2021 Orlando City SC season

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Orlando City
2021 season
Orlando City SC wordmark purple.svg
ManagerÓscar Pareja
StadiumExploria Stadium
MLS:Conference: 6th
Overall: 10th
MLS Cup PlayoffsFirst round
U.S. Open CupCanceled
Leagues CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
Daryl Dike and Nani (10)
All:
Daryl Dike (11)
Highest home attendanceMLS: 19,009
(July 3 vs. New York Red Bulls)
Lowest home attendanceMLS: 11,503
(April 17 vs. Atlanta United)
All: 7,338
(August 12 vs. Santos Laguna, Leagues Cup)
Average home league attendance15,644
Biggest winORL 5–0 SJ (Jun. 22)
Biggest defeatNYC 5–0 ORL (Jul. 25)
Away colors
← 2020
2022 →

The 2021 Orlando City SC season was the club's 11th season of existence in Orlando and seventh season as a Major League Soccer franchise, the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system. There was no U.S. Open Cup for the second consecutive year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but the team did take part in the Leagues Cup for the first time.[1]

Season review[]

Pre-season[]

Unlike previous seasons, Orlando had relatively little player turnover and instead focused on retaining the core of the squad following the club's first playoff appearance in 2020. Four permanent transfers were made in December 2020, all purchase options of players previously on loan with Orlando: Antônio Carlos, Rodrigo Schlegel, Andrés Perea and Alexander Alvarado. Six players did not have their options exercised and were released.[2] Most notable of these was Designated Player Dom Dwyer who had been limited to two appearances in 2020 due to a knee injury. He had returned to Orlando in July 2017 for a then MLS-record $1.6 million in allocation money.[3] The club also acquired two loan players to provide depth in key positions: goalkeeper Brandon Austin on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and left-back Jonathan Suárez from Querétaro although the latter was arrested and had his loan terminated prior to the start of preseason.[4] Having released Dwyer and allowed Daryl Dike to join Barnsley initially on a short-term loan in January,[5] Orlando reinforced their forward options by announcing the free agent signing of former Golden Boy winner and Brazil international Alexandre Pato on February 13,[6] before also securing the signing of Dutch winger Silvester van der Water from Heracles Almelo, having unsuccessfully pursued him the previous September.[7][8]

With the addition of Austin FC in 2021, MLS held an Expansion Draft on December 15, 2020.[9] Orlando had 13 players exposed.[10] Kamal Miller was selected by Austin who immediately traded him to the Montreal Impact in exchange for $225,000 in General Allocation Money and a first round pick (11th) in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.[11] It was the second time an Orlando player had been taken in an expansion draft after Mikey Ambrose was selected in 2016.

On January 21, Orlando made four selections in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft including three in the first round.[12] Derek Dodson and Rio Hope-Gund were both signed but neither appeared during the season.

On February 5, MLS and the MLS Players Association agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) through 2027 after extending the deadline by a day to avoid a lockout. The primary issues negotiated were increased player spending, expanded free agency, and more charter travel.[13] The league had invoked a force majeure clause in late December 2020 to reopen negotiations over the current CBA, citing ongoing uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14][15] Following the CBA's ratifcation, MLS announced it had pushed back the start of the regular season to April 17 due to the extended labor negotiations.[16]

On March 23, Orlando were selected as one of four MLS teams to compete in the 2021 Leagues Cup as one of the top two teams from each conference not scheduled to take part in the Champions League. It will be the club's first time in the competition.[17]

On April 5, U.S. Soccer and MLS announced it would be trialing the new IFAB approved concussion substitutes rule allowing for two additional substitutions in each match to be used for players with suspected concussions.[18] The new rule was implemented on top of the increase from three to five "normal" substitutes carried over from the 2020 season.[19]

April[]

Orlando opened the season on April 17 at home to Atlanta United, notably missing starters Mauricio Pereyra through suspension, Robin Jansson and João Moutinho due to injury, and Daryl Dike still on loan. Marque offseason signing Alexandre Pato made his debut starting in the opener but was forced off injured in the 80th minute with Silvester van der Water debuting as a substitute in his place. A goalless draw preserved Orlando's unbeaten record on matchday one since joining MLS in 2015.[20][21] Orlando's opening road game of the season was against Sporting Kansas City, one of only two scheduled Western Conference opponents of the regular season, on April 23. Having conceded first when Dániel Sallói caught Pedro Gallese playing out from the back before setting up Gianluca Busio to score on the stroke of halftime, the Lions battled back in the second half to tie courtesy of a Nani backheel goal. The game also saw both teams have goals correctly ruled out for offside following VAR reviews.[22]

May[]

Orlando's first win of the season came in gameweek three as FC Cincinnati visited Exploria Stadium. Tesho Akindele opened the scoring of a dominant 3–0 victory in a franchise record 31 seconds. In total, the Lions recorded 23 shots.[23] The second goal of the game, scored by Nani chopping back on his left, sitting a defender down in the process and curling the ball into the top corner from 22 yards was voted MLS goal of the week.[24] On May 8, Nani scored for the third consecutive game as Orlando City took the lead at home to New York City FC before João Moutinho, who had been called on as a halftime substitute to make his first appearance of the season following an injury to Ruan, conceded the game-tying penalty of a 1–1 draw.[25] The club set a new record on May 16 with a 1–0 victory away to D.C. United as the five game unbeaten streak was the Lions' longest such run to start a season.[26] Mauricio Pereyra scored the only goal of the game in the 7th minute. From then on Orlando defended deep, conceding shots but D.C. only registered one on target. Their frustrations eventually boiled over as home fans threw debris on to the field and players clashed in stoppage time. Hernán Losada was particularly embittered by Orlando's tactics stating: "The way where you dominate the whole game, the opponent doesn't know what else to do to neutralize the game, to waste time, to park the bus. They didn't want to play after they scored the goal."[27] The result left Orlando as one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the league. Nani retrospectively received a two-game suspension following a review by the MLS Disciplinary Committee that deemed he had made "unwanted physical contact" with the referee while trying to prevent further clashing between the two sets of players in stoppage time. The MLS Players Association issued a rebuke condemning the decision for "lacking integrity."[28] On May 17, it was announced Exploria Stadium would be open to full capacity in June 2021, the first time since the 2020 season opener on February 29.[29] February signing Silvester van der Water made his first start in place of the suspended Nani on 22 May 2021. He provided his first MLS assist for Akindele on the only goal of the game and was named player of the match as Orlando beat Toronto FC 1–0 to extend their unbeaten start to the season to six.[30] The unbeaten start to the season ended on May 29 with a 2–1 defeat on the road to New York Red Bulls. Despite the good form, Orlando struggled to hold possession and came under persistent pressure, conceding twice within an hour. The Lions looked a better goal threat following the introduction of van der Water who came off the bench to score his first goal in the 84th minute but missed a clear opportunity to equalize shortly after. The game was also notable for the senior debut of Michael Halliday who started the game, setting a new record as the youngest first-team player at 18 years, 127 days, beating Tommy Redding's record set in August 2015 by 70 days.[31]

