 | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Lions[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2010; 15 years ago (2010) | ||
| Stadium | |||
| Owner | Zygi,Leonard andMark Wilf | ||
| Head coach | Óscar Pareja | ||
| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2024 |
| ||
| Website | orlandocitysc.com | ||
 Current season | |||
Orlando City Soccer Club is an American professionalsoccer club based inOrlando, Florida. The club competes inMajor League Soccer (MLS) as a member of theEastern Conference. Owned byZygi,Leonard, andMark Wilf, it is the sister club of theNational Women's Soccer League'sOrlando Pride andMLS Next Pro'sOrlando City B. The team plays its home games indowntown Orlando atInter&Co Stadium, which is owned and operated by the club.
Originally aUnited Soccer League (USL) club, Orlando City was founded in 2008 byStoke City F.C. board member Phil Rawlins asAustin Aztex FC. Amid theUSL–NASL infighting in 2010, Rawlins bought thefranchise rights of an Orlando-based club that failed to field a team into the USL, and moved the Aztex to Orlando, becoming Orlando City SC. The team played as a charter member of theUSL Pro, winning three Commissioner's Cups and twoleague championships in its first four seasons. The victories led to asuccessful bid to enter MLS, the highest level of theUnited States soccer league system, debuting in its2015 season alongsideNew York City FC, and selling their USL franchise rights toLouisville City FC. Since its purchase by the Wilf family in 2021, the club has qualified twice for theConcacaf Champions Cup, and won theU.S. Open Cup in2022.
Austin Aztex FC was founded byStoke City board member Phil Rawlins in 2008, and played two seasons in the USL First Division.[2] Austin and Stoke had a formal partnership which included sharing training information and players, with Austin acting as a potential player resource for Stoke.[3][4] Immediately after announcing their intention to join the First Division, the Aztex purchased the 2008Premier Developmental League (PDL) expansion side Austin Stampede, and rebranded it asAustin Aztex U23.[2][5] The Aztex began their inaugural season as a professional team by playing 4 MLS teams in preseason exhibition matches. The first three games were held in Austin atNelson Field while the fourth MLS match was inRio Tinto Stadium on the MLS opening weekend. A fifth exhibition match was scheduled against the CONCACAF semi-finalistPuerto Rico Islanders[6] in between their home and away series againstCruz Azul.
On August 8, 2008, the Aztex announced the 2008 PDL Goalkeeper of the Year and former Austin Aztex U23 player,Miguel Gallardo, as their first professional signing for the 2009 season. Gallardo was signed with the team through 2011.[7] Amid the breakaway of several clubs to form theNorth American Soccer League (NASL) and the subsequent legal war between the two leagues that followed, the club played its 2010 season in the mediatoryUSSF Division 2 Professional League. On May 19, 2010, Austin played theTampa Bay Rowdies in front of 6,051 fans, their largest home crowd in franchise history.[8]
Following the conclusion of the 2010 season, Rawlins bought the USLfranchise rights of Orlando Pro Soccer – an stillbirth club affiliated with theOrlando Titans of theNational Lacrosse League that failed to field a team, despiteSteve Donner leaving the Titans to focus his efforts on the soccer team. Rawlins subsequently moved the Aztex to Orlando,[9][10] bringing with him the Aztex's manager and most of its roster, and unveiled its rebranding asOrlando City SC in an October 2010 press conference. Rawlins stated at the press conference that he intends to bring aMajor League Soccer franchise to Orlando "within 3–5 years", and intends to bring international matches to the city.[11][12] On February 28, 2011, Orlando City announced it met with commissionerDon Garber and league officials concerning expansion. Topics covered included the demographics of theOrlando marketplace, the local corporate and fan support for soccer, and developing a roadmap for a futureMajor League Soccer franchise in Orlando.[13]
