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he season is over. It seemed like this was an Orlando City built to do the darn thing, but you can't do the darn thing if you don't score any goals. It's also difficult to do the darn thing when one of your center backs gets sent off and your team has fewer players than the opposition. These are the things the Lions had to contend with on Saturday and there were still opportunities there to take the game. We discuss all of those chances that went wanting and select our unanimous pick for Man of the Match.
This week's mailbagbox only had one submission, but 10 (!) questions. Don't worry, they went quickly, as it was a rapid-fire trivia game for your hosts. We got some right. We got many wrong. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we broke down Orlando City's off-season priorities, in order of importance. Obviously there are three key figures who either need to be re-signed or replaced with someone of equal or higher quality — it's not going to be easy to find someone who fits that description, let alone three someones, so we are hoping for the re-signing thing to happen. There are Designated Player slots to consider, guys who have their loans ending, and others who need to have their options picked up or sign new contracts entirely.
Here’s how No. 390 went down:
0:15 – We open the show with our recap and breakdown of Orlando City's 2-0 loss to Columbus after extra time. The Lions could have used some goals, quite frankly.
20:24 – We dip into our mailbagbox, only to find out it's trivia night!
34:29 — Orlando City's off-season priorities are pretty straightforward.
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After an unbelievably long gap in the playoff schedule, Orlando City is back this weekend with an Eastern Conference semifinal match at home against the Columbus Crew. And because it's a special week, we've got a special show for you.
We open our discussion this week with a quick look at the United States Men's National Team's two-leg performance against Trinidad & Tobago. The games couldn't have been more different and, although the second leg went off the rails when Sergino Dest lost his mind and got himself sent off for no good reason, the Yanks at least survived and advanced.
After that, we welcomed Orlando City Technical Director and Assistant General Manager Ricardo Moreira back to the show to talk about the team he and Luiz Muzzi put together for the 2023 season. We also asked him about his future plans beyond this season, the club's unusual season in terms of Designated Players, whether Ivan Angulo and/or Wilder Cartagena might be back next year, and much more. Big thanks to Ricardo for taking time out to talk with us.
The mailbagbox only had one question in it this week, but it was a doozy. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday's showdown with the Columbus Crew, making our score predictions and giving our thoughts on where the match could be won or lost.
Here’s how No. 389 went down:
0:15 – We open the show with a short discussion of the USMNT's series against Trinidad & Tobago and Sergino Dest losing his mind.
9:26 – Ricardo Moreira joins us and we ask him about his future, team building, and a bunch of other stuff.
31:55 — A quick dip into the m
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Orlando City now knows its opponent for the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Lions will welcome the Columbus Crew into the purple palace in Parramore on Saturday, Nov. 25 for a 5:30 p.m. match. The series this year has been extremely competitive, with Orlando going 1-0-1 in the two regular-season meetings but needing to rally from two goals down both times to secure a result.
We look at how these teams got to this point, dive into some of the key players for Columbus, and discuss the offensive prowess the Crew have shown in 2023. These were two of the best teams in the conference all season and now they'll go toe-to-toe with a berth in the conference final on the line. It should be a great match.
We also looked at the various Orlando City players who will be with their national teams during the current international break. Hopefully they all come home healthy and inspired to show what they can do for their club after serving their countries.
The mailbagbox was chock full again this week! Big thanks to everyone who submitted questinos, including some about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Facundo Torres' future in Orlando (or elsewhere), what one parent should tell his child about OCSC supporters' goal kick chant, and much more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
We'll be back next week to preview the game against the Crew and to cover any other news that breaks between now and then. Thanks for listening!
Here’s how No. 388 went down:
0:15 – The Lions will face the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinals. We've got your tale of the tape for the matchup.
19:35 – Several Lions will be with their national teams during this international window. Let's find out which ones.
21:48 — A big pile of mail greeted us when we loo
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Second verse, same as the first! Orlando City scored a first-half goal and rode that and a solid defensive game plan to a 1-0 playoff victory over Nashville SC in Game 2. This was essentially the same script, only with a less impressive winning goal and it took place in Tennessee rather than Florida, but the result is that the Lions are through the first-round series and on to the Eastern Conference semifinals. We break down another nervy, cagey match between two teams that are really starting to hate each other, and we select our unanimous Man of the Match.