June[]

Major League Soccer scheduled a three week break at the start of June during the FIFA international window which included the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals.[32] Having returned from his loan spell at Barnsley, Daryl Dike was the only Orlando player involved in the competition. He attended the pre-tournament training camp for the United States and, although he did not make the final roster, continued to travel and train with the squad as the United States won the inaugural edition of the tournament.[33] He scored his first international goal later in the international window on June 9, 2021, in a 4–0 friendly win over Costa Rica at Rio Tinto Stadium.[34] Sebas Méndez and Pedro Gallese were both called-up to Ecuador and Peru respectively for the 2021 Copa América contested in Brazil from June 13 to July 10, meaning they could both be absent for as many as five Orlando games.[35] On June 15, Thomas Williams became the club's 11th homegrown signing and the youngest ever first-team signing at 16 years, 304 days, surpassing the record set by Tommy Redding in 2014.[36] In the absence of Gallese, loanee Brandon Austin made his debut against Toronto FC on June 19, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to make an appearance for the club. Despite a fast start, with Akindele scoring in the opening minute for the second time in six games and Nani doubling the lead seven minutes later, the teams went in at the break level as Toronto, who were using Exploria Stadium as a temporary base as travel to and from Canada remained restricted, battled back through Ayo Akinola and Jonathan Osorio goals. Daryl Dike made his return as a second half substitute before Júnior Urso sealed a late and emotional win for Orlando which the players and Óscar Pareja dedicated to teammate Rodrigo Schlegel who had returned to Argentina the previous month after his father had contracted COVID-19 and passed away the week prior. The game was played behind closed doors as a designated Toronto home game in attempt to protect homefield advantage.[37][38] A midweek matchup three days later, delayed twice by lightning, saw Orlando equal their record margin of victory, a 5–0 victory against San Jose Earthquakes. Dike scored a brace on his first start of the season as did Benji Michel, the first multiple goal game of his professional career. Orlando's only other five goal winning margin to date had come in a 6–1 win over New England in September 2017.[39] Orlando ended the month with their third game in seven days, a rivalry match against Inter Miami. Orlando came back from a Gonzalo Higuaín goal to win 2–1 as Chris Mueller volleyed in his first goal of the season to tie the game up before Nani struck the winner from distance in the 80th minute.[40]

July[]

On July 1, Dike was named to the final 23-man United States roster for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup,[41] Orlando's sole representative in the original squads although Tesho Akindele was called-up by Canada at the quarter-final stage on July 23 as an injury replacement for Ayo Akinola.[42] Exploria Stadium was used as a host venue for six of the tournament's group games. Orlando City started July with back to back defeats, first losing to New York Red Bulls for a second time on the year as Fábio struck a late winner to hand Orlando their first home defeat of the season.[43] Oscar Pareja fielded a heavily rotated side on the road four days later as Chicago Fire came from behind to win 3–1. Andrés Perea scored Orlando's only goal of the game, his first for the club, as Sebas Méndez made his return from the Copa América as a substitute.[44] It marked the first time in Pareja's 19-month tenure that Orlando City lost consecutive regular season games having last done so under James O'Connor in August 2019.[45] The winless streak extended to three with a 1–1 draw as Orlando ventured north to play Toronto FC for the third time in 13 games. The game was Toronto's first on Canadian soil since March 7, 2020, following the easing of travel restrictions. Jozy Altidore opened the scoring as a second-half substitute on his return to the side having been exiled from the team by recently-sacked head coach Chris Armas in late-May. The lead lasted five minutes before Nani scored the equalizer from the spot as Orlando were awarded a penalty on a VAR review after goalkeeper Alex Bono had taken out Benji Michel.[46] On July 21, the sale of Orlando City SC and related soccer assets by Flavio Augusto da Silva, who took over in 2013, was completed. Zygi, Leonard and Mark Wilf became the new majority owners with the DeVos family, led by Dan DeVos, entering as minority owners.[47] The combined value of the deal was estimated at $400–450 million.[48] On the same day it was announced Chris Mueller had signed a pre-contract agreement with an unnamed European club (later revealed to be Hibernian of the Scottish Premiership) and would be leaving upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2021 season.[49] Having dropped to fourth in the East as a result of Nashville's draw the previous day, Orlando City hosted reigning Supporters' Shield winners Philadelphia Union who sat one point and two places above them in the standings before kickoff on July 22. Having opened a two goal lead courtesy of Michel and Perea, Kacper Przybyłko struck back in the 68th minute to set up a frantic finish. With four added minutes originally signaled, a concussion check on Orlando's Robin Jansson extended the time further as Orlando closed out the win with Kyle Smith making a 98th-minute goal line clearance, throwing himself in front of a point-blank Quinn Sullivan strike to block it with his face. The result meant Orlando leapfrogged Philadelphia into 2nd.[50] Three days later the team was handed the biggest defeat under Pareja to date and the joint-worst margin of defeat in club history as Pareja made five changes to field yet another rotated team on a short week road game, this time away at Yankee stadium to face New York City FC. The likes of Nani and Mueller were left out of the squad completely, while Pereyra was suspended on yellow card accumulation, and Dike and Akindele remained away at the Gold Cup. Newest signing Emmanuel Mas made his debut from the start as the Lions lost 5–0 with five different players finding the scoresheet.[51] On July 28, it was announced Alex Leitão, Orlando's Chief Executive Officer since 2015, was stepping down from his role.[52] Orlando closed out the July schedule with another rivalry match against Atlanta United. 23-year-old academy product Mason Stajduhar made his club debut starting as goalkeeper, 2,090 days after first signing as a Homegrown in November 2015.[53] Josef Martínez opened the scoring in 47 seconds before Kyle Smith, who was the only Orlando City player to start all 16 matches of the season so far, scored his first goal as a Lion since joining in 2019 to level before the break. Marcelino Moreno restored Atlanta's lead with a curling long-range golazo in the 66th minute before the 74th-minute introduction of Silvester van der Water turned things around. He scored the equalizer before turning provider, crossing for Nani's 87th-minute winner. The result extended Atlanta's franchise-record 11-game winless streak while Orlando remained unbeaten in six against their rivals and regained second place in the Eastern Conference.[54] Nani, who also had one goal and one assist in the game, was later voted MLS Player of the Week.[55] On July 31, former Orlando goalkeeper Adam Grinwis rejoined the club having last played for the Lions in 2019. The signing coincided with the end of Brandon Austin's loan on the same day.[56]

