Happy Friday, Mane Landers! We have some exciting games ahead of us over the next few days, with three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy. It all starts with the Orlando Pride’s game tonight, with Orlando City playing Saturday afternoon, and Orlando City B wrapping things up on Sunday. Make sure to plan your weekend accordingly! Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Gets Ready for Road Match

The Lions are on the road this weekend for a game in Canada against CF Montreal on Saturday. Orlando is coming off of a dramatic 4-3 win over rival Inter Miami, with Martin Ojeda scoring a hat trick. Ojeda has had Montreal’s number in recent years, scoring at least once against the Canadian club each year for the past three years. Orlando hasn’t lost to Montreal since 2023, but it also hasn’t won on the road against Montreal since 2021. Saturday’s match will also be a reunion of sorts for goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who joined Montreal’s academy at age 15 and played there for nine years. He was excellent in Orlando’s win in Miami, so hopefully he can keep it up in his home country.

Orlando Pride Host North Carolina Courage Tonight

The Orlando Pride are back in action tonight with a home game against the North Carolina Courage. Both teams are coming off of losses last week, with the Pride falling 4-2 to the Washington Spirit. Tonight’s match will pit the league’s top two scorers against each other, with Barbra Banda scoring seven so far while Ashley Sanchez has scored five. The Pride will play three consecutive road games after tonight, putting an emphasis on a strong showing at home. It’s also Survivor Night at the stadium, so make sure to bring any immunity idols if you’ll be in attendance. The Pride could use any advantage they can get.

Johnny Cardoso Injured Ahead of World Cup

Atletico Madrid announced that American midfielder Johnny Cardoso was diagnosed with an ankle sprain he sustained in training, casting doubt on his availability for the World Cup next month. He’ll now work on rehabilitation before the club provides a timetable for his return. The 24-year-old started in the United States Men’s National Team’s game against Belgium in March, but he had to exit that camp due to injury as well. Hopefully he has a smooth and successful recovery from this.

English Clubs Reach European Finals

Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the Europa League, overcoming a loss in the first leg to secure a spot in the final. John McGinn scored twice to help his team reach its first major European final since 1982. Villa will play in the final on May 20 against SC Freiburg, which also bounced back from a loss in the first leg by beating Braga 3-1 in Germany. A red card to Mario Dorgeles in the sixth minute reduced Braga to 10 men early on and Lukas Kubler bagged a brace for Freiburg.

In the Europa Conference League, Crystal Palace won 2-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk to advance to the final on May 27 against Rayo Vallecano. As a result of this week’s semifinals across the continent, English clubs are in contention to win the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.

Free Kicks

• The World Cup trophy will be on display for public viewing at Universal Orlando Resort on May 11 and 12.
• Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge topped the MLS MVP rankings at this point of the season, with the Chicago Fire’s Hugo Cuypers in second. Martin Ojeda wasn’t listed, but we know he can go on a hot streak and last week’s hat trick might’ve been the spark.
• Barcelona can clinch the La Liga title with a win or a draw at home against Real Madrid on Sunday.
• As for how Real Madrid’s preparations for El Clasico are going, Federico Valverde suffered a head injury after an altercation with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.
• ESPN detailed the multitude of pain points fans could deal with during the upcoming World Cup, as well as exploring at what point is it too much of a hassle to attend the world’s best sporting event.
• Darwin Nunez is reportedly leaving Al-Hilal this summer, making him an interesting name to keep an eye out for over the next few months.

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

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s a bit strange not spending a Thursday morning celebrating an Orlando City win the night before after the last few Wednesdays, but I’m all in favor of the Lions getting some needed rest. I’ve been spending most of the week doing much of the same in preparation for a busy Mother’s Day weekend. If you needed a reminder that was coming up on Sunday, you’re welcome. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Justin Ellis Makes U.S. Open Cup Team of the Round

Orlando City forward Justin Ellis was named to the 2026 U.S. Open Cup Team of the Round following the round of 16. The 18-year-old had a goal and an assist in Orlando’s dramatic 4-3 victory over the New England Revolution. He nearly had a brace, but his second goal was disallowed due to a questionable offside call. Ellis is the only Lion to make the Team of the Round this time, but hopefully multiple Orlando players make the cut after the quarterfinal against Atlanta United on May 19.

Orlando Pride Prepare for North Carolina Courage

After a 4-2 loss to the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride will look to get back on track when they host the North Carolina Courage on Friday. Barbra Banda scored both of the Pride’s goals in that defeat and leads the NWSL in scoring this year, but the Pride have now conceded seven goals over their past two games. Hopefully the defense can right the ship against a Courage team that has scored nine goals in seven games this year. Pride forward Simone Jackson spoke on how the team is making changes to improve defensively ahead of Friday’s home game.

