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USSF Election Fallout: False Expectations and How We Forgot How Far We’ve Come

Published

8 years ago

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All right everyone, let’s take a collective breath. Feel better? Probably not. But I promise I’m going to do my best to calm everyone down. I get it, according to Twitter the “establishment” won. Carlos Cordeiro, former Vice President of U.S. Soccer, was elected by the voting councils with nearly 70% of the vote.

I can hear the cries of the many — or read the tweets — that “nothing will change” along with a myriad of mudslinging, uninformed, baseless claims that aren't anywhere near productive to the conversation. I myself have been in at least 10 different threads of debates with fans about the state of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Soccer United Marketing (SUM), MLS, grassroots, and the overall landscape of soccer here.

I’m not going to bury the lede here. Soccer isn't doing poorly in this country. We aren't in some catastrophic state, the sky isn't burning, and we’re certainly not this gif:

Merritt Paulson, the owner of the Portland Timbers and one of my favorite people on social media had a great take:

And if you want the take of someone I’ll guess you supported for the election — assuming you’re pro-revolution — Eric Wynalda had some great, inspirational statements in his election address (marked 2:32:30).

“This is NOT a revolution, this is an evolution.” Wynalda said in his address.

So forgive me for this exceptionally long article. Maybe it’s because I'm sick of trying to explain in 140 characters what I mean, but I believe this will help some come to grips with where we’ve been, where we are, and that, most importantly, there’s a future of change to come. Just as Wynalda mentions above, the sky isn't falling. It’s just changing.

I’m going to start off with something I hate to do, and that’s qualify myself. However I think it’s very important you understand where I’m coming from and what I’ve done to understand my analysis. I’m not just a writer. In fact, that’s the least of what I am. In soccer terminology, I would like to consider myself a builder. Someone who is finding their way to impact the game and make it better for the generations after us. I’m in contract work for PUMA involved with grassroots programming and European academy U.S. partnerships. I’ve done work for Soccer United Marketing (SUM) on Copa America Centenario and the Gold Cup.

I’ve been a coach for over 10 years in high school and club soccer. I've sat in countless conferences and conventions listening to much smarter people than me like Wynalda, Christopher Moore (U.S. Youth soccer CEO), Nelson Rodriguez (former senior vice president in multiple MLS and SUM roles), Lynn Berling-Manuel (United Soccer Coaches CEO), and so many more in an effort to understand the various levels and viewpoints. I've even been a referee for three very long years. I played soccer since I was 12 and in college. And writing is another outlet I hope to use to create change in this game. Don’t believe me? Feel free to check out my LinkedIn.

I have done studies on various international systems, including top-down analysis from professional to grassroots. I will bet money that I research as much as anyone can on the game. I’d say I spend anywhere around 100+ hours a week in soccer whether it be reading, watching, playing, or working. I’ve read the report on how the DFB remodeled its entire system (I’m happy to share the copy just DM me on twitter) and I plan to read the 109-page 2018 Book of Reports from USSF to gain a better understanding of what is happening. I was one of 83 people who watched the AGM live this past Saturday at 8 a.m. while most were either coaching, playing, watching soccer, or sleeping.

I’m not saying all this because I want to brag about how much I’ve done — very little in my opinion — or make you feel inadequate. I want you to understand that I don’t take this story lightly. That I come from a position of an informed person within the system who even struggles to understand it all sometimes. So I can imagine that if I don’t always have the full picture, then a fan is only going to have a small tip of the iceberg. The hot-button, sexy topics are everywhere because that’s what’s on social media (re: back to the Paulson tweet).

