Today, we’re celebrating our 10th birthday at Orlando City UK, with our Official International Fan Club of Orlando City SC established a whole decade ago 😮 – time flies!
After back-to-back top-four finishes in 2023 and 2024, this season has been a big step backwards – plain and simple!
A strange season that quickly swung from hope to heartbreak, our loyal UK supporters watched all the action live on Apple TV. 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
Orlando City SC traded Rafael Santos to Colorado Rapids today in exchange for $125,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). The Lions could also receive up to an additional $200,000 in GAM if certain performance-based incentives are met, while retaining a sell-on percentage should Rapids transfer Santos in the future.
Joining from Cruzeiro ahead of the 2023 campaign, Rafael Santos quickly established himself as Orlando City SC’s first choice left back, holding the role for two full seasons. This year, however, he lost his starting spot to David Brekalo, and with the recent arrival of Adrián Marín from Braga, the Brazilian has now been allowed to seek a new challenge.
Overall, Santos made 96 appearances (67 starts) for City across all competitions, scoring twice and providing 10 assists. Renowned for his explosive pace and marauding runs down the left flank, we wish Santos all the very best at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Continue reading
After Ricardo Moreira teased a new arrival with his best Fabrizio Romano impression, Orlando City SC have now officially announced the signing of Adrián Marín from Braga.
The experienced Spanish left back has joined the Lions through 2026, with a club option for 2027, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
After Tyrese Spicer joined last Friday, Marín becomes City’s second new signing of the MLS Secondary Transfer Window. The 28-year-old has been handed the #21 jersey at Inter&Co Stadium – last worn by Júnior Urso in 2023. Continue reading
Battling back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Charlotte FC, there were some positives to take. But also a nagging feeling that we left two points behind. 😤 Yes, we rallied late on – but in a game we largely controlled, a draw doesn’t cut it if we’re serious about breaking into the top four of the Eastern Conference.
Now back at Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando City SC face bottom-of-the-table CF Montréal. And it’s a game we simply have to win! With fifth-placed Inter Miami now one point above us – and holding THREE games in hand – we can’t afford to slip up. Marco Donadel’s side are leaking goals and low on confidence after last weekend’s 1-4 home defeat to The Herons. But with Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson suspended, we’ll have to get the job done without two of our most experienced leaders. Continue reading
Orlando City SC ground out a gutsy 0-1 win at Colorado Rapids last time out, halting a mini slide and reminding the league that we’re not going away. Pedro Gallese was immense between the sticks, while Martín Ojeda’s strike proved the difference in a game that tested every ounce of our resilience.
With a well-earned breather since June 14, the Lions head west again to face St. Louis CITY SC. It’s our first-ever visit to Energizer Park, where over 22,000 fans pack the venue week in, week out. St. Louis currently sit fourteenth in the West, so this is another big opportunity to grab all three points. The race at the top of the East is tight, and we’re right in the mix. So let’s keep that pressure on! Continue reading
Orlando City SC host Portland Timbers this Saturday in our second cross-conference MLS fixture of 2025. While we’ve faced Phil Neville before – going 4-2-1 against his Inter Miami side – this is our first meeting with him as Timbers boss.
Riding high off our stunning 0-3 win at Inter Miami, our momentum just took a big hit! Eliminated from the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last night, losing 2-3 to Nashville SC in the Round of 16, fatigue and tired legs told. With Orlando squeezing NINE fixtures into May, this gruelling month is a real test of our fitness, mentality, and squad depth. Now, we must regroup and dig deep against talented opposition. Continue reading
Back to Inter&Co Stadium we go – but after four 0-0 draws in our last five MLS outings, can someone please find the net? Orlando City SC extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches last weekend, but it was another frustrating stalemate at 10-man Chicago Fire. Thankfully, our I-4 Derby win (0-5) over Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday served as a timely morale booster.
Now, it’s time to turn our resilience into results – but that’s easier said than done. New England Revolution visit Central Florida in red-hot form, riding a four-game winning streak. Moreover, both sides boast stingy defensive records too. City haven’t conceded in 530 minutes, while the Revs are on a 393-minute shutout streak – so something has to give. Let’s just hope it’s not another goalless grind! Continue reading
We couldn’t stop scoring in our first six MLS games – now it’s three without a goal. Football’s a funny old game! Orlando City SC may have extended their unbeaten streak to six matches (2-4-0), but last Saturday’s 0-0 draw at CF Montréal felt just as frustrating as our stalemate against New York Red Bulls. Following our third straight scoreless outing and Rafael Santos’ red card, Oscar Pareja’s Lions return to Inter&Co Stadium to face fierce rivals Atlanta United in a matchup that’s always action-packed.
Still reeling from last Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at 10-man Philadelphia Union – and last season’s Eastern Conference Semi-Final exit at our hands – Atlanta will be out for revenge. But while they’ve spent big – dropping a league-record $22 million on Emmanuel Latte Lath – their results have fallen well short of expectations. With both teams desperate for goals and momentum, another fiery edition of this Florida-Georgia feud awaits. Continue reading
“Painful”. Martín Ojeda’s one-word summary said it all as Orlando City SC suffered their first-ever MLS home opener loss, falling 2-4 to Philadelphia Union last Saturday. A disastrous start to the second-half left the Lions with a mountain to climb, overshadowing Marco Pašalić’s debut brace.
“We made mistakes that don’t belong in this game, at this level” said Oscar Pareja who knows a major improvement is needed to restore fan confidence in the season ahead. Continue reading
