Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I was busy working at Under Armour all week but spent the weekend checking out the Northwestern and Ohio State college football game at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Yesterday, I watched some third-round 2025 U.S. Open Cup qualifying action between Chicago House AC and Wisloka Chicago. Let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero. We have plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.

Pride Advance to NWSL Championship

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 at Inter&Co Stadium to advance to the NWSL Championship. The Pride trailed in the first half before Haley McCutcheon buried an equalizer to get them on the board. In the second half, the Pride added to their lead with goals from Barbra Banda and Marta. The Current scored another goal to make it close, but the Pride held on for the win and reached their first-ever final. The Pride will face the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Championship as the top two teams battle for a trophy at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday.

Spirit Beat NJ/NY Gotham FC in NWSL Playoffs

The Spirit defeated the defending NWSL Champion NJ/NY Gotham FC in penalties after a thrilling 1-1 draw at Audi Field on Saturday to punch their ticket to the NWSL Championship. Washington trailed 1-0 early in the second half after Esther Gonzalez put Gotham ahead. The Spirit’s equalizer didn’t come until stoppage time, as Hal Hershfelt scored to send the game to extra time. In the penalty shootout, Ashley Hatch, Lena Silano, and Tara McKeown converted from the spot for the Spirit, while goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made three consecutive saves to seal the win. The Spirit return to the final for the first time since 2021, when the club won its first NWSL Championship.

USMNT Takes on Jamaica in Nations League Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will be back in action tonight, taking on Jamaica in the second leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals at City Park in St. Louis. The USMNT defeated Jamaica in Kingston last week in the first leg with a 1-0 victory, with Ricardo Pepi scoring the lone goal. The USMNT did what it needed to do to put itself in an excellent position to move on to the semifinals going into the second leg. Jamaica must change its strategy to be more aggressive instead of trying to score on counters or set pieces to have a shot of an upset. Jamaica will be without center back Mason Holgate, who received two yellow cards in the previous match against the USMNT and will be suspended for tonight’s match. The semifinal round of the Concacaf Nations League will kick off in March, with the final set for March 23 at SoFi Stadium.

UEFA and Concacaf Nations League Recaps

We had some notable international soccer action across the globe to recap from the weekend. Spain defeated Denmark 2-1 to secure the top spot in its group in the UEFA Nations League. Portugal cruised past Poland with a 5-1 win, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice in the match as his side clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. France defeated Italy 3-1 to win its group on goal difference. England shut out Ireland 5-0 to earn promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League, while Erling Haaland scored a hat trick as Norway dominated Kazakhstan 5-0. Today, we have more UEFA Nations League action with notable matchups featuring Croatia facing Portugal, Serbia hosting Denmark, and Spain taking on Switzerland.

We had other quarterfinal matches over the weekend in the Concacaf Nations League. Canada defeated Suriname 1-0 in the first leg, while Mexico lost 2-0 on the road to Honduras. The second leg of those matches will be tomorrow, while we have another second leg quarterfinal matchup tonight as Panama takes on Costa Rica in the second leg with a 1-0 advantage.

Free Kicks

• Rhode Island FC, led by former Orlando Pride assistant coach Khano Smith, defeated the Charleston Battery 2-1 in the playoffs to advance to the USL Championship final.
• Former Orlando City B player Joe Gallardo was named MVP of the USL League One final, as Union Omaha defeated the Spokane Velocity 3-0 to win its second USL League One Championship.

• The U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team defeated Mexico 4-0 to finish third in the 2024 Pan American Deaf Games and qualify for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.
• Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC defeated the Las Vegas Lights 1-0 in the 2024 USL playoffs over the weekend and will host Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship final on Nov. 23.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

Depending on who you talk to, penalty kicks aren’t a great way to decide a soccer game. They’re exciting, of course, but not exactly a good measuring stick of which team is more deserving of winning the game. Fortunately for Orlando City fans, the team has excelled at shootouts for the vast majority of its MLS existence. In fact, the Lions hadn’t lost one until this year, when they were bounced from Leagues Cup by Cruz Azul after losing 5-4 in penalties. The team then accomplished another first in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs against Charlotte, when it missed three of four spot kicks, and lost 3-1 in penalties.

With recent history far from being in OCSC’s favor, there was plenty of reason to be pessimistic when the deciding Game 3 went to a shootout, but the Lions breezed right through it, winning by a score of 4-1 and sending Charlotte packing. While there’s only so much strategy you can employ in shootouts, the Lions pulled a couple fast ones that may just have given them a leg up when they needed it most.