I know that was a lot, and there are actual points to come (stay with me please). I’m going to tackle this in a few different specific subsections to help focus my position. But in an effort to not turn you off yet, understand these premises I support so you don’t think I’m some corporate robot:

1. The best system is promotion/relegation.

2. I believe we need to foster more creativity in the game.

3. We need more focus on urban or pick-up play; specifically in lower socioeconomic areas.

4. We have to have a greater focus on minority participation and coaches.

We Have Come So Far Already, Don’t Forget That

I grew up playing in the mid-90s. For some of you, you probably came up even earlier than that. Here’s where we stood when I first started:

  • U.S. Youth Soccer was only 20 years old.
  • The Olympic Development Program was the only “elite” identification program.
  • U.S. Club and the USSF Development Academy didn't exist.
  • We had just hosted our World Cup and went to our second consecutive trip.
  • We had no professional league in either gender; NASL had been finished for nearly 10 years.
  • There were over two million youth soccer players in 1995 (according to USYS).

Not to ask a common-sense question here, but is that anywhere near where we are today? If I could point my personal top highlights:

Now, you’re going to try and poke holes here because it’s in people’s nature to get defensive and try to discredit pieces vs. the whole argument. You're going to distract by saying that participation rates are down. However, all team sports are down. Or you’re going to say the attendance numbers are fudged. News for you, all sports organizations in all leagues do this. “But we didn’t make the World Cup!” I get it, I’m not happy either. But other federations are in the same spot (more on this later).

There are a lot of problems in the system, not everything in the above was achieved in a manner that I would recommend it was done. But at its core, it’s huge growth in almost 30 years. If you can’t accept that, I’m sorry if we’re done here, but goodbye. Please don’t pretend that we’re not in the best place we’ve ever been. Don’t romanticize the good old days or the inevitable comparisons to other countries.

Recognize the growth that thousands of people have busted their asses for, from the CEOs, to the state association volunteers, to the 14-year-old who referees your son’s/daughter’s U-8 match. To say we haven't achieved great things is spitting in the face of all those people, many of whom are still involved, who helped get us to this point.

Agree or disagree with how we got here or where we are going ,but don’t ignore the immense growth we’ve made.

We’re In Our Infancy As a Soccer Nation

Continuing on from the above point to understand the growth we’ve made, you need to understand how long it takes to build everything and that there needs to be a realistic timeline of expectations.

We live in such a “now” world that patience is a lost art at this point. TV on our phones, Twitter updating by the second to beat organizations via leaks, and you can even have groceries delivered to your door. Saving time might be the greatest asset of any idea or organization at this point. The problem is we want to attribute this to everything. Ignoring the myriad of reasons something can’t be as instant as UberEats.

We see the 1999 Rams go from 4-12 to winning a Super Bowl or Leicester City come out of nowhere to win the English Premier League after being 14th at 5000-1 odds, and we wonder how the United States of America, “The Greatest Country in the World,” is not a soccer world leader by now. We lead in just about every major sport and it just doesn't make sense why this hasn't figured itself out yet. Something must be very, very wrong.

The NFL was created in 1920. It is often said that the NFL didn't reach its turning point until Commissioner Pete Rozelle began in 1960. It took him 29 years to turn league valuations from one million to 100 million. During that time, the NFL had very little competition in pro sports. It wasn't like there were already established multi-million dollar leagues they had to compete with. Keep that in mind when evaluating MLS’ growth.

To put all this in perspective, MLS is only 20 years old and the growth of team valuations has grown 80% since 2013 with the LA Galaxy leading the way with $285 million. In 1997, MLS owners bought in for $5 million. On the high end, that’s a 5700% increase. The NFL’s in 29 years was 10,000%. And that was in a market that was ripe for the taking, whereas MLS has to contend with a billion dollar franchise and three continents of soccer for entertainment dollars.

Or look at how long The Football Association has existed — since 1863. That’s 155 years! U.S. Soccer, even if we ignore the lack of emphasis on its part, wasn't founded for another 50 years. The Football League in England — what eventually became the Premier League when clubs factioned off in 1992 — started in 1888. The 22 clubs that formed the Premier League had a 104-year head start when they started their own league. And then another five before we even started MLS after every other professional league had failed in the U.S. We didn't even get our first professional league in the U.S. until 1967 for further comparison.

