Most people think of Orlando as a sweet place to visit with the family. Take in a bit of the gentle Disney magic, rub elbows with some of the cute characters, and you´re all set. But the world´s most famous soccer player at the moment, Lionel Messi, found out that the elbows come in a bit higher and sharper when you face off against the ruffians of Orlando City SC.
Even Messi Isn´t Welcome in the New Home of Disney
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Not long ago, Messi breezed into MLS with Inter Miami CF after winning the ever-elusive World Cup with Argentina in 2022 following a hard-fought battle against France (and the world´s second-most famous player, speedster Kylian Mbappé) in the Final. The former´s Miami team wears pink shirts, and one of its biggest sponsors, Royal Caribbean, offers cushy cruises amidst idyllic islands.
However, uniform colors aside (Orlando City SC sports luxuriant purple apparel), Messi quickly found out he was in for a long night in the home of Disney in August 2023. That included several scuffles and near fisticuffs, both in the tunnel and on the field. “I’m glad I’m on their team and not playing against them,” Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire quipped to The Athletic. “Them” meant Cézar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena, two Orlando mates who made sure Messi didn´t enjoy a cakewalk. Araujo and Messi had a quick altercation in the tunnel as they exited the field at the half. Cartagena also messed with Messi a few times during the match.
Indeed, no MLS team before had roughed up and trash-talked his majesty Messi quite so. Suddenly, an international audience could see what´s been known for a while in MLS land. The current Orlando City edition can be readily viewed as the league´s bad boys. Don´t you dare mess with Mickey when visiting Central Florida. McGuire himself emphasized:
I’ve gotten that feeling from a few (foes) that we’re not their favorite team to play and that they definitely don’t like playing us. But if they want to view us as the villain or the bad guy because our style of play is effective, go ahead and do that if they want.
How Did Orlando City SC Earn This Tough Rap?
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The final stats tend to back up McGuire. Last season, the Orlando City Lions suffered the most MLS fouls (13.86) in 90 minutes. In addition, the Florida fighters were knotted for the league lead in the number of opponents receiving second yellow cards. What´s more, Orlando finished second in the overall 2023 standings, hauling in a record point total (63) for the club. The club’s center back, Robin Jansson, told The Athletic:
Do we play a little bit dirty on the field? I can agree a little bit on that one because sometimes you might not have the rhythm of the play that you want with the ball.
If your rhythm´s off, why not try to get it back by bumping into an opponent or two? Funny that from the time they joined MLS in 2015, the team was a constant loser. They started seasons well and then faded fast. 2018 came, and Orlando City broke an MLS record for futility by giving up the most goals ever in a regular season (that nasty number was 74, or 2.17 per game on average).
This Coach Is Cool
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Despite showcasing one of Brazil´s brightest talents in recent years, Kaká, as well as having a deep-pocketed Brazilian owner, Flávio da Silva, it took a Colombian to turn things around. In 2020, Orlando City contracted Oscar Pareja who kicked things off nicely by taking the Lions to the promised land of playoffs for their first time ever. The 55-year-old Pareja also piloted Orlando to the U.S. Open Cup title in 2022.
The Central Florida side shows its flashy South American style and goal-scoring prowess now and again. But Orlando City is quick to give up its preferred playing mode to grind out wins. It may be called ´winning ugly´ by some. Yet the points can pile up in the standings. Pareja proclaimed:
We’re not the most flashy or exquisite team, as they say. And I don’t care about that. We’re a difficult side to play against. That has been developed throughout the club and amongst the players. It’s our common fabric.
A certain Lionel Messi can attest to the lack of exquisiteness that exists within the hard walls of Orlando City SC.
About the Author
Veteran soccer writer Will Beebe currently lives in São Paulo, Brazil, and has witnessed plenty of ´the beautiful game.´ As a player though he wasn´t averse to winning ugly now and then. Connect with Will on X: @WABeebe11
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