The mailbagbox was chock full this week and as a result, we babbled for a while about such topics as Inter Miami's seemingly endless supply of star players who aren't Designated Players, Oscar Pareja's postseason plans, various strikers who could help Orlando City next year, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we discussed the weirdness of MLS in terms of not reseeding the playoffs after the first round, and whether Orlando City would be better off playing Atlanta United or the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinals. There is some consensus but also some split thinking on that topic.
Here’s how No. 387 went down:
0:15 – The Lions won in Nashville for the second time in a month and this time the prize was a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
35:14 – With the nerves of Round 1 behind our listeners, our mailbagbox was stuffed full of questions.
1:10:10 — A discussion of whether Orlando City fans should be rooting for Columbus or Atlanta to get out of the other Eastern Conference first-round series.
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Orlando City played a great game to start the 2023 playoffs. Although there were a few things the Lions could clean up, it's hard to imagine the team playing much better against a stubborn Nashville SC side. Sure, it would be nice to finish a few more chances, but the important thing is that Orlando is halfway to where it needs to be in this opening-round matchup.
We break down the match, in which Orlando attempted a lot of shots (for a change against Nashville) and got just enough of them to go in to get the victory. We discuss Wilder Cartagena's amazing goal, the job the defense did, and our score predictions from last week.
The mailbagbox was our second stop on the tour for this show. We were excited to talk about the offside rule, Orlando City's new celebrity minority owner, and our picks for the Lions' walk-out song. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we looked ahead to Game 2 at Nashville on Tuesday, dove into our key matchups for the game, and made our score predictions.
Here’s how No. 386 went down:
0:15 – The Lions snatched Game 1 with another close win over Nashville. We break it down.
16:23 – We reach into our mailbagbox and pull out some great questions.
29:04 — It's time to preview Nashville again. We hope that the second verse is same as the first.
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Oftentimes, awards are popularity contests. We get that. But it's still nice to see the players and teams you follow get some recognition. To that end, we discuss the Lions who made the final cut for Major League Soccer's end-of-season awards. We don't think they'll win, but it's nice to be nominated. However, it's not nice to be snubbed. We point out two individuals who should have been among the final three in their categories and why we think they should have been in the running.
After that, we welcome Orlando City midfielder and fullback Dagur Dan Thorhallsson back to the show. The young Icelandic player had a nice first season in purple and he talks with us a bit about the playoffs and what the Lions have to do to break down Nashville SC and to stop Hany Mukhtar — or at least slow him down. Big thanks to Dagur for returning to our podcast with a big match coming up.
After our recap, we checked the mailbagbox, which asked us about our soccer backgrounds as players, perfect albums, what Orlando City's philosophy should be this off-season, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we previewed Nashville SC, pointed out our key matchups for the game, and made our score predictions.
Here’s how No. 385 went down:
0:15 – The MLS end-of-season awards finalists were released on Thursday and there were some Lions included and a couple of major (to us, anyway) snubs.
15:19 – Dagur Dan Thorhallsson returns to the show and now we can only expect something fantastic from his celebration if he scores in the playoffs.
32:42 — We answer some great questions in the mailbagbox and try to predict what will happen Monday night when the playoffs start for Orlando City.
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The regular season is over. Despite Orlando City giving everyone a participation trophy on Decision Day and the hosts having a bit more to play for in the season's final game — a retiring legendary captain and a new coach at the helm — the Lions prevailed 2-0 over Toronto FC on the strength of a fully caffeinated cup of Duncan's finest. Rookie Duncan McGuire came off the bench and played like he'd bought BMO Field that morning.
Former USMNT captain and now-former Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley was the unfortunate player who will forever be enshrined in the highlight for one of Orlando City's most excellent goals of the 2023 season. That man has a family, Duncan!
We broke down the Lions' win in Canada and make our unsurprisingly unanimous picks for Man of the Match.
After our recap, we dove into a good-sized mailbagbox that wanted to know things about Josef Martinez, MLS transfer mechanisms, most and least impressive Lions in 2023, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we looked ahead briefly at Orlando City's prize for finishing second in the entire league — a best-of-three date with defensively stingy Nashville SC.
Here’s how No. 384 went down:
0:15 – Orlando continues to run on Duncan. In this case...roughshod over Toronto FC.
