Twitter reacts to… Orlando City SC’s Duncan McGuire joining Blackburn Rovers on loan

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With England’s January transfer window deadline having just closed at 11pm (GMT), Orlando City SC have now announced that Duncan McGuire has joined EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers on a six-month loan. With Tom Bogert confirming that the loan fee is worth $700,000 with a purchase option of around $7 million, plus $2.5 million in add-ons, McGuire’s move across the pond comes after he reportedly rejected a contract extension in Central Florida. This alone is merely half the story however!

A high drama situation that has been unravelling all week, Blackburn looked all set to wrap up the deal yesterday. However, despite McGuire flying to England on Wednesday to seal his transfer to Ewood Park, Rovers then pulled out of a rumoured $4 million deal for the recently capped USMNT striker at the eleventh hour due to ‘financial reasons’. This not only left McGuire – on his transatlantic flight at the time – in limbo but also the Orlando City SC Front Office and City supporters who all faced an unprecedented transfer saga, or should we say soap opera, that has truly had supporters, journalists, and pundits transfixed since last weekend. News of the Blackburn deal collapsing then alerted McGuire’s other suitors Sheffield Wednesday with the striker spotted at Kenwood Park Hotel in Sheffield this morning.

Are you still following? From here, after cheekily attempting to hijack Orlando City SC’s move for David Brekalo, Blackburn remarkably re-entered negotiations for Duncan McGuire, and at 4:15pm this afternoon, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano put everybody out of their misery by tweeting that McGuire was “on his way to Blackburn to sign on loan with an option to buy clause.”

A saga that has had more twists and turns than the VelociCoaster at Universal Islands of Adventure, it’s been one of the craziest weeks in Orlando City SC‘s MLS history. With Duncan McGuire joining Rovers on loan until July, City must now wait to cash in on the 22-year-old with the start of our 2024 campaign looming large. A shock for some and an inevitability for others, City have now been forced back into the transfer market to find a starting centre forward replacement for the recently capped USMNT striker with Colombian international Luis Muriel looking the most likely candidate as we speak. Continue reading

Twitter reacts to Facundo Torres’ new Orlando City SC contract through 2026

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Initially signed on a four-year contract from Peñarol back in January 2022, our Designated Player Facundo Torres has now signed a new contract through 2026 with club options in 2027 and 2028, keeping El Cuervo at Inter&Co Stadium for now and boosting his transfer value simultaneously.

The jewel in the crown of Orlando City SC, Uruguay international Torres is undoubtedly City’s most talented player and the creative fulcrum of our attack. Since arriving in Central Florida, the 23-year-old has impressively scored 27 goals across all competitions for the Lions and registered 14 MLS regular season assists, not to mention playing a pivotal role in helping City win the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, scoring a brace in the final against Sacramento Republic back in September 2022. Continue reading

Twitter reacts to… Oscar Pareja’s new Orlando City SC contract through 2025

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“It’s done” as Frodo Baggins famously said in the Lord of the Rings! After guiding Orlando City SC to the MLS Cup Playoffs for four consecutive seasons, the hugely popular Oscar Pareja has now signed a new two-year deal, keeping our winningest head coach in club history at Exploria Stadium until at least the end of 2025.

During his four-year tenure in Central Florida, the 55-year-old Colombian has successfully turned around the Lions’ losing culture in Major League Soccer, so much so that City broke their own regular season records this year to finish runners-up to FC Cincinnati in the 2023 Supporters’ Shield despite having the lowest salary spend of all – a hugely impressive feat.

So far, the man affectionately known as Papi has built a genuine brotherhood in the City locker room, one that yielded silverware last year when Orlando City SC defeated Sacramento Republic 3-0 to win the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at Exploria Stadium – our first major title as an MLS club. Continue reading

5 things you need to know about our 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup opponents Cavalry FC

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*Article updated on December 15 after the Round One (first leg) venue change

Yesterday, Orlando City SC were drawn against Canadian opponents Cavalry FC in the two-legged Round One stage of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as the CONCACAF Champions League.

With City participating in the competition for the second successive season, Oscar Pareja‘s side are joining North America’s elite by virtue of being the next-best club in the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield behind winners FC Cincinnati. Continue reading

Twitter reacts to… Mauricio Pereyra’s Orlando City SC contract termination

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A veteran of 114 MLS regular season appearances for Orlando City SC, the Lions today confirmed that midfielder and club captain Mauricio Pereyra has mutually agreed to terminate his contract, ending his four-and-a-half year stay at Exploria Stadium.

Signed from FC Krasnodar as a Designated Player midway through the 2019 season, El Maestro departs Central Florida as a hugely popular player and captain, one who led the Lions to their first major title as an MLS club – the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Continue reading

Winners revealed in Orlando City UK’s 2023 end-of-season awards

This past week, we asked the Orlando City SC Twittersphere to select their Orlando City SC Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year for 2023 as part of our annual Orlando City UK end-of-season awards.

A public vote designed to recognise the standout Orlando City SC players in our highly impressive, yet agonisingly unfruitful 2023 campaign, we can now proudly reveal the winners as voted by you! Continue reading

Twitter reacts to… Orlando City SC’s crushing 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs defeat to Columbus Crew

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Warning; this blog comes with a disclaimer. Before you read any further, we’d like to warn you that there is a high probability that you risk upsetting yourself all over again as we delve deep into Orlando City SC‘s crushing 0-2 home defeat to Columbus Crew last night in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final stage of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.

With #HuntingSeason now officially over, our crushing defeat stings on so many levels and not just for the simple fact that we had Crew’s number during the regular season, yet fell to the Ohio side in the post-season when it truly mattered most. Continue reading

Orlando City UK celebrates our eighth birthday: 2023 round-up

Today, we’re celebrating our eighth birthday here at Orlando City UK with our Official International Fan Club of Orlando City SC established eight years ago.

A season on from our victorious 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, Oscar Pareja has Orlando City SC in their second ever Eastern Conference Semi-Final with our loyal UK supporters watching every kick live on Apple TV this side of the Atlantic. Continue reading

STATS PREVIEW: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 04.10.2023

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After defeating CF Montréal 3-0 in a professional, impressive, and dominant performance, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now visit GEODIS Park for the very first time to face Nashville SC in our penultimate away fixture of the 2023 MLS regular season.

With City having just set a club record for our most ever Major League Soccer regular season victories (15) and points (54), everything seems to be clicking for the Lions right now. Preparing for the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs the best way possible, we’re not only hitting our stride with consistent performances but positive results to match. Continue reading

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs CF Montréal – 30.09.2023

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Rescuing a one-goal deficit to draw 1-1 with Florida rivals Inter Miami, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now face CF Montréal in our penultimate home fixture of the 2023 MLS regular season.

In a passionate Sunshine Clásico full of aggression and needle, a scrappy derby had flashes of promise but ultimately ended even. Admittedly a fair result on the balance of play, the Lions were very wasteful in front of goal despite Duncan McGuire‘s 66th minute equaliser – a goal that ensured Inter Miami have still never won at Exploria Stadium. Continue reading