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Orlando City Signs Croation Winger Marco Pasalić as a Designated Player

The Marco Pašalić transfer is official, as the Croatian international joins Orlando City from HNK Rijeka through at least 2027.

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4 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has a new Designated Player on the right wing. Croatian international Marco Pašalić signed a contract with the Lions through 2027 and will be the club’s newest Designated Player. The contract includes a club option year for 2028. The club needed to act after selling Facundo Torres to Palmeiras just weeks ago on Dec. 20. Pašalić will wear jersey No. 87 this season for the Lions.

“This is an exciting signing for us and we’re happy to have Marco join us here in Orlando,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “His desire to take on defenders and ability to be a constant threat on goal is exactly what we’ve been looking to add during this transfer window. He has a great personality and competitive drive that we feel truly fits the culture we’ve built here at Orlando City, and moreover, he has a constant desire to win that is infectious. We’re excited to have him wear purple and look forward to all he’ll achieve while representing our club.”

Pašalić, 24, arrives from HNK Rijeka in the Supersport HNL — Croatia’s top flight. The left-footed winger has scored four goals and added either three or four assists (depending on which stat site you use) in 19 games (18 starts) this season for HNK Rijeka, playing 1,372 minutes (or 1,374, again depending on where you look).

“I think it was an easy option for me to decide I want to come make the next step here in Orlando,” Pašalić said about his decision to join the Lions. “I play with heart. I am a fighter on the field, but mostly on offense. My expectation is that we win everything. I like to win.”

A dual citizen of Croatia and Germany, Pašalić was born in Karlsruhe in the latter country. He split his youth career between several clubs —Karlsruher SC, SG Siemens Karlsruhe, SV Sandhausen, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and VfB Stuttgart. He played 35 games with VfB Stuttgart II, scoring eight goals in 2020-2021 before a move in May 2021 to Borussia Dortmund. He played mainly for Borussia Dortmund II from 2021 to 2023, appearing 35 times and scoring six goals, and making one appearance for the first team in Bundesliga play in a loss against VfL Wolfsburg. He also came off the bench once for Borussia Dortmund’s first team in a 2021 loss to Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup.

In June of 2023, Pašalić moved to Rijeka, where he has scored 10 goals in 49 appearances since joining the club.

On the international level, Pašalić has represented Croatia at the U-17 and U-21 youth levels. He has also been capped five times with the Croatian National Team, scoring one goal, which came in a pre-tournament friendly against North Macedonia prior to UEFA Euro 2024 competition.

In addition to a Designated Player slot, Pašalić will require an international roster slot.

What It Means for Orlando City

While the intention and the appearance of this move may be a like-for-like replacement for Torres, this is not something fans should expect — at least not immediately. Torres posted better numbers in MLS last year than Pašalić has put up in Croatia, and while comparing leagues is problematic, there is plenty of evidence to suggest Torres’ statistics came against much better competition, although conversely, he also was surrounded by higher caliber teammates overall. Opta Analyst ranked MLS as the world’s ninth-best league in its October rankings. Meanwhile, the Supersport HNL was rated the 19th-best league in Europe by globalfootballrankings.com recently and 25th in the world. That is below several second-tier leagues.

Pašalić’s age is a plus, however. Having just turned 24 in September, he’s still got some development potential that could see him climb to Torres’ level. Muzzi is clearly banking on that development. A return to European top-flight football is a strong incentive for Pašalić to try to maximize his time in Orlando.

However, at least in the short term, this seems to be a step backward for an Orlando side that came within one win of the MLS Cup final in December. Replacing 20 goal contributions isn’t easy, especially when Duncan McGuire is going to be sidelined for a while at the start of the season. There will be more pressure on Luis Muriel, Ramiro Enrique, and the team’s attacking midfielders to produce the difference in the shortfall between Torres’ dependable offensive contributions and whatever Pašalić will be able to provide while he acclimates to a new culture, MLS, and his teammates — a process likely lengthened by his late arrival and missing much of the preseason.

If Nicolas Rodriguez pans out, however, the combination of Orlando’s latest MLS U22 Initiative signing and most recent DP could combine to approximate Torres’ production at right wing.

With a reported deal nearing finalization for central midfielder Eduard Atuesta, which would mitigate the loss of Wilder Cartagena to the injury he sustained in the preseason opener, the Lions’ focus should be on providing coverage at striker for McGuire’s absence. Orlando is vulnerable if Enrique picks up a knock. Muriel arrived as a forward, but has not shown a willingness to do the dirty work in the penalty area or a lethality in front of goal the Lions will need to play alone up top in Oscar Pareja’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, and there’s no good second option to play two up top.

While highlight videos are hardly scouting reports, fans who were frustrated by Torres’ unwillingness to use his right foot will likely not be thrilled to see every shot Pašalić took in the eight-minute video below was with his left, however, he showed a willingness to center the ball for others with his right, which is something Torres didn’t show much in his time in Orlando.

“My left foot is my weapon and my dribbling,” Pašalić said in an interview released to media by the club.

Pašalić looks to have a good burst in the video, but it’s impossible to gauge his speed in the video relative to MLS competition. Nevertheless, the video shows what he will bring to the Lions.

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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15 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

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3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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