Orlando City SC facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | The Lions | ||
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| Founded | November 19, 2013 | ||
| Stadium | Inter&Co Stadium Orlando, Florida |
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| Stadium capacity |
25,500 | ||
| Owner | Zygi, Leonard and Mark Wilf | ||
| Head coach | Óscar Pareja | ||
| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2024 | Eastern Conference: 4th Overall: 9th Playoffs: TBD |
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Orlando City Soccer Club is a professional soccer team from Orlando, Florida. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Eastern Conference. Orlando City SC started playing in 2015. They were the 21st team to join MLS. Before this, there was another team with the same name that played in a league called USL Pro. Orlando City was the first MLS team in Florida since 2001. The team plays its home games at Inter&Co Stadium in downtown Orlando, which they own.
Contents
Team History
How Orlando City SC Started
The idea for the club began in 2010 in Orlando. On October 25, 2010, Phil Rawlins and his group announced they wanted to join Major League Soccer in the next few years. They met with MLS officials several times to discuss their plans.
On March 1, 2012, Don Garber, the MLS Commissioner, visited Orlando. He said it was "not a matter of if, but when" Orlando would join MLS. This meant it was very likely to happen. By August 2012, Rawlins said the team might get approval as early as late 2013. They planned to play in the league by 2014 or 2015. The league asked them to think about building a new stadium just for soccer.
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On November 19, 2013, it was officially announced that Orlando City SC would be the 21st team in MLS. The team showed off its new logo in May 2014. A month later, they signed their first player, Brazilian star Kaká. Kaká was a "Designated Player," which means he was a high-paid star player. He played for another team, São Paulo, until the MLS season began. Orlando City also partnered with a Portuguese club called Benfica. They signed two young players from Benfica, Estrela and Rafael Ramos, in August 2014. On November 21, 2014, Adrian Heath, the head coach, signed a contract to stay with the club until 2017. As a new team, Orlando got the first pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. They chose Canadian forward Cyle Larin.
First Seasons in MLS
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Orlando City played its first MLS game at the Citrus Bowl on March 8, 2015. They played against another new team, New York City FC. A huge crowd of 62,510 fans watched. Kaká scored a goal in the last moments of the game, making it a 1–1 tie. In their next game, they won 1–0 against Houston Dynamo, which was their first victory.
In their first season, Orlando City finished 7th in the Eastern Conference. They just missed out on the playoffs by one point. Cyle Larin scored 17 goals that season. This broke the record for most goals by a rookie player. He won the MLS Rookie of the Year Award.
In the middle of the 2016 season, the team was not doing well. Head coach Adrian Heath was fired in July 2016. Jason Kreis took over as coach. However, the team still did not make the playoffs that year.
Moving to a New Stadium
In 2017, the Lions moved into their new home, the Orlando City Stadium. The team was still having trouble winning. They tried to improve by getting striker Dom Dwyer from Sporting Kansas City. He had played for Orlando City's USL Pro team before. Even with new players, the team did not reach the playoffs. Kaká announced he would leave Orlando City and soon retired from playing soccer.
Coaching Changes and Playoff Drought
After 15 games into the 2018 season, Orlando City let go of coach Jason Kreis. Two weeks later, James O'Connor became the new coach. He used to play for the original Orlando City team. However, O'Connor only won two games in his 18 games in charge in 2018. The team missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. They also let in a record 74 goals that year. O'Connor was fired at the end of the 2019 season. The team missed the playoffs again.
Recent Success and New Ownership
Before the 2020 season, Orlando hired Óscar Pareja as their new head coach. The season was changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Orlando played in the MLS is Back Tournament. They reached the final but lost to the Portland Timbers. When the regular season started again, Orlando finally made it to the playoffs. This ended a long playoff drought. They reached the conference semi-finals but lost to the New England Revolution.
On May 12, 2021, the owner of Orlando City, Flavio Augusto da Silva, announced he was selling the club. The new owners were Zygi and Mark Wilf, who also own the Minnesota Vikings football team. The sale was completed on July 21, 2021. Orlando made the playoffs for the second year in a row but lost in the first round.
On September 7, 2022, Orlando City won its first major trophy as an MLS team. They beat Sacramento Republic 3–0 in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final. They made the playoffs again but lost in the first round.
In 2023, Orlando played in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time. They qualified because they won the U.S. Open Cup. They were eliminated by a Mexican team called Tigres UANL. Orlando finished the regular season in second place overall. This was the team's best finish ever. They won their first playoff game since their debut. However, they were knocked out by the Columbus Crew, who went on to win the championship.
Orlando qualified for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League again. They won their first round match against Cavalry FC. In the next round, they faced Tigres UANL again and were defeated. In 2024, the U.S. Soccer Federation changed the format for the 2024 U.S. Open Cup. Orlando City, despite being past winners, was not included in the competition.