26:22 – The mailbagbox has a variety of questions, including that one about Josef Martinez.
49:50 — A quick look at Orlando City's playoff schedule against Nashville and how in the world did the Lions end up second and facing such a difficult first-round opponent?
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We've gotten through the final international break of the 2023 Major League Soccer regular season and soon we'll be watching the matches around the league on Decision Day. The final day of the season takes place on Saturday and the Lions will be north of the border for a meeting with Toronto FC. The Reds will have a few more things to play for than Orlando City on Saturday, including a new head coach, spots on the team for next season, and to send off captain Michael Bradley with one final victory. The Lions have nothing at stake on Saturday beyond sharpening their claws for the postseason. That can make a team dangerous.
Before we dove into our Toronto preview, however, we spent some time discussing several topics. We checked in on the Orlando City players who were with their national teams this past week, including Duncan McGuire, who scored his first goal with the U.S. U-23 squad. The Orlando rookie just keeps on impressing with almost everything he does.
We also spoke about the MLSPA salary reveal and how it affected Orlando City. Then we got sidetracked talking about Lionel Messi, and I'll take the blame for that because I really just wanted to talk about Pedro Gallese taking a pitch rusher's phone and launching it across the field when Peru played Argentina.
Our mailbagbox was very concerned about the futures of Oscar Pareja, Luiz Muzzi, and Ricardo Moreira. Our listeners also asked us about our new favorite things and how much we keep up with former Orlando City players when they leave and join new teams. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we gave our thoughts on the key matchups for Saturday's regular-season finale at BMO Field in Toronto and offered up our score predictions for Decision Day as well.
Here’s how No. 383 went down:
0:15 – Lions in the international window, a new promotion for Orlando City matches against Miami, and more.
24:05 – The mailbagbox isn't too empty or too full. It's just right.
44:08 — Here's what we think will happen on Decision Day in Toronto.
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Orlando City completed a monster eight-day run, getting wins against Montreal, Nashville (on the road), and the New England Revolution. Saturday's home win over the Revs wasn't as close as the 3-2 scoreline would seem to indicate, and it's another good sign for an Orlando City team that has feasted in the past on lower teams while not being quite at the level of the better sides. The Lions have claimed wins over some of their problem teams in recent weeks and that should boost the lads' confidence heading into the postseason. We break down Orlando City's win over the Revs and make our selections for Man of the Match.
Not only did the Lions win a game, but they also clinched the No. 2 spot in MLS. We get into what that means in terms of Orlando City's path through the postseason. But wait...there's more! By virtue of their strong finish in the league, the Lions will be going back to Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly Champions League). Orlando will once again take on the best in the confederation in search of silverware in 2024.
Rookie striker Duncan McGuire, who opened the scoring on Saturday, has been turning heads all season. We discuss his call-up to the U.S. U-23 camp and what it could mean for the Lions in 2024. Speaking of the U.S., the senior national team has a couple of big battles ahead during this international window, taking on Germany and Ghana. It will be interesting to see how things go against top-notch competition.
Our mailbagbox asked us about Orlando City's ability to close out games, playoff lineups and dates, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
And that's our show for this week. There is no match for the Lions this weekend, so we're only publishing once this week, but we'll be back next week to take care of any news we need to cover and we'll be getting ready for Orlando City's regular-season finale at Toronto FC.
Here’s how No. 382 went down:
0:15 – Revenge against the Revs is sweet.
19:09 – What clinching second place does for Orlando in the near and long term and big news for Duncan McGuire.
33:51 — Our mailbagbox calls on us to be truthful and as accurate as possible, but not concise.
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Orlando City claimed another big road victory in a difficult place for visitors to get wins, and the Lions did it with only one shot on target all night on Wednesday. Duncan McGuire's strike late in the first half held up and the hosts didn't look particularly threatening after the opening moments of the second half thanks to a cool, calm, and collected Orlando City side that bossed the midfield, thwarted the Nashville attackers, and frustrated the hosts all evening — mostly by keeping the ball and not giving the Tennessee-based club a chance to unleash its lethal counterattack. We break down the match and another big three points against an Eastern Conference contender, presenting our unanimous pick for Man of the Match.
