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.

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.

The Orlando Pride have little to no margin for error in the remainder of the schedule if the team is going to achieve its goal of making the playoffs in 2023. The Pride took a big step toward that goal with a 2-1 win over the North Carolina Courage on Sunday evening. The win included the fastest goal in Pride history, a red card — for the opponents this time — and another standout performance by Adriana.

We break down an exciting victory by the Pride that pushed the club from 10th in the standings to seventh and just one point out of a playoff spot with three matches left to play. We discussed the big moments, checked on our score predictions, and made our choices for Player of the Match.

We also talked about what is mathematically possible (albeit unlikely) in how the NWSL season can end in the most chaotic way possible — a six-way tie for first place that would see the Pride claim the Supporters’ Shield! OK, we did say it was unlikely. The Pride could still finish anywhere from first to last in the league, and with three games left, that’s absurd.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us questions about handballs and the Pride’s midfield. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form.

Without a Pride match next week, we touched on the United States Women’s National Team, which has a pair of friendlies coming up in the international window against a good South Africa side.

Here’s how Episode 24 went down:

0:15 – A look back at a huge win for the Pride over the North Carolina Courage.

30:27 – We’ve got mail! We answer our listeners’ questions and touch on the USWNT’s upcoming matches against South Africa.