Orlando City
Evaluating How Orlando City May Fill Its Open Designated Player Spot
An analysis of the history of the ages of Orlando City’s Designated Players (DP) and an evaluation of how Orlando City may fill their open DP spot.

Sometimes in order to admit to yourself that something is true you have to say the words out loud, or in the case of a website contributor, you have to write the words out, and so therefore I must disappointedly say the following: Facundo Torres will not play for Orlando City in 2025.
Sigh.
I guess there is a chance, however slight, that he could transfer back from Palmeiras, but as a mathematician, I would not advise anyone to place any bets on seeing Torres playing for the Lions this season. I would also advise you not to place any bets in general and to remember the quote from the legend Danny Ocean that “the house always wins, you play long enough and you never change the stakes and the house takes you.”
You did not come here for gambling advice, so we will dispense with that part of the quote, but I want to go a little deeper on the concept of changing the stakes. During the last three seasons, Orlando City has steadily improved from losing in the conference quarterfinals to losing in the conference semifinals to losing in the conference final. The Lions played in the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2023 and 2024 and won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022. As I wrote last week, Orlando is now one of leading soccer cities in the country, and that is because of the accomplishments of both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride.
Orlando City Head Coach Γscar Pareja has led the Lions to the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, and in doing so has raised the expectations for the club higher, as while the Lions are not considered one of the league’s glamor teams by MLS leadership, the performance on the field says that they should be. Their 71 MLS regular-season wins during this decade ranks second only to LAFC’s 75.
Club | MLS Regular-Season Wins: 2020-2025 |
---|---|
LAFC | 75 |
Orlando City | 71 |
Philadelphia Union | 71 |
Seattle Sounders | 70 |
Columbus Crew | 70 |
This brings us back to Torres and the decision that Orlando City’s leadership will need to make about how to replace him. His departure opens up a Designated Player spot, allowing the Lions free rein to bring in anyone they want, since there are no restrictions on salary. The question that I am sure that the front office is grappling with, however, is whether to use that spot on the 2025 version of Torres, a young rising star who they hope to sell in a few years for a profit, or go with an established player who is ready to come in now but may not be someone that the club can profit off of in the future.
The history of Orlando City and Designated Players is more the latter than the former, despite the club-record sale of Torres a few weeks ago. The club has had 15 Designated Players and 33 seasons from those players during its 10 seasons in MLS, and using the age of every player as of Feb. 1 during the year they were a Designated Player, this is how Orlando City has deployed that designation:
Age Range | Number of Seasons | % of Seasons |
---|---|---|
19-20 | 4 | 12.1% |
21-23 | 5 | 15.2% |
24-26 | 4 | 12.1% |
27-29 | 8 | 24.2% |
30+ | 12 | 36.4% |
Slightly more than 60% of those player-seasons have been played by players 27 years of age or older, headlined by KakΓ‘, Mauricio Pereyra, and Nani, but at the same time, more than 25% of the seasons were by players in the “we project them to be a young rising star” age group of 19-23. Torres clearly showed that he was, but the other young Designated Players β Bryan RΓ³chez, Carlos Rivas, and JosuΓ© ColmΓ‘n β did not produce on the field or generate a major financial return when they departed the club. Rivas, at least, is enduring, as every time a shot is skied high over the net at home games, you can always count on hearing someone in the crowd shout out his name.
During the last three seasons, the club has skewed younger with regard to Designated Players, with the average ages being 26 in 2022 [Pereyra (31), Ercan Kara (26), Torres (21)]; 24 in 2023 [Kara (27), Martin Ojeda (24), Torres (22)]; and 27 in 2024 [Luis Muriel (32), Ojeda (25), Torres (23)]. Torres’ departure means that remaining Designated Players Muriel (33) and Ojeda (26) will average out at 29.5 years old, with Muriel’s window to generate a future transfer fee of any significance nearly shut and Ojeda’s closing, unless he makes a leap in 2025. Both players contributed to the club’s success on the field in 2024, but the front office is always trying to balance the business and the team’s performance, and with this third open Designated Player spot those in charge of personnel will show their hand on where they believe they need to focus.
The hard part for the front office is that, as of today, the team is bringing back every key player except for Torres from a team that has used a pretty consistent set of players for the past two seasons. This group is very familiar with Pareja’s style of play and expectations, and nine of the returning players played more than 3,600 (out of a possible 6,120) MLS regular-season minutes during the last two seasons.