Jake Catanese from The Blazing Musket jumped on with us to tell us about the chaos that's been going on in New England in the wake of Bruce Arena's exit as coach of the Revolution. The Revs may be a bit discombobulated since the coaching change, but they still have Carles Gil and you can probably expect Gustavo Bou to play as well. Big thanks to Jake for both his Revolution knowledge and his friendship.
Our mailbagbox was jam packed! We were asked about Junior Urso, Orlando City's all-time Best XI, The Marvels, future Designated Player picks, and much more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
After touching briefly on the Lions on the nominee lists for the MLS end-of-season awards, we turned our attentino toward New England, presenting our key matchups for Saturday's game and our score predictions. It's another massive Eastern Conference battle heading into the international break.
Here’s how No. 381 went down:
0:15 – Winning ugly is still winning. And hey, Wednesday wasn't even that ugly if you like good defense.
14:40 – Jake Catanese jumps on with us and gives us the perspective of the New England Revolution fan.
33:06 — Our mailbagbox has never been this full before, plus our key matchups and predictions for Saturday.
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The Lions put together a complete game on Saturday night, soundly defeating visiting CF Montreal to the tune of 3-0 at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City needed that victory, which snapped a modest, two-game winless streak (0-1-1). Facundo Torres, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson were particularly good but the entire team played a solid match. We break down the victory — Pedro Gallese's ninth shutout of the season — and check back on our score predictions. We also give our selections for Man of the Match and tell you which of our picks made the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance.
Orlando City B played its first MLS NEXT Pro playoff match and performed well on the road, but still lost 2-1 to Columbus Crew 2. The difference in the game was conceding two penalties. The Crew capitalized on both, despite the fact that Javier Otero saved one of them. In the end, there wasn't enough offense from OCB and two penalties conceded too many. Those kinds of mistakes are difficult to overcome anywhere, let alone on the road in the postseason. Still, it was a good season for the Young Lions and a much more entertaining one than we were expecting.
Our mailbagbox featured questions about grammar, becoming friends with past and present Lions, Michael Halliday's future, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we looked ahead to Wednesday's matchup against Nashville SC on the road, providing our key matchups and our score predictions for the Lions' penultimate road match of the 2023 regular season in a week that's shaping up to be critical in terms of where Orlando City will finish with regard to home field in the postseason.
Here’s how No. 380 went down:
0:15 – A complete victory over CF Montreal at home.
25:36 – OCB bows out of the playoffs quickly, but weird things happened, so you know it was an authentic Orlando City B match.
40:37 — Our mailbagbox has some interesting questions for us
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Without a match to recap since our last show, we turned our attention to several news bites that have come out since Monday. We started with the news that Ajax is "monitoring" Orlando City winger Facundo Torres. Hey, they're not the only ones. Plenty of teams are keeping an eye on the young Uruguayan, and boy if he ever develops a right foot to go with his left, he'll get snatched up quickly. The bottom line is that Orlando City brought Torres in with selling him later in mind. That was the goal, so if it happens, it'll be mission accomplished, even though we'll miss those pretend selfies after El Cuervo's goals. As with all the Lions, enjoy them while they're here. Sports careers are fleeting, let alone the parts of those careers spent with one team.
We also had plenty of OCB news to discuss, including the Young Lions' trip to Columbus to play Crew 2 this Sunday in the first round of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. The Crew chose OCB as their opponents, so it would be nice for the Young Lions to make the Ohio-based side pay for that decision. We also talked about "Big Jack" Lynn, who was named to the MLS NEXT Pro Best XI this week after winning a three-way share of the league's Golden Boot. We're rock guys who enjoy AC/DC, so we think "Big Jack" is a solid nickname for the young striker. What do you think?
An OCB defender is on his way to Brazil with the U-17 USMNT to play the host nation twice in friendly competition during the upcoming camp. We hope it's a great experience and that the U.S. brings home a pair of dubs.
We also looked in on former Lions Alexandre Pato and Sebas Mendez and discussed their recent trophy with Sao Paulo.
Our mailbagbox featured questions about parenthood, the Orlando City rivalry with Inter Miami, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday's matchup with CF Montreal at Exploria Stadium, providing our key matchups and our score predictions for the Lions' penultimate home match of the 2023 regular season.