When you combine all of this, one should take a step back and understand we are so far behind the world in infrastructure and organization that we have to understand, not to be corny, “that Rome wasn't built in a day.” You can’t expect — no matter how much national pride you have or the culture we live in — that we can’t do in 30-ish years what others have been building for a century or more.

To the facts I referenced in the previous section, we are gaining in American popularity, club valuations, money and many other areas in such a short time already. But we need to take a realistic look at our expectations and understand that if we’re going to become a world power, it’s going to take a lot of time. And don’t forget, it’s not like these countries have stopped improving. The gap may get smaller and smaller but they're all searching for improvement as well.

Promotion / Relegation is Something We Can’t Sustain Right Now

OK, I know this is going to be met with vitriol. Please remember my above premise. I want pro/rel. We need pro/rel. But it’s not the time for it. Read this Forbes article on MLS operating income. It’s a must. They account for all MLS and SUM shared revenue plus individual club revenues to come out with their operating income.

Over half the league is losing money. Now, you’ll say most sports teams lose money. That’s very true. But with the single entity structure, SUM/MLS has taken some of the financial risk to control losses from owners that aren't all billionaires. In fact, there are only six. The NFL boasts 18. And their franchises are worth five times more, and they're profiting in the hundreds of millions.

Now what does that mean? The owners don’t have the financial capabilities to run in an open market and you’ll start getting the NASL /USL turnover. It’s not a secret the financial solvency of the ownership groups means a lot to the MLS. It’s why Arthur Blank and Atlanta are their darlings. Billionaire owners mean money injection into resources. It’s why they brought in the Manchester City ownership. It wants stable, spending franchises.

Now look at the USL, our current D2 league. It talks about having a combined net worth of over $4 billion. It talks about a league expansion fee of over $3 million (note Nashville FC just joined at $4 million). Forbes is reporting the valuations of USL clubs are as high as $21 million. Admittedly, I’ve scoured the internet and cannot find operating income for USL clubs. But if USL clubs were so strong and doing so well, they wouldn't have lost 15 clubs in five years.

There are various reasons for these losses, but the important piece is that MLS saw the hits it has taken with losses of the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion, Chivas USA, and potentially now the Columbus Crew. They understand a shifting team model does nothing for the brand.

On the low end, MLS teams are valued above 10 times the value and have expansion fees at five times the value of USL clubs. They're spending a year what USL clubs are currently valued at. Again, at the low end.

Looking at all this, it is very clear that there are MLS clubs that wouldn’t survive and USL clubs that couldn’t spend at the level needed. And no shared revenue is going to compensate. It’s not strong enough.

There will be a time. Hopefully within the next 10-15 years. But it’s not feasible right now. The best trial period might be candidate Mike Winograd’s take on a unique trial of pro/rel, one I hope MLS takes seriously.

Change Is On The Way

So here’s the good news, change is coming. Carlos Cordeiro was not the favorite of Sunil Gulati nor MLS. He was only the vice president so don’t confuse a board member position with president, they have very different abilities.

There’s a reason the Athlete’s Council voted for him as a bloc. You need a business sense with an openness to the “soccer-people” mentality.

The first step is the introduction of the two soccer GM roles in U.S. Soccer (one for each gender). This is a big first step that Gulati didn't want. This shows an openness to have collaboration on the soccer side and not being an authoritarian, sitting up high from 30,000 feet mandating.

There’s an open vice president role now too, along with open spots for a board member and an independent director spot. These people will be important to how the change will happen along with Cordeiro and I’ll haves my eyes glued to see who runs (fingers crossed for Winograd since he hasn't ruled it out).

Look it’s not going to happen overnight. We’ve come a long way and, as Wynalda said, we just need to evolve. But everyone has to have some patience and some perspective before lashing out at hot button topics. There was so much more we could have talked about and I look forward to the debates. I believe there is a lot of change on the way and it’s needed. But stop with the sky is falling, the system is broken talk. If it wasn't for one game we’re probably not even having this conversation.