Let’s first talk about the shootouts the Orlando has been involved in this year, because even before Game 3, there had been a lot. The Lions’ final two games in Leagues Cup were both decided at the penalty spot, with the good guys emerging victorious against San Luis 5-4, and then losing by that same score to Cruz Azul to exit the tournament. Game 2 against Charlotte was therefore the team’s third shootout of the year, and by that point we were starting to see some familiar faces in the team’s shooting lineup.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with sending the same (or mostly the same) guys up in a shootout. Conventional wisdom says that you want your best, most reliable guys from the spot taking penalties. However, if the opposing goalkeeper has done his research, and a player tends to favor shooting in a certain direction, it can potentially give the man between the sticks an advantage in making the save. Let’s examine who Orlando City sent to the spot this year in shootouts, starting with the two Leagues Cup games.

Against San Luis, the order went: Nico Lodeiro, Duncan McGuire, Wilder Cartagena, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Lodeiro went central, McGuire went to the goalkeeper’s right, Cartagena to his left, Santos to his right, and Thorhallsson to his left. All five penalties were scored, but the keeper got a strong hand to Thorhallsson’s and it only just went in.

Against Cruz Azul, the order was: Robin Jansson, Luis Muriel, McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Thorhallsson. Jansson shot to the goalie’s left and had it saved, Lodeiro and Muriel both went to his right and scored, McGuire and Torres both went to his left and scored, and Thorhallsson went to his left and had it saved.

That brings us to Game 2 against Charlotte. The order was: Lodeiro, Jansson, Muriel, and McGuire. Nico shot to Kristijan Kahlina’s left and had it saved, Jansson went to his right and put his shot over the bar, Muriel also went right and scored, and McGuire went to the goalie’s left and had his shot saved.

Let’s pause for a minute and dig deeper into those Game 2 takers. Lodeiro had already taken two penalties on the year, and scored both. Jansson had taken one and had it saved, Muriel had taken one and scored, and McGuire had taken two and converted both. Interestingly enough, Kahlina also went the right way on Jansson’s shot, although the Swede put the ball over the bar. After taking penalties in the two previous shootouts and the goalies getting strong hands to both, Thorhallsson wasn’t used, but he couldn’t be, because he’d already been subbed off late in the second half. McGuire went to the goalie’s left for the second shootout in a row, with Kahlina guessing correctly and making the save.

In the all-important Game 3, the takers were: Muriel, Kyle Smith, Torres, and Santos. Muriel and Smith both went to Kahlina’s right, while Torres and Santos went to the Croatian’s left, with all four men scoring. It was Muriel’s third time in a shootout for the club, third time going to the goalie’s right, and third time converting. Smith made his first appearance from the spot on the year. It was Torres’ and Santos’ second time taking in a shootout this year and they both went left for the second time. Taking a closer look at each shooter, I really like the selection choices and the order in which they went.

While Kahlina had plenty of tape on Muriel by this point, the Colombian had already beaten him once, and the striker prefers to watch the goalkeeper during his run-up and go whichever way he doesn’t. That makes it especially difficult to save his penalties, and his years of high-level experience means he’s no stranger to high-pressure situations. You could hardly ask for a better first shooter to set the tone for what was to come.

We then got a big old wild card in the form of Smith, who hadn’t taken a penalty kick at all this year. Oscar Pareja could have chosen to use Jansson or Lodeiro, both of whom have taken multiple kicks this year and were still on the field, but he opted to go for someone who Kahlina both hadn’t seen already, and who he likely had very little, if any, tape on. It was a decision that paid off, as Smith positively blasted his kick into the top corner, with Kahlina guessing the wrong way on his dive.

We then got Torres, who would ordinarily be a no-brainer when it comes to taking penalty kicks if not for the fact that he’d just had one saved mere minutes earlier in stoppage time. Still, you want your main man to step up in high-pressure situations, so it wasn’t surprising to see him stepping forward to take one, particularly with the Lions already leading 2-0. He won the mental battle with Kahlina and went in his preferred direction to the left of the goalkeeper, with Kahlina guessing wrong again.

Finishing things off was Santos, who had only taken one penalty on the year and employs an unconventional, stuttering run-up. As he did in the San Luis game, the Brazilian went to the goalkeeper’s right and scored, with his penalty being the only one in which Kahlina dove the correct way. The decision to go with another player who there was little film on, especially one with a run-up that’s difficult to time correctly, again proved to be a decision that paid off.

We’ll never know who OCSC’s fifth taker would have been, as the shootout never got that far. We know it wouldn’t have been McGuire, who was being kept on the sideline after injuring his shoulder. I think it’s telling that Jansson and Lodeiro weren’t in the first four, even though both had already taken multiple shootout penalties on the season, and Thorhallsson was the only other player who had taken more than one kick in a shootout this year, and he had been substituted. My bet is on Cartagena, who had only taken one and scored it.