August[]

With a condensed schedule and mounting list of unavailable players including Pedro Gallese, Antônio Carlos, João Moutinho, Sebas Méndez, Alexandre Pato and Daryl Dike,[57] Orlando's slump continued in August with back to back 1–1 ties with two teams below the playoff line: first at home to bottom-of-the-table Inter Miami on August 4 and again three days later on the road to FC Cincinnati. Antônio Carlos scored his first goal of the season in the former but was knocked unconscious in the process and had to leave the game.[58] The latter match marked the first time Orlando had played at the newly-built TQL Stadium and saw Nani come off the bench to score the equalizer within one minute of entering.[59] On August 12, Orlando played a non-domestic match for the first time, a 2021 Leagues Cup quarter-final against Mexican side Santos Laguna. Despite having 53% possession and matching Santos' 13 shots, Orlando narrowly lost 1–0, hampered by wasteful finishing. Frustrations boiled over at full-time as Júnior Urso received a red card after the final whistle for remonstrating with the referee.[60] With New York City FC and Nashville SC pushing Orlando down into fourth place having not played a fixture over the weekend, Orlando played out a third successive league draw the following midweek. The Lions trailed to a C. J. Sapong goal in the first half on the road to third-place Nashville, before another set-piece header from Antônio Carlos rescued a point.[61] Philadelphia's victory over NYCFC the same night meant Orlando moved another place down into fifth, the lowest position since the second week of the season. Orlando jumped back up to second place just three days later as two Homegrowns lifted the Lions to a 1–0 victory over Chicago Fire: Benji Michel scored his fourth goal of the season while goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar kept his first career clean sheet after making five saves on the night.[62] Orlando ended August undefeated in league play (one win, four draws), finishing the month with a goalless draw with Inter Miami. The Lions looked likeliest to break the deadlock but Tesho Akindele had his penalty saved by Nick Marsman before Robin Jansson had a goal disallowed after review having been touched by an offside Akindele. The game also saw the return of Daryl Dike who entered as a halftime substitute for Akindele, his first appearance since leaving for international duty on July 3.[63]

September[]

Orlando opened September with a 3–2 win at home to Columbus Crew. Having taken a two-goal lead into halftime, the Crew scored two goals in two minutes early in the second half to level. Júnior Urso scored the gamewinner in the 69th minute.[64] A comprehensive 3–0 defeat on the road at Atlanta United on September 10[65] was followed up five days later with a midweek defeat at home to CF Montréal in which Nani picked up two first-half yellow cards to leave the Lions down a player while trying to overturn a two-goal deficit. Having found one goal through Robin Jansson in the 40th minute, 10-man Orlando found an equalizer through an unlikely source - Ruan scored his first goal for the club with just over an hour played. However, Montreal made their numerical advantage pay, eventually running out 4–2 winners as Orlando finished the game with nine players when Andrés Perea was sent off late on.[66] The losing streak continued into its third game as Orlando traveled to Philadelphia four days later. A controversial opener, that was not overturned for an elbow to the face by Kacper Przybyłko on Rodrigo Schlegel despite the linesman signaling for the foul and VAR recommending a review, saw the Lions trail at the half once again. Ruan tied the game after the break with his second goal in as many games but Przybyłko restored the Union's lead four minutes later and the Lions again finished the game down a man, this time Antônio Carlos received the red card for bringing Sergio Santos down for a late penalty which Przybyłko slotted past Gallese. Having started the month still second in the East, the three game losing streak saw the Lions plummet down to fourth and fighting to remain above the playoff line.[67] The skid continued as Orlando headed to Supporters' Shield leaders New England Revolution on September 25. Adam Buksa gave the home side the lead in the ninth minute before Dike leveled the scores in the 18th minute. New England's one-goal lead was restored through a Rodrigo Schlegel own goal in the 35th minute which would prove to be the deciding goal as the Revolution survived a 75th-minute penalty; Matt Turner saved Nani's spot kick, the third time an Orlando player had failed to convert a penalty in five attempts in 2021. The 2–1 result saw Orlando's losing streak extend to four games in all competitions, equaling the franchise record, as the team dropped another place to 5th.[68] The losing streak was snapped at four when Orlando visited Nashville SC midweek on September 29, the team's third consecutive road game and their second on an in-season NFL field. The Lions fell behind early when Sebas Méndez conceded a penalty which, although saved by Gallese, was converted on the rebound by Hany Mukhtar. Randall Leal doubled the home side's lead in the second half. Following Orlando's recent penalty woes, Daryl Dike stepped up and scored a 72nd-minute spot kick having also won the foul to reduce the deficit and an Brian Anunga own goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time salvaged a point as the game finished 2–2. However, failure to win meant Orlando fell to 7th in the Eastern Conference, now only two points above the playoff line, as victories for D.C. United and Atlanta United earlier in the evening saw them jump ahead of Orlando.[69]

October[]

