Alex Freeman

STATS PREVIEW: Atlanta United vs Orlando City SC – 28.05.2025

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Portland Timbers? Successfully chopped down! 🌲🪓🪵 Grinding out an important 1-0 win over Phil Neville’s side on Saturday, Duncan McGuire’s first goal of 2025 proved the difference. Now, the Lions fly north above Interstate 75 to face Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite just two wins in nine visits, Orlando City SC will head to Georgia full of belief, eager to take down our bitter rivals after matching our longest-ever MLS unbeaten streak (12 games).

Atlanta United’s 4-2 win over FC Cincinnati gives them hope. But if we bring our A-game in the A, we’re the better side. The biggest compliment Orlando can be paid right now? We’ve shown we can win in different ways! Our last two league matches prove it – a dominant 0-3 derby win in Fort Lauderdale, followed by a gritty home victory over a Portland side that had lost just once in 11 MLS games. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Portland Timbers – 24.05.2025

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Orlando City SC host Portland Timbers this Saturday in our second cross-conference MLS fixture of 2025. While we’ve faced Phil Neville before – going 4-2-1 against his Inter Miami side – this is our first meeting with him as Timbers boss.

Riding high off our stunning 0-3 win at Inter Miami, our momentum just took a big hit! Eliminated from the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last night, losing 2-3 to Nashville SC in the Round of 16, fatigue and tired legs told. With Orlando squeezing NINE fixtures into May, this gruelling month is a real test of our fitness, mentality, and squad depth. Now, we must regroup and dig deep against talented opposition. Continue reading →

Twitter reacts to… Zakaria Taifi signing a first team contract with Orlando City SC

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After progressing through our development pathway, Academy and Orlando City B product Zakaria Taifi has today signed a first team contract with Orlando City SC.

The 19-year-old defender has penned a deal through 2026, with club options for 2027, 2028, and 2029. Born and raised in Orlando, the American defender of Moroccan heritage is the latest in a long line of players to rise through the ranks at Orlando City SC.

A standout in MLS NEXT Pro, Taifi not only becomes our latest Homegrown Player. He’s also our eighth first team signing this year after Colin Guske, Nicolás Rodríguez, Carlos Mercado, Marco Pašalić, Eduard Atuesta, Joran Gerbet, and Gustavo Caraballo. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Chicago Fire vs Orlando City SC – 03.05.2025

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Orlando, we’re coming to c̶o̶n̶q̶u̶e̶r̶ roll over! 😜 After a tough few weeks, Orlando City SC returned to winning ways with a commanding 3-0 derby victory over Atlanta United at Inter&Co Stadium. Piling the pressure on Ronny Deila, the result extended the Lions’ unbeaten run to seven games and restored some much-needed momentum heading into a busy stretch. Now, Oscar Pareja’s side will look to climb the Eastern Conference standings against Chicago Fire, who were just thumped 7-2 at Nashville SC. It was an embarrassing loss for Gregg Berhalter against his former USMNT assistant, B.J. Callaghan.

With confidence growing and key players finding form, City will now look to build on their fourth consecutive clean sheet. Another positive result on the road would keep the pressure on the teams above and further underline the Lions’ growing belief as the campaign hits its stride. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: LA Galaxy vs Orlando City SC – 29.03.2025

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Are you not entertained? Recency bias aside, I think we just witnessed one of Orlando City SC’s most complete MLS performances, dismantling an unbeaten D.C. United side (1-3-0) with a dominant 4-1 victory at Inter&Co Stadium. On Javier Otero’s first MLS career start, the Lions were ruthless in attack, with Luis Muriel, Martín Ojeda, and Marco Pašalić continuing their fine form. For the first time in club history, all three of our Designated Players scored in the same game – making Facundo Torres’ absence feel surprisingly manageable. What is this sorcery? Am I dreaming?

