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2025 Orlando City Season in Review: Luis Muriel

The Colombian forward showed more quality in his second season in Orlando, but his form faded down the stretch.

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1 month ago

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Image of Luis Muriel dribbling up the field against Charlotte.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Colombian forward Luis Muriel as a Designated Player on a three-year contract through 2026 on Feb. 15, 2024. Muriel had some growing pains in adjusting to his new surroundings during his first season in Orlando, showing glimpses of the player fans thought the club was getting from Italian Serie A side Atalanta, but never really seizing a starting position with the club or showing enough consistency to be relied upon as an offensive threat.

His five goals and seven assists in 33 appearances (14 starts) during his first year in purple were not exactly the DP-level numbers anyone expected, but he was part of a good Orlando side that finished in the top four in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference semifinal in the playoffs. With a full season in the league behind him, it was reasonable to expect more from the crafty attacking player in his sophomore season in the City Beautiful.

His season started off brightly enough and he seemed to hit his stride in August, when he scored five goals over two matches, but Muriel’s performance tailed off at the end of the season. He was by no means the only Lion who seemed to run out of steam in the final two months of the year, but the drop-off in his scoring was partly responsible for Orlando’s tumble from fourth to ninth in the final standings.

Let’s take a look back at Muriel’s second season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Muriel played in all four of the Lions’ competitions in 2025. He again appeared in 33 of Orlando City’s 34 regular-season games, but he started 25 times during his second year as a Lion, nearly doubling his total from the previous season, and played a total of 2,114 minutes — an increase of 532 minutes year over year. The 34-year-old scored nine goals and added nine assists. It was reasonable to expect double digits in both columns as he entered September needing just one goal and three assists to reach those totals, but he notched only two assists without a goal after Aug. 23. Muriel completed 72% of his 653 passes in 2025 — a surprising drop from his 81% passing in 2024 on three fewer attempts (despite playing 500+ more minutes), but he increased his number of key passes from 37 a year ago to 42 in 2025, with 13 successful crosses and 14 completed long balls. Defensively, Muriel chipped in 32 tackles, four interceptions, and a blocked shot. He committed 26 fouls, suffered 22, received one yellow card and was sent off once with a straight red.

The veteran attacker came off the bench in Orlando City’s playoff match against the Chicago Fire, playing 21 minutes without a goal contribution, a key pass, or a shot attempt, completing 71% of his 14 passes, although he was accurate on his one long ball. Muriel did not record any defensive stats in the match, did not commit a foul, and was not fouled or booked.

In the club’s U.S. Open Cup run, Muriel appeared in one match off the bench — the Lions’ 3-2 home loss to Nashville on May 21 — playing 29 minutes. He did not contribute to a goal, creating one scoring chance on 64% passing (7/11) with an accurate cross on his lone attempt. On the defensive end, Muriel contributed two clearances. He committed one foul and drew one on Nashville and was not booked in the match.

Muriel made appearances in all six of Orlando City’s 2025 Leagues Cup matches, starting the last four and playing 310 minutes in the competition. He scored three goals and added one assist in the Lions’ Leagues Cup run, putting five of his seven shots on frame. Muriel completed 71.7% of his 99 passes in the tournament with six key passes and one successful cross on three attempts. Defensively, he contributed seven tackles, three clearances, and one block. Muriel committed two fouls, suffered one, and was not booked in the competition.

Best Game

It’s hard not to select Muriel’s first-half hat trick in Orlando City’s 5-1 Leagues Cup win over Necaxa on Aug. 6. It was just the fourth hat trick in the club’s MLS era, joining Martin Ojeda’s from earlier in the season and the two Cyle Larin scored in 2015. However, that was a comfortable win for the Lions and it’s likely Orlando would have won big with a different player in that spot.

Where I think Muriel made a difference in the outcome of the match was his next appearance for the club, City’s 4-1 home win over Inter Miami on Aug. 10. Muriel picked up where he left off against Necaxa, scoring just two minutes into the match on his way to a brace, adding an assist as the Lions swept their Tropic Thunder rivals from South Florida. His first goal of the game was one of Orlando’s best team goals of the season, with Muriel taking a pass from Alex Freeman that Ojeda allowed to go through his legs. Muriel and Ojeda then worked a beautifully timed give-and-go before the Colombian held off a defender and slotted past Oscar Ustari to open the scoring.

After Miami had tied the game, Muriel untied it in the 50th minute. Accepting a short corner from Ojeda, Muriel made a sweet move at the end line to get around a well-positioned defender and then fired a shot from a tight angle that Ustari couldn’t handle, restoring Orlando’s lead.

