Football Season Guide

Orlando City were one of the best teams during the regular season in 2023. Their ability to score high volume of goals saw them finish the regular season in 2nd place overall and in their Conference. The Lions also made their debut in the CONCACAF Champions League last year as 2022 winners of the US Open Cup. The Violets were seen serious title-contenders but then they stumbled in the Conference semis. Still, it was a great season for Orlando and they will be hungry for more in 2024. Starting his fourth season in charge of the Lions coach Oscar Pareja kept the core of his squad intact. The only notable departure was that of club captain Mauricio Pereyra, who opted to go back to his homeland for the end of his career. Like-for-like replacement was easily found in Nicolas Lodeiro, who brings huge experience and probably even more quality on the ball than Pereira. The main weakness for Orlando last season was their defence. To address that the Violets splashed the cash on a new high profile centre-back. David Brekalo will have to come good if Orlando want to be MLS champions in 2024.