Having ended the four-losing streak with a stoppage time equalizer in the previous game, Orlando ended a five-game winless run with another goal in stoppage time on October 2 as Daryl Dike headed home from a corner in the 90+7th minute to lift the Lions to a 2–1 victory at home to D.C. United. The visitors had taken the lead through Julian Gressel in the sixth minute when his long-range effort caught out Pedro Gallese but had leveled when Robin Jansson reacted quickest to a rebound from a corner. The three points moved Orlando back up to 4th in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race as three points separated the six teams from 3rd to 8th-place with six games left.[70] Orlando headed to FC Cincinnati off the back of an international break on October 16 and took an early lead against the league's lowest-ranked team through a long range curling Junior Urso shot that skipped into the bottom corner. An 84th-minute Tesho Akindele strike from 30 yards cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and appeared to cross the goalline. However, the officials did not award a goal and no camera angle could provide substantial enough evidence to overturn the call. Orlando escaped with all three points despite a stoppage time penalty scare when VAR was consulted to weigh in on a Rodrigo Schlegel collision with Brandon Vazquez in the box. An explanation was later issued by the referee stating that a penalty was not given because Schlegel had been pushed into Vazquez by FC Cincinnati's Nick Hagglund.[71] The victory marked the first time since gameweek 10 on June 25 that Orlando won consecutive games.[72] Four days later, the Lions hosted playoff rivals CF Montréal who sat four points behind Orlando in 7th. Having largely controlled the first half, Orlando finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime when Chris Mueller ghosted in at the back post to score his third goal of the season and his first since announcing his end of season departure in July. However, the visitors rallied and began the second half quickly as Sunusi Ibrahim forced a point blank save from Gallese before Rudy Camacho headed the equalizer from a corner in the 50th minute. Searching for a winner, Orlando turned to Pato as an 86th-minute substitute, marking his first appearance since he left the season opener injured 187 days earlier. The game ended 1–1 as both Orlando and Montreal extended their unbeaten runs to four and three games respectively.[73] Having clinched the 2021 Supporters' Shield the previous day by virtue of Sporting Kansas City beating second-place Seattle Sounders, New England Revolution traveled to Orlando on October 24 and rested nine starters. A full-strength Orlando controlled the first half capped off by top goalscorer Nani who rose to head home in the closing stages of the first half, breaking his 10-game scoreless streak. A Dike penalty, won by Nani, doubled the Lions' lead after the break. However, having notably substituted on all three of their designated players Gustavo Bou, Adam Buksa and Carles Gil, New England staged a late comeback: Buska scored in the 81st and 90+3rd minutes to split the points and prevent Orlando from moving up to 3rd place ahead of Nashville.[74] Buksa was later named MLS Player of the Week for his performance against Orlando.[75] Three days later, Orlando faced Columbus Crew on the road, falling to a two-goal deficit in the first half, both conceded from corners. Dike's third successful penalty of the season, which was originally saved but retaken because Eloy Room had come off his goal line early, halved the deficit but Lucas Zelarayán, having assisted the other two goals, scored one of his own from 30 yards to restore the two-goal cushion. Orlando City defender Robin Jansson, who became the Lions' all-time leader in minutes played for outfield players during the game,[76] smartly sided-footed an Akindele cross past Room in the 90+2nd minute to set up a close finish but it wasn't enough to rescue a point as Orlando fell back down to 5th in the conference standings with two games remaining.[77] Orlando went into the following game knowing that, because of victories for New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew the day before, a win against Nashville SC would clinch a playoff place with a game to spare. The Lions took the lead through Dike, his third goal in as many games, before Mukhtar pulled Nashville level in the second half. A game of few clear cut chances, Orlando thought they had scored a 90+4th minute playoff-clinching game winner as substitute Perea followed in the rebound of a Pato freekick to poke the ball across the line.[78] However, referee Allen Chapman, who had been at the center of controversy and was suspended by the league for his performance during Orlando's penalty shootout victory in the first round of the previous season's playoffs, consulted VAR and decided to rule out the goal for a supposed foul committed by Dike in the buildup much to the bewilderment of everyone in the stadium. On the decision, Óscar Pareja said during his postgame press conference: "It's a very sad day for the league. There's no explanation on a play that was so evident."[79] Charlie Davies and Andrew Wiebe reviewed the event as part of MLS' own in-house media, both agreeing there was no foul and the decision was incorrect, even considering that Alistair Johnston was more likely fouling Dike than vice versa.[80] PRO also later reviewed the decision, admitting the contact was minimal, did not meet the threshold for VAR intervention and therefore the on-field decision of a goal should have stood.[81] The draw kept Orlando in 5th although only one point ahead of Atlanta and two points ahead of New York Red Bulls who faced each other in their game in hand during the following midweek. Orlando's decision day opponents Montreal, sitting five points behind the Lions in 10th, also had a game in hand and hosted Houston on Wednesday.

November[]

Decision Day[]

As a result of Atlanta United's midweek draw with New York Red Bulls, Orlando City fell one spot to 6th ahead of decision day. It was still possible for the Lions to finish as high as 4th or as low as 8th. Opponents Montreal had beat Houston midweek so moved two points behind Orlando meaning the Canadian side was now in a position to move above Orlando with a win on the final day. A draw would clinch a playoff berth for Orlando irrespective of results elsewhere while defeat would make the team reliant on New York Red Bulls losing away to Nashville. Orlando ultimately took care of their own business, clinching playoff qualification with a 2–0 victory in Montreal. After a cagey first half, Sebas Méndez opened the scoring in the 55th minute when he blasted the ball into the top corner from 20 yards. It was his first goal for the club on his 65th appearance. As Montreal's desperation increased, Rudy Camacho was shown a straight red card for an out of control challenge on Dike in the 79th minute before Dike doubled Orlando's lead late on to secure the win that saw Orlando finish the regular season 6th in the Eastern Conference.[82]

Playoffs[]

Orlando entered the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs as the Eastern Conference's #6 seed, setting up an away trip to #3 seed Nashville SC in the first round. The teams had met three times during the regular season with all three ending in draws.[83] Dike gave Orlando an early first-half lead when he headed in from a Pereyra corner but Hany Mukhtar leveled seven minutes later with a 25-yard strike that took a deflection to sail over Pedro Gallese's head. Mukhtar doubled his and Nashville's tally in the second half, slotting home after a surging solo dribble before Jhonder Cádiz added a third deep into stoppage time to end the Lions' season.[84]

Roster[]

