Twenty-five days on from James O’Connor’s dismissal as Orlando City SC head coach, we’re still no closer to discovering who his successor will be – or are we?
Over the past few days, rumours that Oscar Pareja could be next Lions boss have gathered momentum so Orlando City UK took this time to assess the facts.
Who is Oscar Pareja?
Currently coaching Club Tijuana in Liga MX, 51-year-old Colombian Oscar Pareja has six years of full-time head coach experience in Major League Soccer.
Managing Colorado Rapids from 2012/14 before a distinguished spell with FC Dallas between 2014/18, Pareja worked alongside current Orlando City SC Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi during the latter spell.
Working with FC Dallas for a combined 20 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach, Oscar Pareja coached the Texan side to the MLS Supporters’ Shield and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in an impressive 2016 campaign.
Departing Toyota Stadium in November 2018 with an overall record of 97-50-55 across 202 matches in all competitions, Pareja successfully coached FC Dallas to the MLS Cup Playoffs in four of his five seasons in charge in Frisco.
Under Oscar Pareja’s guidance, FC Dallas finished fourth or better in the Western Conference each time they secured post-season qualification.
Also coaching current Orlando City SC players Tesho Akindele and Dillon Powers in the past, the Oscar Pareja rumours are particularly interesting.
What is Oscar Pareja’s current status?
Still under contract with Club Tijuana, Orlando City SC would need to reach an agreement with Los Xolos unless the Mexican side dismiss the Colombian.
With a cutthroat reputation for hiring and firing head coaches on a regular basis, Club Tijuana has swapped manager nine times over the past seven years.
Right now, Oscar Pareja has Club Tijuana placed seventh in Liga MX, three points above the red line with the top eight sides reaching the post-season.
With every Orlando City SC supporter attempting to connect the dots right now, perhaps Liga MX’s current activity and Oscar Pareja’s involvement suggests the delay in the Lions naming James O’Connor’s preferred successor.
Who do Orlando City SC supporters want as next head coach?
According to a recent Orlando City UK poll of 200 Orlando City SC supporters, just 23% of Lions fans want Oscar Pareja as next head coach.
With other rumoured targets Chris Coleman and Santiago Solari receiving 34% and 39% of the vote respectively, the results are surprising considering Pareja’s MLS experience and ability to achieve success with one of the league’s less fashionable sides.
POLL 📊 | Which rumoured Orlando City SC head coach target do you want at Exploria Stadium? 🤔#FaceOfCity #MLSUK
— Orlando City UK (@Orlando_CityUK) October 31, 2019