Orlando City's first preseason began with a home match against Major League Soccer clubPhiladelphia Union, winning 1–0, withLewis Neal scoring the first goal in club history.[14] Orlando City opened their first season on April 2, 2011, atRichmond Kickers, losing 0–2, and played their first home game on April 9 againstF.C. New York, winning 3–0 withMaxwell Griffin scoring the first competitive goal for the club.[15][16] They finished the regular season top of the American Division on 51 points, which resulted in the USL Pro regular season title.[17] On September 3, they played theHarrisburg City Islanders in the final. This match ended in a 1–1 draw, and after extra time the score was still tied at 2–2. Orlando went on to win 3–2 in penalty kicks making them the 2011 USL Pro champions.[18]
Following their inaugural season, Orlando City team officials met with Garber again on November 10, 2011, for further discussions about joining MLS as its 20th club (which ultimately went to New York City FC).[19]
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On March 1, 2012, Garber visited Orlando to meet with city and county officials. He stated, "It's not a matter of if, but when", addressing Orlando's chances of joining MLS.[20] Later on August 31, Rawlins told theOrlando Business Journal the team could get the Major League Soccer approval as early as late 2013, and be ready to play in the league by 2014 or 2015. Rawlins said to make that happen, the league had asked the team to explore building a 22,000-seat soccer-specific stadium. "They didn't say we had to have a stadium built before we could join, but they at least would like a plan that it's happening."[21] Orlando City repeated as regular season champions, but exited the playoffs in the semi-finals with a 4–3 loss toWilmington Hammerheads.[22]
In their third year in USL Pro, the Lions took second place in the regular season. Their first game in the playoffs was a 5–0 win against thePittsburgh Riverhounds. The semi-finals were a 3–2 win over the defending champions, theCharleston Battery. The result in the finals was a 7–4 win over theCharlotte Eagles. This marked Orlando City's second championship in 3 years.On November 19, 2013, Orlando City was announced as the league's twenty-first franchise.[23]
The team's new logo was unveiled in May 2014[24] and the team signed their first player to an MLS contract, formerBrazil internationalKaká, a month later. Kaká, who also became the team's firstDesignated Player after his release fromAC Milan, was immediately loaned toSão Paulo until the start of the MLS season.[25][26] In the same month, Orlando City announced a partnership withBenfica.[27] As part of that partnership, Orlando City later signed two players fromBenfica U19s –Estrela andRafael Ramos – to MLS contracts on August 7, 2014.[28] On July 6, 2014, four Orlando City supporters were arrested following an altercation atAl Lang Field in St. Petersburg during a game against theTampa Bay Rowdies in which fans were assaulted and illegal fireworks were used after members from both supporters groups had hidden themselves in the crowd.[29] One of the arrested had previously identified himself as a co-president of the Iron Lion Firm.[30] In response, the club "indefinitely suspended" both the Ruckus and Iron Lion Firm, pending their agreement to a new Fan Code of Conduct.[31] One week after the St. Petersburg incident, members of the Iron Lion Firm were ejected from a home game after profane language was chanted in their section. The majority of the remaining Firm members walked out before the end of the game. The Ruckus was reinstated on July 21, 2014, after agreeing to abide by a new Code of Conduct. Weeks later the club reinstated the Iron Lion Firm as a recognized supporter's group as well.[32] On November 21, 2014, head coachAdrian Heath signed a contract extension committing him to the club until the end of the 2017 MLS season.[33]
The fourth year in the USL Pro was its last in the league. In the preseason they competed in the2014 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, taking 2nd in their group with 3 draws and drawing in the 3rd place match against theNew York Red Bulls. By finishing the season 19–5–4, Orlando City won its 3rdCommissioner's Cup.As an expansion team, Orlando had the first overall pick in the2015 MLS SuperDraft and used it to selectCanadian forwardCyle Larin.[34] Orlando City's USL Pro license was acquired by minority owner Wayne Estopinal in June 2014. Using the license, Estopinal foundedLouisville City FC, based inLouisville, Kentucky, and began play in the2015 USL season as Orlando City’s affiliate.
