SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast

The Orlando Pride must really hate Kentucky. The club has never won there and a lot of weird things seem to happen. For example, on Friday, the Pride went to Louisville, dominated at least 80% of the game, fired 27 shots toward Racing's goal, and still left town with a 3-2 loss. It was a wasteful performance spent mostly shooting either right at the goalkeeper or off the target entirely, but at least Barbra Banda scored a brace to give fans a couple of moments of magic. We break down Orlando putting the 'L' in Louisville, due largely to a terrible start to the second half, look back at our score predictions to see if we came close, and made our unanimous selections for Player of the Match. Our mailbagbox asked about the Pride's attackers, Orlando's best and worst matchups around the league, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After the mailbagbox, we look ahead to the Washington Spirit's visit to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Trinity Rodman is the big name, but the Spirit have a lot of quality in the squad, and the Pride will have to be much better prepared and locked in for 90 minutes than they were against Racing Louisville. We look back at the series history, provide our key matchups, and make our predictions for the final score. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 120 went down: 0:15 – We open the show with our breakdown of the Pride's latest loss in Louisville. 10:55 - The mailbagbox beckons from all corners of the internet. 24:52 - The Pride are set to host the Washington Spirit, so bouncing back is of utmost importance.

It feels like months since the Orlando Pride last took the field, but the calendar says otherwise. If you believe calendars, it's only been a little less than three weeks, but time moves strangely in the post-pandemic apocalyptic world. Anyway, we don't have a match to recap, so we touched on a couple of Pride players putting the ball in the net during the international break and chat a bit about the United States Women's National Team's three-game friendly series against Japan. Emma Hayes used a lot of players, and the team looked solid for two of the three matches, but the rotated middle game seemed a bit disjointed. Hayes has greatly expanded the player pool and will have plenty of options when the World Cup approaches. Our mailbagbox had questions about a potential change in the NWSL schedule, as the league explores adopting the fall-to-spring slate, and opposition own goals. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After the mailbagbox, we turned our attention toward Friday's late afternoon tussle with Racing Louisville in Kentucky. The Pride have never won on the road against Louisville, and it's about high time they did. This match begins a congested push to the June World Cup break, and although Friday's hosts aren't high in the table, the Pride must be at their best to get a road result in this fixture. We look back at the series history, compare the two sides, provide our key matchups in the game, and make our final score predictions. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 119 went down: 0:15 – We open the show with a little banter about the Pride in the international break and the USWNT's series vs. Japan. 9:03 - The mailbagbox features questions via both eletronic mail and social media. We welcome all modes of delivery. 19:59 - The Pride travel to Louisville to face Racing. They've never won in Kentucky, but we inform them how to do so.

Angel City FC entered Inter&Co Stadium without a loss on the 2026 season. The Los Angeles-based club left Inter&Co Stadium with one loss on the 2026 season. That's mainly because Haley McCutcheon turned vulture just a few feet in front of the Angel City net. The veteran midfielder scored on two shots that traveled about a combined six feet, ending what could have otherwise been a frustrating night on a high note. The Pride scored late, conceded later, and retook the lead even later than that on the way to a 2-1 home win over former Orlando defender Emily Sams' new team in a match that saw two would-be Pride goals not count. The first was offside and the second was for a push, but the other two counted despite nervy reviews. We look back at a solid performance against a good Angel City side, checked our score predictions (one of us nailed it), and made our picks for Player of the Match. Several players performed well, but it was an easy pick in the end. Unfortunately, it wasn't all good for the Pride, as both Jacquie Ovalle and Oihane left the match with injuries. Our mailbagbox had questions about starters on the back line, memes, NWSL referees, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. With the international break upon us, we touched on the USWNT's upcoming matches against Japan briefly before wrapping up the show. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 118 went down: 0:15 – Angel City's perfect record is over, thanks to Haley McCutcheon and the Pride. 18:16 - The Mailbagbox brings some snark this week as the listeners weren't fans of the officiating Friday. 37:42 - The international break is here, so it'll be a minute before the Pride travel to face Racing Louisville.