Regardless of what we don’t know, we can give the deserved amount of praise to what we do know. Namely, that the decision to use a mix of guys who are proven in high-pressure situations and ones who have few, if any, recent penalties on film was a strategy that paid off big time. Pedro Gallese also deserves every flower in the garden for the two saves he made, which absolutely made things easier on the takers. I think it’s interesting that Karol Swiderski took a spot kick for the second game in a row, with Gallese getting the better of him in Game 3 despite the Polish striker going to the Peruvian’s right instead of his left.

It’s also fair to say that the men who stepped up in Game 3 simply took better shots in than in Game 2. Nico’s wasn’t far enough in the corner and was a good height for Kahlina, Jansson put his completely over, and McGuire’s was too central and at a height that favored the goalkeeper. There were no such issues in Game 3, with every shot being well placed.

All in all, you couldn’t have drawn up the Game 3 shootout any better if you tried. Pareja threw a couple curveballs Charlotte’s way, Pedro Gallese made two huge saves, and all of the shooters came up with outstanding efforts. From strategy to execution, the shootout was about as perfect as you can get. Now here’s hoping that’s the last one we have to endure for awhile. Vamos Orlando!

Happy Friday! I hope the week hasn’t been too rough on you as we gear up for what should be an exciting weekend. There aren’t too many plans lined up for me, but I’m still looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to our favorite Beefy Swede, Robin Jansson!

Barbra Banda on Playing With Marta

It’s an understatement to say it’s been a fantastic year for the Orlando Pride, and NWSL MVP finalists Barbra Banda and Marta have been major reasons for the team’s success. Marta has been with the Pride since 2017 and is thriving in what may be the twilight of her legendary career. Meanwhile, it’s Banda’s first year with the Pride and she’s taken the league by storm alongside Marta. In an interview with Futbol W, which is co-hosted by former Pride player Ali Krieger, Banda spoke about how motivating it is to play with the greatest women’s soccer player of all time.

Battle of the Rebuilds in NWSL Playoffs

Of the four teams remaining in the NWSL playoffs, only NJ/NY Gotham FC was in the playoffs last year. Not only are this year’s semifinalists a testament to how much things can change each year, but it’s also an interesting showcase of the different ways clubs can build a team capable of winning in this league. The Pride capped off a patient and smart rebuild by signing international players like Banda, while the Current have benefited greatly from adding Temwa Chawinga. After winning the NWSL Championship last year, Gotham added several American stars like Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn in free agency to do it again. Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit have leaned on a strong rookie class and other young players to reach this point.

USMNT Beats Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team got its quarterfinal series started with a solid 1-0 win over Jamaica in Kingston. Ricardo Pepi scored the lone foal of the game early on with a nice strike after a silky smooth assist from Christian Pulisic. Matt Turner came up with a great save on a penalty kick in the first half, earning a clean sheet the hard way. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable victory for Mauricio Pochettino and the Yanks, but winning on the road in Concacaf is hardly ever comfortable. The two teams will reconvene in St. Louis on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Keeping Up With International Soccer

The U.S. obviously isn’t the only nation taking part in the international break, with teams all around the world in action. Paraguay arguably had the biggest win of the day, beating Argentina 2-1 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Venezuela also had a decent result, drawing 1-1 against Brazil in a match that included a missed penalty by Vinicius Junior.

In 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, and Gabon all booked their tickets to next year’s tournament after the latest round of matches. Saudi Arabia and Australia battled to a scoreless draw in AFC World Cup qualifying, while South Korea moved closer to qualifying after a 3-1 win over Kuwait that featured Son Heung-min’s 50th international goal. There weren’t too many surprises in the UEFA Nations League, with England cruising past Greece and Italy beating Belgium. France was held to a scoreless draw against Israel but still qualified for the quarterfinals.

Free Kicks

• Sporting Kansas City will look a bit different next year, with the club announcing that goalkeeper Tim Melia and captain Johnny Russell won’t be with the team in 2025.
• Angel City FC announced that it will have the largest performance center dedicated just for an NWSL team completed for next year’s preseason.
• Pablo Pinones-Arce’s relatively short time as the Houston Dash’s technical director is reportedly over after the team finished last in the standings this year. Former Pride general manager Erik Ustruck has been with the Dash as a consultant, so time will tell if he’ll be part of the club’s future.
• Claudio Ranieri was named AS Roma’s head coach for the third time in his career. He is now Roma’s third coach this season, as the Italian side sits 12th in Serie A with just three wins from 12 matches.
• Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati spoke on the difference in how women’s soccer players are treated in Spain compared to in the NWSL or Women’s Super League.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!