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Orlando City Suddenly Has Plenty of Striker Options

How an early return by Duncan McGuire could change the complexion of Orlando City’s attack.

Published

22 hours ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

In the waning moments of Orlando City’s 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls, 2023 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick Duncan McGuire entered the match to the surprise of virtually all who have followed Orlando City over the last several months.

McGuire was injured during a classic Cardiac Cats performance, drawing a late penalty after being pulled down by Djibril Diani in the final leg of the 2024 playoff series against Charlotte FC. The penalty allowed Orlando City to equalize, take the match to penalty kicks, and eventually win the series. However, it cost McGuire his off-season, as he injured his shoulder on the play and had to undergo surgery in December. McGuire was originally projected to need four to five months for recovery and rehabilitation after the procedure, which led many to think that the USMNT pool striker would not see the field until the end of April or later.

The injury and recovery timeline for McGuire seemed to lock in a clear path of succession for the striker position. Ramiro Enrique was all but certain to start the season up top with Designated Player Luis Muriel filling in as a super substitute. The sneaky Enrique ended the 2024 season on a tear and can find the scrappy goals that more often than not make the difference in close matches. He finished the 2024 season with eight goals, which was third most on the squad behind Facundo Torres (14) and McGuire (10). Enrique started the first two matches of the 2025 season, but unfortunately has yet to find the back of the net.

A pleasant surprise so far during the beginning of the season has been the start that Muriel has been enjoying. He has now started in back-to-back road matches, and throughout the first four games of the year has three goal contributions — one goal and two assists. Possibly more important for Muriel than his goal contributions has been the eye test. He appears to be far more comfortable now in his second year of MLS action.

This poses a good problem for Orlando City to have as Head Coach Oscar Pareja likes to start the hot hand (or foot rather), and having Muriel increase his production, along with having a known commodity in Enrique, allows the manager the freedom to customize his lineup to different opponent weaknesses.

The wrench now is what to do with a potentially healthy McGuire. Coming back into the fold a full month earlier than his earliest expected return can only be viewed as a positive, but it begs the question of who should start as striker even sooner than the coaching staff may have been prepared to answer. Granted, McGuire may still be a few weeks away from 100%, but in limited action against the Red Bulls — he entered in the 87th minute — McGuire looked poised and formidable. He quickly won a corner and set Enrique up for what should perhaps have been the game-winning goal.

Someone has to start up top, and for the time being, it feels like Muriel may continue to get the nod as he has been producing results. The coaching staff tried starting two up top last season and it was not very effective, leading me to think that will not be something we see deployed this year. We may see Duncan’s substitute minutes increase over the next few matches as he continues to get match fit. Enrique, by process of elimination, may wind up finding himself as the odd man out once McGuire reaches full health and fitness. The good news for Enrique is that there are other avenues for him to earn playing time, as he has been deployed on the wing before, giving spells to players like Ivan Angulo.

Only time will tell who ultimately separates themselves from the pack to earn the starting role, but having three capable healthy strikers available for selection can hardly be viewed as a bad problem. Hopefully, they will continue to push one another in practice as all three improve. Let us know who your first starter of choice is and why in the comments below. As always, vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Five Takeaways

What did we learn from a high octane victory over D.C. United?

Published

23 minutes ago

on

March 23, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Following back-to-back road matches, Orlando City got back to winning ways in entertaining fashion on Saturday night, as the Lions cruised to a 4-1 win over D.C. United at Inter&Co Stadium. It was a match that had plenty of things to dissect, and what follows are my five main thoughts from an exciting contest.

Lions Start Well

While D.C. created the game’s first shot (which was saved and held well by Javier Otero), Orlando carried the greater threat during the opening minutes of the game. The Lions repeatedly tested D.C.’s high line, and while they couldn’t quite beat the offside trap, there were plenty of warning bells if you knew where to look. Luis Muriel couldn’t put away a chance from a cross, Ivan Angulo curled a shot just wide, and OCSC was knocking firmly on the door. Coming out of the gate hot doesn’t always lead to grabbing the opening goal, but it’s just so helpful to dictate the game at home, and Orlando did that very well in this game.