It was a long, difficult road trip, but the Orlando Pride return to the City Beautiful with four out of a possible six points after a dominant win over the Chicago Stars and a scoreless draw against defending champion Gotham FC. The Pride have played well this season but started slowly in front of goal. But now the team has put together three consecutive results, and with a little better final product, this is a team that can cook. We look back at the excellent performance at Chicago, as Jacquie Ovalle twinkled among the Stars, Barbra Banda kept burning bright, and Hannah Anderson went supernova on her old team. (Have I exhausted the star puns yet? I admit to nothing.) We look back at our score predictions and select our Player of the Match. We didn't have any goals to break down from the Gotham match, but we discussed the difficulty of staying on the road for a second game, the physicality of how Gotham FC defends Banda, and the joy of keeping a second straight clean sheet. Plus, a look back at our predictions (correct result, incorrect score) and our Player of the Match vote is split. Our mailbagbox had questions about unused substitutions, Julie Doyle's hair, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, we looked ahead to Friday's visit from Angel City, including former Pride favorite Emily Sams, who turned heel this off-season and shuffled off to Southern California. She might get a warm reception from the crowd, but hopefully the Pride attacking players will be less forgiving. We look at the series history, the teams' relative places in the table, and some of the visitors' key players. We also provide our key matchups and try to predict the final score. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 117 went down: 0:15 – Two game recaps, as the Pride had a busy week on tour. 14:31 - Mailbagbox says its time for Doyle to re-adopt the buns. 26:45 - The tale of the tape as Angel City searches for its first loss of the NWSL season. Will it happen in Orlando? Series history suggests not.

The Orlando Pride have yet to win despite dominating their first two matches of the season. Soccer balls aren't going into the net enough to take all three points, although Barbra Banda is among the league's leaders with two goals. The Pride continued generating scoring chances against Denver on Friday but they simply aren't finding the net enough or starting games quickly. We break the team's 1-1 draw against the Denver Summit, check back on our score predictions from last week, and make our selections for Player of the Match. Our mailbagbox had questions about help for Banda, the High Impact Player rule, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, we looked ahead to tonight's match at the Chicago Stars and Sunday's match at Gotham FC. We discuss the series history, the team's relative spots in the standings, our key matchups, and our score predictions. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 116 went down: 0:15 – The Pride dominate in chance creation but score the same number of goals as Denver. 21:28 - Mailbagbox questions abound. We're happy to answer them. 33:02 - The Pride head out on the road for a pair of critical games this week.

The Orlando Pride kicked off their 2026 season with a solid performance but a poor result. The 2-1 home loss to the Seattle Reign was a bitter one, as a costly call denied Orlando a first-half equalizer, while a late breakdown on a recycled set piece handed all of the points to the visitors. Barbra Banda looked good in her return from injury, scoring Orlando's only goal, although she could have had a few more on another night. Her teammates were even more wasteful as the Pride generated 23 shots but missed the net on many of their best opportunities. We break down the loss, check on our score predictions to see that we both correctly picked the final score but got the winner wrong, and made our selections for Player of the Match. Our mailbagbox had questions about Seven Castain, Anna Moorhouse, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, we looked ahead to Friday's first match ever between the Pride and the Denver Summit. A couple of friendly faces will be on the other side when the Summit arrives in Orlando, and we're looking forward to seeing whether the Pride can continue racking up scoring chances (and if they can be more clinical with them this time). We offer up our key matchups and make our predictions for the final score. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 115 went down: 0:15 – The Pride played well enough to win but didn't. They did enough on the field to claim a point but didn't. Soccer is maddening. 21:19 - It's mailbagbox time — now in season! 30:38 - The Pride host the Denver Summit Friday in the first meeting between the clubs. We preview it.

