English 
Orlando City SC starts slow, Pareja out
(Photo courtesy of Mark Thor and Orlando City SC)
Orlando City SC fans are grumbling after the team stumbled out of the gate, starting the season as the worst team in MLS soccer. City fans were prepared for change this year after the departures of team stalwarts defender Rodrigo Schlegel and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Now Manager Oscar Pareja is gone, a mutual decision according to the team, and the team is in flux just 4 games into the season.
In Week 2, after falling to rival Inter Miami 4-2 after international superstar Lionel Messi went bonkers in the 2nd half, scoring two goals and leading Inter Miami’s attack, Pareja remained positive after the match, despite admitting “conceding those goals in the second half was painful for us”. What raised some eyebrows, though, was his comment saying “there’s not much for us to be disappointed with” despite giving up those four goals and young midfielder Colin Guske picking up his second yellow card late in the match, booting him from the game.
Things got entirely worse in Orlando City’s first road match the following week in New York against NYCFC. New goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau inexplicably touched a ball with his hands outside the box in the 16th minute, causing yet another Orlando City red card, and another match where City would have to play with ten men against eleven. The result: a 5-0 beat down by NYCFC, sinking Orlando City to 0-3-3 on the season. “I take full responsibility,” Oscar Pareja said after the loss. “There’s a bunch of things that are not working”. Just four days later, Pareja was gone after 6 seasons with Orlando City SC, leading them to the playoffs in all 6 of those years.
“First it is important to say that it was a mutual agreement between us and Oscar Pareja” General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira told the assembled media. “We were thinking about the future in a different way. We were going into a different direction.”
Moreira made it clear the pairing was falling apart. “Maybe we didn’t share the same long term vision for the club and we agreed this was the right time. The season has just started. We haven’t played even 10 percent of the season yet. It is not a lost season. We are still competing for two trophies”
For his part, Oscar Pareja had the right things to say about the break-up in a press release sent out by the team. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Club’s players, staff and supporters for the trust they’ve given me over these last several years,” said Pareja. “Together, we shared moments that will stay with me forever. While it is the right time for both me and the Club to move in new directions, I leave proud of the work we did and with deep appreciation for the people who made it possible. Orlando will always have a special place in my heart, and I wish the team nothing but success in the future.”
In comes former Assistant Martin Perelman to take over. Perelman is the former Coach of Orlando City B and was a top assistant under Pareja the past two seasons. “I’m not here to wait. The club doesn’t want me to be here to wait” Perelman said before his first match in charge. The Lions players went out and rewarded him on the pitch with the team’s first victory of the season, taking down Montreal 2-1 behind goals from Duncan Maguire and Martin Ojeda. Maguire made good on promises made after that disastrous 5-0 loss in New York. “Just be patient with us. There have been times when we haven’t started the season well before, and we’ve come back and ended the season on a high”.
Now it is up to the team and its new management to turn around what looks to be a season in jeopardy. Orlando City hits the road next against proven winners Nashville SC, LAFC, and Columbus. Perelman is asking his team to stay confident, but balanced. “Our club is huge and we will make it the same way anywhere, and against any team.” Bold words for a manager with just one win in his history.
Fans are also saddened by the failed pursuit of French star Antoine Griezmann, currently playing in Spain but looking to move to the US as he turns 35. City failed to attract him here for now, but things could change this summer. Griezmann is just the kind of star Orlando City fans hope would want to play here, but at age 35, he could be limited in what he brings to the team. It has worked for Inter Miami with Messi, but if a star wants to come to the United States to play in their “retirement” phase and league, Orlando will be throwing money down a black hole. Stay tuned this summer as Orlando looks to improve from a rough start and bring some star power to the City Beautiful.