Designated Player Delight

The big story of this match was Orlando’s Designated Players. For the first time in club history, all three DPs got on the scoresheet in the same game, and they each posed plenty of problems for D.C. in different ways. Muriel displayed his knack for hold-up play and his range of dribbling and passing, Marco Pasalic repeatedly sought to take players on, and Martin Ojeda pulled the strings in the middle of the field while drifting around and finding dangerous pockets of space. Then you have Muriel’s well-taken header, a goal and twp assists for Ojeda, and Pasalic’s absolute howitzer at the end of a counterattack that saw all three men combine to create the goal. It’s exactly the kind of production the Lions need from their big money men, and it was wonderful to see.

Freeman Keeps Rolling

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also take the time to wax lyrical about Alex Freeman. The right back position seems to be firmly his to lose, and with good reason. He got forward to great effect during this game and was constantly a dangerous outlet on the right side of Orlando’s formation. His cross for the opening goal was beautiful, and he used his height to great effect to score his second goal of the young season. There will likely still be some growing pains this season as he adjusts to playing in the top flight for the first time, but week after week he just keeps showing that he belongs, while giving Oscar Pareja no choice but to start him.

Untaken Chances Don’t Matter

As strange as it seems to gripe about missed opportunities when the team you support scores four goals, I’m going to spend a little time doing just that. OCSC easily could, and probably should have scored six or seven goals on the night, and if the Lions’ finishing had been a little crisper they probably would have. It didn’t end up mattering of course, but Muriel, Ojeda, and Angulo all spurned at least one very good chance. Muriel looked excellent while continuing a strong start to the year, but he easily could have had the first hat trick in club history. I’m not complaining, as the team still turned in a great performance overall, but you know what’s even more fun than scoring four goals? Scoring seven goals. Maybe another time.

An Improved Defensive Outing

One of the best things on display tonight, was an improved defensive performance. It wasn’t perfect, as the team failed to keep a clean sheet and benefitted from a few fortunate bounces that took the sting out of what would have been some tricky shots, but it was the first game this year that the Lions have given up fewer than two goals. A clean sheet obviously would have been phenomenal, but if nothing else, it was nice to not see D.C. creating the kind of clear-cut chances that past opponents had been torturing OCSC with. There’s definitely still work to do, but the back line largely did a good job of marshalling the D.C. attack and snuffing things out before they got too dangerous. It was definitely a performance that can be built on, and hopefully that’s exactly what happens. Additionally, let’s give a shoutout to Otero for picking up the win in his first MLS start.

That’s what stood out to me from a wildly entertaining win over D.C. United. Can we play them at home every week? Be sure to let us know what you thought about this match down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Blast D.C. at Home

Lions get back in the win column in emphatic fashion with goals from all three Designated Players and Homegrown fullback Alex Freeman in Javier Otero’s first MLS start.

Published

11 hours ago

on

March 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

All three of Orlando City’s Designated Players scored goals for the first time in club history and Homegrown defender Alex Freeman also put the ball in the net as the Lions (2-2-1, 7 points) crushed D.C. United (1-1-3, 6 points) 4-1 at Inter&Co Stadium. Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, Freeman, and Marco Pasalic built the Lions a 4-0 lead that could have been even larger if not for a couple shots off the post, before Lukas MacNaughton spoiled what would have been the team’s first shutout of the year.

Javier Otero didn’t get the shutout in his first MLS start, but he got the win with six saves, including a couple of big ones.

“It was very important to add three points tonight the result brought,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “A very good performance and confidence to the players. We felt that everyone is raising their level and that make us collectively and a stronger team. There is a lot of work to do still, but tonight was that one game where we must add three points and play well so we can raise the confidence.”

With Pedro Gallese away for international duty, Pareja’s lineup featured Otero in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Freeman. Cesar Araujo returned to the starting central midfield alongside Eduard Atuesta behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Pasalic, with Muriel up top.

D.C. played with a high line, which Orlando looked to exploit whenever the Lions won the ball. The home side struggled to stay onside in the early going, but managed to find opportunities as the game settled in.

However, it was United fashioning the game’s first chance just four minutes in. Aaron Herrera cut inside of Angulo and smashed a shot on target. Otero did well to catch the shot without spilling it in front of the charging Christian Benteke.

“The players out there, my teammates, gave me confidence, just as I hope that I filled them with confidence throughout the game too,” Otero said. “The team was working and training really well this week, and I think you could see that out there on the field.”

The Lions’ first chance came in the 10th minute when Pasalic sent a good cross into the area for Muriel. The Colombian didn’t make good contact with the aerial cross, and it skipped well wide of the net. Three minutes later, Muriel sent in either a soft shot or a pass in front, but none of his teammates made a run from the left and the ball was easily scooped up by D.C. goalkeeper Kim Joon-hong.