One of the quietest off-seasons in club history is over as the Orlando Pride prepare to open their 2026 NWSL season on Sunday. It's been so quiet, we've had our maximum off-season schedule time off over the last couple of months, but we hope you're still out there and ready for more SkoPurp Soccer talk. We begin this episode with some rare preseason news, as the Pride actually released some details about their final scrimmage ahead of league play. Orlando posted a 2-1 win over Fort Lauderdale United, and we even know who scored the goals! Additionally, McKinley Crone is back with Orlando after being on loan with last weekend's host team, so the Pride have plenty of goalkeepers once more. After the preseason news, we were happy to welcome Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci to the show for the first time. We talked Carducci up about the Pride's quiet off-season, the vacancy left behind by Emily Sams, the players who have impressed in camp, her approach to a large number of players who will either be out of contract or require a decision on an option year at season's end, and much more. Big thanks to the Pride's new GM for taking time out of her busy schedule to put up with our questions. Our mailbagbox is curious about which players could slip themselves into the team's top three goal scorers in 2026. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, we looked ahead to Sunday's match against the Seattle Reign. For Seattle, it will be the club's third consecutive competitive match against Orlando, but they won't see the Pride again until Decision Day. We discuss some of the Reign's key players, the series history, our key matchups, and our score predictions for the season opener. We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 114 went down: 0:15 – Pride preseason news! We have some! Just in time for the regular season. 8:25 - Caitlin Carducci jumps on with us and spends about 20 minutes answering a variety of questions about the club. 32:00 - Our mailbagbox is short and sweet, and then we jump into our preview of Orlando vs. Seattle.

It's been a month and a half since our last episode of this podcast, and our only defense is that the club hasn't really given us much to talk about. The Pride have gone silent in regard to team news, but things almost certainly have to pick up with the season approaching, right? Right?! Our first order of business is the preseason schedule that came out the day of the first preseason scrimmage. We know who won and who scored, but we're not at liberty to say. That doesn't help you, the listener, and that's kind of our point. Preseason doesn't have to be a state secret, but the club continues to prefer it that way. With the season opener coming in just a couple of weeks, there are some cool events to take the place of actual preseason news, and soon you can see the Pride's replacement for the Citrus Kit, have a pint with the Pride, and get out and look for a scarf. Is that as cool as a signing? We leave that for you to decide. Our mailbagbox wants to know if Emma Hayes hates Orlando, when the Pride will announce a signing, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. That's it! It's a short one this month, but the club was short on news. We will not take quite so long between episodes next time. We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 113 went down: 0:15 – The Pride tell us about preseason games they won't tell us about, and there are some cool upcoming team-related events. 10:32 - Our mailbagbox has been waiting for answers for like a month now.

We're back with our first show of the 2026 calendar year and there's a lot to talk about. We start things off with the bad news: Emily Sams has played her last game with the Orlando Pride (barring some wacky future return). The Pride traded Sams — at her request — to Angel City, and even though the club got a pile of intraleague transfer funds in return, it just doesn't feel like enough. We discuss the disarray now prevalent in the center back position group with the Sams departure and Kylie Nadaner's pregnancy. We also discussed two new arrivals who can play center back even though they should probably stick to fullback. The Pride brought in Hailie Mace and Hannah Anderson to help on the back line. Both are versatile, but neither is Sams at center back. Our mailbagbox is a short one this time out, as we're asked if more Pride players will depart or arrive between now and the start of the season. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After our mailbagbox, we spend slightly less time discussing Grace Chanda's departure than Chanda spent on the pitch for the Pride. That's a little bit of an exaggeration, but not as much of one as you'd think. Finally, we discussed the big news: Orlando has found a new vice president of soccer operations and general manager to replace Haley Carter. Stepping into the role is former Kansas City Current GM Caitlin Carducci, who brings a wealth of experience in various disciplines to Orlando in much the same way Carter did. If it also makes the Current weaker, it's twice as good of a hire as it appears to be on the surface. We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 112 went down: 0:15 – Sams is gone, as we start the show on a down note for the second consecutive episode. 19:41 - Our mailbagbox seems nervous about players leaving. 28:05 - Grace Chanda departs but the Pride have a new GM, so perhaps a replacement on the roster won't be far away.