Here’s how No. 379 went down:
0:15 – A smattering of news from Orlando City and OCB, as well as a trophy for two former Lions.
20:14 – Our mailbagbox has some great questions this time out and we predict what will happen Saturday vs. Montreal.
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Orlando City didn't have to face Inter Miami's "big three" of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, but still fell behind and had to have a Duncan McGuire cannon shot to rescue a point at home. It wasn't that the Lions played poorly per se, it was just that they struggled to put chances away, which can happen during the season. Miami did the same a time or two, and ultimately both teams looked like tired groups that were playing on short rest again. (They were.)
On this episode, we break down Orlando City's 1-1 draw, with the curious and gutless officiating that once again helped the Herons keep 11 men on the pitch — something Tomas Aviles was determined to prevent in his 45 minutes of wearing the ugly, pink uniform on Sunday night. We also make our selections for Man of the Match (we were unanimous), and tell you which Lion made the MLS Team of the Matchday.
After our opening segment, we check our mailbagbox, only to find it surprisingly empty. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
OCB closed its MLS NEXT Pro regular season with a 2-1 win at home over FC Cincinnati. We discuss the Young Lions' victory and dive into Jack Lynn's wild pursuit of the league's Golden Boot. He ended up getting it, but some odd things happened to keep him from having to share it with two other players.
Here’s how No. 378 went down:
0:15 – Orlando City didn't win against Inter Miami, but the Lions also didn't lose.
20:47 – Our mailbagbox is empty, and we discuss OCB's win on Decision Day and Jack Lynn's pursuit of the Golden Boot.
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As special and memorable as Saturday's win over the Columbus Crew was, Wednesday's match at New York City FC was the polar opposite. The Lions played one of their most forgettable games of the season in a lethargic 2-0 loss on the road. The Pigeons played well, so give them credit, but that was not the Orlando City we're used to seeing. The Lions lacked ideas, urgency, energy, and — perhaps most of all — the ability/desire to track attacking players defensively.
The Lions simply were unworthy of bringing three points home from New York City during the midweek.
That said, the team's body of work on the season was rewarded with the Lions' fourth postseason berth in as many years. We break down a game we didn't want to talk much about, check back on our score predictions, and make our unanimous pick for Man of the Match.
After that chore, we checked our mailbagbox, where we were asked about Orlando City's biggest rival. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
OCB will close the regular season with a home match, looking to secure fifth in the Eastern Conference when FC Cincinnati 2 visits Kissimmee on Sunday afternoon.
Finally, we previewed Orlando City vs. Inter Miami, discussing our key matchups and score predictions and voicing some concerns that the NYCFC loss doesn't turn into two.
Here’s how No. 377 went down:
0:15 – Orlando City and Ramiro Enrique went from high to low in just three days.
20:47 – Our mailbagbox and Orlando City B's task in the regular-season finale.
34:29 – Our key matchups and score predictions for Inter Miami's visit on Sunday.
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There have been a lot of special moments already this season, but Orlando City's three-goal rally from down 3-1 to up 4-3 at the death on Saturday night against the Columbus Crew was special. The Lions came roaring back behind Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres, and Ramiro Enrique, who somehow found himself in the right place at the right time repeatedly against the Crew. We look back on the lineup changes, the big moments, and a crazy night that was reminiscent of "drunk OCB" at Exploria Stadium. We discuss the Lions who were honored for that performance, check back on our score predictions and make our selections for Man of the Match.
Following our look back at Saturday's win, we welcome Andrew Leigh from Hudson River Blue to discuss Wednesday's road game against New York City FC. The Lions haven't always fared well on the baseball diamonds in the north, and Andrew was kind enough to give us an update on the state of the Pigeons.
After our chat with Andrew, we discussed Orlando City B's playoff-clinching draw (followed by a shootout win) at Chicago Fire FC II. We honestly should have given this game more time but our Crew rewind and interview ran long (what else is new?), and the important thing is that the Young Lions are in the postseason.
We also looked into our mailbagbox, where we were asked about numerous things and we had an answer for all of them, including our three worst Orlando City moments. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we previewed Orlando City at New York City FC, giving you our key matchups and score predictions for the midweek match.
Here’s how No. 376 went down:
0:15 – Orlando City's massive comeback to down Columbus at the death.