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The team hosted their first MLS game at theCitrus Bowl on March 8, 2015, against fellow expansion team New York City FC, in front of a crowd of 62,510. Kaká scored in stoppage time to earn a 1–1 draw.[35] In the following game, they defeatedHouston Dynamo 1–0 on the road to earn their first victory.[36] On March 21, Orlando conceded a late stoppage time goal toOctavio Rivero ofVancouver Whitecaps FC for their first defeat.[37] In their inaugural season Orlando City finished 7th in the Eastern Conference and 14th in the overall standings, falling short of theplayoffs by one point. Larin scored 17 goals across the season, breakingDamani Ralph's record of 13 as a rookie and earned theMLS Rookie of the Year Award.[38]
Midway through the 2016 season, following disappointing results and performance of the team, head coach Adrian Heath was fired in July 2016.[39] He was replaced byJason Kreis. However, the Lions ended the season missing the playoffs once again.
In 2017, the Lions moved to the purpose-builtOrlando City Stadium. With the team again struggling, they attempted to improve during the summer transfer window by acquiringSporting Kansas City strikerDom Dwyer who had played for Orlando City's USL Pro team on-loan in 2013, notably scoring four goals in theUSL Pro Championship Final. The club traded incentives totaling to $1.6 million, a record trade between two MLS clubs at the time.[40] The team again failed to reach the postseason. Kaká announced that he would not return for Orlando City and soon after confirmed his retirement.[41]
On January 15, 2018, Orlando City signedJosué Colmán from Paraguayan clubCerro Porteño for a club record fee of reportedly $3 million.[42] Later that same month on January 30, Orlando City transferred Cyle Larin to Turkish clubBeşiktaş for a club record fee of reportedly $2.3 million following Larin's "unacceptable behavior" during transfer negotiations in which he had traveled toTurkey and claimed he was a free agent.[43] Fifteen games into the2018 season, Orlando City released head coach Jason Kreis after nearly two seasons.[44] Two weeks later,USL clubLouisville City FC announced head coachJames O'Connor, a former defender and assistant coach of the original Orlando City team, was to become Kreis's replacement.[45] However, O'Connor only managed two wins in his 18 games in charge in 2018 as City missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season and also set a new MLS record with 74 goals conceded on the year.[46] At the end of the season on December 27, Orlando City transferredYoshimar Yotún to Mexican clubCruz Azul for a new club record fee of reportedly $4 million.[47]
O'Connor was fired at the end of the2019 season with the team missing out on playoffs again and remaining 11th in the Eastern Conference.[48]
Ahead of the2020 season, Orlando hired formerColorado Rapids andFC Dallas head coachÓscar Pareja.[49] With the season disrupted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Orlando competed in theMLS is Back Tournament held at theESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in July and August. The Lions reached the final, eventually losing to thePortland Timbers 2–1.[50] MLS resumed the regular season on August 12.[51] After failing to make the postseason the previous five years, Orlando snapped the joint second-longestMLS playoff drought in history under the guidance of Pareja. The Lions reached the conference semi-finals, eliminating New York City FC in a dramatic penalty shootout in the first round before losing toNew England Revolution.