After scoring Orlando’s first two goals himself, Muriel turned playmaker on the third, sending Ojeda down the right side. Ojeda used his defender as a screen and blasted a shot just inside the near post to make it 3-1.

Muriel came within inches of scoring hat tricks in consecutive games, and the one that didn’t go in would have been a dandy. The Colombian volleyed a poor Ustari clearance toward goal from near midfield in the 20th minute. The shot sliced to the right and hit off the post, denying him consecutive hat tricks. However, it was still his best overall performance of the season. He put four of his five shots on target — his only off-target attempt hitting the post — passed at an 81.3%, created three scoring chances for his teammates, and finished with goal contributions on three of Orlando’s four against the team’s most bitter rival. For his efforts, our Sean Rollins correctly named him Man of the Match in our Player Grades post for the game.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded Muriel a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for his 2025 season. This is half a point higher than his 2024 rating of 6. There’s no doubt that Muriel took a step forward in 2025, and he was a dominant player a few times. In August, he was playing his best soccer and it looked like Orlando City might even make a run at the Supporters’ Shield. However, like a few others, Muriel tailed off. Unlike those others, he faded more dramatically down the stretch, earning just a 4.5 rating in three of his last six matches of the year. While the back-to-back games in which he totaled five goals and an assist was perhaps an unsustainable level of form, he largely lived up to the expectations that come with his Designated Player tag up to that point in the season. After August, he hardly played at the level one might expect of a TAM player. Again, he wasn’t the only one who slipped in form, but the team didn’t look as dangerous with him as it did without him over the final six weeks of the season, which prevented a higher grade.

2026 Outlook

Muriel is under contract for one more season, but it might be in the club’s best interests to try to transfer him out before that deal expires. At 34, Muriel’s best years are behind him, and although he was downright lethal at times in 2025, Orlando City might better be served by freeing up that Designated Player slot and using it on someone who can more consistently provide the game-changing plays that the club needs from its DPs. Ojeda and Marco Pasalic (if the latter doesn’t transfer out with reported interest from the Bundesliga) both scored more goals than Muriel and lived up to DP expectations more consistently despite making far less money than Muriel’s $2.5 million base salary and $4 million guaranteed total compensation.

He showed what he can do when he’s at his best, and when he’s at that level, he’s worth being the club’s most expensive player. But if Muriel returns for 2026, the Lions will need him to maintain his form and his consistency during the critical final weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. Otherwise, that is money that could be better spent.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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Orlando City

Schlegel Transfers to Atlas; Smith Says Goodbye to Orlando City

Orlando City bids goodbye to the Argentine defender and agent of chaos, while The Accountant says farewell to the City Beautiful on Instagram.

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9 hours ago

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December 16, 2025

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Image of Rodrigo Schlegel in a goalkeeper kit in Orlando's playoff shootout win over New York City FC in 2020.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City’s back line will look different in 2026 as veterans Rodrigo Schlegel and Kyle Smith are headed elsewhere. The club announced today that Schlegel is headed to to Atlas FC in Liga MX via transfer, while Smith took to Instagram to say goodbye to the City Beautiful and his teammates. 

Screenshot image of Kyle Smith's Instagram announcement saying goodbye to Orlando City.

Schlegel, 28, heads to Mexico after six seasons as a Lion. Smith, 33, was out of contract after the 2025 season, and although the club announced it was negotiating with the versatile defender about a return, he is apparently leaving after spending seven seasons in Orlando purple. The club did not disclose the transfer fee in the transaction sending Schlegel to Mexico.

“Rodrigo has been an incredible part of our history,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “His commitment, passion, and leadership have left a lasting mark on this club. From his unforgettable role in our first playoff (penalty shootout) win to helping us lift our first trophy in our MLS era, Rodrigo has given everything to Orlando City. We are deeply grateful for all he has done, both on and off the field, and (we) wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of his career.”

Orlando City signed Schlegel on Dec. 30, 2019, on loan from Argentina top-flight side Racing Club. The Lions picked up the player’s permanent transfer option following the 2020 season and picked up his option for 2022 on Dec. 1, 2021. Schlegel signed a new contract just over a month later, inking a deal through the 2023 season with clup options for 2024 and 2025. Those options were picked up and at some point in 2025 the defender signed a new deal through 2026 with an option for 2027, but it was not announced.

The Remedios de Escalada, Argentina, native appeared in 180 matches (155 starts) with Orlando City across all competitions — playing in the fourth-most games in club history. He scored four goals and added one assist. He scored two of those goals in MLS play, where he earned a reputation as a rugged (and sometimes reckless) defender with tireless energy and a penchant for taking risks to make a play that led him to 34 career yellow cards and four red cards in the MLS regular season, with six more cautions and one additional sending off in his 11 MLS Cup playoff appearances (10 starts).

