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Orlando City returned from the international break and immediately was pressed into two matches in quick succession. However, the Lions handled the schedule well, fighting back from a goal down to earn a road draw at New England and taking care of business at home against the Houston Dynamo by earning all three points. We break down the two matches and select our Man of the Match from each game. We also discussed the ongoing problems that Robin Jansson has with the league’s referees. Just speak Swedish, big fella! Please! OCB goalkeeper Javier Otero got a short-term contract to serve on the bench vs. the Revs but in the end his presence wasn’t needed because Pedro Gallese might be an actual octopus rather than just someone with that nickname. The Orlando Pride were historically bad at Portland and if things don’t change soon, these types of results could start occurring far more often. The club’s NWSL side just can’t compete in the league at the moment after a promising start to the year. To make matters worse, Orlando doesn’t even have a center back on the bench at the moment. When will things get better? Maybe 2023? 2024? Who knows? OCB was almost as bad as the Pride on Sunday, falling 6-1 at Columbus. There wasn’t even a Jack Lynn goal to celebrate, although Nick Taylor did manage to help the Young Lions avoid the shutout. This week’s mailbag asked us about the new turf at Exploria Stadium and our experiences at other sports venues. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. Finally we gave our key match-ups and predictions for Orlando City’s trip to FC Cincinnati. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 299 went down: 0:15 - A draw and a win for Orlando City’s MLS team has things going in the right direction and the Beefy Swede has to learn the value of silence. 38:52 - The Pride and OCB got some excercise and fresh air but did nothing resembling playing soccer on Sunday. Plus some USMNT talk. 1:19:57 - Our mailbag and our predictions for Cincy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City hasn’t played in a while but that’s all about to change. With two matches this week, we’re all about to fill our need for seeing the Lions on the pitch. Since last week, there’s been some news on the injury front. The bad news surrounds Homegrown goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar, while the better news pertains to Benji Michel and Antonio Carlos. We’ve got all of that for you, plus the new way we’ll be watching MLS games starting next season. We also talked about a clown who advanced to the World Cup at the expense of our own dear octopus, Pedro Gallese. The Orlando Pride played in Chicago this past weekend and things didn’t go well, although they could have gone worse in Seb Hines’ debut as acting manager of the squad. The investigation into Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene goes on and so do the losses for the Pride, although this one was certainly much more competitive than the last one in Houston. We talk a little about the Pride goings-on but mostly we lament what is turning out to be another season to forget. OCB fell on the road but Jack Lynn just keeps finding the net, so there’s at least something positive going on with the Young Lions, who are waiting for some players to return from international duty. Lynn’s record pace for OCB continues and we’re here for it. This week’s mailbag asked us if we’ve read any good books lately, and it turns out that we have. There was also a question about Stranger Things Season 4 that we stuck at the end for those who aren’t ready to be spoiled. Don’t worry, we give you plenty of warning before we launch into any spoiler territory. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. After a quick chat about the USMNT’s win over Grenada (the El Salvador match happened after we recorded), we gave our key match-ups and predictions for Orlando City’s trip to New England and home game against Houston. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 298 went down: 0:15 - Mason’s surgery, some injured Lions return to training, and MLS finds a way to make its games more accessible for streaming starting in 2023. 24:26 - The Pride’s first game under Seb Hines wasn’t great but it wasn’t worse. Plus, we just kind of vented about the Pride for several minutes. 46:09 - Our OCB rewind, the mailbag, the USMNT, key match-ups and predictions for New England and Houston, and a special spoiler section for a mailbag question about Stranger Things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello friends! We missed you. Last week’s show was recorded and...unusable. Sometimes the podcasting gods do not smile upon you and so it was last week when the audio on my end was an unmitigated mess. We have a new recording method that seemed to work well and my new mic helps me sound...well, as good as I can sound. So, we covered all the ground we did during the show you didn’t hear last week, plus a lot more. Orlando City played twice since we last published a show, and we took a look back at the U.S. Open Cup draw-turned-shootout-win against Inter Miami CF. We also looked back at what happened against FC Dallas just a few days after that emotional result. The Lions seemed to have things well in hand for over an hour and then the roof caved in. We give you our analysis of the two games and make our selections for the Man of the Match for each one. We also discussed Alexandre Pato’s revealing and candid look back at his life in soccer in his Player’s Tribune piece, and we talked about Mason Stajduhar’s contract extension. The Orlando Pride had an improbable rally deep in stoppage time to steal a point against the Washington Spirit. That was nice. But in the team’s next game the Pride was disjointed and generally terrible in a shambolic 5-0 loss at Houston. The Dash had no choice but to score buckets of goals because the Pride kept inviting them to do so. It was bad. What was worse, however, was what happened Tuesday, when Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a joint investigation to determine whether the two violated the NWSL’s policy to prevent and eliminate workplace discrimination, harassment, and bullying. We dove into what it means and what happens next. OCB had a couple of matches that could have gone better, but Jack Lynn is scoring goals and the Young Lions seem to be in every game at the moment. So that’s good from the developmental side. This week’s mailbag wanted to know what the NWSL has to do to compete for the title of the world’s best league on the women’s side, whether the USOC or MLS playoffs need to be two-legged, and more. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show with a brief look at the USMNT’s recent friendlies. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 297 went down: 0:15 - The Lions got a Tropic Thunder knockout in penalties and then were undone late against Dallas in an exhausting week. 29:59 - The Pride got a surprise draw, a humiliating defeat, and, at least for now, a new coach in Seb Hines. 56:58 - Our OCB rewind, the mailbag, and the USMNT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City had things going nicely on Sunday night until...well, you saw it. Referee Joe Dickerson decided to insert himself into the proceedings in the worst way possible and despite leading 2-0 in the second half, the Lions escaped Austin with a 2-2 draw and a pair of suspensions to carry into their next league game. Thanks Joe! We break down the game and the Dickerson decisions and select our Man of the Match. The Orlando Pride split their results in a busy week, going to North Carolina and getting a 2-1 win but then flopping at home in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Red Stars. You’d probably accept a split entering the week but after the team’s best performance of the season, some old habits returned in a shoddy performance — especially in the first half — at home. OCB hadn’t scored in four games so the Young Lions decided to make up for lost time, demolishing Inter Miami II by a six-pack, winning 6-0 at home. Perhaps the result, and Jack Lynn’s first-ever OCB hat trick, deserve more than a minute this week? You bet. This week’s mailbag was a bit light. OK, it was completely empty this week, but that’s fine considering all we had to talk about. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for tonight’s U.S. Open Cup meeting with Inter Miami and Saturday’s match-up against FC Dallas. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 296 went down: 0:15 - Way more talk about Joe Dickerson than Joe Dickerson has ever deserved. 47:23 - The Pride were surprising in both matches in the past week, but for far different reasons. 1:04:05 - OCB, an empty mailbag, and prediction time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City had a nice bounce-back game in league play on the return trip to Canada. The Lions went to BMO Field and came home with three points for the first time ever. Orlando had never won in that venue but — thanks to Alexandre Pato’s exquisite delivery and Kyle Smith’s well-timed noggin flick — brought home a 1-0 victory. We break down the Toronto away match, give our picks for Man of the Match, discuss which Lions showed up on MLS Team of the Week, and check in on last week’s predictions. We also touched briefly on the midseason MLSPA salary reveal. The Orlando Pride came home to play the Kansas City Current. For 60 minutes, the Pride played great soccer. However, the Current turned the game around in the final half hour, dominating chances and possession in the final third. It seemed inevitible that Kansas City would score at least one, but the visitors took the lead early in stoppage time. The Pride did well to fight back and Orlando equalized on a late Toni Pressley penalty to earn a come-from-ahead-then-come-from-behind draw at home. We gave our thoughts on the Pride match as well as OCB’s first game in three weeks. The Young Lions still can’t score goals, falling 1-0 to Philadelphia Union II on the road. OCB is doing a lot of things well — especially goalkeeper Javier Otero — but there seems to be no bite in the attack or enough quality in connecting the lines in the midfield. This week’s mailbag asked about which soccer leagues we like best, television characters that are easy to dislike, and the biggest surprises and disappointments on Orlando City’s roster at this point in the season. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Sunday’s trip to play Austin FC for the first time. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 295 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City shut out another opponent on the road, our Man of the Match, and Team of the Week observations. 31:26 - The Pride picked up a point, but it could have been three. But it could have been none. Plus our thoughts on OCB’s match on Monday. 51:28 - The mailbag calls and we answer. Oh, and our picks for the Austin match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City got smoked in Montreal like the meat they sell at the delis there. The Lions were never really in the 4-1 road loss, even when they cut the 2-0 deficit in half on Joao Moutinho’s goal. The side was missing much more than center back Robin Jansson. It was lacking any kind of connectivity from back to front. As a result, the Lions attempted only two shots in the match — an even more dismal offensive output than in the home loss to New York. We break things down a bit and select our Man of the Match. We were much more pleased with Tuesday’s result — a 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Union in U.S. Open Cup action. The Lions had a lot more ability to break lines and shuttle the ball forward with Junior Urso, Andres Perea, and Alexandre Pato keeping Facundo Torres and Ercan Kara from getting too isolated. It wasn’t a perfect outing. Many mistakes were made. However, it was a step in the right direction and hopefully one upon which Oscar Pareja can build. We selected our Man of the Match for the U.S. Open Cup win as well, and we were unanimous again. Two new Lions joined the team this week but only one will play in 2022. Jake Mulraney provides much-needed coverage on the wing, while future star Gaston Gonzalez will have to wait until 2023 to show us what he can do because of his unfortunate knee injury. The Orlando Pride traveled west and brought back Amanda Cromwell’s first NWSL victory from Sunday’s 1-0 road win at Angel City FC. Sydney Leroux’s goal was just about enough and the Pride were fortunate not to pay for several misses that could have put the game out of reach before halftime. Orlando was easily the better side for the first half hour but things got a bit dicey over the last hour. When needed, Erin McLeod came up big. It’s an important building block for the Pride. OCB was off for the second straight week. This week’s mailbag asked about movies I haven’t seen yet, how to rank the trophies from various MLS competitions, and who the Lions should want to play in the next round of the Open Cup. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s return to Canada as Orlando City visits Toronto FC. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 294 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City had mixed results, bombing badly in MLS play and then performing well to advance in the Open Cup. 39:13 - The Pride were much better in the second week of the regular season against Angel City. 58:57 - The mailbag beckons and we have predictions for Saturday’s match in Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City met expansion Charlotte FC for the first time ever and came away with all three points, washing the terrible taste of the Red Bulls match out of our mouths — much like cleansing the palate from the awful taste of actual Red Bull. The Lions were far from perfect but a standout performance from Ruan — his best of the season so far — helped Orlando City get back in the win column. We break down the match and some of the curious officiating decisions that thankfully didn’t cost the Lions any points. We also made our picks for Man of the Match and those picks will not shock you. Chris Mueller is returning to MLS but it won’t be as a Lion. The former Orlando first-round pick is off to his hometown club in Chicago from Hibernian FC, but at least the Lions will apparently be getting something for the player who transferred freely only months ago. The Orlando Pride kicked off the 2022 NWSL regular season and it started like all the previous NWSL regular seasons — without a Pride victory. Orlando was poor in the opener despite having some good early moments, and ultimately melted down in a 12-minute span, conceding three goals in a lopsided loss to Gotham FC. OCB, on the other hand, did not play. That wasn’t the way the schedule had things going, but Rochester’s stadium wasn’t playable, so the Young Lions got an unexpected weekend off to go along with the expected weekend off that lies ahead. This week’s mailbag asked about concerts and MLS alignment. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s trip to play CF Montreal (without Robin Jansson) and next week’s U.S. Open Cup match against the Philadelphia Union. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 293 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City got back in the win column against the MLS newcomers and was Chris Mueller’s great 2020 season an outlier? 46:41 - The Pride were bad again and OCB didn’t have anyone to play. 59:27 - It’s mailbag time, plus our look ahead to what we expect from the Montreal and Philadelphia matches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City waited exactly one week after Easter to lay an egg. The Lions played easily their worst game of the year so far when the New York Red Bulls visited Exploria Stadium on Sunday, mustering only three lousy shot attempts and getting none of them on target. Orlando City was lethargic, lacked any kind of passing precision, and couldn’t find a way past, through, or over New York. But it wasn’t an entirely bad week for the Lions. City opened up its 2022 U.S. Open Cup play with a 2-1 win over its I-4 Derby rivals, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, on Wednesday. The Lions needed about half an hour to figure out Tampa’s scheme and then some much-needed halftime adjustments allowed Orlando to dominate the second half. We break down both matches and make our Man of the Match selections. And we discuss the Lions’ draw for the USOC fourth round. Kaylie Collins of the Orlando Pride made her debut with the club in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Gotham FC. The only goal she allowed was on a Kristie Mewis penalty. Kaylie celebrated that achievement by joining us on the PawedCast to tell us about her experience this past weekend, facing a Mewis penalty, the transition from Marc Skinner to Becky Burleigh to Amanda Cromwell, and the team’s mindset entering the NWSL regular season. After that, we broke down the Pride’s draw at Gotham and overall Challenge Cup performance, and we discussed the NWSL side’s recently announced match at Daytona International Speedway in July. We also touched on OCB’s scoreless draw against New England Revolution II on Sunday in the second game of the double-header. The Young Lions were outplayed but were able to grind out a result and add a second point by way of their second penalty shootout win of the year. This week’s mailbag was quite full again. Listeners wanted to know if Orlando City will ever stop getting fouled in the attack and if the Lions kept their receipt for Gaston Gonzalez, among other topics. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s first-ever meeting with Charlotte FC. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 292 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City won one and lost one, and the loss was a pretty ugly one that we never want to see again. 34:45 - Kaylie Collins joins us to tell us about her experience on Saturday at Gotham as she faced her former mentor, Ashlyn Harris. 53:52 - Our Pride-Gotham breakdown, OCB wins another penalty shootout, our mailbag overflows, and our key match-ups and score predictions for Charlotte. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City kept up its solid road form this past weekend with a 2-0 win over the Crew in Columbus. It was a standout performance for the Lions, particularly Rodrigo Schlegel — who opened his MLS account — and Facundo Torres, who was influential on both Orlando goals. We broke down the match and ranted a bit about Schlegel getting snubbed for MLS Team of the Week. We also selected our Man of the Match, which was unanimous. Orlando City will host Arsenal in a midseason friendly — the club’s first since 2016. The Lions will be in heavy fixture congestion in July, so it will be interesting to see how Oscar Pareja sets his team up to battle a club that’s known throughout the world. The Pride set a dubious NWSL record this weekend by conceding not once, not twice, but thrice inside the first nine minutes of their match against North Carolina. Orlando showed good fight to pull back within 3-2 with half an hour to play but the Pride could get no further. Darian Jenkins was a bright spot for Orlando with a brace, but it’s been a dismal Challenge Cup for the club. OCB lost its second straight 2-0 match on the road — this time at Columbus Crew 2. The Young Lions have a lot to learn about life on the road and will try to bounce back at home on Sunday as they’ll play New England II following the Lions’ game against the New York Red Bulls. This week’s mailbag was quite full, and we answered a question about Gaston Gonzalez, only to find out after recording that the young Argentine player hurt his knee while playing for Union Santa Fe. We hate when that happens. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for tonight’s match vs. the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Sunday’s game against the Red Bulls. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 291 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City got a win in Columbus and Rodrigo Schlegel was a big reason why. Plus, the Gunners are coming to the City Beautiful. 33:13 - The Pride and OCB had weekends to forget. However, Orlando’s NWSL side will get a clean slate after this weekend’s game and the Young Lions will return home to try to get back on track. 49:31 - Our mailbag is a full one this week and our key match-ups and score predictions for both of this week’s matches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City got back in the win column at home on Saturday afternoon with a victory over the Chicago Fire. The Lions should have scored more goals, and we all would have enjoyed it more if they had, but in the end, the team is creating scoring opportunities and it seems only a matter of time before they start putting crooked numbers on the board more often — provided Orlando can continue to create those chances. Dave Rohe and I broke down the win over the Fire, the sending off that made things a little easier, and Ercan Kara’s first career MLS goal. We also discussed Antonio Carlos’ injury, Alexandre Pato making the Team of the Week bench, and our Man of the Match picks. We also talked about the upcoming U.S. Open Cup match-up against Tampa Bay, that game’s move to Exploria Stadium, and why people really should put their money where their mouth is and get themselves to the stadium for this match. Joining us to give us the insider’s view of the I-4 Derby is none other than club legend Miguel Gallardo. The Orlando City broadcast analyst and club ambassador returned to the show and talked about what the rivalry meant and whether the change of venues matters, and he even spoke a bit about this Saturday’s match against the Columbus Crew. The Pride were off this past weekend but Gunny Jonsdottir fared well in international play and we have a new goal song we’d like the club to break out whenever she scores a goal for Orlando. OCB lost for the first time in 2022 and it wasn’t all that pretty. And the USWNT dominated an obviously overmatched Uzbekistan — twice — despite playing a lot of younger players. This week’s mailbag was interested in the English Premier League. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s match at the Columbus Crew. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 290 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City snapped its two-match home losing streak and got the first win by a Chicago Fire opponent this season. Plus, Alexandre Pato is good, Mauricio Pereyra is rounding into form, and people should attend the Lions’ games. 35:12 - Miggy jumps on with us despite being out at the soccer pitch to do some coaching, and he provided a unique perspective of the old I-4 Derby rivalry. 54:05 - No Pride recap, but OCB played, as did the USWNT, plus our mailbag, and our predictions and key match-ups for the Crew on Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City has probably not looked as fluid and dangerous in a game and still lost as it did on Saturday night when LAFC handed the Lions a 4-2 loss at home. Things didn’t go as planned and that included a chalked off opening goal by Alexandre Pato, a serious-looking injury to Antonio Carlos, some defensive lapses that allowed the visitors to score on their scarce opportunities, and some big saves down the stretch from the opposing goalkeeper. The Lions deserved to take something from the game, but — much like Spaulding Smails on Caddyshack — they’ll get nothing and like it. We break down the game, the goals, and the calls, and give our Man of the Match picks. The Pride lost both matches since our last show and, while they looked good in one of them, they looked mostly bad in the other. On top of that, they’re dealing with the loss of Marta for the season, the loss of goalkeeper Erin McLeod for at least a month, and a team that is still not threatening opposing goalkeepers enough. We give our thoughts on where the Pride are, how they can best use this international break, and what we are expecting as the regular season approaches. OCB finished its home stand unbeaten and followed a 2-2 draw against New York City FC II on Sunday with the Young Lions’ first ever postgame shootout victory, snaring an extra point in the standings in MLS NEXT Pro’s experimental system. Jack Lynn again had a direct goal involvement and is getting valuable minutes with the reserve side. He may be needed by the MLS team at some point this season, so it’s good to see him being active in the attack. The USMNT lost the battle in Costa Rica but won the World Cup qualifying war, by punching a ticket to Qatar this winter. It was an uphill battle with so many key injuries, but the Yanks got to where they need to be and now find themselves in a group that they are capable of getting out of if they play to their potential. This week’s mailbag was interested in finding a nickname for Ercan Kara and goal celebrations. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s home match against the Chicago Fire. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 289 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City fell hard at home with a final score that doesn’t tell the full story. But the Lions, like any team, can’t make silly mistakes against a team with as good an attack as LAFC has. 32:20 - It’s hard out here for a Pride fan. A good performance and a bad performance this past week yielded the same ultimate result. Will there be reinforcements coming to bolster the squad? Dare to dream, I say. 53:42 - OCB made it two results out of two matches, the USMNT accomplished its objective, we wade into our mailbag, and our predictions and key match-ups for the Fire on Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City was so close to making it back-to-back wins out west, but a foolish foul in the box allowed the Portland Timbers to fire up Timber Joey’s saw and equalize in an eventual 1-1 draw. The Lions still did well to gain four of six points on two of the longest road trips they have in MLS. We break down the draw, discuss Mauricio Pereyra’s injury, and select our Man of the Match. We’re then joined by Jonathan Reimer, host of the Shoulder 2 Shoulder Podcast covering LAFC. Jonathan was kind enough to tell us what we can expect from Steve Cherundolo’s Black & Gold when they visit Exploria Stadium this Saturday. Seems like LAFC still has a lot of great attacking players but now also has a good defense, which will make for a difficult task for the Lions on Saturday. Big thanks to Jonathan for helping us out. The Orlando Pride suffered their first loss of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup and it was a controversial one. The Pride were thoroughly dominated by the Courage in North Carolina, but that still seemed like a harsh handball call on Gunny Jonsdottir that allowed the hosts to score their only goal of the match. Amanda Cromwell’s team is doing well to limit opposition goals but the Pride are giving up chances and the ball a bit too frequently. Marta’s injury won’t help the team going forward, especially since it seems to be offensively challenged at the moment. OCB kicked off its season on Saturday and despite a sloppy start, the Young Lions prevailed on a brace by Orlando City first-round pick Jack Lynn. It was good to see the rookie score his first pro goals. The reserve side has some work to do but getting that first win of the season early could give the Young Lions some confidence. The USMNT had a huge week and that culminated in a stomping of Panama at Exploria Stadium Sunday night. Christian Pulisic scored a hat trick and most of the Yanks played well. It was a fantastic atmosphere and the fans that packed the house deserved that kind of performance — one the team desperately needed entering the final qualifying match day (today!). This week’s mailbag was interested in the awful font used by MLS NEXT Pro, Moon Knight, the Orlando Pride’s captaincy, and more. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s home match against LAFC. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 288 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City took four of six points from the West Coast but it could have been more. We’re focusing on the positives, but still, it could have been more. 24:33 - Jonathan Reimer knows a thing or two about LAFC and he’s here to tell us about all the terrifying attackers the team has. 47:46 - The Pride lost (and lost Marta), OCB won, the USMNT is on the cusp of World Cup qualification, we dig through the mailbag, and we make some predictions for Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City followed a crazy home loss to FC Cincinnati with almost a mirror image game in a 1-0 win on the road against the LA Galaxy. Both games saw the team with fewer chances, fewer shots, and much less possession find a way to win the game. We break down the win over Chicharito and company, with the Lions getting their first dub in the state of California and only their second in the Pacific time zone. We also selected our Man of the Match, spoke about Orlando’s penchant for clean sheets early in this 2022 season, and talked about the MLS Team of the Week and the Lions leaving for international duty. Sam Svilar from Portland Timbers blog Stumptown Footy joined us to give us the perspective from the Rose City. Sam gave us a complete picture of what’s gone on with the Timbers so far this season and what we can expect when the teams kick off this Sunday. Big thanks to Sam for taking time out of his schedule to educate us Eastern Conference folk. The Orlando Pride kicked off their 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup campaign and got Head Coach Amanda Cromwell a result in her first match at the helm. Cromwell’s bunch held the defending champion Washington Spirit to a scoreless draw this past weekend and there were both good and bad signs in the match. We’re going to focus on the positive for now since the sample size is so small. We also discussed the banner kerfuffle that took place on Saturday night at Exploria Stadium and how the club resolved it and owned up to its mistake quickly. OCB gets underway this Saturday and we don’t have a lot of information yet about the Young Lions, but we do know that they won’t draw any games this season. MLS NEXT Pro is not having it with ties. All matches that end with the teams even on the scoreboard will go to penalties. Both teams get a point for finishing even, and the shootout winner will earn one extra point in the standings. We also discussed the big week ahead for the USMNT. The Yanks have some work to do to clinch a spot in the World Cup. They can do it, but it won’t be easy. The second of their three games in this window is, of course, taking place in the City Beautiful at Exploria Stadium. We look at the clinching scenarios, the key players missing, and the weirdness of what happened four years ago on the final match day. This week’s mailbag was interested in NCAA brackets, power rankings, the Concacaf Champions League, and more. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Sunday’s trip to play the Timbers. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 287 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City bounced back with an important road victory, the Lions don’t score a lot of goals, and the Lions don’t concede many goals. Also, defenders should be on Team of the Week for defending well. 24:42 - Sam Svilar jumps on with us and gives us the scoop on the happenings in a post-Diego Valeri Portland. He says the game could go either way on Sunday. 46:20 - The Pride are underway, OCB is about to get underway, the USMNT is about to get back underway, and we’ve got your mailbag responses. Plus our predictions for Sunday’s match in Portland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City suffered its first loss of the season and one would never have guessed that would come at the hands of an FC Cincinnati side riding 14 straight losses and which had yet to score a goal in 2022. But soccer is a funny game and sometimes the joke is on you. So it was on Saturday as the Lions dominated every statistical category but the one that matters most in a 2-1 home loss. In the first absence of co-host David Rohe in 225 consecutive episodes of The Mane Land PawedCast, I’m joined by TML staff writer Ben Miller this week. We break down the important plays, moments, and trends from the game and make our Man of the Match selections. We also discuss what the Lions can do if teams are just going to continue fouling them like crazy every week. As a special treat, we’re joined by Orlando Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell, who is entering her first season at the helm of the club’s NWSL side. She will lead the Pride into its first competitive match of 2022 on Saturday night at Exploria Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup. But it will be a trial by fire as Orlando hosts the defending NWSL Cup champion Washington Spirit. The coach was kind enough to discuss what enticed her away from UCLA to coach the Pride, some of her assistant coaching staff hires, her philosophy, and more. In the midst of such a busy week, we can’t thank her enough for her time. We also discussed the Orlando Pride’s opening day roster, which dropped this week. And Orlando City B named its coaching staff for the Young Lions’ inaugural season in MLS NEXT Pro. We hate the name of the league but we love having OCB back. This week’s mailbag was interested in how Ben felt about his first time in the co-host chair, and which Lion we’d most like to spend spring break with. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s trip to play the LA Galaxy. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 286 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City lost. To Cincinnati. Yeah, that’s not great. But there were some positives. We try to think about those. 45:00 - Amanda Cromwell interview! The new Pride coach seems ready to get started this week and it was great to hear her talk about how hard the team works on the training ground. 1:02:17 - The Pride named their 2022 roster ahead of the Challenge Cup opener, OCB has a coaching staff, the mailbag was relatively light this week, and we give you our predictions for Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City is only two games into the season but already the Lions have had points stolen from their season-ending total. The 0-0 draw away against the Chicago Fire was an ugly match that perhaps deserved to finish scoreless but Junior Urso’s strike was called good on the field and there was nothing on the replays to show any reason to chalk it off. That didn’t stop Ismir Pekmic, however, as he spent four minutes looking for his own clear and obvious error. No one seemed to see that clear and obvious mistake but the referee himself, and so Orlando has had two of its last four regular-season matches marred by overturned goals that didn’t seem to need overturning. We broke down Saturday night’s game, the inconsistencies in the officiating throughout the night, and the lack of going to the monitor on one play vs. the all-too-eager decision to get over and look at it after another play. We made our Man of the Match selections as well. We also discussed some fines to Robin Jansson and Urso from Week 1 and how big a yacht Don Garber’s going to buy with all the fine money Orlando City has been sending to the league office over the last seven-plus years. The Orlando Pride played a couple of preseason scrimmages since our last show and there was little to write home about after either one. The club didn’t even give us the final score for the Pride’s loss to Florida State University, which isn’t at all ominous or concerning. The last we heard it was 2-0 with more than 35 minutes left and then...silence. We also talked about the Pride re-signing midfielder Parker Roberts. This week’s mailbag was interested in officiating (for some reason), food in MLS cities, soccer boots, and The Batman. The main problem with that last topic is that neither of your co-hosts have yet seen the film. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s home game against FC Cincinnati. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 285 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City brought home a point from Chicago which would sound pretty good if you didn’t watch the game and see The Bear score a goal. Why does this keep happening? Well, the answer to that is quite clear and it’s also obvious. 