Whetting the appetite for a brand new Major League Soccer season, the 2024 MLS SuperDraft took place yesterday with Orlando City SC making four picks overall.
After Oscar Pareja‘s Lions selected Jeorgio Kocevski, Yutaro Tsukada (pictured), Filip Mirkovic, and Riyon Tori, Orlando City UK found out a little more about each individual college talent acquired in the draft. Continue reading
“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
The MLS SuperDraft is the most exciting event in the lives of every young North American college soccer player.
With Rounds 1, 2 and 3 of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft getting underway tomorrow, Orlando City UK took this moment to reflect on how Orlando City SC‘s annual picks have fared since our inaugural 2015 season. Continue reading
A veteran of 88 MLS regular season appearances for Orlando City SC, the Lions today confirmed that defender Antônio Carlos has completed a transfer to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Fluminense back in his native Brazil.
Initially signed on loan at Exploria Stadium back in 2020, the 30-year-old departs Central Florida as a hugely popular player, one whose esteemed centre back partnership with Robin Jansson has been pivotal in our upward trajectory under Oscar Pareja. Continue reading
On loan at Orlando City SC since August 2022, the Lions today announced the permanent signing of Peruvian international midfielder Wilder Cartagena from UAE Pro League club Ittihad Kalba FC.
Signing a two-year deal at Exploria Stadium, one of City’s most important pieces of off-season transfer business is now complete with Cartagena and César Araújo striking up an outstanding central midfield partnership this past year, physically dominating MLS games and helping City to second place in the 2023 Supporters’ Shield as a dynamic double pivot. Continue reading
*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
Today, Orlando City SC officially announced their updated first team roster following the end of the 2023 Major League Soccer campaign.
The first comprehensive evidence as to who is staying, potentially remaining and departing Exploria Stadium before 2024, just two players were named in the ‘option declined’ column. Continue reading
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
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
Reaching the MLS Cup Playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and qualifying for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup too, Orlando City SC have come a long way since our disappointing early years in Major League Soccer.
In a year that saw the Lions win more games than ever before (18) and achieve their highest all-time single-season points tally (63) – finishing a mightily impressive second in the 2023 Supporters’ Shield despite having the lowest salary spend of all – our latest public vote is designed to recognise the standout players in the Lions’ 2023 season. Continue reading
