In the days leading up to his first match as Orlando City’s coach, Oscar Pareja wanted to write a new story for the Lions.
Pareja knew the club and its fans were tired — of missing out on the playoffs, of entering each season as underdogs. He believed in the potential of the team in the first year of its transformation under his watch.
The world has changed since the start of the regular season. The competition shifted considerably, disrupted by a pandemic and reshaped around the tournament at Disney World.
But as the Lions enter their final match of the regular season against Nashville SC on Sunday, Pareja has already accomplished his overarching goal.