On May 12, 2021, Orlando City majority owner Flavio Augusto da Silva announced he was in advanced negotiations withZygi andMark Wilf, owners ofNational Football League franchiseMinnesota Vikings, for the sale of the club including theOrlando Pride, Exploria Stadium, and other related soccer assets. The combined value of the deal was estimated at $400–450 million.[52] The sale was officially completed on July 21, 2021.[53] Orlando qualified for the playoffs for a second season in a row, but were eliminated in the first round byNashville SC.[54]
On January 1, 2022, Orlando City transferredDaryl Dike to English clubWest Bromwich Albion for a club record transfer fee of $9.5 million.[55] Later on January 24, Orlando City broke their transfer record, previously held by the signing of Josué Colmán, with the signing ofFacundo Torres from Uruguayan clubPeñarol by reportedly paying a combined total of $9 million to sign the player.[56] On September 7, 2022, Orlando City won their first trophy as an MLS team, beatingUSL Championship sideSacramento Republic 3–0 in the2022 U.S. Open Cup final.[57] Orlando once again qualified for the playoffs, but were defeated again in the first round, this time byCF Montréal.[58]
Orlando debuted in theCONCACAF Champions League in2023, qualifying as U.S. Open Cup winners. The team's first opponent was Mexican-sideTigres UANL in the round of 16. The Lions were eliminated by Tigres on theaway goals rule after a 1–1 draw on aggregate.[59] Orlando finished the regular season in second place overall and in the eastern conference with 63 points, the club's highest points total and highest placement in both the overall and eastern conference tables. The Lions would make it past their first playoffs game for the first time since their playoffs debut, but would be knocked out byColumbus Crew, the eventual champions, in the conference semifinals.[60][61]
Orlando qualified for the2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup due to their placement in the2023 MLS Supporters' Shield standings.[62] In round one, Orlando faced Canadian-sideCavalry FC, and defeated them 6–1 on aggregate, the first time the club had won in the competition.[63] In the following round, Orlando once again faced Tigres UANL, and were subsequently defeated 4–2 on aggregate after a goalless draw at home.[64] On March 1, theUnited States Soccer Federation announced the format for the2024 U.S. Open Cup, confirming that only eight MLS teams, not including Orlando City despite the club winning the competition two years prior, would be participating due to the league's failed attempt to withdraw from the competition entirely.[65] Orlando finished the regular season in 4th place in the Eastern Conference with 59 goals scored in the regular season, a club record.[66] Orlando later advanced the furthest they ever had in the playoffs, but were eliminated in theEastern Conference final by theNew York Red Bulls.[67] On December 20, Orlando transferred Facundo Torres to Brazilian clubPalmeiras for a new club record fee of reportedly up to $14 million.[68]
In April 2013, the City of Orlando purchased downtown land for $8.2 million to be used towards the construction of a $110 million MLS soccer stadium.[69] However, in May, theFlorida House of Representatives failed to vote on a bill that had passed the Senate that would have provided up to $30 million in state funds towards the stadium project. Phil Rawlins responded by expressing his intent to find alternative funding and keep seeking MLS expansion.[70] The mechanism to allow for the sales tax rebate for the MLS team was ultimately passed on April 25, 2014.[71]
The Orlando downtown soccer stadium moved closer to securing funding on August 8, 2013, when Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Orlando mayorBuddy Dyer reached an agreement on a deal to provide financial support for a variety of Orlando projects including the new MLS soccer stadium.[72] The last piece in stadium funding was an October 2013 vote on using an existing tourism tax to fund the final quarter of the $80 million stadium project.[73] On October 22, 2013, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted 5–2 to approve the use of $20 million in tourist development tax funds to build an $84 million multi-purpose soccer stadium in downtown Orlando.[74]
On May 29, 2015, after two years trying to get funding from the state of Florida, Flávio Augusto da Silva announced that the stadium would be privately funded in its entirety and would be owned and operated by the club. He also announced plans to increase capacity to between 25,000 and 28,000 and that the club would buy the initial location from the City of Orlando.[75]
On March 5, 2017, Orlando City hosted New York City FC in the stadium's inaugural match to begin the 2017 season.Cyle Larin scored the first goal in stadium history as Orlando City won 1–0 in front of a sellout crowd of 25,550.[76]
In 2017, Exploria Stadium became the first venue to host anMLS,NWSL, andUSL team all in the same location.[77]
The stadium has also played host to several nationally relevant matches. On October 6, 2017, the stadium hosted theUnited States men's national team for the first time in a2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstPanama.[78] The following week the2017 NWSL Championship game betweenNorth Carolina Courage andPortland Thorns was also played there.[79] TheUnited States women's national team made its stadium debut during the2018 SheBelieves Cup.[80]
On June 4, 2019, the naming rights to the stadium were sold to Florida-based time share and vacation rental company Exploria Resorts. As a result, the stadium was renamedExploria Stadium.[81]
On July 31, 2019, the stadium hosted the2019 MLS All-Star Game betweenAtlético Madrid and the MLS All-Stars, which Atlético won 3–0.[82]
On January 18, 2024,Inter&Co secured the naming rights to the stadium.[83][84] On March 9, a trophy case called "The Vault" opened behind section 15, featuring trophies and other memorabilia.[85][86]
Orlando City played its games at the 70,000 seatFlorida Citrus Bowl Stadium, located inOrlando, Florida. The club's 2012 season drew an average of over 6,900 fans per match, the highest average in the league. On February 15, 2013, the team announced thatFifth Third Bank had purchasednaming rights for the stadium for Orlando City matches.