39:19 - The Pride are not having a preseason that is filling fans’ heads with optimism, but preseason results can be misleading. It’s more important that Amanda Cromwell is laying a foundation at this point. That will be revealed in time. 49:04 - The content in the mailbagbox is abundant and entertaining this week. Plus, our final score predictions and key match-ups for the FC Cincinnati game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City liked its 2-0 win over CF Montreal on Decision Day 2021 so much that the Lions duplicated it to start the 2022 season. Montreal came to town and had a frustrating day, while Alexandre Pato ended some of his frustrations and the Lions remained unbeaten on opening day while winning for just the second time in eight tries in the opener. We break down Sunday’s match and select our Man of the Match. We also discuss the relief of seeing Pato score. Plus, the captainship of Mauricio Pereyra, the Lions’ broadcast crew is back, and an update on the Gaston Gonzalez transfer front. The Orlando Pride picked up their first preseason win at the hands of the University of South Florida. Newcomer Darian Jenkins scored twice and that’s a good thing. Plus, the Pride’s Challenge Cup broadcast schedule is out. Speaking of schedules, OCB got its first MLS NEXT Pro schedule for the upcoming season. The Lions will be playing 12 home and 12 road games this year and hopefully some postseason matches as well, if all goes to plan. This week’s mailbag is interested in the starting XI and which Lion will see the most yellow cards this year. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Saturday’s road match at Chicago. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 284 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City took all three points in the season opener for just the second time in MLS and is now 2-0-6 in season-opening matches. The Lions will be without Robin Jansson next week because not all of the things can go right. 32:37 - The Pride blanked USF on the road in a preseason scrimmage and it was a big day for Jenkins. Plus, where to catch the Pride during the Challenge Cup and the upcoming OCB season. 41:52 - It’s mailbagbox time and Dave once again steals Michael’s score prediction during our key match-ups and predictions segment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City put the 2022 preseason to bed with a pair of results — a 2-2 draw vs. FC Cincinnati and a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions are in full preparation mode for Sunday’s season opener against CF Montreal at Exploria Stadium. Before we get to that preview, we look back at the week’s worth of news, including which draft picks were signed and which were released. We also close the book on the preseason slate and dive into our thoughts on Orlando City’s new “Sunshine” kits. Hint: we like them. There was much more Pride news this week with the NWSL side kicking off its preseason with a 1-1 draw against UCF (and of course it was Sydney Leroux with the lone Orlando goal). The Pride also re-signed a couple of familiar faces last week and some of the team’s stars are repping Orlando in international action. We discussed the SheBelieves Cup so far for the USWNT and the injuries on the men’s side that will make World Cup qualifying even more difficult. This week’s mailbag has our predicted finishing order in the Eastern and Western conferences. We also talked about craft beer and ranked the Sunshine kits. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. And we closed the show by giving our key match-ups and score predictions for Sunday’s Orlando City opener against CF Montreal. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 283 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City started scoring goals as the preseason wound down but Designated Player striker Ercan Kara missed some valuable on-field time with his teammates. The attack scares us probably more than it does the opposition. Plus...how about those new away shirts? 24:38 - Actual Pride news this week! Meggie Dougherty Howard and Kaylie Collins re-signed and the Pride played a match. Plus, there’s plenty of national team stuff to talk about as well. Heck, there’s even some OCB news. 45:39 - The mailbag gets quite a bit of attention despite there being few questions and we have our first key match-ups and score predictions for the 2022 regular season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City still hasn’t won in preseason play but the Lions got a result on Friday night with a 1-1 draw against a stubborn Colorado Rapids team. Robin Jansson’s goal was canceled out by Diego Rubio in a bit of a defensive struggle that was mostly played between the penalty areas. Young Designated Player Facundo Torres made his Orlando City debut and played well, showing flashes of what Lions fans can expect from the 21-year-old. There was news out of Media Day, including a new contract in the works for Pedro Gallese and visa problems for Antonio Carlos. The Lions also added a Homegrown defender in Alex Freeman, who signed on Tuesday. Orlando City SC President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon joined us on the show this week and talked about settling in, how he’s going about gathering information, and how he envisions making Orlando City and Orlando Pride more attractive fans with better overall experiences for those who attend games. Big thanks to Jarrod for his time. There wasn’t much to talk about from the Pride camp this week but things should be getting more interesting as we move closer to the NWSL Challenge Cup. The USWNT, on the other hand, is about to get the SheBelieves Cup underway. This week’s mailbag asked about where to go prior to attending an Orlando City game and multiple listeners give us the power to help them make their jersey purchase decisions. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 282 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City fought the Colorado Rapids to a 1-1 draw on Friday night, Media Day turned up plenty of interesting news, and the Lions have a new Homegrown Player. 