Orlando City has signed a much-needed goalkeeper, days away from the start of preseason. The Lions announced on Tuesday the signing of goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau through 2027-2028 season. “Maxime is a proven goalkeeper with a championship pedigree and a wealth of experience at the highest levels,” said Ricardo Moreira, Orlando City SC general manager and sporting director. “He’s an MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield winner, a former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year finalist and a Canadian international who brings leadership, professionalism and composure to our squad. His ability to speak multiple languages and his international experience will help him connect seamlessly with our diverse group and further elevate leadership in the locker room. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Club and look forward to the impact he’ll make in the City Beautiful.”The 31-year-old shot stopper joins Orlando following two seasons with the Portland Timbers, where he made 41 appearances across all competitions. Before that, he spent two years at Los Angeles Football Club, where he won the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield double in 2022. Crepeau comes to Orlando at a crucial time. After the 2025 season, the Lions moved on from longtime starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and declined Carlos Mercado’s 2026 option, which left Javier Otero as the first team’s lone goalkeeper. The Lions were previously linked with former New York Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel, but those talks never materialized into something official and instead signed with Sao Paulo FC of the Brasileirão. Orlando City general manager and sporting director Ricardo Moreira told WESH 2 in December that the team was aggressively approaching the offseason when it comes to reloading for the 2026 season following a disappointing end to the 2025 season. That meant looking for a keeper with MLS experience and starting capabilities with MLS free agency in full swing. Moreira told WESH 2 that there’s a strong core of MLS players eligible for free agency that could be valuable for the team, which is prompting the club to explore heavily within the league for players. Crepeau appears to have fit the bill. “We’re going to be super active,” Moreira told WESH 2 at the time. “We’ve been very active in the free agency and using all MLS mechanisms to try and reinforce the team. We also believe that a strong set of players with MLS experience can be beneficial for what we have with the way we’ve built the roster.” Preseason training is slated to start next week. Offseason highlightsOrlando City announces year-end roster decisionsPedro Gallese departs Orlando CityWilder Cartagena signs new contractRobin Jansson extends stayLions ‘aggressive’ in the offseasonRodrigo Schlegel transferred to Atlas FC Orlando City acquires Tiago Souza Tyrese Spicer signs new contract Orlando signs Luis Otavio Braian Ojeda signs with the Lions Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.
Orlando City has signed a much-needed goalkeeper, days away from the start of preseason.
The Lions announced on Tuesday the signing of goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau through 2027-2028 season.
“Maxime is a proven goalkeeper with a championship pedigree and a wealth of experience at the highest levels,” said Ricardo Moreira, Orlando City SC general manager and sporting director. “He’s an MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield winner, a former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year finalist and a Canadian international who brings leadership, professionalism and composure to our squad. His ability to speak multiple languages and his international experience will help him connect seamlessly with our diverse group and further elevate leadership in the locker room. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Club and look forward to the impact he’ll make in the City Beautiful.”
The 31-year-old shot stopper joins Orlando following two seasons with the Portland Timbers, where he made 41 appearances across all competitions. Before that, he spent two years at Los Angeles Football Club, where he won the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield double in 2022.
Crepeau comes to Orlando at a crucial time. After the 2025 season, the Lions moved on from longtime starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and declined Carlos Mercado’s 2026 option, which left Javier Otero as the first team’s lone goalkeeper.
The Lions were previously linked with former New York Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel, but those talks never materialized into something official and instead signed with Sao Paulo FC of the Brasileirão.
Orlando City general manager and sporting director Ricardo Moreira told WESH 2 in December that the team was aggressively approaching the offseason when it comes to reloading for the 2026 season following a disappointing end to the 2025 season.
That meant looking for a keeper with MLS experience and starting capabilities with MLS free agency in full swing.
Moreira told WESH 2 that there’s a strong core of MLS players eligible for free agency that could be valuable for the team, which is prompting the club to explore heavily within the league for players.
Crepeau appears to have fit the bill.
“We’re going to be super active,” Moreira told WESH 2 at the time. “We’ve been very active in the free agency and using all MLS mechanisms to try and reinforce the team. We also believe that a strong set of players with MLS experience can be beneficial for what we have with the way we’ve built the roster.”
Preseason training is slated to start next week.
Offseason highlights
Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.