Due to theCitrus Bowl refurbishments, the team played the 2014 season atESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.[87][88] In 2014 the club had its lowest average attendance, 4,657 people a game up to July.[89]In the opening home matches of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Orlando City ran their "fill the bowl" campaign, which led to sell-out crowds of over 60,000.[90] Orlando City averaged over 30,000 in attendance while using the stadium.[91]
Like most MLS teams, Orlando has a reserve affiliate by way ofOrlando City B, which is based atOsceola County Stadium and currently competes inMLS Next Pro. Originally, after MLS dissolved itsreserve league in 2014,[92] Orlando City had an affiliation agreement withLouisville City FC, the club that bought the USL license from the owners of the Orlando City. The agreement provided that Orlando City will loan at least four players to Louisville City during the season.[93] In 2016, Orlando City ended their affiliation with Louisville and began its own USL expansion franchise, Orlando City B, which originally played at theTitan Soccer Complex.[94] The team played two seasons inUSL before going on hiatus in 2018. The team returned in 2019 following a league restructure and became a founding member ofUSL League One, the third tier of the US Soccer pyramid, contesting two seasons and finishing in last place both years before going on hiatus again with a view to joining a potential relaunched MLS reserve league in the future.[95][96] In OCB's absence in 2021, Orlando City resurrected their under-23 team to play in the developmentalUnited Premier Soccer League.[97] Following the decision by MLS to resurrect the reserve league system, it was announced that Orlando City B was returning in 2022 for theinaugural MLS Next Pro season.[98]
In 2010, the founding year ofOrlando City's original USL franchise, the team allied withCentral Florida Kraze of thePremier Development League to assist player development. Following their successful first season, Orlando City acquired a controlling interest in the Kraze and renamed themOrlando City U-23. The team has a legacy that includes several current and pastMLS players, and won the PDL Championship in2004. In lieu of OCB's creation, the U-23 team was folded after the 2015 season.
After their 2011 season, Orlando City also acquired controlling interest in the Florida Soccer Alliance youth soccer club, renaming them Orlando City Youth Soccer Club. The club is now a member of the Elite Club National League (ECNL) and has several boys and girls teams competing at local, state and national level with age groups ranging from 8 to 18.[99]
On January 17, 2025, Orlando City andOrlando Pride partnered with theYMCA of Central Florida to begin a soccer program called The Lions Pride Jr. for children ages 3–14 at all Central Florida YMCA locations that host youth soccer starting in February of that year. The stated goal of the program is to "share the joy of the game" while simultaneously "developing their skills and promoting healthy sportsmanship". Participants were given reversible jerseys for their games, with one side having the crest of Orlando City and the other having the crest of Orlando Pride, and all participants were given a complimentary ticket to both a City and Pride game for the 2025 season. Players were to make appearances at YMCA locations and all players and their families and the staff were given discounted tickets for home games.[100]
In May 2019, the team announced plans to move all of Orlando City's development pyramid to one single shared facility, creating a 20-acre (8.1 ha) training complex at Osceola Heritage Park to house the senior MLS team, OCB and Development Academy.[101] The site, inKissimmee, Florida, includes four practice fields—three natural grass and one artificial turf—a fitness, training and recovery center; a players' lounge, meal room and a film room as well as 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of office space for working staff and facilities to support media operations.Osceola County Stadium was converted into asoccer-specific stadium and acts as the home stadium of OCB.[102] It was a vision first set out by the club's executive vice president of soccer operations, Luiz Muzzi, upon his appointment in December 2018 as a means of solidifying the in-house pipeline from youth to professional.[103] The facility was officially opened on January 17, 2020.[104]
Their first logo was unveiled during local morning news on Orlando TV stationWOFL at 7:00am EST on December 16, 2010, and was launched at 10:00am with the team's website.