Schlegel etched his name into club history and folklore in the Lions’ first-ever MLS playoff game, when he donned a goalkeeper’s jersey and gloves and stepped in for Pedro Gallese after the goalkeeper was sent off with a second yellow for leaving his line early during penalties following a 1-1 draw. Schlegel saved Gudmundur Thórarinsson’s penalty to help Orlando City defeat the Pigeons 6-5 on spot kicks and advance to the conference semifinals.

During his career, Schlegel was part of six consecutive playoff teams and helped the club win its first major trophy of the MLS era, when the Lions captured the 2022 U.S. Open Cup championship. He always seemed to be a Plan B player who fell into a starting spot for a significant portion of each season. He never started fewer than seven matches (2020) in a season and saw double-digit starts in five of his six seasons in Orlando, filling in at various times for Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo.

Former Orlando City coach James O’Connor brought Kyle Smith to Orlando after winning back-to-back USL titles with him at Louisville City. Smith signed on Dec. 21, 2018. He easily outlasted O’Connor in Orlando, signing a second deal through the 2022 season with a club option for 2023 on March 29, 2021. The club signed Smith to a new one-year deal with an option for 2024 on Dec. 5, 2022, before his second deal was complete. That option year was picked up, and Smith was out of contract after the 2024 campaign, but Orlando signed the versatile fullback/center back/midfielder to a new one-year contract through 2025 on Dec. 13, 2024. The Lions announced they were in negotiations to re-sign Smith after the 2025 season, but the Cincinnati native’s Instagram post seems to indicate that will not happen.

Smith departs with a high rank in the club’s all-time lists of appearances (second, with 216), starts (tied for sixth, with 122), and minutes (fifth, with 11,116). He made 178 of those appearances and 102 of those starts in the MLS regular season, with an additional 10 playoff appearances and two postseason starts. Smith posted four goals and nine assists in the regular season but did not have a postseason goal contribution. He leaves Orlando having produced a total of five goals and 12 assists across all competitions.

What It Means for Orlando City

Both defenders were popular among the fans, so it’s a bit of a shock to lose both in the same off-season. Smith jerseys may be spotted in the stands at Inter&Co Stadium for years to come, while Schlegel may deserve a statue for what he did in that penalty shootout vs. NYCFC.

However, after Orlando failed to secure a clean sheet after June, it’s little surprise that changes are happening at the back. Schlegel made $500,000 in base salary and just over $600,000 in total guaranteed compensation in 2025, while Smith hauled in $270,000 in base salary and $318,000 in total guaranteed compensation. That clears nearly a million bucks off Orlando City’s books, and it will be interesting to see how that — plus any profit from Schlegel’s transfer — is used to shore up the back line.

Moreira will want to put his own stamp on the roster, and with the departures of Gallese, Schlegel, and Smith, there will obviously be a different look in the defensive end. At the moment, Brekalo and Jansson would seem to be the starting center backs, with Alex Freeman on the right and Adrian Marin on the right.

That said, Moreira could have something more ambitious in the works. Another center back has to be on the off-season shopping list with Homegrown Thomas Williams also recently leaving the club. Orlando City would do well to bring in one or two athletic center backs to push Jansson and Brekalo for playing time. Another left back is also necessary, as Smith would often deputize as the first-choice backup left back, although Marin backed up Brekalo in that spot in 2025 while Schlegel was in the middle. Tahir Reid-Brown may get a good look in preseason camp, but left back is a position of need.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/16/25

Orlando City close to new goalkeeper, Michael Bradley lands big coaching job, MLS transfer news, and more.

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19 hours ago

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December 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. I have no idea how we’re just a little over a week away from Christmas, but somehow it’s right around the corner. Hell, the MLS SuperDraft is just two days away, and that frankly seems absurd. Nonetheless, we have an absolute glut of news to sort through today, so let’s jump into today’s links.

Orlando City Closing on Carlos Coronel

Orlando City will reportedly have its new starting goalkeeper soon. On Monday, Tom Bogert stated that the Lions ae finishing up a deal to sign free agent shot stopper Carlos Coronel, formerly of the New York Red Bulls. The 28-year-old Paraguayan international has been one of the best goalkeepers in the league during the last two seasons, and landing him is a great move on paper for OCSC. Mr. Scoops also noted that the team is still finishing up deals to sign Tiago and Luis Otavio.