Home Stadiums
Building the New Stadium
In April 2013, the City of Orlando bought land downtown for a new $110 million MLS soccer stadium. There were some challenges getting state funding for the project. However, in April 2014, a plan was approved to allow for sales tax money to help.
On August 8, 2013, city and county leaders agreed to help fund the stadium. The final part of the funding came in October 2013. The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted to use $20 million from a tourism tax to build the stadium.
On May 29, 2015, the club's owner, Flávio Augusto da Silva, announced that the stadium would be paid for entirely by the club. He also said they would make the stadium bigger, holding between 25,000 and 28,000 fans. The club would also buy the land from the City of Orlando.
Stadium Opening and Events
On March 5, 2017, Orlando City played its first game in the new stadium. They played against New York City FC. Cyle Larin scored the first goal in the stadium's history. Orlando City won 1–0 in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,550 fans.
In 2017, Exploria Stadium became the first place to host games for MLS, the NWSL, and the USL all in the same location. The stadium has also hosted important national soccer matches. This includes games for the U.S. Men's National Team and the U.S. Women's National Team. It also hosted the 2017 NWSL Championship game.
On June 4, 2019, the stadium's name was changed to Exploria Stadium after a company bought the naming rights. On July 31, 2019, the stadium hosted the 2019 MLS All-Star Game. On January 18, 2024, the stadium's name changed again to Inter&Co Stadium.
Camping World Stadium
Before their new stadium was built, Orlando City played its first two MLS seasons at the Citrus Bowl. The team also helped pay for renovations to this stadium. In their first two opening home games in 2015 and 2016, Orlando City had campaigns to "fill the bowl." This led to sold-out crowds of over 60,000 fans. While using the stadium, Orlando City had an average attendance of over 30,000 people.
Player Development System
Like many MLS teams, Orlando City has a system to develop new players. This includes a reserve team called Orlando City B (OCB). OCB plays at Osceola County Stadium and competes in MLS Next Pro.
Originally, Orlando City had a partnership with Louisville City FC to help develop players. In 2016, Orlando City started its own reserve team, OCB. OCB played in the USL for two seasons. After a break, it returned in 2019 as a founding member of USL League One. OCB took another break before returning in 2022 for the first MLS Next Pro season.
Orlando City also had a team for younger players called Orlando City U-23. This team was part of a league called the Premier Development League. It helped many players get to MLS. The U-23 team was stopped after the 2015 season when OCB was created.
The club also owns the Orlando City Youth Soccer Club. This club helps young players from ages 8 to 18. They compete in local, state, and national leagues.
Training Facilities
In May 2019, the team announced plans to bring all of Orlando City's teams to one training complex. This 20-acre facility at Osceola Heritage Park houses the main MLS team, OCB, and the youth academy. The site has four practice fields, a fitness center, a players' lounge, and offices. Osceola County Stadium was turned into a soccer-specific stadium for OCB's home games. This new facility opened on January 17, 2020. It helps create a clear path for young players to move up to the professional team.
Team Colors and Logo
The logo for Orlando City's MLS team was revealed in 2014. It kept the purple color and lion design from the old USL Pro team's logo. New parts were added to show the team was now in the top league. The logo has a gold lion face with 21 sun flares around its mane, all inside a purple shield. The lion and purple color honor the Orlando Lions, an earlier professional soccer team in Orlando. The 21 flares show that Orlando City was the 21st team to join MLS. The sun-shaped mane represents Florida's nickname, "The Sunshine State." The team's name is also on the logo in white.
Team Mascot
Orlando City's mascot is Kingston. He is a strong, cartoon lion with brown and purple dreadlocks. He has purple face paint and wears a headband with the team's initials. Kingston often wears the team's uniform.
Uniform Evolution
- Home
          2015–16
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     2017–18
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     2019–20
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     2021–22
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     2023–
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- Away
     2015
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     2016–17
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     2018–19
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    2020–21
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     2022–23
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     2024–
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Team Sponsors
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–present | Adidas | Orlando Health |
Orlando Health has been the main shirt sponsor for Orlando City SC since 2010. In 2013, Orlando Health agreed to continue their partnership. This made them the first jersey sponsor to commit to an MLS expansion team before it even joined the league. Adidas also became the team's uniform provider for the 2015 season. This is part of a league-wide deal with MLS.
Club Culture
Team Supporters
Before their first game in March 2015, Orlando City had already sold over 13,000 season tickets. By the end of that month, all 14,000 available season tickets were sold. For the 2017 season, Orlando City capped its season ticket sales at 18,000. On March 8, 2015, 62,510 people came to Orlando's first home game. This was a record for any new MLS team. That year, Orlando City had the second-highest average attendance in the league.