The club adopted the nickname "Lions" from previous uses of the nickname in Orlando, particularly theOrlando Lions. The colors chosen were "Regal Red", "Pride Purple", and "Championship Gold". The red represented their passion to perform at their best and their willingness to spill blood in the pursuit of their goals and the desire to "rule over" their opponents. The purple represented the pride of the city, fans, and the club, while the gold represented the trophies the club strived for. The design of the crest carried the lions over from the defunctOrlando Lions team, the original professional soccer team in Orlando which existed from 1985 to 1996. The three lions were meant to symbolize the group effort of the team and to connect the past and present of soccer in Orlando and to represent the defense, midfield, and attack of the team and to make it apride of lions, which provided the team with the nickname "The Lions".[105]
The branding was developed by Dixon Minear Design Marketing, the same firm that created the original branding for theOrlando Magic.[106]
Their home uniform, white shirt with red shoulders and solid white shorts, was unveiled at their inaugural home friendly, and used without a sponsor through the2011 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. Their away outfit consisted of a red shirt with white armpits and solid red shorts. At the home uniform unveiling, they also announcedOrlando Health as their uniform sponsor. Their uniform brand wasLotto.
For the club's ascension to MLS, the Lions unvield a new logo. The main aspects, including the purple color scheme and lion ident, carried over from their first logo. New features and changes were introduced to represent the transition of the franchise into a first division team. The logo consists of a gold Lion face with 21 sun flares making up its mane sitting within a purple shield. The Lion logo and purple color scheme pays homage to the Orlando Lions. The number of flares represents the club's position as the twenty-first team in MLS, while the sun-shaped mane is in reference to Florida'snickname as The Sunshine State. The team name is also seen in the crest in white.[107]
Orlando City's mascot is Kingston, an anthropomorphized and "bulked up" lion complete with brown and purpledreadlocks. He has purple war paint on his face, wears a headband with the team initials on and is often dressed in the team's uniform.[108]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | Umbro | Orlando Health | [109] |
| 2013–2014 | Lotto | [109] | |
| 2015–present | Adidas | [110] |
Orlando Health has been the official shirt sponsor for Orlando City since the team's inception as a USL franchise in 2010. In 2013, Orlando Health extended its partnership with the club, becoming the first jersey partner in MLS history to commit to an expansion club prior to its admittance to the league.Adidas also signed on as the club's kit provider for the 2015 season as per the league-wide deal made by MLS.[110] The deal means that there are no longer third kits and only one kit (between the home and away) is permitted to change per season, rotating on an annual basis.[111]
The club had sold over 13,000 season tickets before playing its first match in March 2015,[112] selling all 14,000 available season tickets later that month.[113] As of the 2017 season, Orlando City's season ticket base stands at a cap of 18,000.[114] On March 8, 2015, 62,510 people were in attendance for Orlando's home opener versusNew York City FC, a record of any expansion team, and finished the year with the second-highest average attendance figures behind onlySeattle Sounders, again setting a new record for an expansion team.[115][116]
The club has two major activesupporters groups:
The club's two major activesupporters groups, combine forces on game days to create "The Wall", now housed in thesafe standing section.[118] Additionally, the club also has officially recognized international fan clubs in both Brazil and the United Kingdom.[119]
Orlando City does not compete for any officialMLS rivalry trophy.
