Sunday marked Orlando City’s third loss on the bounce. After spending most of the season comfortably in the top three of the Eastern Conference, Orlando is down to fourth, one point ahead of Montreal and two ahead of red-hot Atlanta. D.C. United, the last team outside the playoffs, is only four points behind the Lions. The power has started to seriously shift in the conference standings and if current trends don’t change, Orlando City could be in serious danger.
After finally making the playoffs in Oscar Pareja’s first year as head coach, Orlando brought back its entire core and made some minor additions, creating a roster that could legitimately battle for silverware, although the team didn’t fill its third Designated Player slot or make the kind of off-season signing that might push the team over the top.