WIN THIS AND LOCK IN A TOP SEVEN FINISH!! 🤞🏽🙏🏽 Orlando City SC travel to Toronto FC this Saturday, desperate to bounce back after last weekend’s 1-2 collapse to Vancouver Whitecaps. Leading for most of the game, we capitulated badly after the 81st minute. Don’t get me wrong – facing Vancouver without four first-team internationals was always going to be tough. That bloody 2025 Leagues Cup run continues to haunt us, doesn’t it? But it’s no excuse. There’s parking the bus, and then there’s just giving up altogether! I love what Oscar Pareja has done for our club. But his bunker-and-counter approach AT HOME feels outdated, momentum is gone, and the season already feels over. Worst of all, the threat of the Wild Card match looms large.
Ultimately, it’s been a strange season, hasn’t it? We’ve hit high points, including a league double over Inter Miami, beating Crew 1-3 away, and snatching a late 3-2 win over Nashville SC. But injuries to Joran Gerbet and Robin Jansson, a leaky defence, and stale tactics have left us limping to the finish. We look far from MLS Cup contenders despite compiling arguably our strongest roster ever.
It’s now or never for this group too – especially Pedro Gallese, Robin Jansson, and Kyle Smith. Then there’s César Araújo, Luis Muriel, the in-demand Alex Freeman, and maybe even Oscar Pareja too. Let’s just hope we haven’t seen the last of Jansson at Inter&Co after his nasty collision with Vancouver’s Daniel Ríos. Returning internationals will need to inspire at BMO Field, and the Lions must knuckle down to take all three points. With a top seven finish on the line – and Wild Card danger looming – this clash against Toronto FC is huge. Lose, and we may limp into the play-in game, reinforcing the idea that Papi can only deliver playoff soccer but never an MLS Cup. After exiting the U.S. Open Cup early, missing out on a 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup spot, and now facing potential Wild Card jeopardy, 2025 has become a frustrating season for Orlando supporters. Honestly, even the most optimistic Lion would be deflated about our MLS Cup chances. It could be a winter of discontent in Central Florida, so the players must dig deep and create some momentum to salvage the campaign. Continue reading