Óscar Pareja’s Orlando City Runs on a Vision Others Simply Cannot See

By Alonso Contreras

Orlando City’s style of play has caught the attention not only of its fans but of everyone following the league. It is filled with technical, dynamic football, building from the goalkeeper with precision and delivering surprising plays throughout this season, but make no mistake, it is no coincidence. It is built on the manager’s ability to detect what is hidden in plain sight.

In the first Florida Clásico, some might say it was just the motivation of facing Messi.

Orlando went into Inter Miami’s home and smashed them 3-0. Then, in this past weekend’s Clásico, a 4-1 victory. Orlando City is now on everyone’s lips, but those of us who cover the team day in and day out know how the “Profe” works and exactly the type of player he seeks.

Take the case of Martín Ojeda. He arrived as a Designated Player, went match after match sitting on the bench, and was not the favorite many fans hoped for, but Pareja never wavered. Now, he is an MVP candidate.

The same with Muriel. Silent in his first year, few highlighted his technical ability to thread passes to the wings and become a creative force in certain moments of play, but Óscar Pareja knew his true soccer knowledge and skill. Today, he is the number 9 Orlando had been searching for over the years.

When Facundo Torres left, questions arose. Could anyone be equally decisive? Pareja found his answer in Marco Pasalic, now an authentic game-changer and part of what could be the best Designated Player trio in MLS.

• Orlando City has scored three or more goals in 12 of its 31 matches in 2025 across all competitions

  
  

• Martin Ojeda 14G/13A, Marco Pasalic 11G/4A, Luis Muriel 8G/7A

  (MLS Regular Season)

  
  

• With 50 goals in regular-season action, the Lions are tied for the most goals scored in MLS in 2025 with Inter Miami CF in the Eastern Conference and San Diego FC in the Western Conference

  
  

In midfield, losing Wilder Cartagena for the entire season could have been a major blow. Instead, Pareja turned to Atuesta, a classy Colombian capable of threading passes and putting in a strong challenge when needed.

In defense, Rodrigo went from being a rotation player to an undisputed starter, showing the same grit Pareja himself had when playing for his beloved DIM back in Colombia, a quality he also recognized in Schlegel. Freeman, a homegrown product, exceeded all expectations and is already drawing attention from Europe.

Pedro Gallese, the best goalkeeper in the league and a constant figure in Pareja’s plans, was a brilliant choice thanks to Goalkeeper Coach César Baena’s vision, who saw in Gallese all the qualities needed and said, “This is the goalkeeper I want.” Many consider him(Gallese) the finest in Major League Soccer.

Behind them, the bench is deep and hungry: Ramiro, Duncan, Kyle, Dagur, and more academy talents ready to change a match at any moment. Add to that the speed and versatility of Tyrese Spicer, plus the “chaos factor” of Iván Angulo, a winger so unpredictable that opponents cannot decode him no matter how much video they watch. This is a team designed to hurt you from every angle.

Credit is also due to the scouting department, GM Ricardo Moreira, and former GM Luis Muzzi, who have consistently delivered Pareja the next gem to turn into a star, the latest addition being Adrián Marín.

Orlando City’s rise is not luck, it is vision. And today, in MLS, no one sees the game more clearly than Óscar Pareja. The ultimate goal is to win everything they compete for.