Orlando City Announces World Cup Watch Parties

A fan festival to enjoy this summer’s World Cup is coming to Pointe Orlando and will run from June through July 19. Hosted by Orlando City SC, the event will feature live showings for all 104 World Cup games, live entertainment, and player appearances. There will also be at least five larger-scale events for specific matchdays such as the United States Men’s National Team’s games against Paraguay and Australia, Brazil’s games against Morocco and Haiti, and of course the World Cup final on July 19. It sounds like a pretty fun time and I’m hoping to make it out for a match or two.

UEFA Champions League Final Set

Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the UEFA Champions League final on aggregate after a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. A goal in just the third minute of the match by PSG’s Ousmane Dembele gave the impression that it would be another barnburner between the two sides, but Bayern didn’t score until Harry Kane’s goal in stoppage time. The match wasn’t without controversy, as there were possible handballs that could’ve changed the course of the game. PSG is now only one game away from defending its title and will take on Arsenal in the final on May 30 in what will be a rematch of last year’s semifinals.

Free Kicks

• Martin Ojeda finished second in MLS Goal of the Matchday voting for his superb strike to spark Orlando City’s comeback in a 4-3 win over Inter Miami, garnering 27.9% of the vote. Lionel Messi finished first with 42.6% to claim the honor.
• Speaking of that Orlando victory, it has raised questions in Miami about the club’s performance and the lack of representation by its leaders to address the media regarding said performance.
• D.C. United signed English midfielder Andre Dozzal as a free transfer who will join the team in July.
• MLS unveiled its new office, a 126,000-square-foot space in Manhattan with two stories. I’ve heard that the vending machines only take Targeted Allocation Money, but that you have at least 10 years to make your cubicle soccer-specific since you’re in New York.
• American forward Folarin Balogun was nominated for Ligue 1 Goal of the Season for his chip shot against Marseille on April 5.
• In case you missed it, Toronto FC was eliminated in the preliminary round of the 2026 Canadian Championship after a 3-1 loss to Atletico Ottawa of the Canadian Premier League. Former CF Montreal midfielder Ballou Tabla scored a hat trick for the underdogs.
• In his best impression of Lucille Bluth, FIFA President Gianni Infantino tried justifying World Cup ticket prices with a string of tone-deaf responses culminating in the claim that no one can watch college sports in the U.S. for under $300. It’s a football game between Tulane and Temple, Gianni. How much could it cost, $800?

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. If you celebrated Cinco de Mayo Tuesday, I hope you’re feeling well this morning. It’s always special when the Cinco de Mayo falls on Taco Tuesday. I did not partake of any margaritas or tacos and I regret that a little. Then again, I don’t need a reason to enjoy either on any day of the week. With that in mind, let’s get to the links.

Recognition for Dorsey

You have until tomorrow to vote for Griffin Dorsey to win Goal of the Round for the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. I’m certain you remember his goal, but just in case, here is a reminder.

That was a lovely give and go with an outstanding finish. Definitely worthy of winning Goal of the Round. I hope he’s able to score more goals in all the rounds until Orlando City wins a second U.S. Open Cup. You can vote here.

Banda Named to NWSL April Best XI

It’s a mixed bag when it comes to the Orlando Pride these days. The team has lost two matches in a row, but Barbra Banda has a brace in each of those matches. Thanks in part to her league league leading seven goals, Banda made the NWSL Best XI of the Month for April.

Speaking of the Pride, if you’ve never had the opportunity to watch the team in action at Inter&Co Stadium — and you’re a Florida resident — you can get a complimentary ticket to your first match. If you don’t qualify, there are other offers and it would be a great way to introduce a friend to women’s soccer.

USMNT News

As the World Cup edges ever closer we continue to check in with how the USMNT players are doing in the run up to the competition. Unfortunately, Christian Pulisic is in a bad run of form for AC Milan, and Stu Holden thinks he knows why. He still made the Fox Sports Top 100 Players in the 2026 World Cup. Holden and Alexi Lalas also had thoughts on how Folarin Balogun compares to Mexico’s Raul Jimenez (video). We also get more evidence that Matt Turner is making a case to be the number one choice for keeper.

U.S. Prepares for the World Cup

Host cities are getting ready to host the World Cup. Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank says that Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be ready. Likewise, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City is beginning its transformation to a soccer venue. Despite all the preparations, the hotel industry is reporting that advanced bookings are either on par or lagging as compared to an ordinary summer rather than the increase expected due to the competition.

Free Kicks

• Good news, everyone. Orlando City has climbed all the way to No. 22 in the MLS Power Rankings following its 4-3 victory over Inter Miami.
• If you’re a gamer you probably have an opinion on the most iconic footballers in video game history. I do not, but I do occasionally enjoy a match of FIFA on my PS5.
• Atlanta United and CF Montreal both received fines for violating the league’s mass confrontation policy in the 91st minute of their recent match.
• Do you like watching soccer? I’m assuming so, since you’re reading this article. If so, Fox Sports is hiring a person to watch all 104 World Cup matches. The job position is FOX One Chief World Cup Watcher Hired Through Indeed.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City, Orlando Pride, and OCB matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!