Matchday 17: Orlando City SC vs Chicago Fire Preview

Orlando, FL – Taylor Swift would call this time period the “Red” era. Both Orlando City SC and Chicago Fire are coming off grueling losses. Will the Lions reign supreme, or will Mrs. O’Leary’s cow start another Chicago Fire and wreak havoc on the hometown team? Orlando needs to “shake it off” heading into the Matchday 17 vs the Chicago Fire preview.

The “Red” Era

Not only did Orlando and Chicago lose their previous matches, but they also struggled to keep their players and coaches on the pitch. The Chicago Fire had a disappointing performance, falling to the New York City FC 3-1. The lone goal scored by the Fire was from Philip Zinckernagel in the 19th minute. While the high of scoring the first goal was promising, reality soon came crashing down in the Bronx. In the 30th minute, Brian Guiterrez was issued a red card, and another was dulled out in the 84th minute to Dje D’avilla.

Orlando City had similar issues on their end. Despite scoring two goals in the first half, the Lions fell 3-2 to their rivals, Atlanta United. Much like the Fire, Cesar Araujo was booked for a red card in the 78th minute. Shortly after, Coach Oscar Pareja was given a red card as well. This chain of events led to a cascade of consequences as the Lions squandered their lead and gave up two goals in the final seven minutes plus stoppage. As Taylor Swift said, “old habits die screaming.”

The “Reputation” Era

The game against Atlanta should be an eye-opener for the Lions. The team should have walked away with three points as they dominated the match until the infamous red card by Cesar Araujo in the 78th minute. As soon as Araujo left the pitch, the game spiraled out of control. The team looked lost, tired, and focused too much on complaining to the officials instead of securing the critical win. If there was ever a time to have an awakening moment, now is the time. Having a “she’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers” attitude won’t get any pity votes from the Orlando faithful.

Update: going to smoke until the pain goes away…

Cesar fell for the rage bait and it cost us 3 points. He has to know better in a rivalry game.

See y’all tomorrow 🫡, still the biggest club in the south. The world even. Vamos Orlando. https://t.co/iNOteg1U1A

— OC X Fan Page (@OrlandoCityX) May 29, 2025

The “Speak Now” Era

The match against the Chicago Fire marks the beginning of a two-week soccer hiatus for the club. The reality is Orlando is playing an 11th-place ranked club that has struggled for the majority of the season. There should be no reason OCSC does not enter the extended break with three additional points on the leaderboard. While Hugo Cuypers for the Fire is dangerous (8 goals scored this season), Orlando has way too much scoring prowess not to put this game away. Martin Ojeda has eight goals on the season, Marco Pasalic and Luis Muriel have six goals respectively, and Alex Freeman is having an impressive rookie campaign with three goals to his name. It’s Time for Orlando to stand up to their opponent and proclaim, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

The “Fearless” Era

Despite the loss to Atlanta, Orlando looks like one of the top teams in the MLS. OCSC ranks 5th in the Eastern Conference. A win against Chicago could still move the Lions into a top-two spot before the brief recess. Hopefully, Orlando can “take the matches before the Fire can catch them” and make a statement. If there is one thing for certain, Orlando is finding the back of the net. In the previous five contests, Orlando has scored a combined 11 goals. That is an impressive stat. Even though Orlando fell to Atlanta 3-2, there were plenty of opportunities to put up additional goals on the board.

The “Folklore” Era

When all is said and done, the Fire will just become another lyric in a song about an ex-opponent Orlando City defeated. Alex Freeman is due to score as well as Luis Muriel. Cuypers for the Fire will also get in on the action and spoil the clean sheet for the hometown team. Heading into the break, Orlando will have a lot to be proud of. “Orlando will have a marvelous time ruining everything.” The final, Orlando City-2, Chicago Fire-1.