Having scored the most goals (13), yet conceded the second-most goals (11) across MLS this season, City now head cross-country to face defending MLS champions LA Galaxy in Carson, California. This is a matchup that could have been the 2024 MLS Cup Final! But Greg Vanney’s side are experiencing a shocking title defence. Galaxy are winless (0-2-3) this season, holding the worst-ever record for a defending MLS champion through five games. Most recently, they salvaged a late 2-2 draw at Minnesota United, but the Lions will be looking to capitalise on their shaky form. Continue reading →

Orlando City UK member Josh Keeble’s experience as Orlando City SC fall 2-1 at New York City FC

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Follow City Away!
By Orlando City UK member, Josh Keeble

On Saturday, March 8, I travelled Stateside to watch Orlando City SC suffer another Yankee Stadium defeat against New York City FC. The result did little to ease concerns about another slow start to the Major League Soccer season.

A fine counter-attack involving Alex Freeman, Marco Pašalić, and goalscorer Luis Muriel was ultimately overshadowed by goals from Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf. Both New York City FC strikes were aided by some questionable goalkeeping from Pedro Gallese. Still, those who follow the Lions know that away days aren’t really about the result – they’re about having a great time. And what better place than the Big Apple? Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: New York City FC vs Orlando City SC – 08.03.2025

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The sun always shines after the storm, right? Orlando City SC flipped the script last Saturday, securing their first MLS win of 2025 with a commanding 4-2 victory over Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium. After falling by the same scoreline a week prior, the Lions got that monkey off their back at the second time of asking, proving that a week is a long time in soccer!

Now, City hit the road for the first time this MLS regular season, facing New York City FC at Yankee Stadium – a tough test that kicks off a stretch of four away games in our next five. This game is NYCFC’s 2025 MLS home opener, but The Pigeons come into it scarred after losing 1-0 at Los Angeles FC on Matchday 2. Continue reading →

Twitter reacts to… Houston Dynamo acquiring Nicolás Lodeiro and Michael Halliday from Orlando City SC

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Earlier today, Orlando City SC traded Michael Halliday to Houston Dynamo and mutually terminated Nicolás Lodeiro’s contract, clearing the way for him to join Dynamo as well. In news first exclusively revealed by Tom Bogert yesterday, the Lions exercised a buyout option to free Lodeiro’s corresponding salary from their budget space. In the end, Dynamo only paid slightly above league minimum salary. As for Halliday, City traded the 22-year-old to Dynamo in exchange for a natural first round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.

Orlando City SC’s eighth all-time Homegrown Player, Michael Halliday, moves on after making 36 MLS appearances for the Lions since signing a first team contract in July 2020. Hailing from Apopka, and successfully graduating through both our academy and Orlando City B, Halliday made his senior debut in a 2-1 defeat at New York Red Bulls back on May 29, 2021. With Alex Freeman having surpassed him in the depth chart and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson being our starting right back, Halliday now embarks on a fresh start in Texas.

Meanwhile, Nicolás Lodeiro departs Orlando City SC after just one season in Central Florida. City signed Lodeiro in January 2024 as a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) player, expecting him to play a key role. However, under Oscar Pareja, the two-time MLS Cup champion found himself used more as a depth option rather than a guaranteed starter. Still having made 34 MLS appearances for the Lions last season, Lodeiro won Orlando City UK’s 2024 ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award. Beating out competition from David Brekalo and Luis Muriel, he now moves on to play in the Western Conference again. Continue reading →

Orlando City SC announce 19 players on 2024 MLS Expansion Draft protected list

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When new clubs join Major League Soccer, the league requests that existing clubs release protected player lists at the end of each campaign, and Orlando City SC did just that today.

With the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft taking place tomorrow (December 11), new boys San Diego FC start construction of their inaugural 2025 roster, but the Southern California franchise will not be able to sign these 19 Lions. Continue reading →

Twitter reacts to… Orlando City SC’s 2024 end-of-season roster update

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Earlier today, Orlando City SC officially announced their updated first team roster following the end of the 2024 Major League Soccer campaign.

The first comprehensive evidence as to who is staying, potentially remaining and departing Inter&Co Stadium before 2025, five players were named in the ‘option declined’ column. Continue reading →