The club has an intrastate rivalry withInter Miami, currently the team's closest neighbors and only other Florida-based team in MLS.[120] Orlando City joined MLS in 2015 but had to wait until its sixth season to play a first interstate match against an MLS opponent following the introduction of Inter Miami as an expansion franchise in 2020. Unlike a lot of rivalries in Major League Soccer, there is no name for this series although several have been mooted to little to no success.[121] Prior to the creation of Inter Miami, Orlando City had established a geographical rivalry withAtlanta United as the only two MLS clubs in the southeastern region of the United States when Atlanta joined MLS in 2017.[122] From the beginning, the series has seen several fan incidents as well as player and front office animosity including both teams banning the others' supporters groups.[123]
Before Orlando City had obvious geographical rivalries, there were several competitive rivalries that formed, particularly with regularEastern Conference opponents. New York City FC was considered an immediatede facto rival by virtue of being a fellow 2015 expansion franchise although it was felt to a lesser degree by New York City as they already had multiple close geographical rivals. Nevertheless, the two teams made their MLS debut against each other with 10-man Orlando rescuing a dramatic 1–1 draw in stoppage time, and used each other as a bench mark in that first campaign. Tensions peaked when the two teams met in the2020 MLS Cup playoffs, a chaotic game that saw NYCFC's season end in farcical fashion and re-established Orlando's status as a rival in the eyes of New York City fans.[124] Some of Orlando City's most intense and controversial moments in the inaugural season occurred againstColumbus Crew, leaving Orlando fans feeling aggrieved and sowed the seeds for a potential minor rivalry although more uneventful subsequent meetings quelled these early sentiments.[125][126]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2025) |
During their play in theUSL Pro, Orlando City aired several games locally onBright House Sports Network (now Spectrum Sports Florida) with Jeff Radcliffe handling the play-by-play andEdmundo Rodriguez providing color commentary. Two regular season home games also appeared nationally onFOX Soccer Channel as part of USL Pro's broadcasting contract. All home games and many away games were broadcast online via USL Live. When BHSN also aired the match, their feed is used for the USL Live feed. The team's weekly radio program,OCS Live, aired onWYGM 740 the Game every Tuesday night during the season, and was hosted by team communications director Adam Soucie. Club news and player interviews were also heard on theOrlando City Soccercast, apodcast hosted by Dan Dennis and Tom Vann. Their May 14, 2011, home match was broadcast on radio in Spanish byWIWA VIVA 1160. The match was used as a test broadcast.[127] During 2012, several matches were aired on radio on WYGM, as well as onWWFL 1340 Onda Mexicana Radio in Spanish.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Executive | |
|---|---|
| Majority owner and chairman | Mark Wilf |
| Majority owner and vice-chair | Zygi Wilf |
| Majority owner and vice-chair | Leonard Wilf |
| Vice President of Soccer | Ricardo Moreira |
| Coaching staff | |
| Head coach | Óscar Pareja |
| First assistant coach | Diego Torres Ortiz |
| Second assistant coach | Martín Perelman |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Fabián Bazán |
| Goalkeeping coach | César Baena |
The founding ownership group was announced on March 4, 2010, asOrlando Pro Soccer. It was affiliated with theOrlando TitansNational Lacrosse League team. However, the Titans ran into financial difficulties.Steve Donner left the Titans club after the 2010 NLL season to focus on the soccer effort. In October 2010, the Orlando Pro Soccer USL rights were purchased by Phil Rawlins, a board member of EnglishPremier League clubStoke City, who moved theAustin Aztex organization to Orlando.