34:09 – Andrew Leigh tells us all about New York City FC and playing on baseball fields.
59:05 – OCB in the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs, our mailbagbox, and our key matchups and predictions for the Lions' trip to play NYCFC on Wednesday.
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With no Orlando City match to recap, we turned our attention to the United States Men's National Team's performance in the recent international window. We aren't as angst-ridden about the 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Uzbekistan and Oman, respectively, as many people are, but there is certainly room for improvement and it wasn't the best two games from Sergino Dest or Christian Pulisic, but the Yanks still got their wins. Tougher tests await and hopefully the squad will be fully fit for the next window.
After that brief check-in with the USMNT — and please forgive our lack of recapping a somewhat meh 1-1 road draw by OCB at New England Revolution II and the Young Lions' subsequent shootout loss — we welcomed Collin Johnson from Massive Report to the program to give us all of the information on Orlando City's opponents tomorrow night, the Columbus Crew. Collin did a great job of getting us up to speed on all things Columbus, including how new players like Diego Rossi are fitting into Wilfried Nancy's system.
Big apologies to our founders for not notifying you in advance of our guest for this show, but it wasn't confirmed until we were within an hour of recording time, so it came together quite late.
After our chat with Collin, we looked into our mailbagbox, where we were asked to chronologically predict some suggested big evens in a possible MLS future. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
We looked ahead to OCB's big match tonight on the road against Chicago Fire FC II, and, finally, previewed Orlando City vs. Columbus, complete with our key matchups and score predictions.
Here’s how No. 375 went down:
0:15 – Orlando City was off last weekend so we discussed the USMNT's two matches in the international window.
11:28 – Collin Johnson from Massive Report jumps on and gives us a comprehensive overview of the Columbus Crew.
29:05 – Our mailbagbox, OCB's impending game at Chicago, and our key matchups and predictions for Saturday's date with the Crew.
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Orlando City went to TQL Stadium and did something no other visiting team has done this season — defeat mighty FC Cincinnati. In fact, the Lions went 1-0-1 against the assumed Supporters' Shield winners in 2023, so that might bode well for a potential postseason run. You'll recall that the Lions are also the only visiting team with an MLS regular-season win at the Philadelphia Union.
We broke down a nervy and hard-fought match in southwest Ohio, with the lads in purple coming out on top despite the loss of Duncan McGuire early on due to a shoulder injury. His replacement, Ramiro Enrique, managed to figure prominently in the winning goal.
We checked back out our incorrect score predictions and made our selections for Man of the Match. We were split this time out.
We also broke down the Ercan Kara transfer to Samsunspor. We knew the striker depth would become thinner if the move happened, but we didn't expect that to matter so quickly.
OCB had a huge match at home on Sunday but things didn't go well in the first half for the Young Lions and the hole was too deep to dig out of in a wild 6-3 loss to Crown Legacy. The games are dwindling for OCB to clinch a playoff spot and the matches ahead aren't easy, but a Jack Lynn brace always makes for a more exciting experience when watching the Young Lions
Our mailbagbox asked us about what Orlando City can / will do for more striker depth to see out the season and players who have revived their careers after coming to Orlando City. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Here’s how No. 374 went down:
0:15 – The Lions managed to become the first team to beat FC Cincinnati on its home field despite losing Duncan McGuire early.
30:14 – What the Ercan Kara transfer means moving forward in light of McGuire's injury, which is hopefully not a longterm thing.
37:22 – OCB-Crown Legacy was another wild MLS NEXT Pro affair and we dipped into our mailbagbox.
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Orlando City fell into the proverbial trap. With St. Louis City in the rearview mirror and a trip to league-leading Cincinnati looming this weekend, the match in Charlotte against a team that's below the playoff line always looked like a trap game, even taking into account the Lions should have been out for revenge against a team that beat them at home in regular-season play and knocked them out of the U.S. Open Cup earlier this year.
Charlotte came out with a great deal of energy and Orlando City struggled to match it. The Lions eventually settled into the game and created some of the game's best scoring chances, but struggled to finish when they stayed onside. A late penalty seemed to hand all the points to Charlotte again, but a little fortune fell Orlando City's way when a long-range Martin Ojeda set piece fell kindly after clearing every player on the pitch, allowing the Lions to escape with a hard-fought road point. We've got the full game breakdown and our selections for Man of the Match.
