Yesterday, Orlando City SC officially announced their updated first team roster following the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer campaign.
The first comprehensive evidence as to who is staying, potentially remaining and departing Inter&Co Stadium before 2026, four players were named in the ‘option declined’ column. Continue reading
⚠️ Warning: this blog comes with a disclaimer. ⚠️ Before you read any further, be warned – there’s a high probability you might upset yourself again as we delve into Orlando City SC’s 3-1 defeat at Chicago Fire in the 2025 MLS Wild Card match. Maybe, like me, you were already resigned to defeat – a feeling so alien in the Oscar Pareja era. How quickly times have changed! But it’s time for a final word on 2025 – a strange season that promised so much but ultimately delivered so little. When you rely on the same tactics, you often get the same results, and many supporters are now ready to call time on Pareja’s six years in purple.
I didn’t watch the game live – which is unlike me for such a pivotal game – but when I caught the eight-minute MLS highlights this morning, all I saw was wave after wave of Chicago Fire attacks. With last night’s win, Fire sealed their FIRST MLS Cup Playoffs appearance since 2017 – EIGHT years ago! While Alex Freeman, Martín Ojeda, and Marco Pašalić can hold their heads high this year, their individual contributions have sadly counted for nothing.
When the Wilf family completed their takeover in 2021, the aim was trophies. We got one in 2022, of course, but since then, MLS Cup has remained elusive. Moving away from signing international superstars like Kaká and Nani, the club has leaned on a low-risk, high-ceiling transfer strategy – a hallmark of Ricardo Moreira’s approach. Yet with the recent news that Orlando are attempting to lure Richarlison to Central Florida, perhaps it’s time to rethink everything.
Bouncing back will be hard though. When you perform below expectations, your best players become targets. Alex Freeman is almost certain to move on this winter and Borussia Mönchengladbach are “interested” in Marco Pašalić who “would like to return to Europe”. You have to imagine that suitors will come circling for our MVP Martín Ojeda too – heaven forbid!
This blog is our full autopsy of 2025 – so buckle up for a bumpy ride as we put in the final word on a season that quickly swung from hope to heartbreak. Continue reading
THE LIONS ARE LOCKED IN!! 🦁🔒 For the sixth straight season, Orlando City SC have clinched their spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs – and there’s still plenty left to play for! A stoppage time header from Alex Freeman sealed a 1-1 draw at high-flying FC Cincinnati last Sunday – a result that keeps us right in the hunt for a top four finish. With just three games to go, every point is priceless.
Now back at Inter&Co Stadium for our penultimate home fixture of the regular season, the focus shifts to Columbus Crew. Sitting just two points and two places beneath us in ninth, Wilfried Nancy’s men arrive winless in three, reeling from a 2-0 defeat at Chicago Fire. Crucially, we hold a game in hand on almost all of the top six, making Saturday’s clash more than just a playoff preview. It’s a chance to draw closer to the top four and build momentum at just the right time. With nine Eastern teams now locked into the post-season, the only question left is who secures a top four spot and who gets pulled into the Wild Card fight. Continue reading
THE CARDIAC CATS ARE BACK, BABY!! 🫀🦁 And just in the nick of time! Duncan McGuire’s last-gasp winner against Nashville SC wasn’t only massive for him personally. It could prove huge in our push for a top four home playoff spot. When Jacob Shaffelburg made it 2-2 after our hard-earned 2-0 lead, every Lion felt that familiar sinking feeling.
But credit to the boys – and to McGuire – for playing to the whistle, keeping the belief, and snatching what might be a season-defining goal. A trademark poacher’s finish, it was McGuire’s first City strike since May 24, and it keeps our playoff hopes alive heading into the final four games. Next up is a tough trip to TQL Stadium, where Pat Noonan’s FC Cincinnati are pushing hard in the 2025 Supporters’ Shield race. In our third ‘Sunday Night Soccer’ slot of the season, let’s hope we can make it back-to-back wins after busting our five-game winless slump. Continue reading
We’re feeling the pressure, aren’t we? 😬 After a costly 1-1 draw at bottom-placed D.C. United, Orlando City SC return home for a massive showdown with Nashville SC. Winless since advancing past Toluca, the Lions must rediscover their form with the playoffs fast approaching – or at least we hope! Dropping points at Audi Field was criminal, and with only five regular season games left, the margin for error is now razor thin.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer. Orlando currently sit EIGHTH on 48 points but have one game in hand and trail fourth-placed Nashville by just two. A win at Inter&Co Stadium would put us right back in the top four fight. But Nashville have been a nightmare opponent this year, knocking us out of the U.S. Open Cup and hammering us 5-1 only two league games ago. Nothing less than three points will do if we’re serious about chasing a home playoff spot. No more excuses! Continue reading
(Credit: EA Sports FC 26)
Here at Orlando City UK, we’re super excited about the forthcoming launch of EA Sports FC 26 on September 26.
Even better, we’ve now earned the first glimpse of how our beloved Orlando City SC players have been rated in the game. Continue reading
THEY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED, DIDN’T THEY? 🤬😤 Orlando City SC were kicked to the curb in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday. Ultimately, we were robbed of a Leagues Cup Final berth by decisions that only went one way. Just two games ago, we had a chance to reach third place in the East and the 2025 Leagues Cup Final. With both chances missed, we’re now clinging on to salvage at least a 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup spot in the Third Place Match. The game can be cruel and unrelenting, but we need to keep going. As Ricardo Moreira tweeted after our semi-final heartbreak: “Tomorrow is day one again.”
It’s a brutal turnaround, too. Having flown cross-country to Los Angeles on August 20, we’re back in Carson for the third time in 2025. This time not for silverware, but survival of sorts. A third place finish still gets us into continental football, and that has to be the focus. LA Galaxy may be a mess in MLS – rock bottom, with the worst title defence in league history. But don’t think for a second they won’t throw everything at this! Continue reading
WAS I DREAMING? 🤩 A first-half hat-trick by Luis Muriel? 😮 Incredible! Orlando City SC head into Sunday’s Sunshine Clásico against Inter Miami riding high, having qualified for the 2025 Leagues Cup knockout stage with a 5-1 win over Necaxa. By finishing fourth in the MLS table, we’ve now set up a quarter-final with Toluca at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Now back in MLS action, we’re out to protect our unbeaten home record against Miami (3-4-0). A win here would not only give us huge momentum, but secure a famous season sweep. Our legs may be tired from a packed schedule. But hopefully, adrenaline can carry us past the South Florida team we all love to beat! Lionel Messi’s absence gives us a psychological boost – but let’s not pretend this will be easy. Continue reading
Orlando City SC head into their third phase one match of the 2025 Leagues Cup full of confidence. A hard-fought game two win over Atlas (3-1) gave us a much-needed boost and keeps our qualification hopes alive! 💪🏽 But our fate isn’t fully in our hands and we still need favourable results elsewhere.
After eliminating Atlas, we now face Necaxa – a side equally hungry for a win in this tightly contested phase one. With both sides still fighting for a knockout spot, every point and goal carries extra weight. Tensions will be high, but Orlando can count on key players like Robin Jansson and Martín Ojeda, who remain available despite some late fracas against Atlas. This is a must-win, make-or-break match, so get ready for an intense battle! Continue reading
After Tom Bogert broke the transfer story earlier today, Orlando City SC have officially announced the signing of Tyrese Spicer from Toronto FC.
In return, The Reds have received $225,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $275,000 in 2026 GAM. An additional $50,000 in GAM will be sent to Toronto if certain performance-based incentives are met.
The first new signing for City this MLS Secondary Transfer Window, 24-year-old Spicer has been handed the #14 jersey at Inter&Co Stadium – last worn by Nicolás Lodeiro in 2024. Continue reading