The club's next majority owner wasFlavio Augusto da Silva. Da Silva, founder of the Wise UpESL program, joined the club's ownership group on February 17, 2013.[131] After the club's successful expansion bid intoMajor League Soccer, da Silva became the club's majority owner.[citation needed]
There are many other individuals in the ownership group, including Phil Rawlins, the club's President;John Bonner, the club's chairman; andBrendan Flood, a board member ofEnglish Premier League clubBurnley.[citation needed]
On May 12, 2021, Orlando City majority owner Flavio Augusto da Silva announced he was in advanced negotiations with Zygi and Mark Wilf, owners of National Football League franchise Minnesota Vikings, for the sale of the club including the Orlando Pride, Exploria Stadium, and other related soccer assets. The combined value of the deal was estimated at $400–450 million. The sale was officially completed on July 21, 2021.
| National | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
| U.S. Open Cup | 1 | 2022 |
| USL Pro | 2 | 2011,2013 |
| USL Pro(Player's Shield) | 3 | 2011,2012,2014 |
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Orlando City. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Orlando City SC seasons.
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental | Other | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | Head coach(es) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | League | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name(s) | Goals | ||||||||
| 2020 | 1 | MLS | 23 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 40 | 25 | +15 | 41 | 1.78 | 4th | 5th | QF | NH | DNQ | MLS is Back Tournament | RU | 6,346 |  Chris Mueller | 10 |  Óscar Pareja |
| 2021 | MLS | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 50 | 48 | +2 | 51 | 1.50 | 6th | 10th | R1 | NH | Leagues Cup | QF | 15,644 | Daryl Dike | 11 | |||
| 2022 | MLS | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 44 | 53 | –9 | 48 | 1.41 | 7th | 13th | R1 | W | DNQ | 17,283 |  Facundo Torres | 13 | ||||
| 2023 | MLS | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 55 | 39 | +16 | 63 | 1.82 | 2nd | 2nd | QF | R4 | Ro16 | Leagues Cup | Ro32 | 20,590 | Duncan McGuire | 15 | ||
| 2024 | MLS | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 52 | 1.53 | 4th | 9th | SF | DNE | Ro16 | Leagues Cup | Ro32 | 22,804 | Facundo Torres | 20 | ||
| Total | – | – | 431 | 186 | 110 | 135 | 671 | 599 | +72 | 668 | 1.55 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Facundo Torres | 47 | – | |
^ 1.Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2.Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in MLS, Playoffs,U.S. Open Cup,MLS is Back Tournament,Leagues Cup,CONCACAF Champions League,FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive matches.
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | CONCACAF Champions League | Round of 16 |  | Tigres UANL | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| 2024 | CONCACAF Champions Cup | Round one |  | Cavalry FC | 3–1 | 3–0 | 6–1 |
| Round of 16 | | Tigres UANL | 0–0 | 2–4 | 2–4 |
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win%[nb 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Heath |  England | October 25, 2010 | July 6, 2016 | 200 | 108 | 44 | 48 | 296 | 178 | 054.00 |
| Bobby Murphy(interim) | United States | July 7, 2016 | July 23, 2016 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 000.00 |
| Jason Kreis | United States | July 24, 2016 | June 15, 2018 | 65 | 22 | 13 | 30 | 90 | 117 | 033.85 |
| Bobby Murphy(interim) | United States | June 16, 2018 | July 1, 2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 000.00 |
| James O'Connor |  Ireland | July 2, 2018 | October 7, 2019 | 56 | 13 | 14 | 29 | 69 | 95 | 023.21 |
| Óscar Pareja | Colombia | December 4, 2019 | present | 195 | 85 | 54 | 56 | 295 | 253 | 043.59 |
| Years | Name | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2017[132] | Kaká |  Brazil |
| 2018[133] | Jonathan Spector |  United States |
| 2019–2021[134] | Nani |  Portugal |
| 2022–2023[135] | Mauricio Pereyra | Uruguay |
| 2024–present | Robin Jansson |  Sweden |
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