Orlando City
2025 Orlando City Season In Review: Kyle Smith
The Accountant accrued minutes all over the field in 2026, proving once again that his versatility is a major asset.
Kyle Smith joined Orlando City prior to the 2019 season, signing on Dec. 21, 2018, and he has been with the club ever since. Subsequent to his initial deal he earned a new contract in 2021 that kept him through the 2023 season after the club exercised its club option year, and he then signed another contract in 2023 that kept him through the 2024 season after the club once again exercised his contract option. He signed a one-year deal on Dec. 13, 2024 for the 2025 season, and as of this writing, he is currently out of contract for the 2026 season.
Let’s take a look back at The Accountant’s seventh season with the Lions.
Statistical Breakdown
In 2025, Smith once again reminded us that he is a Kyle-of-all-trades, logging nearly the same number of minutes on the defensive back line as he did in the midfield, and playing on the left, center, and right. He primarily played in the middle of the field, accruing the majority of his defensive minutes at center back and most of his midfield minutes as a defensive central midfielder, and he played in the MLS regular season, Leagues Cup, and U.S. Open Cup for the Lions. Smith did not appear in Orlando’s lone playoff match, however.
In MLS regular-season play, Smith appeared in 29 matches, starting 12 (five on defense and seven in the midfield) and playing a total of 1,148 minutes. He did not score any goals but contributed three assists to tie his single-season career high. He attempted nine shots and put two on target. Smith completed 86% of his passes with nine key passes and one successful cross. On the defensive side, he compiled 26 tackles, nine interceptions, 48 clearances, and two blocks. He both committed and suffered 10 fouls and received two yellow cards.
The Transylvania University product played in one U.S. Open Cup game, starting and playing the full 90 minutes against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He played as the left center back, taking no shots but being highly engaged in the flow of the game, completing a game-high 93 passes and 94% of his pass attempts. On defense, he totaled two tackles, four clearances, and one block.
During Leagues Cup play, Smith appeared in five games, starting three (two in the midfield and once on defense) and playing 295 total minutes. He did not take any shots during regulation time but he participated in both shootouts, going two-for-two on his penalty kicks. He passed at an 86% completion rate with one key pass and five accurate long balls. Defensively, he contributed seven tackles, one interception, six clearances, and two blocks, and he also received one yellow card.
Best Game
I was tempted to go with the U.S. Open Cup blowout of Tampa Bay, when The Accountant racked up the numbers, completing the second most passes (93) in a game by any Orlando City player this season, but Smith’s effort in Orlando City’s 3-2 win against Nashville was a better performance against a better team. In that game, he played as a central midfielder in place of Cesar Araujo, partnering with Eduard Atuesta, and he showed his versatility by excelling on offense and defense.
On defense he contributed two tackles, two interceptions, and four loose ball recoveries, while on offense he completed 81.8% of his passes, including two long balls. He also initiated one of the best quick counterattacks of the season, dispossessing Patrick Yazbek and knocking it toward Luis Muriel, who played it back to Smith on a give-and-go. The Accountant then slipped a perfectly weighted pass forward to Martín Ojeda, who first-timed a ball to the opposite corner of the net to put the Lions up 2-0.
Smith’s play drew praise from Ojeda “a great pass by Kyle, who’s a machine that helps us with everything,” and coach Óscar Pareja “(Smith) is always there and such a smart and intelligent and committed player that we always use in any position. Today he played another great game.”
2025 Final Grade
The Mane Land awarded Smith a composite rating of 6 out of 10 for the 2025 season, which is a slight decrease from the 6.5 out of 10 that we gave him for the 2024 season. In 2024, Smith played most of his minutes on the back line, primarily at left back, while this season he was all over the field, playing at different positions and with different players in nearly every appearance. Smith was a solid backup who ended up starting in nearly half of his appearances (16 out of 35), providing valuable cover on a team that was frequently down a few players due to injuries and international games.
2026 Outlook
Smith is currently out of contract, but if he wants to return to Orlando City for an eighth season in purple it is likely the club will have him back. He is still a capable backup at the MLS level in more than half of the field positions, and he showed this season that he can deliver starter-level minutes as well when called upon. Utility players like Smith are budget friendly and incredibly valuable over the course of long seasons with multiple cup competitions. I expect the club will offer him a one-year contract for the 2026 season in the upcoming weeks. If he returns, it will likely be as the ultimate depth player, and depending on how 2026 goes, he could reach 250 games played for the Lions — an amazing feat.