[Note: This episode was recorded Monday night, prior to the Pride signing Hailie Mace on Tuesday.] The Orlando Pride are coming off back-to-back NWSL semifinal appearances, and much of the credit for that just walked out the door. Haley Carter is leaving her post as the club's vice president of soccer operations and sporting director to pursue other opportunities. It was not welcome news, as Carter has done well to help install the right kind of culture with the Pride — one that shows the utmost respect for the players and protects them from the kind of things that have given the NWSL a few black eyes over the years. Her legacy is turning Orlando into a place players want to play and turning a perennial doormat into one of the better clubs in the league, both on and off the pitch. After our discussion about Carter's departure, we discussed Emily Sams playing for the USWNT in her club's home stadium and her thoughts on Carter's departure. Our mailbagbox basically just wants to dunk on the Washington Spirit for this episode, but at least Washington got to the final game. That said, it probably hurts worse to lose a final than a semifinal, so...yeah. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After our mailbagbox, we went through the Pride's end-of-season contract status update. Orlando has 23 players under contract for 2026 (24 with Tuesday's signing of Hailie Mace), and we tell you who is and isn't on the squad at the moment. There weren't a ton of surprises, but we will miss Carson Pickett's golazos and Simone Charley's fire. We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 111 went down: 0:15 – Haley Carter built a thing and then let it go, because if you love something, you set it free. Yeah, let's go with that. 11:53 - Our mailbagbox just wants the Washington Spirit to feel shame. 21:52 - All player contract statuses are accounted for. We wish Ally Watt good luck in Denver (except when she plays Orlando).

[Note: This episode was recorded Monday night, prior to the news late afternoon that Haley Carter is leaving the Pride's front office to pursue other opportunities. We will, rest assured, address that news on our next show.] The Orlando Pride just couldn't score. The team played well against Gotham FC, particularly on the defensive end and in the middle of the pitch, but the team's inability to find a goal — coupled with a late set piece goal conceded off an iffy foul call just outside the area — ended Orlando's bid to repeat as NWSL champions. The game could have gone either way, but it went the wrong way. We break down the heartbreaking loss, check on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match (we split the vote this time). The Pride may also be on the move in terms of training location. We briefly discussed the club's intentions to put everyone at the same facility at Osceola Heritage Park, which would be a boost in the facilities arms race for Orlando. Our mailbagbox wants to know if the NWSL will follow MLS in changing to a fall-to-spring schedule, if the Pride's attendance will keep going up, if Marta should become a super sub, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After our mailbagbox, we briefly talked about Luana's new contract before going player by player through the Pride's roster and determine whether we think that player will stay for next season or go, and whether or not we want them to stay or go. Listen in real time as I struggle to remember who Kat Asman is, and as we forget Cosette Morche and Elyse Bennett completely. Yeah, we were not ready to do stays/goes yet. We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 110 went down: 0:15 – The Pride didn't score, so the Pride didn't win. It's as simple as that. But it's also not. The team played well apart from lacking goals. 20:28 - Our mailbagbox is searching for answers. 36:00 - Stays/goes time. We discuss contract situations and try to predict how the 2026 roster will shake out.