The club has two main fan groups: The Ruckus and The Iron Lion Firm. On game days, these groups join together to form "The Wall" in the stadium's standing section. The Ruckus is the older group, started in 2010. The Iron Lion Firm formed from The Ruckus before Orlando City's first MLS season. The club also has official fan clubs in Brazil and the United Kingdom.
Team Rivalries
Orlando City does not play for any official MLS rivalry trophies. However, they have some important rivalries.
They have a rivalry with Inter Miami CF. This is because Inter Miami is the closest MLS team in Florida. Orlando City joined MLS in 2015, but they had to wait until 2020 to play against another Florida MLS team. This was when Inter Miami joined the league. Unlike many MLS rivalries, this one doesn't have a special name.
Before Inter Miami joined, Orlando City had a rivalry with Atlanta United FC. These were the only two MLS clubs in the southeastern United States when Atlanta joined in 2017. There have been some fan incidents and disagreements between the teams. Both teams have even banned the other team's fan groups from their stadiums.
Orlando City also had competitive games with New York City FC. Both teams joined MLS in 2015, so they were seen as rivals. They played their first MLS game against each other. Orlando, with only 10 players, managed a 1–1 tie in the final moments. The rivalry became more intense when they met in the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Players
Current Roster
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Players on Loan
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Team Staff
| 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 |
Team Achievements
U.S. Open Cup
- Champions (1): 2022
- Runners up (1) : 2023
Team Records
Season by Season Results
This table shows the results for Orlando City SC in MLS each season. For a full history, including the earlier USL team, see list of Orlando City SC seasons.
| Year | MLS Regular season | Position | Playoffs | USOC | CCC | Other | Top goalscorer(s) | ||||||||||
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| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Conf. | Overall | Player(s) | Goals | ||||||
| 2015 | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 46 | 56 | –10 | 44 | 7th | 14th | DNQ | QF | DNQ | DNE |  Cyle Larin |
18 | |
| 2016 | 34 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 55 | 60 | –5 | 41 | 8th | 15th | Ro16 | DNQ | Cyle Larin |
14 | |||
| 2017 | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 39 | 58 | –19 | 39 | 10th | 18th | R4 | Cyle Larin |
12 | ||||
| 2018 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 43 | 74 | –31 | 28 | 11th | 22nd | QF |  Dom Dwyer |
13 | ||||
| 2019 | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 44 | 52 | –8 | 37 | 11th | 22nd | SF |  Nani |
12 | ||||
| 2020 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 40 | 25 | +15 | 41 | 4th | 5th | QF | Canc. | MLS is Back Tournament | RU | Chris Mueller |
10 | |
| 2021 | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 50 | 48 | +2 | 51 | 6th | 10th | R1 | Canc. | Leagues Cup | QF | Daryl Dike |
11 | |
| 2022 | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 44 | 53 | –9 | 48 | 7th | 13th | R1 | W | DNQ |  Facundo Torres |
13 | ||
| 2023 | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 55 | 39 | +16 | 63 | 2nd | 2nd | QF | Ro32 | Ro16 | Leagues Cup | Ro32 | Duncan McGuire |
15 |
| 2024 | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 52 | 4th | 9th | TBD | DNE | Ro16 | Leagues Cup | Ro32 | Facundo Torres |
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Source
Head Coaches History
This table shows the coaches for Orlando City SC and their records in competitive games. This includes MLS regular season, playoffs, MLS is Back Tournament, Leagues Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, and U.S. Open Cup.
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Heath |  England |
November 21, 2014 | July 6, 2016 | 55 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 83 | 94 | 32.73 |
| Bobby Murphy (interim) | United States |
July 7, 2016 | July 23, 2016 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Jason Kreis | United States |
July 24, 2016 | June 15, 2018 | 65 | 22 | 13 | 30 | 90 | 117 | 33.85 |
| Bobby Murphy (interim) | United States |
June 16, 2018 | July 1, 2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0.00 |
| James O'Connor |  Ireland |
July 2, 2018 | October 7, 2019 | 56 | 13 | 14 | 29 | 69 | 95 | 23.21 |
| Óscar Pareja |  Colombia |
December 4, 2019 | present | 193 | 84 | 54 | 55 | 294 | 252 | 43.52 |
| Total | 376 | 138 | 102 | 136 | 541 | 571 | 36.70 | |||
Team Captains
| Years | Name | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2017 | Kaká |  Brazil |
| 2018 | Jonathan Spector |  United States |
| 2019–2021 | Nani |  Portugal |
| 2022–2023 | Mauricio Pereyra |  Uruguay |
| 2024–present | Robin Jansson |  Sweden |
Affiliated Clubs
Orlando City SC ownership
- Orlando Pride (NWSL)
- Orlando City B (MLS Next Pro)
Technical partnerships
See also
In Spanish: Orlando City Soccer Club para niños
- Expansion of Major League Soccer