This team is built to win now, and while the Lions have the personnel to replace Torres with existing players (move Ojeda to right wing while starting Nico Lodeiro or Muriel in the middle, starting Lodeiro or Muriel on the wing, start Duncan McGuire at striker and move Ramiro Enrique to the wing, etc.), with an open Designated Player spot and Torres’ transfer fee money sitting in an Inter&Co digital vault, I think the team should be looking for someone to come in directly into the starting 11 and aggressively make a play to win the title in 2025, joining the battle-hardened group of returning players, many of whom are in their prime right now.
There are rumors that a signing is imminent for a left-footed winger who likes to play on the right side of the field, but it would be using an MLS U22 Initiative spot and not a Designated Player spot. Rumo(u)rs are second-hand news and may end up only being dreams (some of you will see the chain connecting what I did there, others will tell me to go my own way…away), but those currently reporting on Orlando City’s negotiations for this winger, Fabrizio Romano and Tom Bogert, are well sourced, increasing the likelihood that the club is closing in on bringing in a player who is similar to the 2022 version of Torres β young, skilled, and someone who could bring the club a profit in the future.
This does not preclude the team from looking for a Designated Player who is also a wing player on the right side of the field, but it changes the calculus (and as all of you certainly remember from math class, calculus is all about change) for what the team may want to do with its third Designated Player spot, probably making a little more likely that that spot would be used on a more established (read: older) player β reports have already indicated a bid was made to Liga MX side Club America, which was rejected, for 26-year-old winger Alex Zendejas.
Orlando City, like most MLS clubs, has rarely used a Designated Player spot on a defender. Yoshimar YotΓΊn is the closest case, but while he played left back for Peru and other clubs, for Orlando City he played primarily in the midfield. The team could look for an upgrade on the left wing, which could also involve moving Angulo to the right wing or dropping him into a competition for a right- or left-back spot, as a player with a similar profile to former right back Ruan. McGuire will be out for a few months to start the season, and so the club could bring in an elite striker to complement Enrique to fill the 90 minutes up top. OCSC could also go find a central attacking midfield Designated Player and move Ojeda back out to the wing.
Or…City could do none of these and take an existing player who makes more than the Designated Player amount ($683,750) and turn him into a Designated Player, saving salary cap money. It is not as exciting to do something like this, but one of the benefits of being a good team with youth and depth is that there are already players ready to take on some of the minutes made available by Torres’ departure. It is not always beneficial to add players just because you can, as players want to play and team chemistry can be just as important as the total top end talent on a roster.
Decisions like these in a league with a salary cap can make or break a team, especially a team with so many players returning from a successful season the year prior. Should the Lions acquire one player to slot right into Torres’ spot, and leave everyone else as is? Do they actually need a big shake-up and change at multiple positions, as while they were successful, they struggled to score late in the season, and came up short on the ultimate goal? I am excited by all of the possibilities, look forward to seeing the moves the team makes, and am thinking about how the Lions will line up in the season opener on Feb. 22.
Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/23/25
Pride fall to Racing Louisville, Seb Hines and Giles Barnes share insight on path to success in Orlando, USMNT defeats Haiti, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working and catching up with friends over the past week. Before we get started, let’s wish a belated happy birthday to Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter, who turned 41 on Saturday. The Pride was the lone team in action over the weekend, while the Lions and OCB were off. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Fall at Racing Louisville
The Orlando Pride fell to Racing Louisville 2-0 Friday at Lynn Family Stadium. Arin Wright scored the opening goal in the first half, and former Pride midfielder Taylor Flint converted a penalty kick for Racing Louisville. The Pride struggled offensively and failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. Orlando’s struggles in Louisville continue, as the club is winless in five matches at Lynn Family Stadium. The Pride will be on a long break, and their next match will be Aug. 3, taking on the Utah Royals at Inter&Co Stadium.
Seb Hines, Giles Barnes Share Insight on Path to Success in Orlando
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Assistant Coach Giles Barnes were featured in an interview in The Guardian. Both Hines and Barnes shared insight into their longtime friendship, which began with playing in English youth international camps, their different paths to playing in Major League Soccer, and how they became involved in coaching. Hines discussed his time as interim manager of the Pride in 2022 and how he brought in Barnes to help change the club’s culture. Hines and Barnes helped change the perception of the club and led the Pride to winning both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship last season.
USMNT Defeats Haiti to Win Group D in Gold Cup
The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Haiti 2-1 Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, in their final match in the group stage of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The USMNT finished atop its group with three wins and nine points. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman made his third consecutive start and played 90 minutes.
Malik Tillman scored the opening goal 10 minutes into the match to give the USMNT the early lead. Haiti tied the match not long after Tillman’s goal. In the second half, Patrick Agyemang pulled the USMNT back in front. The USMNT advances to the quarterfinals as the group winner and will play its next match Sunday against the Group A runner-up which was the late game Sunday night and had yet to conclude as of this writing.