The Orlando Pride hosted the Seattle Reign for the second consecutive weekend and there was a lot more on the line the second time. The Pride scored a well-worked goal in the opening 21 minutes, defended like hell, and rode the sheer force of Marta's will to a late insurance goal to beat the Seattle Reign 2-0 at home Friday to advance to the NWSL playoff semifinals. It was a match reminiscent of last year's playoff run with Haley McCutcheon opening the scoring and the Pride putting the clamps on the opposition's offense. We look back at a huge win in the playoff opener, McCutcheon going full McClutcheon, Marta's refusal to be denied, and the emotional finish with Luana's first Orlando Pride goal to cap things off. We also checked back on our score predictions and made our selections for Player of the Match. After our Seattle playoff rewind, we dive into a gigantic mailbagbox. Our listeners wanted to know how embarrassed the Kansas City Current should be after losing at home to Gotham FC, whether Seb Hines was snubbed for an end-of-season award, who the Pride should court for a leg sleeve sponsor, whether a certain former-player-turned-pundit should shut up, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After our mailbagbox, we previewed Sunday's semifinal match at home against Gotham FC. The Pride fell into a second postseason home match in the 2025 playoffs, and now they have an opportunity to take advantage of playing in front of their own fans with a trip to a second straight league final on the line. Gotham isn't a normal No. 8 seed, so there's no room for taking Sunday's visitors lightly, especially after they ousted the seemingly unbeatable Current. We look at the series history, provide our key matchups, and try our best to predict the final score. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 109 went down: 0:15 – The Pride put a crooked number on the board Friday and didn't allow a goal, so based on that math, you can surmise Orlando won its playoff game over Seattle. We discuss it. 19:53 - Our mailbagbox is absolutely supersized and presents a lot of questions and comments at the expense of the Kansas City Current. 46:51 - Gotham slew the dragon in Kansas City and will visit the Pride on Sunday in the NWSL semifinals. We preview.

The Orlando Pride hosted the Seattle Reign Sunday on the final matchday of the 2025 NWSL regular season. The Reign spoiled things by scoring just three minutes after Orlando’s late goal, preventing the Pride from finishing third. However, the club still managed to snare a top-four position in the final standings. As a result, these same teams will play Friday in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals. We discuss the Decision Day matchup, including the last-minute change Seb Hines had to make at the top of his formation, Orlando’s continuing struggle to score goals, and the decisive plays late in the game. We also looked back at our score predictions and make our selections for Player of the Match. After our Seattle rewind, we dive into our mailbagbox. Our listeners wanted to know about Carson Pickett at striker, which team we don’t want to win the NWSL championship, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show. After our mailbagbox, we discuss the NWSL playoff bracket, which does not include re-seeding after the quarterfinals. As a result, top seed Kansas City, should it win, will face either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the semifinals, even if the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds pull off upsets on the other side of the bracket. Is that fair? We think not. We’re not weeping for the Current, but we know we wouldn’t like it if it happened to Orlando. Finally, we chat about Friday’s playoff game. The schedule forces Seattle to choose between flying back and forth across the country before Friday or staying on the road in Orlando. We know the teams just played, but we still have your key matchups and score predictions for the match. If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 108 went down: 0:15 – As has been the most common result between the teams, the Pride and Reign split the points. These teams historically haven’t liked picking a winner when they square off. If that happens Friday, it’ll mean a penalty shootout. 22:33 – Our mailbagbox has questions about ChatGPT and other stuff. 32:32 – Pride and Reign Round 3 has much more on the line than the first two rounds.

The Orlando Pride return from the international break looking to close out the regular season strong and win a home playoff match on Decision Day. To finish third, the Pride will need to get past the Seattle Reign on Sunday with Orlando's international players returning from all over the world, and some will be on short rest. Before we get to that preview, we looked inside this week's mailbagbox, which was a light one. Our listeners are curious whether it's more likely for Orlando to repeat as NWSL Championship winners or that Marta will start for the Pride on Decision Day next year. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. After our mailbagbox, we looked at the all-time series between Seattle and Orlando. The two teams enjoy splitting the points against each other, playing to numerous draws over the years. Orlando wants all three points to finish third, but so does Seattle, which sits just one point behind the Pride. We broke down where the teams are and how they've fared against one another, provided our key matchups for Sunday, and made our final score predictions. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 107 went down: 0:15 – We open the show with a little international talk and a brief mailbagbox. 12:35 - Orlando hosts the Reign in a crucial Decision Day matchup.