Last updated on November 5, 2021[85]
No. Nationality Name Position(s) Date of birth (age) Previous club Notes
Goalkeepers
1 Peru Pedro Gallese GK (1990-02-23)February 23, 1990 (aged 31) Mexico Veracruz INT
31 United States Mason Stajduhar GK (1997-12-02)December 2, 1997 (aged 23) United States Orlando City U-23 HGP
40 United States Adam Grinwis GK (1992-04-21)April 21, 1992 (aged 28) United States Sacramento Republic –
Defenders
2 Brazil Ruan RB (1995-05-29)May 29, 1995 (aged 25) Brazil Barra da Tijuca INT
3 Argentina Emmanuel Mas LB (1989-01-15)January 15, 1989 (aged 32) Argentina Boca Juniors INT
4 Portugal João Moutinho LB (1998-01-12)January 12, 1998 (aged 23) United States Los Angeles FC GA
6 Sweden Robin Jansson CB (1991-11-15)November 15, 1991 (aged 29) Sweden AIK –
15 Argentina Rodrigo Schlegel CB (1997-04-03)April 3, 1997 (aged 24) Argentina Racing Club INT
24 United States Kyle Smith RB (1992-01-09)January 9, 1992 (aged 29) United States Louisville City –
25 Brazil Antônio Carlos CB (1993-03-07)March 7, 1993 (aged 28) Brazil Palmeiras INT
26 United States Michael Halliday RB (2003-01-22)January 22, 2003 (aged 18) United States Orlando City B HGP
29 United States Rio Hope-Gund CB (1999-08-20)August 20, 1999 (aged 21) United States Georgetown Hoyas –
68 United States Thomas Williams CB (2004-08-15)August 15, 2004 (aged 16) United States Orlando City B HGP
Midfielders
8 Ecuador Sebas Méndez DM (1997-04-26)April 26, 1997 (aged 23) Ecuador Independiente del Valle –
10 Uruguay Mauricio Pereyra AM (1990-03-15)March 15, 1990 (aged 31) Russia FC Krasnodar DP, INT
11 Brazil Júnior Urso CM (1989-03-10)March 10, 1989 (aged 32) Brazil Corinthians INT
20 Spain Uri Rosell DM (1992-07-07)July 7, 1992 (aged 28) Portugal Sporting CP –
21 United States Andrés Perea CM (2000-11-14)November 14, 2000 (aged 20) Colombia Atlético Nacional –
28 United States Raul Aguilera DM (1999-08-02)August 2, 1999 (aged 21) United States Orlando City B HGP
33 United States Jordan Bender CM (2001-07-09)July 9, 2001 (aged 19) United States Orlando City B HGP
34 Jamaica Joey DeZart DM (1998-06-09)June 9, 1998 (aged 22) United States Wake Forest Demon Deacons –
Forwards
7 Brazil Alexandre Pato CF (1989-09-02)September 2, 1989 (aged 31) Brazil São Paulo INT
9 United States Chris Mueller RW (1996-08-29)August 29, 1996 (aged 24) United States Wisconsin Badgers –
13 Canada Tesho Akindele CF (1992-03-31)March 31, 1992 (aged 29) United States FC Dallas –
14 Netherlands Silvester van der Water RW (1996-09-30)September 30, 1996 (aged 24) Netherlands Heracles Almelo INT
17 Portugal Nani LW (1986-11-17)November 17, 1986 (aged 34) Portugal Sporting CP DP, INT
18 United States Daryl Dike CF (2000-06-03)June 3, 2000 (aged 20) United States Virginia Cavaliers GA
19 United States Benji Michel RW (1997-10-23)October 23, 1997 (aged 23) United States Portland Pilots HGP
22 Ecuador Alexander Alvarado LW (1999-04-21)April 21, 1999 (aged 21) Ecuador Aucas INT
32 Puerto Rico Wilfredo Rivera LW (2003-10-14)October 14, 2003 (aged 17) United States Orlando City B HGP
35 United States Derek Dodson CF (1998-11-03)November 3, 1998 (aged 22) United States Georgetown Hoyas –

Staff[]

Executive
Majority owner and chairman United States Mark Wilf
Majority owner and vice-chair United States Zygi Wilf
Majority owner and vice-chair United States Leonard Wilf
Executive VP of soccer operations Brazil Luiz Muzzi
Coaching staff
Head coach Colombia Óscar Pareja
Assistant coach Argentina Josema Bazán
Assistant coach Mexico Diego Torres Ortiz
Strength and conditioning coach Argentina Fabian Bazán
Goalkeeping coach Venezuela César Baena

Competitions[]

Friendlies[]

MLS required all players to report for preseason by March 1 in order to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine period and medical testing in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Players who volunteered to quarantine earlier were permitted to begin group workouts from March 1 prior to the official start of team training on March 8.[86]

March 15 Orlando City 1–0 Philadelphia Union Clearwater, Florida
11:00 am Alvarado 56' Report Stadium: Joe DiMaggio Field
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
March 18 Orlando City 2–3 New York City FC Kissimmee, Florida
11:00 am
  • Jansson 43'
  • Pato 65'
 Report
Stadium: Osceola County Stadium
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
March 24 Orlando City 3–1 Philadelphia Union Kissimmee, Florida
12:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Orlando City SC Training Ground
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
March 27 Orlando City 1–0 Columbus Crew Kissimmee, Florida
7:00 pm Akindele Report Stadium: Osceola County Stadium
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
March 31 Orlando City 1–0 FC Cincinnati Kissimmee, Florida
7:00 pm Halliday Report Stadium: Osceola County Stadium
Note: Closed-door scrimmage. Second-half shortened by weather.
April 3 Orlando City 2–2 Chicago Fire Orlando, Florida
11:30 am
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
April 6 Orlando City Canceled Miami FC
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
April 9 Orlando City 3–2 Minnesota United Orlando, Florida
11:00 am
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Note: Closed-door scrimmage

Major League Soccer[]

Further information: 2021 Major League Soccer season

Outside of the club, Austin FC joined the league as an expansion franchise, bringing the total number of MLS clubs to 27. However, Austin FC and Orlando City did not meet in the 2021 season. Sporting Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes were the only Western Conference teams Orlando faced in the regular season in a bid to keep to a limited, regionalized schedule during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The top seven teams from each conference qualified for the playoffs.

