César Araújo

STATS PREVIEW: D.C. United vs Orlando City SC – 13.04.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After lots of bye week deliberation time following our 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls on March 30, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now visit the nation’s capital to take on D.C. United at Audi Field in our third away fixture of the 2024 MLS regular season.

Currently eighth in the Eastern Conference on 10 points, Troy Lesesne’s D.C. United come into this game somewhat disappointed after a late Aidan Morris equaliser (1-1) prevented them from a noteworthy victory at Columbus Crew last Saturday. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs New York Red Bulls – 30.03.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Finally sealing our first MLS win of the season with a deserved 2-0 victory against Austin FC, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now contest a second successive home game at Inter&Co Stadium, this time against New York Red Bulls.

Currently third in the Eastern Conference on 10 points, Sandro Schwarz’s Red Bulls come into this game extremely confident after annihilating a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami 4-0 at Red Bull Arena last weekend. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Austin FC – 23.03.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After losing 2-0 at fierce rivals Atlanta United, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now return to Central Florida to welcome Austin FC to Inter&Co Stadium for the very first time in MLS.

Down in the dumps right now, the Lions are winless in four MLS games, scoreless in three, and currently second bottom in the Eastern Conference in what has truly been a nightmare start to 2024. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Atlanta United vs Orlando City SC – 17.03.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

The MLS schedule makers certainly haven’t made it easy on Orlando City SC with Oscar Pareja‘s Lions now flying north above Interstate 75 to visit rivals Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in only our second away league fixture of 2024.

Embarrassingly humbled 5-0 at fellow rivals Inter Miami in our last MLS away fixture, City supporters are demanding a much more professional, committed, and gutsy performance this time around. But this will be anything but straightforward, not just because of The Five Stripes’ packed 40,000+ home crowd but because of our current state of mind.

City not only lost 2-3 to Minnesota United in MLS last Saturday but also got eliminated from the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup on Tuesday. Defeated 4-2 on aggregate by Tigres UANL in the Round of 16 stage, it’s truly been a miserable start to the year for Orlando City SC, whom much more was expected of, albeit facing a tough and unforgiving schedule to kick off our 2024 campaign. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Tigres UANL vs Orlando City SC – 12.03.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Last Tuesday, Orlando City SC and Tigres UANL battled to a respectable 0-0 draw in leg one of our 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 tie. Now contesting the crucial second leg at Estadio Universitario, otherwise known as El Volcán, the Lions are coming off a gutting stoppage time 2-3 home defeat to Minnesota United in MLS on Saturday.

Oscar Pareja‘s side remains very much alive in this tie because the CONCACAF Champions Cup still uses the away goals rule as the first tiebreaker. In last year’s Round of 16 matchup, Tigres UANL narrowly clinched their progression to the quarter-finals thanks to an away goal scored at Inter&Co Stadium in an evenly-matched two-legged tie that finished 1-1 on aggregate. This time around, Orlando City SC head to Monterrey knowing that for every goal they score, it counts as double, giving their Mexican hosts a mountain to climb in order to progress. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Minnesota United – 09.03.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Suffering the embarrassment of a 5-0 defeat to Florida rivals Inter Miami last Saturday, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC return to Inter&Co Stadium to face Minnesota United in their first cross-conference fixture of 2024. Currently on just one point after two MLS games, the Lions are desperate to register not only their first league victory of the year but their first goal too.

This home game against Minnesota United is also the Lions’ 10 Year Anniversary Match, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Orlando City SC‘s first match in Major League Soccer. Instead of our home purple, City will suit up in The Legacy Kit to honour the occasion.

At this embryonic stage of 2024, we’ve had to juggle MLS exploits with our participation in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup – something that has posed many MLS sides difficulties in the past. On Tuesday night, Orlando City SC drew 0-0 with Mexican giants Tigres UANL in the first leg of our Round of 16 tie with the crucial second leg taking place next Tuesday. Continue reading →

Twitter reacts to… Orlando City SC signing 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Jeorgio Kocevski

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After selecting him as the 21st overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft back on December 19, Orlando City SC have today announced that midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski has been signed to a first team contract at Inter&Co Stadium.

Part way through Round 1 of the draft, the Lions traded $50,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money and $75,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money to Colorado Rapids in exchange for the 21st overall pick. Clearly hoping to get their hands on Kocevski, it all turned out as planned for the Orlando City SC Front Office. After all, the 21-year-old is now officially a Lion and hoping to emulate the success of former draft picks Cyle Larin, Daryl Dike, and Duncan McGuire before him. Continue reading →

Who is Orlando City SC transfer target Alan Saldivia?

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After hitting a stumbling block in pursuit of our top defensive transfer target David Brekalo, Orlando City SC now appear to have cast their net wider in the search for Antônio Carlos‘ replacement at centre back.

In a translated version of an article by Jorge Romero in En Cancha today, the Chilean source claims that Orlando City SC are the Major League Soccer team “that has made enquiries about” Colo-Colo defender Alan Saldivia “both in its representation agency and in the club.” Continue reading →

Twitter reacts to… Orlando City SC’s Gastón González joining Nacional on loan

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After Monday rumours of Martín Ojeda joining Boca Juniors, another transfer has now been made official with Orlando City SC’s Gastón González joining Uruguayan giants Nacional on a one-year loan with an option to buy.

Quickly reuniting with Mauricio Pereyra who re-joined Nacional back in December, González has failed to hit the ground running at Inter&Co Stadium. Limited to a bit-part role under Oscar Pareja, the 22-year-old has only made seven Major League Soccer starts and tallied just 712 minutes following his May 2022 arrival from Unión de Santa Fe and subsequent spell on the sidelines with a long-term cruciate ligament injury. Continue reading →

Orlando City SC finalising deal to sign MLS veteran Nicolás Lodeiro

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

North American transfer expert Tom Bogert tweeted today that Orlando City SC are finalising a deal to sign two-time MLS Cup winning attacking midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro after he departed Seattle Sounders on December 12.

After Mauricio Pereyra mutually terminated his contract with City on December 6 before re-joining Nacional shortly after, experienced fellow Uruguayan Lodeiro now adequately fills the void left by Pereyra who spent four-and-a-half years at Inter&Co Stadium. Continue reading →