Previewing Philadelphia Union at Orlando City SC: “We feel pretty well-versed in who we’re going to face and how we’re going to go about it”

“Whether it’s my first training week or whether it was preparing for Slavia Prague, I prepare the same just from my mindset and the way I try and lead the group. Your next game is your most important game, and now we’re 5 weeks in and the next game is the most important game, which happens to be Matchday 1.” – Philadelphia Union Head Coach, Bradley Carnell

The wait is over, Union fans. It’s time to turn the page on a 2024 season to forget and to focus on a brand new season with a new Head Coach, a number of intriguing new signings, and an appetite for getting back to winning ways. A new era of Philadelphia soccer is here, and we finally get the first real glimpse of what that looks like on Saturday night down in Orlando.

How to watch Union vs Orlando City

When: Saturday, February 22nd @ 7:30 pm
Where: Inter & Co Stadium – Orlando, FL
Where to Watch: Apple TV+

Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City Betting Odds

Orlando City SC: -145
Draw: +300
Philadelphia Union: +330

Orlando City’s 2024 Season

Oscar Pareja’s Orlando City finished the 2024 season with a 15W-7D-12L record, scrounging up 52 points for a 4th-place finish in the Eastern Conference with a +9 Goal Differential (59GF-50GA).

Paraje’s side raised some eyebrows in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, narrowly beating Charlotte FC on penalty-kicks and clean-sheeting Atlanta United on the way to Orlando City’s first-ever Eastern Conference Finals appearance, where The Lions eventually me their demise by way of the New York Red Bulls.

Orlando City’s Off-Season

Orlando City Departures

The most notable departure for Orlando City this off-season is the club’s all-time leading scorer, Facundo Torres, who tallied 14 goals in each of his previous two seasons with The Lions. As of earlier this week, Nicolás Lodeiro is also on his way out of Orlando and will make a move to Houston Dynamo, as will Michael Halliday.

M – Felipe (12/5/24 – out of contract)
M – Heine Gikling Bruseth (12/11/24 – Expansion Draft)
F – Gastón González (12/5/24 – option declined)
M – Jeorgio Kocevski (12/5/24 – option declined)
D – Luca Petrasso (12/5/24 – option declined)
D – Abdi Salim (12/5/24 – option declined)
F – Facundo Torres (12/20/24 – transfer to Palmeiras)
GK – Mason Stajduhar (1/15/25 – trade to Real Salt Lake)
F – Jack Lynn (1/18/25 – retired)
D – Michael Halliday (2/18/25 – trade to Houston Dynamo FC)
M – Nicolás Lodeiro (2/18/25 – mutual contract termination)

Orlando City Arrivals

With a big hole to fill by the departure of Facundo Torres, Orlando City will turn to 24-year-old Winger Marco Pašalić from Croatian top-flight side HNK Rijeka to lead their attack.

“I play with heart and I am a fighter on the field, my left foot is my weapon, as well as my dribbling, and I hope to show that here.” – Orlando City’s Marco Pašalić

Other notable additions to the squad include U22 Initiative signing Nicolás Rodríguez from Colombian top-flight side Fortaleza CEIF and 27-year-old midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Brazil’s Palmeiras.

D – Kyle Smith (12/13/24 – re-signed)
M – Colin Guske (12/16/24 – MLS NEXT Pro)
M – Nicolás Rodríguez (1/17/25 – transfer from Fortaleza CEIF)
GK – Carlos Mercado (1/30/25 – re-signed)
F – Marco Pašalić (2/5/25 – transfer from HNK Rijeka)
M – Eduard Atuesta (2/10/25 – transfer from Palmeiras)
M – Joran Gerbet (2/17/25 – SuperDraft)

“They have brought in Atuesta and Pašalić, these are really good players in their own right as well, so again, it’s a competitive team, it’s a robust team, it’s a physical team, they have a mentality, especially at home, so we’re going to have to match up to that and then some.” – Bradley Carnell

Orlando City SC Predicted Starting XI

Orlando looks to be returning all but two of its starting XI from the end of last season—Facundo Torres and Wilder Cartagena, who will miss the 2025 season due to injury. Based on the profile of their new signings, it doesn’t feel too difficult to imagine who might slot into the 2 vacant spots. Here’s my best guess at how Orlando will line up against Philadelphia Union on Saturday night.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK: Gallese
RB: Thorhallsson, CB: Schlegel, CB: Jansson, RB: Santos
CDM: Araujo, CDM: Atuesta
RCM: Pasalic, CAM: Ojeda, LCM: Angulo
ST: Enrique

Union, MLS — Image Credit: Philadelphia Union

Union Available Players and Predicted Starting XI

Just a few players will be missing from Bradley Carnell’s tool bag on the opening night of the MLS season. Both Nate Harriel and Isaiah LeFlore are set to miss out due to injury, though neither is expected to be out for too much longer.

In addition to that, I don’t believe either new signing in Indiana Vassilev or Bruno Damiani will be included in the matchday roster come Saturday night. While dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s on Vassilev’s deal shouldn’t take quite as long as Damiani’s to sort, the signing was only announced Friday morning and I’m not sure Vassilev has even boarded a plane for Philadelphia yet. Those 4 are the names I’d expect to be unavailable for Saturday’s contest.

It’s a bit difficult to predict a starting XI when there’s a new coach and new faces in the squad, but based on what we’ve heard from Ernst Tanner and Bradley Carnell over the last few days, I think Union will lineup in either a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-2-3-1 on most occasions this season.

“The 4-2-3-1 is very similar to the 4-2-2-2- which we have planned, and we are not playing with Wingers” – Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner

Formation: 4-2-2-2

GK: Blake
RB: Mbaizo, CB: Glesnes, CB: Glavinovich, LB: Wagner
CDM: Lukic, CDM: Danley
CAM: Q. Sullivan, CAM: Gazdag
ST: Baribo, ST: Uhre

How Union will approach Orlando City

If you haven’t heard yet, the Union is going to try to press the life out of their opposition this season. Making the switch from the 4-4-2 diamond to either a 4-2-2-2 or 4-2-3-1 and adding players that better fit the system, Union is looking to catch both fans and their opponents by surprise with a re-vamped approach this season.

“One thing you’ll see a bit of a change in is definitely the intensity defensively, that’s something that Bradley and the new coaching staff has brought in…the pressing is super intense, we want to be on the front foot and win the ball from the other team high up on the field where we’re closer to the goal, and then the togetherness is also something that you’re going to see where if one person is going, the rest of the team is gonna go. The pressing triggers is something the hopefully you guys see.” – Quinn Sullivan

Quotes from Carnell

With the start of the 2024 season, it’s time for fans to turn the page on last season, and Bradley Carnell is ready to do the same heading into the first meaningful game in charge of the Philadelphia Union.

“I’ve heard a lot of stories about last year, and I haven’t really been interested in a lot of stories about last year, all I’ve been looking at is from the 2nd of January forwards, and I haven’t experienced any issues, any problems. I think we’ve had a team who’s pulled in the right direction, I think we’ve had a team who’s caring about their teammates, I think we’ve had a team who looks up to the senior players if you’re the youngster looking in, and I’ve just seen a good camaraderie and what a good teammate means in a professional environment. So I’ve heard a lot, but I haven’t seen a lot.” – Bradley Carnell