#HuntingSeason

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Atlanta United – 19.10.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Orlando City SC are primed and ready as we head into 2024 MLS Decision Day! Following our impressive 1-3 victory against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on October 5, the Lions have put themselves in a really strong position to secure a coveted fourth-placed (top four) finish in the Eastern Conference. Prior to the international break, our crucial 1-3 win at FC Cincinnati not only capped off our final away fixture of the regular season but also showcased our remarkable resilience and tactical discipline. Ramiro Enrique was the star of the night, netting a brace to propel him to eight goals in his last 12 MLS appearances, while Iván Angulo added another to underline City’s offensive prowess.

With this victory, Orlando City SC reached 58 goals this 2024 MLS regular season, surpassing our club record (55 in 2023 and 2016) for the most goals in a single season – a testament to the attacking dynamism of this team. Currently sitting on 52 points from 33 matches, the Lions are firmly in control of their destiny, with a golden opportunity to seal that fourth-placed finish against fierce rivals Atlanta United at Inter&Co Stadium. Quite simply, a City victory on 2024 MLS Decision Day will guarantee home field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. After our stellar performance at FC Cincinnati, we’ve extended our remarkable run to 10 wins in 13 MLS matches since July 1, making us Major League Soccer’s most in-form team heading into Gameweek 34 and the post-season.

With New York City FC hot on our heels, just two points behind us, we know that any slip-up could prove fatal. The Pigeons visit CF Montréal on 2024 MLS Decision Day, with the Canadian side also vying to secure their own spot in the Eastern Conference MLS Wild Card match. Since Orlando City SC are now unrecognisable from the team that lost 2-0 at Atlanta United back in March, there would be nothing sweeter than putting an immediate end to The Five Stripes’ slim playoff aspirations. Given the fierce Florida-Georgia rivalry and the added pressure, Orlando City SC must harness the momentum from our recent successes and deliver a standout performance in this high-stakes fixture.

As we prepare for this defining match, the Lions are more than capable of rising to the occasion. With the remarkable attacking talent of Facundo Torres and the continued brilliance of Ramiro Enrique, Orlando City SC are not only aiming for a top four finish but also looking to set the stage for what we hope will be our deepest playoff run yet. All eyes are now on 2024 MLS Decision Day, so let’s make it count. Vamos Orlando! Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: FC Cincinnati vs Orlando City SC – 05.10.2024

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Orlando City SC are simply on fire right now! Extending our strong run of form last night, City secured a vital 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium. This win not only completed a 2024 season sweep over Jim Curtin’s Philadelphia Union, but also marked a milestone for Facundo Torres, who became Orlando City SC’s all-time leading goalscorer (45) across all competitions. Impressively, it was also our fourth consecutive home victory in the MLS regular season, extending our unbeaten run at home to 10 matches (7-3-0) across all competitions. With a top four finish still ours to lose, the Lions remain firmly in the hunt for home field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Following yesterday’s win, Orlando City SC remain fourth in the Eastern Conference with 49 points from 32 games. In fact, no side has won more points (27) in MLS since the beginning of July than the Lions. But with New York City FC and New York Red Bulls just two points behind us, our lead is far from secure as all three teams get set to contest their final two MLS regular season fixtures. NYCFC’s 3-2 win over FC Cincinnati yesterday propelled them to 47 points, while Red Bulls matched that total by thrashing Toronto FC 1-4 at BMO Field. It was a strong way to bounce back from a humiliating 1-5 home defeat to New York City FC last weekend in the Hudson River Derby.

Given how tight the current standings are, this makes every remaining point crucial as Orlando City SC aim to secure a second successive top four seeding in the post-season. With last night’s 3-2 defeat at NYCFC, Saturday’s opponents FC Cincinnati (56 points) missed the chance to overtake Ohio rivals Columbus Crew (57 points), who slipped up with a 2-3 home defeat to Inter Miami. A victory that saw The Herons unfortunately crowned 2024 Supporters’ Shield champions, FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew are currently jockeying for second place. Despite goals from Luciano Acosta and Corey Baird, Pat Noonan’s FC Cincinnati fell short at NYCFC and they’ll be eager to respond against Orlando City SC at a boisterous TQL Stadium.

But under the pressure of securing a top four finish, City’s attack has thrived, with Facundo Torres, Martín Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique making significant contributions since June. Despite Orlando City SC scoring just 17 goals in our first 17 MLS games of 2024, we’ve netted 38 in the last 15, matching 2016 and 2023’s joint club record of 55 goals in a single MLS regular season. With Orlando City SC now set to contest our final away fixture of the regular season, the Lions should be feeling mighty confident, especially given our ability to dominate or grind out results.

Oscar Pareja, the coaching staff, and players deserve massive credit for this tactical versatility and for peaking at the right time, much like we did last season. When you combine regular goalscoring with defensive discipline – as we are right now – this is the winning formula! With our post-season spot already secured, all eyes are on Orlando City SC to maintain our top four position and build momentum for what we hope is our deepest playoff run yet! And who knows, maybe, just maybe lifting the 2024 MLS Cup? Continue reading →

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

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

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 →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Columbus Crew – 25.11.2023

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Impressively only requiring two games, not three, to overcome Nashville SC in the Round One Best-of-3 series in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC are now set to contest their second ever Eastern Conference Semi-Final. Now reverting back to a single elimination format, just two games separate the Lions from 2023 MLS Cup itself, the holy grail fixture that may yet be hosted at Exploria Stadium, barring overall number one seed FC Cincinnati reaching this stage of course.

Now hosting overall number three seed Columbus Crew, qualifying from their own Best-of-3 series after a game three win (4-2) over Atlanta United on November 12, Orlando City SC drew 1-1 and won 4-3 against Wilfried Nancy’s Crew side in the MLS regular season. Considering the Ohio side had to contest a third game in Round One compared to the Lions, City have enjoyed more rest regardless of the recent international break, something that we hope provides us some form of advantage in our biggest MLS game since our Eastern Conference Semi-Final defeat to New England Revolution (1-3) back in November 2020. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 07.11.2023

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After defeating Nashville SC 1-0 in game one of the Round One Best-of-3 series in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC now visit GEODIS Park to take on the Music City side in game two – quite simply the Lions’ biggest game of the season so far.

Recording our first ever playoffs win in regulation time on Monday, the Lions now visit Tennessee with a chance to punch our ticket to the Eastern Conference Semi-Final stage. To progress, Orlando City SC will need to play with the same confidence, maturity, and strong game management they impressively showcased in game one. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Nashville SC – 30.10.2023

/ Taylor Williams / Leave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

After all the thrills and spills of a MLS regular season that saw Orlando City SC 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 – it’s now time for the agony and the ecstasy of the post-season.

City now face the side that finished seventh in the East, Nashville SC, at Exploria Stadium in game one of the newly revamped Round One Best-of-3 series of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. The Lions have crucially secured home field advantage in this round courtesy of our Eastern Conference top four seeding (number two overall in MLS). Continue reading →