Angulo cut in from the left and fizzed a shot just wide of the right post in the 14th minute, as Orlando continued to press the attack. Muriel was sent down the right side of the box two minutes later. Trying to pick out the upper right corner, he fired his shot just off frame.

Orlando broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. Angulo got into the attack on the right for a change, and he laid off a pass for Freeman. The Homegrown fullback fizzed a good cross out in front of goal and Muriel met it in midair, heading past Joon-hong and under the bar to make it 1-0.

Ojeda had an opportunity to double the lead three minutes after Muriel’s goal, firing a volley shot on the left. His shot would have gone well wide to the right, but it hit a defender and deflected righ tto Joon-hong.

D.C. started keeping more of the possession, helped in part by a lot of physical play being allowed by referee Tori Penso, who ignored Jansson getting run over from behind by Benteke on one occasion. Otero did well to get to his back post and catch a corner kick cross to snuff out an attack.

Ojeda’s second scoring chance resulted in a scuffed shot right at the goalkeeper in the 39th minute. The Argentine seemed to struggle to get clean hits of the ball or get his shots through cleanly, but that worked to his advantage moments later.

Angulo dispossessed the D.C. defense just outside the box in the 44th minute, giving the ball to Ojeda on the left. The Argentine fired a shot that hit the backside of Herrera and found the inside of the right post to make it 2-0.

Not much happened in the two minutes of stoppage time and the Lions took their 2-0 lead into the break.

At the break, D.C. held the advantage in possession (51.3%-48.7%) and corners (2-0), but Orlando City had the edge in shots (8-3), shots on target (3-1), and passing accuracy (86.5%-85.7%).

Neither side made any changes at halftime and D.C. came out looking to pull a goal back. Boris Enow fired wide of the right post from well outside the box just moments into the second half.

Orlando City extended its lead moments later. Araujo was fouled near the left sideline and Ojeda stood over the free kick and delivered a great back post ball for Freeman to head home, making it 3-0 in the 50th minute.

“The kids play when they deserve to play,” Pareja said about Freeman’s performances this season. “That’s the way it is, and they know that when they play, they have to match the level and keep it, and that’s what he’s doing. Alex is growing in the opportunity that came to him. Has been taking it with responsibility, with maturity, scoring goals. I’m excited with him and the competition he has behind him is not easy because Dagur (Dan Thorhallsson) had a tremendous season and is a tremendous player. I’m happy for Alex, and he’s growing at the point that I think he needs to be seen by the national team.”

The Lions continued to create danger with Muriel taking the ball and going on the attack with Ojeda. He tried to play in his fellow Designated Player near the top of the box, but Joon-hong got to the ball just in time to prevent a shot.

Benteke hit the post for D.C. moments after that chance, but the flag came up anyway for offside. Instead of United pulling a goal back, the Lions extended the lead two minutes later.

All three Designated players combined as Muriel flicked down a long ball into Ojeda’s path. The Lions’ No. 10 played the ball right to Pasalic on the wing. The Croatian then cut to his left inside MacNaughton and blasted a golazo into the upper left corner to make it 4-0 in the 56th minute.

“When you play so good together, then, like these goals come,” Pasalic said. “I said before I came, my left foot can be a weapon, and today it was a weapon.

The attack kept coming. Ojeda forced a good save from Joon-hong in the 60th minute, and two minutes later, McNaughton’s last-second intercession kept an Ojeda pass from finding Muriel in front of an empty net.

Otero was called into action in the 68th minute and made a second big save in the match, denying a redirect from Dominique Badji in front off a cross from the right.

The Lions then fashioned a trio of great chances that all came close to making it 5-0. The first was a shot by Muriel on target that required a big save by Joon-hong. Ojeda picked up the rebound and fired a shot off the outside of the right post. Orlando quickly stole the ball after the ensuing goal kick and Angulo rang the right post with a shot from the left in the 69th minute.

Orlando again came close to a fifth goal in the 76th minute. Muriel attacked 1-v-1 and got outside of his defender, but he pulled his shot just inches wide of the left post.

Gabriel Pirani fired a wicked curling shot from well outside the area in the 77th minute. Otero didn’t seem to see it at first but then made a terrific save to push it out for a corner.

“Otero’s was a very positive performance coming from the academy,” Pareja said.