Club World Cup Weekend Recap
Another weekend of matches from the FIFA Club World Cup is in the books. On Friday, Benfica crushed Auckland City FC 6-0, while Flamengo beat Chelsea 3-1. LAFC was eliminated from advancing to the knockout round after a 1-0 defeat to ES Tunis. Bayern Munich edged Boca Juniors 2-1. On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3. Inter Milan needed a late stoppage-time winning goal from Valentin Carboni to edge Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1. Fluminense beat Ulsan HD 4-2, and River Plate and Monterrey ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, Juventus cruised to a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. Xabi Alonso secured his first win as manager of Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory against Pachuca. Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Hilal played to a scoreless draw, with Manchester City playing Al-Ain in the late match Sunday. Today’s matches feature Atletico Madrid facing Botafogo, the Seattle Sounders hosting Paris Saint-Germain, FC Porto vs. Al Ahly, and Inter Miami taking on Palmeiras.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos and forward Simone JacksonΒ have been called-up to the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team. The U-23 camp will be led by Orlando Pride Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas.
USL Championship side San Antonio FC has signed former Orlando City defender Abdi Salim to a 25-day contract.
San Diego Wave winger Maria Sanchez has reportedly reach an agreement to return to her former club, Tigres of Liga MX Femenil, on a four-year contract.
Paul Pogba is reportedly set to return to playing soccer and has signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and Iβll see you next time.
Opinion
Orlando City Has Been Better than Expected Halfway Through the Season
While there was plenty to worry about at the start of the season, Orlando has had a good first half of 2025.

With 18 matches in the books, we’ve moved just past the halfway point of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, and based off my feelings before Orlando City played its opening game of the season, the Lions have performed above expectations so far. There were plenty of valid reasons to be concerned heading into the year. Orlando had sold its all-time leading goal scorer, and there were questions about whether he’d been adequately replaced. There were worries about depth at multiple positions, and the defense was coming off an uncharacteristically poor year. Here we are though, with the Lions sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference, just three points out of second place and seven points out of first. So how did we get to this point?
For one thing, Marco Pasalic has been much better than I (and I think a lot of other people) expected him to be. The Croatian has six goals and four assists across 18 matches, and is second on the team in both categories. He scored 10 goals in 49 appearances in the Croatian first division before coming to Orlando and was extremely one-footed, which was enough evidence to sow real doubt about whether he could adequately replace the impact of Facundo Torres.
So far, it’s mostly been so good. His direct style of play is a good complement to the styles of Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel, and he’s largely hit the ground running in a league that can be difficult to adapt to. It hasn’t been perfect, as he’s still very one-footed, and can sometimes disappear if he’s stringently man marked, but on the whole there’s been much more good than bad.
Speaking of Ojeda and Muriel, they’ve also had strong years. Ojeda in particular has continued his great second half of the 2024 season and has nine goals and five assists in 18 games to show for it. He looks fast, confident, and decisive and is a far cry from the player who struggled frequently during his first year as a Lion. Muriel has cooled off a little after a scorching start to 2025, but he still has six goals and three assists in 18 matches. He looks vastly improved from last year, when he looked a little off the pace of play and quickly lost the starting striker role. He still has a tendency to not be as selfish as he needs to be in front of goal, but he’s been much better than 2024.
I mentioned depth being a big concern, and not just at one position. At the beginning of the season Orlando City was, and arguably still is, thin at striker, center back, defensive midfield, and fullback. Duncan McGuire was injured to start the year and is now injured again, leaving Orlando with two true strikers in Muriel and Ramiro Enrique. There was no true backup left back, only one reliable backup center back, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson starting at right back meant that defensive midfield depth consisted of rookie Joran Gerbet and the Swiss army knife that is Kyle Smith.
Things have mostly worked out though. David Brekalo has supplanted Rafael Santos, meaning the Brazilian is now a proven backup option at the position, and Smith has filled in there as well. That means that in games in which Rodrigo Schlegel or Robin Jansson are unavailable, Brekalo fills in at center back, Santos starts at left back, and Smith is the backup for both positions, so it isn’t a flawless system. Gerbet has been playing better and better and got some valuable minutes when Eduard Atuesta and Cesar Araujo were unavailable. His emergence has been a crucial piece of the puzzle this year. So too has the rise of Alex Freeman, as his locking down the right back role has allowed Thorhallsson to fill in at defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and right back. The situation isn’t perfect, as a couple untimely injuries to the wrong guys would leave the Lions looking pretty threadbare, but so far it’s just about worked.