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
34 13 12 9 50 48  +2 51 8 7 2 29 18  +11 5 5 7 21 30  −9

Last updated: November 7, 2021.
Source: Match reports

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHAHHAHAAHAHAAHAHHAAHHHAHAAAHAHHAHA
ResultDDWDWWLWWWLLDWLWDDDWDWLLLLDWWDDLDW
Position[a]8834223222223232225222334574444556
Updated to match(es) played on November 7, 2021. Source: Match reports
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
  1. ^ ORL's position at the end of the matchweek, not their match.

Results

April 17 1 Orlando City 0–0 Atlanta United Orlando, Florida
3:00 pm Report Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 11,503
Referee: Jair Marrufo
April 23 2 Sporting Kansas City 1–1 Orlando City Kansas City, Kansas
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park
Referee: Joe Dickerson
May 1 3 Orlando City 3–0 FC Cincinnati Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Referee: Drew Fischer
May 8 4 Orlando City 1–1 New York City FC Orlando, Florida
6:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 11,503
Referee: Robert Sibiga
May 16 5 D.C. United 0–1 Orlando City Buzzard Point, Washington
8:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 5,280
Referee: Alex Chilowicz
May 22 6 Orlando City 1–0 Toronto FC Orlando, Florida
7:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 11,525
Referee: Victor Rivas
Note: Due to travel restrictions, Toronto FC began the season using Exploria Stadium as their home field. Orlando was designated the home team for this fixture.
May 29 7 New York Red Bulls 2–1 Orlando City Harrison, New Jersey
1:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Referee: Ismail Elfath
June 19 8 Toronto FC 2–3 Orlando City Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
  • Akinola 10'
  • Osorio 39'
  • Delgado Yellow card 64'
  • Gonzalez Yellow card 67'
 Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: Behind-closed-doors
Referee: Armando Villarreal
Note: Due to travel restrictions, Toronto FC began the season using Exploria Stadium as their home field. Toronto were designated the home team for this fixture and as such, the game was not open to fans.
June 22 9 Orlando City 5–0 San Jose Earthquakes Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 15,476
Referee: Chris Penso
Note: Kick off delayed half an hour for inclement weather. A second lightning delay caused a stoppage in the 40th minute with the game resuming one hour later.
June 25 10 Inter Miami 1–2 Orlando City Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8:00 pm
Report
Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium
Attendance: 17,926
Referee: Allen Chapman
July 3 11 Orlando City 1–2 New York Red Bulls Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 19,009
Referee: Joseph Dickerson
July 7 12 Chicago Fire 3–1 Orlando City Chicago, Illinois
8:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Soldier Field
Attendance: 8,002
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
July 17 13 Toronto FC 1–1 Orlando City Toronto, Ontario, Canada
7:30 pm
  • Altidore 72'
  • Bono Yellow card 76'
  • Bradley Yellow card 84'
 Report
Stadium: BMO Field
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
Note: Due to travel restrictions, Toronto FC began the season using Exploria Stadium as their home field. This was the first match Toronto was able to play at BMO Field.
July 22 14 Orlando City 2–1 Philadelphia Union Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 15,432
Referee: Alan Kelly
Note: Kick off delayed an hour for inclement weather.
July 25 15 New York City FC 5–0 Orlando City The Bronx, New York
6:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Yankee Stadium
Attendance: 13,503
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
July 30 16 Orlando City 3–2 Atlanta United Orlando, Florida
8:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 18,910
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
August 4 17 Orlando City 1–1 Inter Miami Orlando, Florida
8:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 17,966
Referee: Armando Villarreal
August 7 18 FC Cincinnati 1–1 Orlando City Cincinnati, Ohio
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: TQL Stadium
Attendance: 24,113
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
August 18 19 Nashville SC 1–1 Orlando City Nashville, Tennessee
8:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
Attendance: 13,154
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
August 21 20 Orlando City 1–0 Chicago Fire Orlando, Florida
8:00 pm
Mueller Yellow card 78'
 Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 15,538
Referee: Tim Ford
Note: Kick off delayed 40mins for inclement weather.
August 27 21 Orlando City 0–0 Inter Miami Orlando, Florida
8:30 pm
  • Jansson Yellow card 51'
 Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 17,817
Referee: Ismail Elfath
September 4 22 Orlando City 3–2 Columbus Crew Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 15,366
Referee: Armando Villarreal
September 10 23 Atlanta United 3–0 Orlando City Atlanta, Georgia
7:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Attendance: 42,507
Referee: Victor Rivas
September 15 24 Orlando City 2–4 CF Montréal Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
  • Nani Yellow card 28' Yellow-red card 35'
  • Jansson 40'
  • Ruan 63'
  • Perea Red card 83'
 Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 14,133
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
September 19 25 Philadelphia Union 3–1 Orlando City Chester, Pennsylvania
4:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Subaru Park
Attendance: 15,032
Referee: Alan Kelly
September 25 26 New England Revolution 2–1 Orlando City Foxborough, Massachusetts
7:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Gillette Stadium
Attendance: 23,506
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
September 29 27 Nashville SC 2–2 Orlando City Nashville, Tennessee
8:30 pm
  • Mukhtar 11'
  • Godoy Yellow card 34'
  • Leal 59'
  • Johnston Yellow card 82'
 Report
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
Attendance: 18,648
Referee: Drew Fischer
October 2 28 Orlando City 2–1 D.C. United Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
  • Jansson 17'
  • Dike 90+7'
 Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 16,848
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
October 16 29 FC Cincinnati 0–1 Orlando City Cincinnati, Ohio
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: West End Stadium
Attendance: 22,488
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
October 20 30 Orlando City 1–1 CF Montréal Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 15,775
Referee: Robert Sibiga
October 24 31 Orlando City 2–2 New England Revolution Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 17,539
Referee: Chris Penso
October 27 32 Columbus Crew 3–2 Orlando City Columbus, Ohio
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Crew Stadium
Attendance: 16,676
Referee: Joseph Dickerson
October 31 33 Orlando City 1–1 Nashville SC Orlando, Florida
7:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 15,959
Referee: Allen Chapman
November 7 34 CF Montréal 0–2 Orlando City Montreal, Quebec, Canada
3:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Saputo Stadium
Referee: Armando Villarreal
Note: Due to travel restrictions, CF Montréal began the season using Inter Miami CF Stadium as their home field. They were able to return to play in Canada on July 17.