If you’re really upset, Get involved! Learn the business, inform yourself. Join a club, a state association, volunteer, whatever gets you into the game and more informed. I promise you’ll see it’s not as easy as Twitter makes it out to be. And you’ll see it’s not all that bad.

There’s so much good out there and we just need time to keep growing. Give people the time. We’ve come so far, in so little time. Once you accept that and have taken a deep breath, you’ll find we can all focus on how to improve. Instead of detracting from the whole situation.

*(PSA – all these views are my own and are not reflective for any organization I've worked for or done work with)

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Orlando City

The Mane Land Roundtable: 2026 Orlando City Preseason Thoughts

The staff weighs in on the season to come in advance of Oscar Pareja’s seventh season in charge of the Lions.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

February 20, 2026

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As we head into the 2026 MLS season this weekend, it’s time to once again get a feel for the hopes and expectations for the campaign that awaits. Orlando City enters the season with big questions about the team’s depth, especially on the back line with captain Robin Jansson out recovering from foot surgery. There’s also a big hole in the attack with an open Designated Player spot. The only group that feels more than sufficient is the central midfield.

I reached out to The Mane Land staff to find out what everyone is thinking ahead of the Lions’ 12th season in Major League Soccer. Big thanks to the entire staff for submitting their thoughts.

Orlando City had a quick exit to the 2025 playoffs. A team that was seemingly close to a title in 2024 went the wrong direction and changes were made. Aside from Alex Freeman, which was the biggest off-season loss for the Lions?

Don VanDemark: There’s no specific player leaving that is concerning. However, looking at the bench for the last preseason game, it was full of new or young names. A youth movement is afoot, for good or for ill.

David Rohe: Prior to the addition of Griffin Dorsey earlier this week, I would have said Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. After the Dorsey signing, I’m still going with Thorhallsson. Dorsey will start at right back with Zakaria Taifi as the backup. That’s all well and good, but I’d still like to have Thorhallsson’s versatility. The guy could start at right back or in the midfield and be a solid contributor. 

Ben Miller: Depth in defense. Rodrigo Schlegel, Kyle Smith, and Thorhallsson are all out the door, and while the team loaded up on defenders in the SuperDraft, there is very little depth in defense with tangible minutes at the professional level. The acquisition of Dorsey helps the right back position a lot, but things are still perilously thin at center back.

Joshua Taylor: The biggest off-season loss for the Lions is Pedro Gallese, who was the club’s primary goalkeeper for the previous six seasons. Gallese’s form had been in decline as of late, but replacing a top goalkeeper who was part of the Lions’ success and played a key role in helping Orlando make six straight playoff appearances won’t be easy. Maxime Crepeau has a tough task, but he is motivated to prove he is a top-quality goalkeeper. He will need to adapt quickly and perform well early in the season while also striving to make Canada’s World Cup squad this summer.

Marcus Mitchell: I’ll go with Cesar Araujo. While I think Braian Ojeda will do well to fill the void left, Araujo and Wilder Cartagena were a winning pair in this league back in 2024 and it’s a shame we’ll never see them together again in Orlando.

Sean Rollins: The biggest off-season loss to me is Gallese. Had the club made an upgrade by signing Carlos Coronel, that might not be the case. However, I don’t see Crepeau as that much of an upgrade. It’s especially troubling since the back line is weaker than last season. Araujo is also a big loss, but I think the return of Cartagena makes his loss less concerning than Gallese.

Matthew David: I’d have to say Thorhallsson. He was a very good right back/right wingback and brought a lot of energy and enterprise. He was only displaced by a truly exceptional athelete in Freeman and there is no shame in that.

Andrew DeSalvo: Thomas Williams was the tallest of the off-season losses, but in the spirit of the question, the biggest off-season loss was Araújo, because he was the kind of player who could have still been penciled into the lineup for easily the next five years and is only just now moving into the prime age for a central midfielder. The Uruguayan was an engine in the midfield and a pest who other teams hated to play against, and while Orlando City’s depth chart in the central midfield may be the deepest among all positions, I wish that the team had been able to get him to stay and could have looked to acquire players elsewhere on the field.

