Orlando City's next goodbye to get back on track is painfully obvious | OneFootball

It was pretty miserable being an Orlando City fan during the club's first five seasons in Major League Soccer. Then, with just one appointment, everything changed.

Thanks to Óscar Pareja and his staff, Orlando are no longer a laughing stock. Their six consecutive post-season appearances is the league's longest active streak - a remarkable achievement for a club that didn’t once reach the play-offs in those first five campaigns.

And, to top it all off, the Colombian led Orlando to their very first Major League Soccer-era title, lifting the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

In recent years, though, things have started to unravel. Embarrassing Open Cup defeats, successive early CONCACAF Champions Cup exits, and Leagues Cup heartbreak have all stunted Orlando's hopes of clinching further silverware. But MLS Cup is the one Pareja truly wants, and it just isn't happening.

2023's Eastern Conference Semi-Final defeat to Columbus Crew hurt a lot, because Orlando were genuinely the league's most impressive team from summer onwards. Last year wasn't so painful as LA Galaxy would've won that home final anyway, but there was no excuse for surrendering the Eastern Conference title at home to sthe eventh-seed New York Red Bulls.

Wednesday night's 3-1 loss to Chicago Fire didn't hurt at all, and that's because everyone was expecting it. Such apathy is a powerful indictment of just how far Orlando's standards have dropped this season, despite Pareja probably having the best squad at his disposal yet.

It hurts to say this, but there is a reason why Pareja is still yet to add an MLS Cup to his portfolio, despite managing the fourth-most games in league history. If Orlando want to progress as a club, they must part ways with their beloved coach.

Self-defeating tactics

There's no way to sugarcoat it, Pareja's conservative tactics have cost Orlando dearly on a number of occasions both this season and in years gone by.

In 2025 alone, Orlando dropped an unbelievable fifteen points from winning positions. And, unfortunately, Pareja is often to blame.

Instead of going for the kill when ahead, he often withdraws his main attacking outlets in favour of shoring up his defence. As Orlando have found out all too often, this only invites more and more pressure - it's usually just a matter of time before the opponent finds that all-important equaliser.

Obviously, Orlando were never in a position to defend a lead against Chicago, or indeed in any of their recent, season-ending play-off defeats. But that's because, in these big games, Pareja is too afraid to attack at all.

Questionable loyalties

It's one thing parking the bus when you can depend on an impenetrable defence to see out a result. But Orlando don't have anything of the sort, and Pareja is partly to blame.

Let's face it. The likes of Rodrigo Schlegel, César Araújo, and even Pedro Gallese don't have the mentality and consistency required to perform in the biggest of games. Yet Pareja still plays them every week, season in and season out.

It only gets worse in attack. Iván Angulo has had a terrible 2025, registering a grand total of zero league goals all season. But, just like those in defence, he plays every game.

I just don't know what Tyrese Spicer, who netted Orlando's consolation on Wednesday, had to do to earn his coach's trust to start the game. He has been excellent since arriving from Toronto FC in August, and even scored twice for his native Trinidad and Tobago during the most recent international break.

It's fine for Pareja to have loyalties to certain players, especially those who have been at the club just as long as he has. But refusing to see past these loyalties, to the detriment of the team, is unacceptable.

Refusing to use youth

Orlando have struggled with injuries this season, that's fair enough. But Pareja has an entire squad at his disposal, complemented by a number of young stars from what is one of the league's most exciting academies.

Nowhere has this injury crisis been more devastating than in Orlando's midfield, where Araújo, Eduard Atuesta, and Joran Gerbet have each missed plenty of games - not to mention Wilder Cartagena, who was placed on the season-ending injury list all the way back in January.

As a result, Orlando have struggled to find any sort of consistency in the middle of the park. But Colin Guske, one of the best-performing midfielders in MLS Next Pro during the last year, has been there all along, and is still waiting for his first senior start.

The 18-year-old is not alone. Gustavo Caraballo and Justin Ellis could've at least deputised for the misfiring Angulo and Luis Muriel in attack, while Thomas Williams was a ready-made replacement for when one of Schlegel and Robin Jansson were unavailable.

Yes, these youngsters might not yet be ready to compete at the highest level. But we don't know that, because Pareja hasn't given them a fair chance.

Alex Freeman is evidence enough of what trusting youth can do for your team.

Now is the right time for change at Orlando City SC

2025 always felt like it was going to be make or break for Pareja.

2023 and 2024 both ended in heartbreak, but there was a noticeable progression within the team's performances and maturity. Absolutely none of that progression carried forward into 2025.

Pareja has taken Orlando as far as he possibly can, and the same can be said of a number of his stalwarts.

Gallese, Jansson, Araújo, Cartagena, Angulo, and Kyle Smith all see their contracts expire at the end of the year, while Orlando's best players, like Freeman and Martín Ojeda, are likely to attract substantial bids from clubs elsewhere.

Even if a handful of these stay, it certainly feels like the end of an era.

Parting ways with Pareja now would cause the least amount of upheaval, allowing a new coach with new ideas to craft his own squad over the coming off-season.

Whatever happens, Orlando's ownership have a huge decision to make. A new coach may propel the club to greater heights, but firing Pareja may equally undo six years of hard work.

At the very least, some uncomfortable discussions must be had. After all, complacency is the sole reason why Orlando’s season completely unraveled in the manner it did.