Standings[]

Eastern Conference table

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
4 New York City FC (C) 34 14 11 9 56 36 +20 51 Qualification for the Playoffs first round and CONCACAF Champions League[a]
5 Atlanta United FC 34 13 9 12 45 37 +8 51 Qualification for the Playoffs first round
6 Orlando City SC 34 13 9 12 50 48 +2 51
7 New York Red Bulls 34 13 12 9 39 33 +6 48
8 D.C. United 34 14 15 5 56 54 +2 47
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
(C) Champion
Notes:
  1. ^ As MLS Cup 2021 champions

Overall table

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
8 New York City FC (C) 34 14 11 9 56 36 +20 51 Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions League[a]
9 Atlanta United FC 34 13 9 12 45 37 +8 51
10 Orlando City SC 34 13 9 12 50 48 +2 51
11 Minnesota United FC 34 13 11 10 42 44 −2 49
12 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 34 12 9 13 45 45 0 49
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
(C) Champion
Notes:
  1. ^ As MLS Cup 2021 champions (USA1)

MLS Cup Playoffs[]

Main article: 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs
November 23 First round #3 Nashville SC 3–1 #6 Orlando City Nashville, Tennessee
8:00 pm
  • Mukhtar 21', 74'
  • Anibaba Yellow card 85'
  • Cádiz 90+4'
 Report
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
Attendance: 26,043
Referee: Ismail Elfath

U.S. Open Cup[]

Main article: 2021 U.S. Open Cup

On March 29, the USSF and Open Cup Committee confirmed plans for a shortened 16-team U.S. Open Cup including the cancellation of the opening stages. The competition was originally scheduled to begin at the Round of 16 stage with MLS holding eight berths given to the top eight US-based MLS clubs in the 2021 regular season standings based on average points per game as of the third weekend of play on May 3.[87] However, on April 16, the committee decided to not hold the competition in spring due to "logistical and financial challenges" but left open the possibility of holding it later in the year.[88] The competition was officially canceled on July 20.[89]

Leagues Cup[]

Main article: 2021 Leagues Cup

Orlando City were one of four MLS teams qualified for the 2021 edition of the Leagues Cup as one of the top two teams from each conference based on the 2020 regular season standings not scheduled to participate in the Champions League. The single-elimination tournament took place entirely in the United States and saw each MLS team drawn against a Liga MX team for the opening round.[17]

August 12 Quarter-final Orlando City 0–1 Mexico Santos Laguna Orlando, Florida
7:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 7,338
Referee: Selvin Brown

Squad statistics[]

Main article: List of Orlando City SC records and statistics

Appearances[]

As of match played November 23, 2021

Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.

No. Pos Nat Player Total MLS Playoffs Leagues Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Goalkeepers
1 GK Peru PER Pedro Gallese 23 0 22 0 1 0 0 0
31 GK United States USA Mason Stajduhar 6 0 5 0 0 0 1 0
40 GK United States USA Adam Grinwis 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
Defenders
2 DF Brazil BRA Ruan 26 2 21+3 2 1 0 1 0
3 DF Argentina ARG Emmanuel Mas 18 0 7+9 0 1 0 0+1 0
4 DF Portugal POR João Moutinho 21 0 14+6 0 0 0 1 0
6 DF Sweden SWE Robin Jansson 30 3 26+2 3 1 0 1 0
15 DF Argentina ARG Rodrigo Schlegel 23 0 16+7 0 0 0 0 0
24 DF United States USA Kyle Smith 28 1 21+6 1 0 0 0+1 0
25 DF Brazil BRA Antônio Carlos 31 2 28+1 2 1 0 1 0
26 DF United States USA Michael Halliday 6 0 4+2 0 0 0 0 0
29 DF United States USA Rio Hope-Gund 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
68 DF United States USA Thomas Williams 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Midfielders
8 MF Ecuador ECU Sebas Méndez 18 1 15+2 1 1 0 0 0
10 MF Uruguay URU Mauricio Pereyra 31 1 26+3 1 1 0 1 0
11 MF Brazil BRA Júnior Urso 32 4 29+1 4 1 0 1 0
20 MF Spain ESP Uri Rosell 14 0 6+8 0 0 0 0 0
21 MF United States USA Andrés Perea 28 2 16+11 2 0 0 1 0
28 MF United States USA Raul Aguilera 3 0 0+3 0 0 0 0 0
33 MF United States USA Jordan Bender 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 MF Jamaica JAM Joey DeZart 17 0 7+10 0 0 0 0 0
Forwards
7 FW Brazil BRA Alexandre Pato 5 0 1+3 0 0+1 0 0 0
9 FW United States USA Chris Mueller 31 3 18+11 3 1 0 1 0
13 FW Canada CAN Tesho Akindele 34 3 15+17 3 0+1 0 1 0
14 FW Netherlands NED Silvester van der Water 29 3 12+15 3 0+1 0 0+1 0
17 FW Portugal POR Nani 30 10 22+6 10 0+1 0 1 0
18 FW United States USA Daryl Dike 19 11 15+3 10 1 1 0 0
19 FW United States USA Benji Michel 36 4 19+15 4 1 0 0+1 0
22 FW Ecuador ECU Alexander Alvarado 10 0 2+8 0 0 0 0 0
32 FW Puerto Rico PUR Wilfredo Rivera 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Players away from the club on loan:
30 MF United States USA David Loera 2 0 0+1 0 0 0 0+1 0
35 FW United States USA Derek Dodson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
99 FW Brazil BRA Matheus Aiás 2 0 0+2 0 0 0 0 0
Players who appeared for the club but left during the season:
23 GK England ENG Brandon Austin 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0

Goalscorers[]

As of match played November 23, 2021
Rank No. Pos. Name MLS Playoffs Leagues Cup Total
1 18 FW United States Daryl Dike 10 1 0 11
2 17 FW Portugal Nani 10 0 0 10
3 11 MF Brazil Júnior Urso 4 0 0 4
19 FW United States Benji Michel 4 0 0 4
5 9 FW United States Chris Mueller 3 0 0 3
6 DF Sweden Robin Jansson 3 0 0 3
13 FW Canada Tesho Akindele 3 0 0 3
14 FW Netherlands Silvester van der Water 3 0 0 3
9 2 DF Brazil Ruan 2 0 0 2
21 MF United States Andrés Perea 2 0 0 2
25 DF Brazil Antônio Carlos 2 0 0 2
12 8 MF Ecuador Sebas Méndez 1 0 0 1
10 MF Uruguay Mauricio Pereyra 1 0 0 1
24 DF United States Kyle Smith 1 0 0 1
Own goals 1 0 0 1
Total 50 1 0 51