My Take: Because of the way it worked out, I think it’s Gallese. Coronel would have been a slight upgrade at this stage of Gallese’s career, but I’m not sure Crepeau is better or even if he’s as good as El Pulpo. A healthy Cartagena is a high-quality replacement for Araujo. I understand the picks for Thorhallsson the way the right back position was decimated in the off-season, but Dorsey is a good pickup at the cusp of the season.

Image of Pedro Gallese celebrating his penalty kick goal against Toluca.
You will be missed, El Pulpo.
With the season just a day away, how would you grade the Orlando City off-season?

Dave: It gets a D from me. There were certainly things that can be chalked up to bad luck or bad timing (Coronel ghosting the Lions, Freeman being sold), but that doesn’t change the fact that at least in the short term this team is worse off than the end of last season. Ricardo Moreira has a lot of make-up work to do to get a passing grade.

Ben: B. The MLS U22 Initiative signings are all promising players, and we’re probably going to find out how promising Iago is much sooner rather than later. But thus far, aside from the signings of Braian Ojeda and Dorsey, the strategy has been to go with promising players over proven ones. That’s not to say the three young Brazilians won’t turn out to be great signings, but it’s hard to grade unknown quantities highly. This grade would be lower if not for the Dorsey signing, but his arrival helps shore up a defense that’s very shaky on paper without Jansson. No experienced striker signing hurts a lot, but that’s the way it goes.

Joshua: I went with a B-. With the club reshaping the roster after a disappointing end to last season, it was tough to see Gallese, Thorhallsson, Schlegel, and Freeman leave. Still, we get some new additions like Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, and Iago, who should get fans excited, plus the return of veterans Martin Ojeda and captain Jansson under new contracts. My concern remains depth and experience, especially on the back line, with Jansson being sidelined due to a foot injury to start the season. The Lions conceded 51 goals in the league last season.

Marcus: I’d give it a C. The center back and striker positions remain far too shallow for my liking and the club lost versatile players like Smith and Thorhallsson, who can help solve roster problems as they pop up. The front office still made some good business decisions though, selling Luis Muriel and Schlegel while investing in young players with upside.

Sean: It’s been a disappointing off-season for Orlando City. It lost key defensive players in Freeman and Araujo on a team that was already eighth in goals conceded with 51. They also didn’t improve in the attack by bringing in a proven striker. There are now more questions than there were last year.

Matt: I’d give it a capital D!  Far too many decent quality outgoings, some young incoming question marks, and no replacement for an attacking DP they should have been planning to replace, in my opinion. Oscar Pareja has made a lot out of what he’s been given, and Orlando does have some quality guys, but the team has been punching above its budget and that’s not usually sustainable. Look to the immediate north and south; that’s what ambition looks like. I really hated saying that.

Andrew: Hopefully the grades that I issue for the season opener on Saturday night will be better than this, but I am giving the Orlando City off-season a B-. In the short term, I think the team is going to struggle, especially with preventing goals, but the Lions signed three new MLS U22 Initiative players who have potential to be solid starters, and they picked up an MLS quality defensive midfielder and right back as well, so it was not all bad. The big issue is that there was no signing who will clearly be better at his position than the player who started there in 2025, and that is not ideal considering the 2025 team finished in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and went out with a whimper in the playoffs.

Don: C+ with ability to go up — There’s a DP spot to fill, but the biggest disappointment is the lack of experienced depth. The last minute addition of Dorsey saves this off-season from being a complete question mark.

My Take: I’m going to say a C- and that’s not necessarily all Moreira’s fault. He couldn’t have predicted Coronel sneaking off to Brazil and had to spend more time finding a goalkeeper than he’d planned. The Muriel move came late in the off-season, so it was going to be tough to replace that DP slot in the time left. I also feel (though I have no proof) that probably too much time was spent trying to convince Freeman to stay, because I don’t think Smith and Thorhallsson both would have departed otherwise. Moreira also had to reload the MLS U22 Initiative slots. He had a ton to do. But what I keep coming back to is that this team seems to have less depth than last year, will rely more heavily on unproven players, and doesn’t appear to have improved at any starting position.