New Coach for New York

The New York Red Bulls announced on Monday morning that the club has hired Michael Bradley to be its next head coach. Bradley had been the head coach of New York Red Bulls II for the last six months and now takes over the top job from Sandro Schwarz, who departed in October after the Red Bulls missed the playoffs. This will be the 38-year-old Bradley’s first senior head coaching job, although he did spend time with Norwegian side Stabaek as an assistant. The Red Bulls will need to sign a new starting goalkeeper and also have an open Designated Player slot, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Mouting and Emil Forsbeg fill the other two DP positions.

MLS Transfer Roundup

The MLS news doesn’t stop there though, because we have a couple items of MLS transfer business to go over. We begin with Inter Miami, as the Herons have announced the signing of free agent fullback Sergio Reguilon. The Spanish defender joins the team on a deal through 2027 with an option year for 2028. We then move to the Western Conference, where FC Dallas has signed Ran Binyamin from Hapoel Tel Aviv. The 21-year-old is under contract through the 2028-2029 season and has options for the 2029-2030, and 2030-2031 seasons. We then move to the Vancouver Whitecaps, as the MLS Cup runners-up signed defender Nikola Djordjevic from Vancouver Whitecaps 2. The 23-year-old fullback has a deal through the 2026 season, with option years for 2027 and 2028. We finish with the LA Galaxy, which acquired Jakob Glesnes and homegrown priority for Jamir Johnson from the Philadelphia Union. In exchange, the Galaxy sent the Union $1.1 million in guaranteed General Allocation Money with up to another $1.1 million in conditional GAM going to Philly if certain incentives are hit.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of American players taking part in matches during the working week, and domestic cup action is the prevailing theme. Ricardo Pepi, Sergino Dest, and PSV Eindhoven host GVVV Veenedaal in the second round of the KNVB Cup on Tuesday, while Antonee Robinson and Fulham travel to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. Thursday sees Christian Pulisic and AC Milan take on Napoli in the Italian SuperCup semifinals, before things finish on Friday with Gio Reyna, Joe Scally, and Borussia Monchengladbach playing Borussia Dortmund in Bundesliga action.

Free Kicks

  • The installation of new grass has been completed at Inter&Co Stadium.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/15/25

Former Lion Mauricio Pereyra retires, Orlando City assistant coach Fabian Bazan departs the club, Americans abroad, and more.

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2 days ago

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December 15, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you in Florida. I’ve been busy at work as we get close to Christmas and covered some high school bowling and basketball over the past week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Mauricio Pereyra Retires

Orlando City posted on social media over the weekend that former Orlando City captain and midfielder Mauricio Pereyra has retired from professional soccer.

Pereyra spent five seasons with Orlando City after joining the club from FC Krasnodar in 2019, scoring seven goals and adding 29 assists in 136 appearances across all competitions. The 35-year-old recently played for his former club, Nacional, in Uruguay. He also spent time at Lanus, and we here at The Mane Land wish him all the best in his retirement.

Orlando City Assistant Coach Fabian Bazan Departs After Six Seasons

Orlando City and Assistant Coach of Fitness and Performance Fabian Bazan have mutually agreed to part ways after six seasons. Orlando City announced the news Saturday. Bazan joined Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s coaching staff prior to the 2020 season after working with him at previous clubs since 2015. During his tenure, Bazan was part of Orlando City’s coaching staff during its successful run, winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, qualifying for two Concacaf Champions Cup tournaments, and making six consecutive MLS Cup playoff appearances.

Americans Abroad

Plenty of Americans were in action in Europe over the weekend. Christian Pulisic played 73 minutes for AC Milan in a 2-2 draw against Sassuolo, while Weston McKennie played a full 90 minutes as Juventus beat Bologna 1-0. Antonee Robinson made his return to the starting XI for Fulham and played a full 90 minutes as his side defeated Burnley 3-1 on the road. Two Americans squared off in Ligue 1 as Tim Weah and Marseille faced Folarin Balogun and AS Monaco Sunday. Both players played a full 90 minutes as Marseille edged Monaco 1-0. Ricardo Pepi became the first USMNT player to score in four straight appearances in all competitions in the Eredivisie since Aron Johannsson did it in 2013-2014, as PSV Eindhoven defeated Heracles Almelo 4-3. Tyler Adams and AFC Bournemouth will face Manchester United in Premier League action later today.

Free Kicks

  • A biopic film focusing on Orlando Pride forward Marta’s soccer journey is reportedly in development.
  • In local college soccer news, the Rollins College Tars fell 2-0 to Midwestern State in the NCAA Division II men’s soccer national championship. Meanwhile, the Florida Tech Panthers defeated Franklin Pierce 3-0 to win the NCAA Division II women’s soccer national championship over the weekend.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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