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Portugal technical partnership puts Orlando City SC on path to more wins

• Expect player exchanges
• Academy partnership starting now
• Physical and mental training methods amped up

By Chuck Wharton

Aug 31, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando City midfielder Facundo Torres (10) and teammates celebrate after he scored a goal against Nashville SC during the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Aug 31, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando City midfielder Facundo Torres (10) and teammates celebrate after he scored a goal against Nashville SC during the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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Portugal is warming up for soccer technical partnerships. Orlando City SC is there.

The front office of Orlando City SC saw organizations inking technical partnerships with soccer organizations in Portugal. Each technical partnership is different, resulting from what the two partnering organizations want from the relationship.

The partner club picked by Orlando City is Sporting Clube de Portugal. This club was formed in 1906 and has never been relegated from Primeira Liga. Major players the club has produced include Cristiano Ronaldo and former Lions Captain Nani.

Portugal’s soccer reputation doesn’t only lie in how they compete on the pitch, but in how they communicate their efforts – especially digitally. That attracts the technical partnerships.

LaLiga Tech, representing Iberian soccer leagues, negotiated and signed its biggest technical partnership with Liga Portugal. The agreement will share LaLiga digital resources with Liga Portugal and help the organization develop its digital strategy further.

At the same time, LaLiga Tech will use the partnership to increase its digital engagement and eliminate trade of counterfeit merchandise.

Sport Lisboa e Benfica, a Portuguese giant, signed a technical partnership with Futbol Club Sudamerica, based in the U.S. Sudamerica is a leading organization for developing youth soccer, based in Georgia. Today the club’s Web page welcomes browsers to SL Benfica and FC Sudamerica.  

FC Sudamerica is a candidate to join MLS NEXT. With this goal, the club intends for the technical partnership to amp up its youth development program. They’ll achieve this by adopting Benfica’s training methods.

SL Benfica has participated in the UEFA Champions League 42 times, just behind Real Madrid. The organization has 37 national titles and two European Cups. So the partnership is vital for Futbol Club Sudamerica to take the next step.

Sporting CP supporters hold torches during the Liga Portugal...
Sporting CP supporters hold torches during the Liga Portugal... / SOPA Images/GettyImages

What the Orlando City partnership does

Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Richard Moreira said the clubs will exchange information for the betterment of both organizations and their players, especially at the academy level.

Sporting CP Co-Director Paulo Gomes added that all areas of Cristiano Ronaldo Academy partner with Orlando City SC. He said at some point we should expect exchanges of players.

Back in Orlando, the club’s player development pathway will evolve. This will include exchanges of academy players to increase and fine-tune their development. Methods of recruitment, operating the technical office, and playing methods will also evolve.

Gomes emphasized that match psychology, or mental preparation, is of special interest to both clubs. That’s something that players and coaches of Orlando City SC have been talking about.

Mental focus leads to chances during matches. And chances lead to scores and wins. And that’s what Orlando City SC is all about this season.