For our sanity, we opted not to really talk much about the Orlando Pride's 1-1 Concacaf W Champions Cup draw against Pachuca last week, aside from discussing our opinion of the way squad rotation made things more difficult for both matches rather than more difficult for one and less difficult for the other. However, we were happy to discuss the Pride's wild 3-2 win at Washington on Saturday afternoon. Kerry Abello was hell bent on putting the ball in every net she could find, both teams scored for the other side, and Marta scored the game winner on a slickly approached penalty. It was the third win in four games and perhaps a sign that Orlando is getting better at the right time. Goals are still difficult to come by without help, but wins are wins and we don't care much how they go in. We looked back at our pessimistic score predictions, discussed all the big moments and players (good and bad), and made our selections for Player of the match. This week's mailbagbox asked us to be more specific with our messaging to Abello, wondered which kind of goal contribution Haley Carter wants from Jacquie Ovalle, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Orlando is off this week. Several Pride players won't be, as they return to their national teams for the international break. Hopefully everyone comes back fully fit and ready to finish the regular season strong as the club heads toward the playoffs. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 106 went down: 0:15 – The Pride got a much-needed road win in Washington to keep some positive momentum going in the league, despite crashing out of continental competition with a disappointing home draw. 20:11 - The mailbagbox is seriously invested in fully weaponizing Kerry Abello, and the international break is here to wreck Orlando's momentum. We hate that last bit.

The Orlando Pride got a much-needed win on Friday, thanks to a stoppage-time own goal from the Portland Thorns off a Marta corner kick. The Pride played well in the second half after a first-half stalemate, but the goals continue to elude Orlando's attacking players. Ally Watt's brace didn't count because the speedy forward couldn't stay onside. However, we were glad to see Portland illustrate our repeated message that putting the ball in the box on set pieces is a good idea. We looked back at our score predictions for the Portland match, discussed all the important moments and players, and made our selections for Player of the match. After our Portland rewind, we discussed Orlando trading Zambian international forward Prisca Chilufya to Angel City FC. Parting ways with an attacking piece, despite being offensively challenged and jockeying for playoff position, speaks volumes about how expendable the Pride found Chilufya. The page has been turned, and we looked back at a forgettable Pride career for the Zambian. This week's mailbagbox asked us about Marta's performance, Portland's goalkeeper, our off-season passions, what does MVP really mean, and much more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Orlando has a big midweek Concacaf W Champions Cup match against CF Pachuca, with the winner advancing and the loser going home. We opine on whether the Pride should prioritize this match or Saturday's NWSL road trip to Washington in terms of squad rotation. Finally, we previewed Saturday's visit to play the Spirit. Washington is locked into second place, but the Spirit would like nothing more than to knock the Pride down the standings heading into the postseason. Orlando needs to scratch out a result to stay in contention for a spot in the top four and a home playoff match. We look at the series history, preview the game, provide our key matchups, and make our score predictions. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 105 went down: 0:15 – The Pride got a last-gasp winner against Portland, and even though the Thorns scored it on themselves, it still counts. Plus, goodbye to Prisca. 17:19 - The mailbagbox was massive after a light one last week. 39:07 - The Pride host Pachuca in the midweek and then have to travel to Washington to take on the Spirit on short rest. That seems less than optimal.

The Orlando Pride concluded a grueling road trip since our last show, with stops in Mexico City and Houston after last week's win at San Diego. The team returns home, where it will play three competitive matches out of the remaining four on the schedule at Inter&Co Stadium, with a trip to Washington sandwiched in there as well. We open this week's show with a brief discussion of a forgettable Concacaf W Champions Cup match at Club America that saw the Pride fall flat in a 2-0 loss, handing the group to the Liga MX Femenil side. We then turned our attention to the NWSL match Friday at Houston, where it appeared the Dash would hold on for a 1-0 win until Simone Charley's storybook finish stole a point back for Orlando near the end of normal time. We break down the draw in Houston, check on our score predictions from last week, and make our selections for Player of the Match. We also touch on the difficulty in the remaining schedule, with a tough home matchup against Pachuca in Champions Cup and three NWSL opponents that are all above the playoff line. This week's mailbagbox was short and sweet, asking us whether all of the Pride players who are going to score goals this year have already done so. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, we previewed the Portland Thorns match coming up Friday in Orlando. The Pride haven't fared well against the Thorns over the years, but the teams are quite evenly matched. Orlando needs three points with a trip to play the Spirit looming. We look at the series history, preview the game, provide our key matchups, and try our best to predict the final score. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 104 went down: 0:15 – The Pride stepped on a lot of rakes at Club America, but grinding out a result at Houston at the end of three away games in eight days was a decent enough result. 15:08 - The mailbagbox did not overstay its welcome this week. 21:19 - The Pride prepare for Portland. Poison tells us that every rose has its thorns, but will the Thorns provide Orlando with a sweet-smelling rose of a result?