Image of Alex Freeman dribbling the ball against FC Cincinnati.
Alex Freeman was a unicorn the Lions just weren’t able to keep around for another year.
Which of the three Brazilian MLS U22 Initiative players will have the biggest impact on the 2026 season?

Ben: Iago. Despite a shaky outing in the final preseason game, I think he’s the one that is most ready to contribute, and with Jansson possibly on the shelf until May-ish, he’s going to have the most opportunities to contribute immediately. I think he’ll do admirably, and I see him and David Brekalo duking it out for the right to start next to the captain once he makes his return from injury.

Joshua: Tiago will have the biggest impact on Orlando this season. He is versatile and could play a key role in bolstering the attack, either on the wing or up top. He did well at Bahia last season, will be behind McGuire, and will need time to adapt his game. Still, Tiago can be a threat 1-v-1 on the attack and certainly has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Lions off the bench or step up if McGuire or Tyrese Spicer miss any time due to injuries.

Marcus: Tiago intrigues me the most. Orlando spent big to bring him in and the opportunity is there for him to get some action in this offense. Ivan Angulo struggled to score last year, there’s not much depth up top, and the offense itself can generate some great chances for a guy with his speed.

Sean: I think Tiago has the best opportunity to have the biggest impact of the three Brazilians. Iago will start until Jansson returns, but he’ll then be back on the bench. Meanwhile, the club doesn’t have a forward who has been productive recently. That’s where Tiago can make his impact.

Matt: Tough question, of course, but overall I’d have to say Tiago just based on position. The defense is likely to be leaky at least to start, so the attack may make or break Orlando until it gets more reinforcements and/or the back line gells and gets the captain back. If Tiago can blend with the rest of the attacking unit quickly, he stands to make a big difference.

Andrew: I choose the player with a name ending in iago. All right, fine, if forced to choose between Iago and Tiago, I will take Tiago, who I think is going to slot right into the minutes that used to go to Ramiro Enrique and be similarly productive. Iago is going to play a lot this year, and if he plays well, he may even push Brekalo back out to compete for the starting left back role, but I believe Tiago is going to contribute a lot to the Orlando City offense and have a slightly bigger impact on the season than Iago, and a much bigger impact than Otávio, who plays at a position that is much deeper with experienced MLS players. I am high on all three players though, and think that they will all contribute at the MLS level this season. 

Don: Iago has the most international experience and I think will come into his own once he has time with the team.

Dave: Pareja has stated that Otavio will be brought along slowly. Tiago will get minutes but will be competing against McGuire. That leaves Iago as my pick. With Jansson out, the center back will be forced to adapt quickly, and I think he will.

My Take: I’m going to say Iago, simply because I feel like the defense is razor thin. He’ll start until at least Jansson’s return, and Brekalo has sustained some knocks in his two years with the club. He’ll get the minutes to make an impact. I don’t think Otavio will. Tiago will get minutes, but I think he may need a season to get his bearings, like Enrique did (four goals in 30 games his first season in MLS).

Image of Orlando City's starting lineup prior to a preseason match vs. Colorado.
Iago and Tiago are the popular picks to make the biggest impact out of the MLS U22 Initiative signings.
How should Ricardo Moreira use the club’s open Designated Player slot?

Joshua: With the 2026 FIFA World Cup quickly approaching this summer, Moreira should use that third Designated Player spot on a forward. Orlando’s top goal scorer from last season was midfielder Martin Ojeda, with 16 goals, but finding an attacking player to help the Lions make a late push to make the MLS playoffs this season will be crucial.

Marcus: It’s a tough question. Finding a Designated Player to be a center forward is difficult and Duncan McGuire’s presence can make playing time awkward. I think you still have to roll the dice there though. The potential impact of adding a player like Kevin Denkey to the mix is just too valuable to ignore.