Ojeda again got down the left in the 83rd minute. He smashed a shot over the bar as he got caught leaning back a bit on his attempt.

About the only thing that went wrong for Orlando on the night was conceding in stoppage time. A ball into the area was headed back across by Benteke. McNaughton was the first to it and he powered his header into the net to make it 4-1, spoiling Otero’s shutout.

“After all those things that happened tonight that were positive for us and that give us reasons to be happy and celebrate, when we conceded that goal, the pain was big too, for me, because we need to elevate the way we’re defending,” Pareja said. “That’s going to make us get results.”

“I know it hurt for the whole team, this one goal,” Pasalic said. “It’s okay. Four-zero would be better.”

Moments later, the final whistle blew on a dominant Orlando City win. D.C. had a late flurry of shots — mainly from outside the area — that allowed the visitors to close the final statistical gap.

Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (61.4%-38.6%), shots (19-15), and shots on target (7-6). D.C. won more corners (10-1) and passed more accurately (85%-83.6%).

“I thought we were the team who had the best chances all the time, and we proposed a game the way we wanted,” Pareja said. “I think collectively, from the first minute, we had the best options playing against a very tough team, but we did great things as well.”

“We played incredible today. The team spirit was there from the first minute,” Pasalic said. “We fought. We played together. We played like a team.”

The Lions’ home stay was short, as they will now head out on the road for their next two matches. The first is a trip to California to play the LA Galaxy next Saturday.

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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City looks to snap a two-game winless skid behind a first-time MLS starting goalkeeper at home against D.C.

Published

17 hours ago

on

March 22, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (1-2-1, 4 points) and D.C. United (1-0-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first of the two scheduled MLS matches this season between the Lions and the Black and Red, with Orlando City’s return trip to Audi Field scheduled for Sept. 13.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 8-9-2 against D.C. in the all-time league series since the club joined MLS, and 8-9-3 in all competitions. Orlando is 5-4-1 in MLS home games against D.C. Oscar Pareja is 7-6-2 in his managerial career against United.

Orlando City swept the season series a year ago. The teams last met on July 6, 2024 in Orlando, with the Lions running roughshod over visiting United in a 5-0 win on the night when Kaká became the first player inducted into the Legends Terrace at Inter&Co Stadium. Martin Ojeda, Robin Jansson, Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, and Ramiro Enrique all got on the scoresheet, with three of those goals coming before United center back Lucas Bartlett was sent off for denying Angulo a goal-scoring opportunity late in the first half. 

The Black and Red had managed four consecutive results in the series (3-0-1) prior to the Lions’ visit to Audi Field on April 13, 2024. United went ahead twice in the match on goals by Christian Benteke and Gabriel Pirani and led the game late. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson equalized in the first half, and David Brekalo made it 2-2. Duncan McGuire’s well-timed breakaway goal in stoppage time lifted Orlando to a 3-2 road win.

The last meeting in 2023 took place in Orlando on April 22, 2023, with D.C. scoring twice in the second half to snap a 1-1 deadlock and win, 3-1. Taxiarchis Fountas, Donovan Pines, and Benteke scored for D.C. to more than offset McGuire’s strike.

These teams squared off just a few weeks before that in D.C., splitting the points in a 1-1 draw on March 11. McGuire scored his first MLS goal but Chis Durkin leveled things late in a match that was sandwiched between Orlando City’s two legs of Concacaf Champions League play against Tigres UANL.

D.C. swept the season series in 2022, despite being a terrible team that “won” the league’s Wooden Spoon by no small margin. The meeting in D.C. that year took place July 31 and saw Orlando City dominate the first half but miss multiple glorious chances to put the game away early. The Lions were wasteful, taking only a 1-0 lead into stoppage time thanks to Junior Urso’s first-half goal, only to fall 2-1 on stoppage-time strikes by Durkin and Fountas.

The teams also met on Independence Day at Exploria Stadium, with D.C. putting together a performance out of nowhere in a 5-3 road win. Fountas netted his first MLS hat trick and Kimarni Smith and Nigel Robertha added their first goals of the season. Torres, Ercan Kara, and Alexandre Pato scored for Orlando, threatening to bring the Lions back, but Orlando could never get on level terms.

