The 2022 Orlando City SC season was the club's 12th season of existence in Orlando and eighth season as a Major League Soccer franchise, the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system. The season was highlighted by a first trophy since joining MLS, winning the 2022 U.S. Open Cup with a 3–0 home victory over USL Championship team Sacramento Republic FC. Orlando City also reached the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by CF Montréal.
Season review
Pre-season After an evaluation of club structure following their acquisition of the club during the 2021 season, the Wilf family announced the hiring of Jarrod Dillon as president of business operations, a newly created position, on November 30, 2021.
On December 1, 2021, Orlando City announced the club had exercised 11 contract options and declined the contract options of seven players, most notably captain and Designated Player Nani after three seasons. Four players including Orlando's only other DP, Mauricio Pereyra, were out of contract at the end of the 2021 season with all but club-record appearance maker Chris Mueller, who had already agreed a pre-contract with Hibernian in July 2021, in discussions to return. Pereyra re-signed on a one-year deal on December 17 with Pato also later re-signing on a one-year contract on January 15.
On December 6, 2021, it was announced Orlando City's reserve affiliate team Orlando City B would be returning from hiatus for the inaugural 21-team MLS Next Pro season starting in 2022.
With the addition of Charlotte FC in 2022, MLS held an Expansion Draft on December 14, 2021. Orlando was exempt having had Kamal Miller selected in the previous year's expansion draft.
On January 1, Orlando finalized the permanent transfer of Daryl Dike, the club's top goalscorer during the previous season, to English EFL Championship team West Bromwich Albion. The fee was reportedly an initial club-record $9,500,000 plus performance bonuses and a 20% sell-on clause. Six days later, Orlando made their first signing of the season, acquiring Uruguayan midfielder César Araújo from Montevideo Wanderers for a reported $2,000,000. The move was the first Orlando had made under the new MLS U22 initiative launched the previous April which allowed clubs to sign three young players to lucrative contracts at a reduced budget charge.
On January 11, Orlando made three selections in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, one in each of the three rounds. Only Jack Lynn was signed to a first team contract. Nick Taylor signed with Orlando City B.
On January 24, Orlando made another purchase from Uruguay, this time for new designated player Facundo Torres from Peñarol on a four-year contract. He joined for a reported club record $9,000,000 fee. It broke the previous record of $3,000,000 set by the purchase of Josué Colmán in January 2018. Three days later, Orlando signed another DP: Austrian striker Ercan Kara from Rapid Wien for a reported $800,000. Orlando had acquired an international roster spot from CF Montréal earlier in the week in exchange for $200,000 in 2022 General Allocation Money and the natural third-round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. Orlando's only other signing in the offseason was 17 year old academy product Alex Freeman.
February Having ended the 2021 regular season with a 2–0 victory away at CF Montréal, Orlando opened the 2022 regular season with a 2–0 home victory against the same opposition. Alexandre Pato, who missed the majority of his first season in Orlando with an injury sustained on opening weekend, marked his first start since that day by scoring Orlando's first goal of the season and his first as a Lion early in the second half. Fourth-year homegrown Benji Michel added a second in the 59th minute before Montreal's Romell Quioto was sent off for punching Robin Jansson in the chest in the 66th minute with the Swede also receiving a yellow card for his part in the altercation. Both sides finished the game down to 10 players when Jansson later received a second yellow in the 81st minute for shoulder checking Joaquín Torres on the counter. The result preserved Orlando's opening day unbeaten streak since joining MLS in 2015 (2W 6D 0L).
March Orlando's first road game of the season was away to Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field on March 5. After a goalless first half, Orlando thought they had taken the lead through a long-range Júnior Urso strike in the 73rd minute. As Chicago were about to restart the game, VAR intervened and asked the referee to consult the monitor. After a lengthy 3 minute 40 second stoppage, the referee adjudged Ercan Kara to have controlled the ball with his arm instead of his chest in the build up and disallowed the goal. After the game, head coach Óscar Pareja disputed the clear and obvious nature of the review given it took so long for the video assistant to scrutinize a play the referee was so close to in real time and none of the Chicago players initially appealed, questioning how something as significant as a goal can be overturned without a conclusive angle. The Professional Referee Organization later stated in an analysis of the incident: "PRO does not feel there was enough evidence for the VAR to intervene and would have preferred for the on-field decision to stand." Meanwhile, Urso lamented the physicality of the opposition, claiming they were more interested in fighting than playing after committing 21 fouls and receiving five yellow cards. With another shutout, Pedro Gallese tied Joe Bendik's club-record 13 all-time in 49 appearances compared to Bendik's 92. He also became the first Orlando City goalkeeper to keep three successive clean sheets in regular season play dating back to the final game of the previous season. On March 12, Orlando welcomed the visit of FC Cincinnati, a team on a 14-game losing streak stretching back to September 15, 2021, and without a goal through the opening two games. Brandon Vazquez gave the visitors an early 13th-minute lead having been played in on goal by Luciano Acosta. Having had a goal disallowed the previous week, Júnior Urso scored his first goal of the season, heading home a Facundo Torres cross to level the scores before the break. Despite outshooting the opposition 18 to 9, Orlando were dealt their first defeat of the season as Vazquez scored the only goal of the second half when Dominique Badji shrugged off Ruan before firing in a cross for Vazquez to glance past Gallese. Cincinnati goalkeeper Alec Kann recorded five saves. Roles reversed in the next match as Orlando traveled to LA Galaxy and were forced to soak up pressure, conceding 63% possession and 20 shots although only three were on target. The Lions made Galaxy's wastefulness pay, taking all three points as Facundo Torres scored his first goal for Orlando, finishing off a swift 9th minute attack, one of six shots Orlando had in the game. A third clean sheet in the opening four games meant Pedro Gallese moved past Bendik outright for the club's clean sheet record. It also marked the team's first win in California at the seventh attempt since joining MLS in 2015. Orlando ended March with a second consecutive weekend playing out west, this time against Portland Timbers. It was the first meeting between the teams since the MLS is Back Tournament Final. Short-handed through the loss of Pedro Gallese, Sebas Méndez and Facundo Torres during a FIFA international window, the game saw Mason Stajduhar deputize in goal. After an even but goalless first half with few clear cut chances, Orlando struck early in the second half as Alexandre Pato lifted to ball into the Portland penalty area for Urso to take a touch and pick his spot. Having picked up a yellow card for wrestling Pato the floor five minutes earlier, Josecarlos Van Rankin was dismissed in the 76th minute for a second yellow on Pato after cynically tugging the Brazilian back. Despite the man advantage, Orlando quickly found themselves level just four minutes after the sending off when substitute Andrés Perea tripped Cristhian Paredes in the box; the Paraguayan calmly rolling the resultant penalty kick down the middle past Stajduhar. Although both teams carved out good chances in the closing minutes, neither found a winner as the game finished 1–1.
April