Following our recap, we break down the reports of Samsunspor's interest in Ercan Kara and what that means for Orlando City through the rest of 2023.
Geoff Tebbetts from Cincinnati Soccer Talk joined us to help us prepare for Orlando City's trip to southwestern Ohio this Saturday to face the Supporters' Shield leaders, FC Cincinnati. The Lions last saw FCC early in the season when the teams played to a 0-0 draw at Exploria Stadium. Geoff is the host of their Jersey Swap podcast and he did a great job of catching us up on the latest happenings in Cincy.
Our mailbagbox was a bit light for this episode but we can only answer the questions you send us, and you asked us about Ercan Kara and about Folarin Balogun going to Monaco. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
OCB has a tall task ahead on Sunday and the Young Lions will probably have to face Crown Legacy without the likes of Jack Lynn, Abdi Salim, and potentially Thomas Williams. That's not ideal.
Finally, we discussed Saturday's matchup between Orlando City and FC Cincinnati. We've got our key matchups and score predictions for you.
Here’s how No. 373 went down:
0:15 – The Lions struggled in the attack but scratched back to earn a point in Charlotte.
35:54 – We welcome Geoff from Cincinnati Soccer Talk to preview the Lions' trip to face the Supporters' Shield leaders.
54:06 – A look in the mailbagbox, OCB to face Crown Legacy without some key players, and our key matchups and score predictions for the Lions' trip to Cincinnati.
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Orlando City had one of its toughest tests of the season and passed with flying colors. The Lions held the high-powered St. Louis City offense to a single goal and even that one wasn't originally awarded. The defense did a good job of cutting off the visitors' transition chances, and Orlando got a brace from streaky winger Facundo Torres, including a winner from the penalty spot early in stoppage time. Only a blatant red card foul prevented what could have been a third goal in the dying moments of the lengthy additional time.
It's a win that should build some confidence for the Lions, which is good, because they're about to go on the road to face two teams they haven't beaten this year — both on short rest. We broke down the win over St. Louis City and selected our unanimous Man of the Match.
Our mailbagbox was interested in our thoughts on what would happen if national teams played in their domestic leagues and how Nicholas Gioacchini left Orlando. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
After the mailbagbox, we broke down a pivotal win by OCB over Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday night in Kissimmee. The Young Lions struck first, forced a Crew player to take a second yellow card, and then cruised to an easy win over a difficult opponent. Considering what's still left on OCB's schedule, that was an important victory in the team's MLS NEXT Pro playoff push.
Finally, we discussed Wednesday night's matchup between Orlando City and Charlotte FC. The Lions will hope the third time is the charm after suffering a home MLS loss and a road U.S. Open Cup defeat to Charlotte in a pair of hard-fought games. We've got our score predictions and key matchups for you.
Here’s how No. 372 went down:
0:15 – The Lions enjoyed a big win over Western Conference-leading St. Louis City and we have your talking points from the match.
27:18 – We answer our listeners' mailbagbox questions and break down OCB vs. Columbus Crew 2.
46:30 – Our key matchups and score predictions for the Lions' trip to Charlotte.
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We've got Robin Jansson on this week's show! The Beefy Swede himself took time away from out-muscling opposing attackers to chat with us about many topics, including facing Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami circus, his partnership with Antonio Carlos (and Rodrigo Schlegel), what he enjoys about Orlando, the possibility of cutting down on yellow cards by yelling at match officials in Swedish instead of English, and much more.
Big thanks to Robin for his time, and we hope you enjoy the interview as much as we did.
Our mailbagbox was surprisingly empty, even though we recorded on Dave's birthday and, as you know, Dave loves the mailbagbox. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.
Finally, we discussed Saturday night's matchup between Orlando City and St. Louis City. The two teams will be meeting for the first time and a familiar face is leading the expansion side in goal scoring. We give you our key matchups and score predictions for Saturday.
Here’s how No. 371 went down:
0:15 – Our show intro goes a little sideways because it was Dave's birthday
5:26 – Robin Jansson stops by to talk to us about the season so far.
25:51 – A quick (but futile) look in our mailbagbox, plus our key matchups and score predictions for the Lions vs. the best in the West.
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