26:52 - Jarrod Dillon jumps on with us to tell us about building the Orlando City audience and creating a better fan experience. 51:35 - The USWNT braces for SheBelieves Cup action and our mailbag gives us all the power in the world (over jersey selection, anyway). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City got its 2022 preseason underway with a pair of matches within the past week and neither the results nor the injury news was what Lions fans were looking for. The club dropped its opener to Minnesota United — or was it the Chicago Fire? Nah, we’re pretty sure it was the Loons — last Thursday and then fell 1-0 to FC Dallas on Saturday. The latter match had the added angst of seeing new Designated Player striker Ercan Kara helped off the field and unable to put any weight on one of his legs. The news wasn’t dire on Monday, however, as the club announced that Kara is day to day with an ankle sprain. We don’t know the severity or how much time he’ll miss but it wasn’t an ideal start to his time with Orlando City. Hopefully he’s a quick healer and the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked to those in attendance. Speaking of attendance, we hope to see you out at Orlando’s next preseason match this Friday against Colorado. Facundo Torres arrived in town and there was a hot rumor to dissect to wrap up our coverage of the Lions this week. The Pride have their schedule and their group for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. Get ready for three home matches in the competition and hopefully Amanda Cromwell’s side will surprise some folks and make the knockout stages this year. Cromwell teased an attacker signing this week so we’ll be on the lookout for eyeball emojis from Ian Fleming. We also discussed the last USMNT qualifer in the most recent window — a really stupidly scheduled match in sub-freezing temperatures that saw only two of the opponents subbed off due to hypothermia. Hey, at least the Yanks won, but they could have done that in a much nicer climate. This week’s mailbag asked about athletes becoming the targets of fan ire and abuse, musical choice limitations for life, and whether the Pride have an advantage with fewer internationals this season. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 281 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City got a pretty big scare with Ercan Kara and hopefully he’ll be back quickly. Also, hopefully the Lions will start winning games soon. It’s just the preseason, but winning is always better than not. 14:15 - The Pride know who, where, and when they’ll play in the NWSL Challenge Cup and the coach says the team might be getting some offensive help soon. That’s good, because Mia Fishel is off to a great start at Tigres. 31:18 - Our mailbag wants to torture us by limiting us to one musical artist/album/song for the rest of our lives. That’s just cruel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orlando City officially signed Austrian striker Ercan Kara to a Designated Player contract. The new DP center forward will wear the No. 9 and fill that role for the Orlando attack after arriving on a three-year deal with two club option years. We’re excited to welcome him to the fold and to have a replacement for Daryl Dike, and can’t wait to see how he fits in with the group as the preseason progresses. The Lions also reversed their position on having all preseason scrimmages closed to the public. Orlando City is allowing fans to attend the Feb. 11 match against the Colorado Rapids. Season ticket holders can get four free tickets to the game and the general public can get in for $10. The match will be a good opportunity for fans to catch their first glimpse of the team and to help out the club’s charitable endeavors. Most of the news from the previous week surrounds the 2022 Orlando Pride. The rebuilding is well underway and Pride GM Ian Fleming spent most of the last week signing players from the club’s last two draft classes. Amanda Cromwell has also completed her coaching staff with the hiring of Aline Villares Reis as goalkeeping coach. But that’s not all! The Pride also made a couple of trades, sending fullback Ali Riley to Los Angeles and Marisa Viggiano to Houston. In return, the Pride added some Allocation Money, a couple of third-round draft picks for 2023, and a center back. Megan Montefusco joins Orlando and should fulfill one of the club’s biggest needs in central defense. The Pride also signed English goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, who has played for some big clubs across the pond. This is likely not all the Pride will do before the season arrives. The United States Men’s National Team was in action twice since our last show and things didn’t go as well as any of us would have liked. The USMNT got a tougher-than-expected win over El Salvador but then flopped in the icy wastes of Canada in World Cup qualifying. The Stars & Stripes have one more hurdle in this window and must beat Honduras in the just-as-icy wastes of Minnesota this week. This week’s mailbag wants to know about movies featuring actors who played Batman, how certain players might fit in with Orlando City, and our takes on a snoman photo. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC. Stay safe and enjoy the show! Here’s how No. 280 went down: 0:15 - Orlando City adds a Designated Player, opens up a preseason match, and appears to be more than willing to engage with fans in order to improve their experience. 29:15 - The Pride have been exceedingly busy with signings, trades, and additions to the staff. We do our best to remember all of them. Plus, the USMNT just isn’t that good right now but what if they’re built for what comes after Concacaf rather than for qualifying? 1:02:34 - Our mailbag makes us come up with American Gladiator names for each other and we get to name drop some of our favorite movies. There is also a soccer question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices