Max Arfsten

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Vancouver Whitecaps – 11.10.2025

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WIN THIS AND WE SEAL A TOP SEVEN FINISH!! 🤞🏽🙏🏽 For the first time in six MLS seasons, Orlando City SC welcome Vancouver Whitecaps to Inter&Co Stadium this Saturday. And it’s our final home fixture of the 2025 regular season. The sides haven’t met since April 2019, adding extra intrigue to a clash that was originally scheduled for August 30 before being rearranged due to our deep 2025 Leagues Cup run.

It’s a big night in more ways than one. Already locked into the MLS Cup Playoffs for a sixth consecutive year – the longest active streak in the league – the Lions know this is their last game in hand. And it simply has to count in the race for a top four finish. The timing, though, is awkward, with the FIFA international break stripping both sides of key players. Fortunately for us, Pedro Gallese is available after not being called up by Peru.

For Vancouver, this is a gruelling 3,214 mile trip which is around five hours and forty minutes by direct flight. Whitecaps land in Central Florida jubilant, having recently lifted the 2025 Canadian Championship trophy on October 1. With playoff seeding on the line, it’s high stakes as the Lions look to sign off at Inter&Co in style. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Columbus Crew – 04.10.2025

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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 →

STATS PREVIEW: Columbus Crew vs Orlando City SC – 25.07.2025

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After four games without a win, Orlando City SC finally bounced back with a gritty 1-2 road victory at New England Revolution. A much-needed lift for the squad, our social media admin joined in the fun, celebrating not just 3 points at the scene of the Coldplay incident, but an awkwardly-timed fireworks show too! Most importantly, the Lions responded when they needed to, and just in time.

Just before the 2025 Leagues Cup group stage kicks off, we now face our first and only Friday fixture of the regular season – a road trip to high-flying Columbus Crew. With the table tightening and just 9 regular season games remaining after this, there’s no better time to build momentum. So let’s make one last push before the break! With Martín Ojeda in red-hot form, we should visit Ohio with renewed hunger, confidence, and belief. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: FC Dallas vs Orlando City SC – 28.09.2024

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Last Saturday, Orlando City SC suffered a 4-3 defeat at Columbus Crew, ending the Lions’ three-game winning streak in dramatic fashion. Despite a spirited comeback from 3-0 down, individual errors proved costly, causing Oscar Pareja’s men to lose ground in our pursuit of a fifth consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs appearance.

The defeat means Orlando City SC remain on 43 points in a tightly congested Eastern Conference. Goals from Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, and Cucho Hernández put Crew 3-0 up at at Lower.com Field. Then late goals from Ramiro Enrique, Luis Muriel, AZ Jackson, and Muriel (again) saw City fall just short in Ohio.

Now visiting FC Dallas for the first time since September 2020, Orlando City SC will look to bounce back, knowing that a win will officially clinch our spot in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. With City currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, our push for a top four finish is still within reach too, though last weekend’s setback means the pressure is mounting.

As for FC Dallas, they are fighting for a playoff spot themselves in the Western Conference. Coming off a morale-boosting 3-1 victory over Los Angeles FC, who were gearing up for the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, this win marked Toros’ first in their last four MLS fixtures (1-1-2). As such, this game promises to be another stern examination of Orlando City SC’s resilience and adaptability. Right now, every point is vital as we enter the final stretch of the MLS regular season. A strong performance in Frisco could be the catalyst needed to reignite our top four and post-season hopes.

Saturday’s visit to Toyota Stadium will also be a reunion for both Oscar Pareja and Luiz Muzzi. Both are very familiar with the venue after many successful years working together at the Texan club. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Columbus Crew – 25.05.2024

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After substitute Jack Lynn scored very late on to help Orlando City SC secure a precious 0-1 win at San Jose Earthquakes, Oscar Pareja’s Lions now return to Inter&Co Stadium to take on 2023 MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew.

The clubs’ first meeting since Crew painfully eliminated the Lions from the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, Wilfried Nancy’s side are currently placed seventh in the Eastern Conference with 21 points from 13 games played.

The 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup finalists come into this game upbeat after securing two back-to-back 1-3 MLS victories on the road, most recently at traditional rivals Chicago Fire last Saturday.

By the banks of Lake Michigan at Soldier Field, goals from Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, and Jacen Russell-Rowe sealed another away day victory for Crew after their 1-3 win at CF Montréal a game prior. Continue reading →