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Midfielder Cesar Araujo Announces Departure from Orlando City

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1 month ago

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Image of Cesar Araujo signifying the club earned three points against the Philadelphia Union in May of 2024.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The long-rumored and long-reported departure of Orlando City central midfielder Cesar Araujo is officially here. The Uruguayan announced his departure late Friday afternoon on Instagram after finishing the season out of contract — a fact that in itself didn’t prove he was leaving but made it likely.

Screen shot of Cesar Araujo's goodbye message on Instagram.

The translation of Araujo’s message into English (per Google Translate) is as follows:

Dear Orlando,

After these four wonderful years, our paths diverge today. I arrived in this beautiful city and at this club at 20 years old, with many dreams and a huge challenge ahead: taking my first professional step away from my beloved Wanderers.

From the first day I arrived, my teammates, technical staff, club personnel and the fans made me feel like one of them.

I enjoyed every game and every training session like no other, and I always gave my all. I was able to become a champion, an achievement I will remember forever and carry in my heart. My wife and I had the joy of our daughter Isabella being born here. It will be an eternal memory of this beautiful city.

Today I must say goodbye to face new challenges in my sports career.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lions.

Cesar Araujo

Araujo signed with Orlando City as an MLS U22 Initative player on Jan. 7, 2022, as the club’s first player to occupy a slot in that league development mechanism and spent four outstanding seasons as the Lions’ primary midfield stopper. He became a starter in the midfield almost immediately, prompting the departure of former starter Sebas Mendez, who transferred to LAFC in July of that season. Araujo’s initial deal was through 2024 with a 2025 option year, and he moved off his MLS U22 Initiative slot in 2024. His 2025 option year was triggered automatically through performance metrics during the 2024 season.

During his four seasons in Orlando, Araujo solidified the Lions’ midfield, with a gift for putting opposing attackers in his pocket, giving coverage to the back line, drawing tons of fouls to win free kicks and relieve pressure, and racking up yellow cards like they were collectors’ items. That is, after all, the hallmark of a good, physical central midfielder.

This season, Araujo played his fewest games and minutes since joining the club due to injuries — most notably a back issue late in the year. He appeared in just 22 matches (20 starts) after reaching or surpassing 30 (and at least 28 starts) in each of the previous three years for a total of 1,801 minutes — his lowest season total in Orlando by more than 600 minutes. However, he ironically had his best offensive season as a Lion, scoring a career-high two goals and adding three assists. His five goal contributions matched his 2023 total (one goal, four assists), but all of his 2025 assists were primary assists, while his four 2023 assists were split evenly between two primary and two secondary helpers.

Araujo departs having appeared in 115 regular-season matches (106 starts), having scored four goals in MLS play and adding nine assists in 9,330 minutes played. His passing was excellent, as he connected on 89.8% of his attempts over his four seasons in Major League Soccer with 64 key passes, and he put 17 of his 82 shots on target. He committed 167 fouls, but drew 298 on the competition, and was shown 33 yellow cards and two red cards in his time with the Lions during the regular season. Defensively, Araujo racked up 233 tackles, 92 interceptions, 100 clearances, and 29 blocks.

In the playoffs, Araujo started all 10 of Orlando City’s postseason games over the past four seasons, playing 910 of 930 available minutes. The midfielder did not contribute a playoff goal, but he provided two postseason assists. He didn’t put any of his nine playoff shots on target. Araujo completed 90.1% of his postseason passes and created chances with five key passes. On the defensive end, the midfielder compiled 16 tackles, one interception, 10 clearances, and three blocks. He picked up 10 fouls, drew 19 on his opponents, and earned three yellow cards in the playoffs.

Araujo was instrumental in helping the Lions win the 2022 U.S. Open Cup championship — the “becoming a champion” he referenced in his goodbye post — by scoring his first two goals as a Lion in a 5-1 semifinal rout of the New York Red Bulls on July 27, 2022. In all, Araujo appeared in nine games (eight starts) in the competition, playing 688 minutes. He scored two goals but did not register an assist, attempting four shots and putting two on frame. He passed at an 88% success rate with four key passes in the midseason tournament. On the defensive side, some of the stats tracked are a bit spotty, but Araujo recorded six tackles and nine interceptions. He committed 13 fouls while drawing 25 on his opponents and earned three yellow cards.

The Uruguayan’s career in Orlando was not coincidentally linked to the club’s first appearances in the Concacaf Champions League/Cup, as the Lions’ midfield play was instrumental in helping Orlando City qualify. Araujo helped the Lions qualify for the tournament in 2023 and 2024 and appeared in five of the club’s six matches during those seasons, starting five and playing 389 minutes without a goal contribution. Araujo attempted seven shots, putting just one on target and adding two key passes. He was booked twice but was not sent off.

Finally, in Leagues Cup play, Araujo started all 12 of Orlando City’s matches in the competition over the past three seasons, compiling 1,080 minutes. He scored one goal and added an assist, putting three of his eight shots on target, although he failed to score on his penalty attempt in the shootout loss to Pumas in 2025. Araujo completed his passes at just under 90% and recorded 12 key passes in the international competition, helping the Lions finish fourth in 2025 — the team’s deepest run in the tournament to date. Defensively, the Uruguayan logged 10 tackles, 10 interceptions, five clearances, and four blocks, committing 11 fouls, drawing 31 on his opponents, and earning two yellow cards.

The writing was on the wall for Araujo’s departure as instead of rumblings of a new contract during the 2025 season, there were reports that he was close to an exit in the summer transfer window. That never materialized, but the more time that went by without a new contract being announced, the more likely it became that the Uruguayan would seek to maximize his options by leaving on a free this off-season.

What It Means for Orlando City

It will not be easy to replace Araujo, who formed one of the best central midfield partnerships in Major League Soccer with Wilder Cartagena prior to the Peruvian’s season-ending Achilles injury just before the 2025 season. The Lions re-signed Cartagena through 2026 with an option for 2027 earlier this week, but it remains to be seen how the 31-year-old will return from a serious injury. Cartagena would pair with Eduard Atuesta in Orlando City’s central midfield double pivot if he can regain his form, but Atuesta isn’t as physical at the No. 8 and isn’t a like-for-like for Araujo, who could swap the No. 6 and No. 8 spots with Cartagena at will without any notable difference in performance.

Behind those two is Homegrown Colin Guske and 2025 MLS SuperDraft selection Joran Gerbet, who saw his rookie season cut short late in the year with a major knee injury. Gerbet’s return will take awhile, so it seems logical for the Lions to invest in some insurance at the position, given the questions about Cartagena and Gerbet and Guske’s inexperience.

Meanwhile, Araujo, 24, leaves the club coming off his most difficult season with the Lions but just entering the prime of his career. He’ll help his new team wherever he goes, and leaving on a free gives him the option of finding the best landing spot for he and his family. Orlando City fans will miss his steady play in the middle and hope that Ricardo Moreira can shore up that roster position. While a Cartagena-Atuesta pairing is intriguing, there would be risk entering 2026 with that as the primary plan, despite having Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (more akin to a replacement for Atuesta than Araujo) under contract. If re-signed, Kyle Smith can help provide depth at the No. 6 spot (and everywhere else, as usual), but he doesn’t have Araujo’s mobility or bite.

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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.

Published

7 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.

Published

17 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.

Published

2 days ago

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December 15, 2025

By

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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