Orlando City SC 2025 Season Preview

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Major League Soccer

·17 February 2025

By MLSsoccer staff

Strength: Their offseason moves might have resulted in them now having the most free-flowing, dynamic attacking quartet in the league, and by adding Eduard Atuesta to a previously more agricultural central midfield, they’ve got the ball-playing ability to take advantage of that attacking dynamism. The pieces seem to fit.
Weakness: It’s always a risk when you sell your most reliable goal-scorer and that’s what Orlando did in parting ways with Facu Torres. Marco Pašalić's goal-scoring record raises massive questions about his ability to fill Facu’s shoes.

Heine Gikling Bruseth: Signed last summer via the league’s U22 Initiative, Bruseth was selected by San Diego FC in the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft.
Facundo Torres: Orlando’s marquee player upon his 2022 arrival, Torres was transferred to Palmeiras for a club-record fee reported at up to $14 million. He departs as the team’s all-time leading scorer with 47 goals.

Nicolás Rodríguez: Acquired from Fortaleza CEIF in his native Colombia, Rodríguez joins Orlando’s attack. He fills a U22 Initiative roster spot.
Marco Pašalić: Orlando used the DP spot vacated by Torres to acquire Pašalić from Croatian top-flight side HNK Rijeka. He’s been capped five times by Croatia and was a part of their UEFA Euro 2024 squad.
Eduard Atuesta: Atuesta joins his second MLS club after two stints with LAFC. The Colombian midfielder arrives from Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras and awaits a significant role with Wilder Cartagena out injured.
Full roster