The Orlando Pride have won an NWSL match for the first time since June 13. The Pride went to San Diego and not only remained unbeaten there, but also got a winning goal from Carson Pickett after Jacquie Ovalle's first goal for Orlando was canceled out three minutes later when Anna Moorhouse gifted Dudinha an easy goal at the other end with a careless giveaway. We discuss a win for a change, check on our score predictions from last week, and make our selections for Player of the Match. This week's mailbagbox gave us a trivia question and asked us about Pickett as a striker, the end of Orlando's curse, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. We touched on the Pride's trip to Mexico City to face Club America with the top spot in the group on the line in Concacaf W Champions Cup play. Finally, we looked ahead to Friday's visit to Houston to complete the season series against the Dash. We provided the series history and our key matchups and made our final score predictions. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 103 went down: 0:15 – The Pride got back in the win column against struggling San Diego. It's been a minute since we've experienced a win, so Pride fans will take three points any way they can. 18:07 - The mailbagbox is trivial but also anything but trivial. 33:46 - The Pride will play twice more on the road before coming home. Can they build on their win in California?

The Orlando Pride kept racking up non-wins, and a loss against a lurking North Carolina team could end up a critical one at season's end. That will only be the case if the Pride can keep themselves in the playoff race. To do that, they'll need to start scoring goals again, and they did not do that against the Courage. We discuss yet another tough result in a growing series of them, check on our score predictions from last week, and make our selections for Player of the Match. This week's mailbagbox asked about other teams to root for until the Pride get their act together, the club's poor showing in the form table, Jacquie Ovalle comparables, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, we looked ahead If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 102 went down: 0:15 – The Pride's free fall continues with a ninth straight match without a win. Things seem bleak. 14:49 - The mailbagbox is looking for other teams to cheer for with Orlando struggling. 28:04 - The Pride will try again Friday at San Diego. The Wave are also struggling, so will something give or will this game end in a draw?

The Orlando Pride could not build on their Concacaf W Champions Cup win over Alajuelense, as a poor night of shooting and a mistake at the back combined to allow Bay FC to escape Inter&Co Stadium with a 1-1 draw. It was Bay's first-ever result (and goal) in the series, and it couldn't have come at a worse time for the Pride, who need to stop the bleeding and get a win. We look back at our score predictions, which one of us got right, discuss the key moments and plays of the match and provide our selections for Player of the Match. This week's mailbagbox asked about the Pride's energy level, the starting lineup, the team's defense, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We'd also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we'll find them easily and read them on the show. Finally, with the recording taking place before the match in Panama against FC Chorrillo, we looked ahead to Friday's matchup with North Carolina. The Courage lurk just outside the playoff spots and the Pride can improve their standing if they can finally get another win. We break down the series history, provide our key matchups, and try our hand at predicting the final score. If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site. Here’s how Episode 101 went down: 0:15 – The Pride still can't find a win in NWSL play, but at least the team got a result against Bay FC. 11:58 - The mailbagbox is looking for answers, just like the Orlando Pride. 32:03 - North Carolina is looking to make up ground in the playoff race, and the Pride are vulnerable. Look for the Courage to come out of the gate charging on Friday.