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STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Nashville SC – 31.08.2024

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After a month without MLS, Orlando City SC’s return to league action was bitterly disappointing with the Lions comprehensively defeated 3-0 at Sporting Kansas City. Now returning home to face Nashville SC at Inter&Co Stadium, the Lions have just eight regular season fixtures remaining to seal a place in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.

At SKC, the Lions had a one-man advantage for the final 23 + 12 minutes, but failed to create any real attacking threat throughout the game, missing a key opportunity to gain points against a low-ranking Western Conference opponent. Poor finishing and defensive lapses allowed Sporting Kansas City to capitalise in one of Orlando City SC’s worst performances of 2024.

As for Saturday’s opponents Nashville SC, they are in free fall having just suffered their seventh consecutive MLS defeat. Beaten 0-2 at home by Austin FC last Saturday, this was B. J. Callaghan’s first MLS game in charge of the Music City side after he took over during the 2024 Leagues Cup. A rare penalty miss by Hany Mukhtar in the first-half paved the way for Jon Gallagher and Osman Bukari to seize all three points at GEODIS Park. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 17.07.2024

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Our Gillette Stadium curse is over! Failing to win any of our previous eight MLS games in Foxborough, Orlando City SC have now finally defeated New England Revolution away after securing a 1-3 comeback victory on Saturday night. Our fourth win in five MLS games and the first time we’ve achieved three consecutive victories since September / October 2023, the Lions appear to be coming good when it matters!

After a lacklustre first-half performance at Revs, whatever Oscar Pareja said at half-time had the desired effect! With Orlando City SC coming out re-energised, refocused, and determined to leave Massachusetts with all three points, we laughed in the face of the artificial turf and hit back three times after entering the break 1-0 down.

Staying on the road, City now visit Tennessee for a Wednesday night showdown with Nashville SC at GEODIS Park. The clubs’ first MLS meeting since the Lions dumped Nashville SC out of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, the Music City side will be out for revenge. That said, Nashville SC are on the slide having lost their last four consecutive MLS fixtures, including a 2-1 defeat at D.C. United on Saturday night.

As for Orlando City SC, we’re not only craving a fourth straight victory. We’re now looking for as much momentum as possible as we look to reel in sixth-placed Charlotte FC while solidifying our place in the automatic qualification spots for the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. Continue reading →

Orlando City SC reject $8 million Red Star Belgrade offer for Facundo Torres

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Today, North American transfer expert Tom Bogert tweeted that Orlando City SC have rejected a bid of around $8 million from Red Star Belgrade for our Designated Player, Facundo Torres.

A story first reported by Adam Leventhal of The Athletic, Bogert tweeted he: “Would assume that’s not close to Orlando’s valuation” with Alonso Contreras tweeting that El Cuervo’s preference is a transfer to either La Liga or the Premier League. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Atlanta United vs Orlando City SC – 17.03.2024

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The MLS schedule makers certainly haven’t made it easy on Orlando City SC with Oscar Pareja‘s Lions now flying north above Interstate 75 to visit rivals Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in only our second away league fixture of 2024.

Embarrassingly humbled 5-0 at fellow rivals Inter Miami in our last MLS away fixture, City supporters are demanding a much more professional, committed, and gutsy performance this time around. But this will be anything but straightforward, not just because of The Five Stripes’ packed 40,000+ home crowd but because of our current state of mind.

City not only lost 2-3 to Minnesota United in MLS last Saturday but also got eliminated from the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup on Tuesday. Defeated 4-2 on aggregate by Tigres UANL in the Round of 16 stage, it’s truly been a miserable start to the year for Orlando City SC, whom much more was expected of, albeit facing a tough and unforgiving schedule to kick off our 2024 campaign. Continue reading →

Duncan McGuire to return to Orlando City SC as Blackburn Rovers loan collapses

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(Credit: Blackburn Rovers)

After an EFL Board meeting today, Duncan McGuire’s six-month loan move to Blackburn Rovers has now officially collapsed due to an ‘administrative error’ by the EFL Championship side. In other words, the move has fallen through because McGuire’s registration paperwork was submitted after England’s January transfer window deadline of 11pm back on Thursday, February 1. On Tuesday, Tom Bogert even went as far to tweet that Rovers only clicked “save” and not “submit paperwork” before the deadline in what is truly a farcical clerical error. Turning 23 on Monday, this has been no way to spend a birthday with McGuire now having to return to Orlando City SC with immediate effect.

This dramatic transfer saga peaked last Wednesday when McGuire took a flight to England, only for Rovers to call Orlando City SC and our striker’s agent to inform us that they were pulling out of a deal. McGuire then remained grounded in England as fellow suitors Sheffield Wednesday re-entered the race, only for Rovers to then remarkably re-enter negotiations themselves, finally announcing Duncan McGuire’s six-month loan arrival on social media at 23:02, minutes after the January transfer window deadline had passed.

Orlando City UK now understands that Blackburn will fly over to the United States over the coming weeks to try to conclude a pre-contract agreement with Orlando City SC, so that Duncan McGuire can officially become a Rovers player in the summer. Continue reading →

2024 MLS SuperDraft preview: Reviewing Orlando City SC’s 31 draft picks since 2015

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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 →

STATS PREVIEW: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 07.11.2023

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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 →

Arsenal plotting January swoop for Orlando City SC star?

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At the start of Orlando City SC‘s off-season, there’s already a huge transfer rumour surfacing. Premier League giants Arsenal have today been linked with a January swoop for Facundo Torres.

The Evening Standard’s Simon Collings claims “the Gunners are due to hold talks with the Uruguayan international’s agent as they target a right winger to provide competition for Bukayo Saka.” Continue reading →

Orlando City SC’s Daryl Dike joins Barnsley. Reaction with The English Lion

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Just hours after Orlando City SC confirmed Daryl Dike’s short-term loan switch to Barnsley, Orlando City UK interviewed Dan Berridge (@TheEnglishLion1) to react to the news.

An Orlando City SC and Nottingham Forest supporter, Dan shared his insights on EFL Championship rivals Barnsley, how Daryl Dike will fit in at Oakwell, and what repercussions this surprise move has for the Lions. Continue reading →

INTERVIEW: Orlando City UK chats to DC United Kingdom

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Establishing Orlando City UK in November 2015, it’s been amazing seeing so many other UK-based MLS accounts appear online ever since.

Doing an amazing job promoting Major League Soccer on British shores, we caught up with James Graham, the founder and creator of D.C. United fan club DC United Kingdom. Continue reading →