[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).

We’re checking in early this December, although it probably won’t be our only show of the month. Alex Freeman keeps giving us stuff to talk about. The young fullback dazzled the crowd in Tampa with his brace against Uruguay for the U.S. Men’s National Team. That performance made him Man of the Match, but it was just one aspect of a great year that got him named as a finalist for U.S. Male Player of the Year. The competition is tough, but Orlando City’s Homegrown defender has a good shot at bringing home even more hardware in a magical 2025.

We also discussed the Luis Otavio rumors as the 18-year-old central midfielder is reportedly finalizing an MLS U22 Initiative deal to join the Lions for the 2026 season. We’re watching with great interest after Cesar Araujo’s departure.

Our mailbagbox asked how contracts are going to work with the change to a fall/spring MLS calendar and which Lions and dishes we want at our Thanksgiving feast. 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, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

After the mailbagbox, we discussed Robin Jansson re-signing with the Lions through 2027. The captain is back, and it sounds like he helped restructure his deal in a way that will help the club conduct the off-season business Ricardo Moreira wants to complete. Always the team player, our captain.

Finally, we looked at Orlando City’s 2026 MLS schedule. The Lions start and finish at home, must play Atlanta on short rest twice, and will face San Diego FC for the first time.

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it.

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next 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 No. 513 went down:

0:15 – Alex Freeman is a finalist for U.S. Male Player of the Year on the heels of his brace against Uruguay in Tampa, and Luis Otavio may be on his way to Orlando.

13:31 – The mailbagbox is seasonal this time out!

26:05 – Robin Jansson is staying in Orlando and the 2026 schedule is out early.

[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.