The teams met twice in 2021, including Oct. 2 at Exploria Stadium. Daryl Dike scored deep in stoppage to lift the Lions to a 2-1 home victory. Jansson scored a first-half goal off a corner kick scramble to offset an early Julian Gressel strike. The first match of 2021 took place on May 16 in D.C., with the Lions winning 1-0 on an early Mauricio Pereyra goal. That win snapped United’s 3-0-1 streak in the series in league play and 3-0-2 in all competitions dating back to City’s previously most recent win over D.C. back in 2017.

The teams did not meet in what was an odd 2020 season.

D.C. United swept the season series in 2019, winning 1-0 at Audi Field back on June 26, 2019. Wayne Rooney’s wondergoal from his own half of the pitch caught Brian Rowe napping. The Lions fell 2-1 at home on March 31, 2019, with set pieces ruining the night for Orlando. You might recall the controversy that surrounded the winning goal, with then-coach James O’Connor visibly upset after the match. Steve Birnbaum scored the first on a set piece and Rooney scored the second on a free kick that he took from wherever the hell he wanted rather than where the foul occurred. Frederic Brillant bulldozed Rowe on the play as the ball sailed into the net.

D.C. was 1-0-2 in three total meetings (two in league play) in 2018. Orlando swept the two league meetings in 2017, the teams split two lopsided games in 2016 — with each team winning at home — and the Black and Red went 2-1-0 in the first three meetings back in 2015.

Match Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 2-2 road draw against the New York Red Bulls and is winless in its last two matches (0-1-1) — both on the road. The Lions are 1-1-0 at home this season, including a 4-2 win over Toronto FC in their last match at Inter&Co Stadium on March 1. Orlando has been leaky on defense, surrendering 10 goals in just four matches, using four different back lines in four outings this season, with starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese away on international duty for tonight. On the other hand, the Lions have scored nine goals in the first four games, with newcomers leading the way. Marco Pasalic leads the team in goals (3), with Eduard Atuesta leading in assists (3).

D.C. is unbeaten (1-0-3) after last week’s scoreless draw at home against CF Montreal. The Black and Red are 0-0-1 on the road, having drawn the Fire 2-2 in Chicago on opening day. Benteke is the only United player with more than one goal, having scored three already this season. D.C. also has seven players with one assist, but nobody has more than one.

The Lions will need to be aware of where Benteke is at all times. The former Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Aston Villa man is always in the thick of the MLS Golden Boot race. Benteke’s size and strength make him difficult to defend in the air, so Orlando City will need to pull out all the stops to try to starve his service while making him uncomfortable in the box. The Congo native is averaging six shot attempts per match this season. Orlando will also have to eliminate its recurring defensive lapses in order to give Javier Otero a shot at a win in his first MLS start in goal.

“Coming off the road with that tight game against the Red Bulls, this is a test for us to keep getting better,” Pareja said ahead of the match. “Now we have a game at home, an important game. In general, I am happy with how the team is gelling together. And there’s a bunch of other things, but we have to add results because that is what makes us really feel that things are good.”

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Favian Loyola (thigh), Nico Rodríguez (thigh), Yutaro Tsukada (knee), Gallese (international duty — Peru), Brekalo (international duty — Slovenia), and Colin Guske (international duty — U.S. U-18). D.C.’s injury report wasn’t available as of this writing, but United will be without Kye Rowles (international duty — Australia) and Matti Peltola (international duty — Finland). As of last weekend, Conner Antey (knee), Jackson Hopkins (ankle), Hakim Karamoko (abdomen), and Randall Leal (thigh) were all out.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

Bench: Carlos Mercado, Kyle Smith, Thomas Williams, Joran Gerbet, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Gustavo Caraballo, Shak Mohammed, Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire.

D.C. United (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Kim Joon-hong.

Defenders: David Schnegg, Lucas Bartlett, Lukas McNaughton, Aaron Herrera.

Defensive Midfielders: Boris Enow, Hosei Kijima.

Attacking Midfielders: Joao Peglow, Gabriel Pirani, Jared Stroud.

Forward: Christian Benteke.

Bench: Luis Barraza, Derek Dodson, Garrison Tubbs, Rida Zouhir, Fidel Barajas, Jacob Murrell, Gavin Turner, Brandon Servania, Dominique Badji.

Referees

REF: Tori Penso.
AR1: Brooke Mayo.
AR2: Kathryn Nesbitt.
4TH: Fotis Bazakos.
VAR: Ricardo Montero.
AVAR: Joshua Patlak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC). You can also catch our live updates on Bluesky (@TheManeLand.bsky.social).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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