Shutouts[]

As of match played November 23, 2021
Rank No. Pos. Name MLS Playoffs Leagues Cup Total
1 1 GK Peru Pedro Gallese 7 0 0 7
2 23 GK England Brandon Austin 1 0 0 1
31 GK United States Mason Stajduhar 1 0 0 1
Total 9 0 0 9

Disciplinary record[]

As of match played November 23, 2021
No. Pos. Name MLS Playoffs Leagues Cup Total
Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
1 GK Peru Pedro Gallese 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2 DF Brazil Ruan 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
4 DF Portugal João Moutinho 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
6 DF Sweden Robin Jansson 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
8 MF Ecuador Sebas Méndez 6 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
9 FW United States Chris Mueller 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
10 MF Uruguay Mauricio Pereyra 5 0 1 0 0 0 6 0
11 MF Brazil Júnior Urso 7 0 0 0 0 1 7 1
13 FW Canada Tesho Akindele 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
14 FW Netherlands Silvester van der Water 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
15 DF Argentina Rodrigo Schlegel 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
17 FW Portugal Nani 2 1 0 0 1 0 3 1
19 FW United States Benji Michel 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
20 MF Spain Uri Rosell 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
21 MF United States Andrés Perea 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 1
24 DF United States Kyle Smith 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
25 DF Brazil Antônio Carlos 6 1 0 0 0 0 6 1
28 MF United States Raul Aguilera 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
34 MF Jamaica Joey DeZart 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 65 3 2 0 2 1 69 4

Player movement[]

Per Major League Soccer and club policies, terms of the deals do not get disclosed.

MLS SuperDraft picks[]

Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2021 MLS SuperDraft was held on January 21, 2021. Orlando had four selections.

2021 Orlando City MLS SuperDraft Picks
Round Selection Player Position College Status
1 8 United States Derek Dodson CF Washington, D.C. Georgetown University Signed[90]
19 United States Rio Hope-Gund CB Washington, D.C. Georgetown University Signed[91]
22 United States Brandon Hackenberg CB Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University NCAA returnee[92]
2 49 United States Andrew Pannenberg GK North Carolina Wake Forest University Not signed[93]

Transfers in[]

No. Name Pos. Transferred from Fee/Notes Date Ref.
25 Brazil Antônio Carlos CB Brazil Palmeiras Exercised option to buy, reportedly $1.7m December 1, 2020 [94][95]
15 Argentina Rodrigo Schlegel CB Argentina Racing Club Exercised option to buy, reportedly $500k December 2, 2020 [2][96]
21 United States Andrés Perea CM Colombia Atlético Nacional Exercised option to buy [2]
22 Ecuador Alexander Alvarado LW Ecuador Aucas Exercised option to buy [2]
7 Brazil Alexandre Pato CF Brazil São Paulo Free agent signing February 13, 2021 [6]
14 Netherlands Silvester van der Water RW Netherlands Heracles Almelo Undisclosed fee, reportedly $1.45m February 23, 2021 [8][97]
32 Puerto Rico Wilfredo Rivera LW United States Orlando City B Signed Homegrown contract March 22, 2021 [98]
28 United States Raul Aguilera DM United States Orlando City B Signed Homegrown contract April 5, 2021 [99]
68 United States Thomas Williams CB United States Orlando City B Signed Homegrown contract June 15, 2021 [36]
3 Argentina Emmanuel Mas LB Argentina Boca Juniors Free agent signing July 14, 2021 [100]
40 United States Adam Grinwis GK United States Sacramento Republic Free agent signing July 31, 2021 [56]

Loans in[]

No. Name Pos. Loaned from Notes Date Ref.
23 England Brandon Austin GK England Tottenham Hotspur Six-month loan with an option for an additional six months; expired 7/31/21 January 22, 2021 [101][102]
16 United States Jonathan Suárez LB Mexico Querétaro One-year loan with option to buy; terminated 2/28/21 February 3, 2021 [103][4]
93 Trinidad and Tobago Greg Ranjitsingh GK United States MLS pool Emergecy MLS goalkeeper pool signing; rostered for match played 9/10/21 September 3, 2021 [104]

Transfers out[]

No. Name Pos. Transferred to Fee/Notes Date Ref.
14 United States Dom Dwyer CF Canada Toronto FC Contract expired; Signed with Toronto FC on 5/11/21 December 2, 2020 [105][106]
3 United States Alex DeJohn CB United States Pittsburgh Riverhounds Option declined; Signed with Pittsburgh Riverhounds on 2/9/21 [2][107]
17 Paraguay Josué Colmán AM Paraguay Guaraní Option declined; Signed with Guaraní on 1/27/21 [2][108]
77 Brazil Robinho LW Brazil Confiança Option declined; Signed with Confiança on 2/1/21 [2][109]
29 Colombia Santiago Patiño CF United States San Antonio FC Option declined; Signed with San Antonio FC on 1/6/21 [2][110]
27 Canada Kamal Miller CB United States Austin FC Selected in the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft. December 15, 2020 [11]
23 United States Brian Rowe GK Retired Out of contract December 31, 2020 [2]

Loans out[]

No. Name Pos. Loaned to Notes Date Ref.
18 United States Daryl Dike CF England Barnsley Until the end of the Barnsley season (May 31, 2021) with an option to buy February 1, 2021 [111]
33 United States Jordan Bender CM United States Charlotte Independence Until the end of season; recalled 9/1/21 May 6, 2021 [112][113]
99 Brazil Matheus Aiás CF Spain Real Oviedo Until June 30, 2022 with an option to buy July 4, 2021 [114]
35 United States Derek Dodson CF United States Hartford Athletic No loan length specified, Orlando holds right to recall at any time; recalled 11/5/21 July 9, 2021 [115]
30 United States David Loera AM United States Phoenix Rising Until the end of season September 9, 2021 [116]

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