Another big concern was the defense. The Lions conceded 50 goals in the regular season last year, which was tied for the second-most of any Eastern Conference playoff team and fourth-most of any playoff team. With no defensive signings and the aforementioned depth concerns, there were plenty of reasons to worry about Orlando’s ability to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
Things have looked much better in 2025, though. The 22 goals OCSC has conceded are the fifth-fewest in the league, and Pedro Gallese’s eight clean sheets are tied for most in the league. Aside from a few egregious defensive performances against the Philadelphia Union, Atlanta United, and the Chicago Fire, things have mostly been tidy at the back, and when they haven’t been, El Pulpo has been around to pick up the slack. Again, things haven’t been perfect, as there have been moments where individual and collective errors have hurt the team, but it’s been better.
I thought the Lions would struggle this year. Going into the start of the season, we were talking about a team that lost Torres, arguably didn’t do enough to strengthen the team across the board, was facing depth issues, and was dealing with a leaky defense β all while pretty much every other contender in the East got stronger on paper. Instead, OCSC tied a club-best unbeaten streak and is just three points out of second place.
That being said, the East is so tight that Orlando is only five points above the playoff line, and injuries to the wrong guys could easily topple the fragile ecosystem that is the depth chart, but so far things are going better than I thought they would be. There are still a lot of matches to play, but this isn’t a bad position to be in at the halfway mark.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/20/25
Orlando Pride take on Racing Louisville FC tonight, Orlando Pride players called up by Zambia, USMNT beats Saudi Arabia, and more.

Happy Friday! June continues to fly by as we enjoy the buffet of soccer here in the U.S. this month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but I am hoping to get some reading done after being gifted some books for my birthday. But enough about me, let’s jump right into today’s links!
Orlando Pride Face Racing Louisville Tonight
The Orlando Pride are on the road tonight for a match against Racing Louisville FC at 8 p.m. in the final game before a league break until August. Going into the break with four straight wins would be nice for the Pride, but they’ve struggled at Lynn Family Stadium over the years. Louisville enters this match following a 4-2 loss to the league-leading Kansas City Current and has scored eight goals over the past three games. Orlando’s defense has been phenomenal this year, conceding just eight goals this season and only one during this win streak. Midfielder Cori Dyke spoke on how the team is finding its groove and shutting out opponents.
Zambia Calls Up Orlando Pride Trio
Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda, and Prisca Chilufya were all called up for Zambia’s CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations roster ahead of this summer’s tournament. Banda has eight goals this season with the Pride and had four goals at last year’s Olympics, including a hat trick against Australia. The Copper Queens claimed third place in the 2022 edition of this tournament, and they’ll need to be at their best to win this summer against tough opponents like South Africa and Nigeria. Zambia’s tournament campaign will kick off on July 5 against the host nation, Morocco.
USMNT Beats Saudi Arabia to Qualify for Quarterfinals
The United States Men’s National Team won 1-0 against Saudi Arabia to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup. After a scoreless first half, the Yanks broke through in the 63rd minute thanks to a free kick. Sebastian Berhalter served the ball on a silver platter to Chris Richards, who buried it for the crucial goal. The defense did well to secure its second shutout of the tournament, with Orlando City’s Alex Freeman starting at right back yet again. The USMNT will play Haiti on Sunday and should be able to win the group for a smoother path in the knockout stage.
FIFA Club World Cup Roundup
An MLS club finally won a game during this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, with Inter Miami beating Porto 2-1 in Atlanta. Lionel Messi scored the winner from a free kick to complete the comeback after conceding an early goal. The Seattle Sounders had a rougher day, falling 3-1 to Atletico Madrid, with Pablo Barrios scoring a brace. Former Lion Facundo Torres started for Palmeiras in the Brazilian club’s 2-0 win over Egypt’s Al Ahly.
Today’s action features more soccer at Inter&Co Stadium, with Benfica and Auckland City squaring off in the City Beautiful. Our Michael Citro will be on hand to report on it. Elsewhere in the U.S., Chelsea will take on Flamengo, LAFC will face ES Tunis, and Bayern Munich will play Boca Juniors.
Free Kicks
- Canada Head Coach Jesse Marsch, who is already serving a suspension for misconduct during the Nations League, is under investigation by Concacaf for incidents during this Gold Cup. Reports detail that Marsch disregarded regulations and used offensive language toward match officials.
- Kylian Mbappe was discharged from the hospital after suffering from a case of gastroenteritis. It’s unclear if or when he’ll play for Real Madrid during the Club World Cup.
- Carlos Cuesta was hired as Parma’s next head coach after five years with Arsenal as an assistant coach. The 29-year-old becomes the second-youngest coach in Serie A history.
- Manchester City was fined over $1 million by the English Premier League for repeated delays regarding kickoff times.
That’s all I have for you all today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
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