if both players were a little bit better about controlling their tempers and their aggressiveness (Araújo has 18 yellow cards and Cartagena 14 yellow cards and a red card since the beginning of the 2022 season).
As I mentioned earlier, there are not a lot of publicly available statistics that help quantify the play of holding midfielders as compared to one another, but one that is pretty important for every player is plus/minus. A player’s plus/minus is a pretty simple measure. All it does is subtract the goals conceded by a team when a player is on the field from the goals scored by a team when a player is off the field. While it is difficult to blame a striker for a goal conceded by the defense, or conversely reward a defender for a goal scored by a striker, in the macro sense over an entire season, I think it is instructive to look at plus/minus and consider whether the data backs up the aforementioned eye test.
Considering only the players who have played more than 500 minutes in 2024, here is the full plus/minus heatmap (red is good and blue is not as good) for Orlando City thus far this season (includes all competitions and own goals):

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has been the hottest of them all? Why, that is Araújo and Cartagena, of course, as both players are +15 for the full season across all competitions. They have not always played next to each other in the midfield, as there have been injuries and substitutions, and Cartagena also played center back for more than 600 minutes this season. But in looking at the chart above, and also considering the eye test about who influences the games for the Lions, it is pretty clear that the eye test and the numbers match up here, and it is not just a feeling that Orlando City has an elite paring at holding midfield. It is, in fact, a fact.
I have another dataset that I have been tracking all season that evaluates Orlando City’s performance by offensive grouping, and in looking at all the offensive groupings where Araújo and Cartagena have played side by side in the midfield, the team is +13 across those minutes as you can see from the chart below (excludes own goals):

Translating +13 over 1,511 minutes to a per-90-minute metric, when Araújo and Cartagena play next to one another the team is +0.77 goals per 90 minutes, whereas during all the other minutes the team is -0.21 goals per 90 minutes. This nets out to an increase of 0.98 goals per 90 minutes, meaning that the Orlando City lineups with Araújo and Cartagena in the holding midfield roles are nearly one goal per game better than any lineup without the two of them playing side by side. I’d say that portfolio is strong to quite strong.
An old soccer cliché is that a team wants to have a midfield destroyer in its lineup, and Orlando City has that times two with Araújo and Cartagena when they play side by side. I believe that it is no coincidence that as the team has settled into a consistent lineup and consistent substitution pattern, the Lions have really taken off and have become one of the hottest teams in MLS with eight wins in their last 11 matches.
I know obscenity when I see it, and the Lions are looking obscenely good right now.
Orlando City
Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?
Designated Goal Scorers
What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.
Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.
Keep it Clean
There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.
Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Give the Midfield Time
Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.
Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.
That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/17/25
Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!
Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract
Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm. Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.
Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit
The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.
Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton
Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.
Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set
The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.
Free Kicks
- Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
- The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.
- LA Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his equalizing free kick against the Houston Dynamo in his 400th league appearance.
- As part of the league’s annual Earth Day celebrations, MLS unveiled this year’s One Planet kit. This one is themed after carbon neutrality efforts and includes a tree ring design.
- Manchester City announced that Australian forward Mary Fowler tore her ACL in the team’s FA Cup semifinal loss to Manchester United.
- Here’s everything you need to know ahead of today’s second legs in the Europa League quarterfinals. With storylines ranging from goalkeeper Andre Onana’s possible redemption to Bodo/Glimt’s Cinderella run, it should be a fun day of soccer.
- Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee will miss the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Orlando City
Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028
The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach
“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.”
Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.
With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008.
“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.”
As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.
What It Means for Orlando City
As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.
Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.
In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.
Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.
Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)
Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1
Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55
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