After a slow start to the season, Orlando quietly rounded into form down the stretch. Since July, the Lions earned the second-most points in all of MLS, taking an impressive 31 points from their final 14 matches. That form fueled their internal belief that they could do something special when it mattered.
“Probably since summer, we were one of the best teams in the league,” said Pareja. “It’s easy to quit and they did not quit at any time in the season. Today, when it was 97 minutes or so, that’s what they did. They did not stop. I thought the game rewards us, and it was a good example of the culture that we have here in the club.”
For the second year in a row, the Lions find themselves through Round One and into the Conference Semifinals. Instead of a Florida matchup against Miami, they’ll host upstart Atlanta United on Nov. 24, fresh off of one of the biggest upsets in MLS history.
For Orlando, it doesn’t make a difference who they’re playing: The goal remains the same.
“One thing for sure is that I sense in the locker room that we don’t want to stop here,” Pareja posited. “There is a bunch of things happening for Orlando, and we’re going to chase a cup.”
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