Sean: Designated Player spots should be in positions where they can make a big impact. I think that means Moreira should be looking for a striker. Martin Ojeda is still the team’s number 10, and there isn’t a striker who puts fear into the opponent. Someone who can score 15-20 goals would be a big addition.

Matt: Striker is the role of greatest need, in my opinion. Ideally, someone who can also act as a false 9 and No. 10 if needed. I like McGuire and hope he can stay healthy and reproduce his best days, but it’s too important to leave it at that. The other attacking roles are covered with left wing being the biggest question mark. I think Spicer has looked pretty good though, and Angulo’s speed is useful, if not his touch.

Andrew: Moreira should target an elite left wing with the third DP spot, preferably a right-footed player who can cut back inside and unleash thunder à la Marco Pašalić, but who is also comfortable as a creator and could occasionally switch with Martín Ojeda and play in a more central role. Not a major ask, just find a player who can do all of that at a high level for at least 80 minutes per game and who wants to play in MLS at this point in their career.

Don: It’s usually not efficient to use a DP slot on defense, even if that is the biggest hole on the roster. I’m going to say we need to see more of Spicer before calling left wing a weakness, so let’s go with striker.

Dave: Without question, Orlando City needs to bring in a top quality striker. This is nothing against McGuire or Thiago, but the Lions need more firepower. Designated Player slots are best used on attacking midfielders and strikers. Orlando is set at the former.

Ben: Striker. Let’s not overcomplicate things here. I like McGuire quite a lot, but he struggled with some injury issues last year, and while I think he can absolutely be a double-digit goal scorer in this league, why not have two double-digit goal scorers? High powered attackers are what help teams be successful in this league, and with Orlando competing in the U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup this year, the team is going to need more than just McGuire if it wants to rebound from last year, even if he gets back to scoring 10+ goals.

My Take: This team needs to take a home run swing. I could have gotten behind the Richarlison rumor, and I don’t dare dream that Robert Lewandowski was ever seriously on the table, but what Orlando really lacks is a man up top who not only scores goals in every way imaginable, but also creates them for others. It’s not easy to find the next Hany Mukhtar, Anders Dreyer, Evander, or Denis Bouanga, but that’s the job in today’s MLS. Or find the next Son Heung-min or Thomas Muller — a European star with more tread on the tires who is looking for a new challenge. This team got it done with Kaká and Nani, so there’s no reason it can’t do it again.

Martin Ojeda needs a proven goal scorer to work off of when the Lions fill the third DP slot.
What is your boldest prediction for the 2026 Lions? Make it spicy!

Marcus: Martin Ojeda will win MVP. This mostly hinges on his teammates being able to take some of the heat off of him while converting chances he creates for them, but I think it will happen so long as the Lions get more out of the left wing and bring in a quality attacker this summer. Good service by Dorsey, who had six assists with an anemic Houston offense last year, could be the key to Ojeda scoring more in 2026.

Sean: Last year, I predicted Ivan Angulo would score on a breakaway. That obviously never materialized, but I’m going to stick with him and say Angulo will become one of the top right backs in the league this year. There’s nothing to indicate that’s the case, and Pareja even said his current role is temporary. But I think the club won’t find a replacement, keep Angulo in the position, and he’ll flourish. [Editor’s note: This was turned in prior to the Dorsey signing, but we’re sticking with it because it would be tough to be bolder or spicier than this!]

Matt: Pareja has his hands full this season, but he’s a pragmatist and tends to deal with bad situations pretty well. I suspect we may see some version of ugly defensive and counterattacking football this season. Not that that’s new for this team, but I dont think it will work as well as it has in the past, given the roster turnover. Now the spicy bold part! The summer transfer sees a DP that rides into town and saves the day! I hated saying that too.

Andrew: I predict that Javier Otero will supplant Crépeau as Orlando City’s starting goalkeeper, and he will take over as the starter by the midway point of the MLS season. This may not be as spicy as any prediction involving Tyrese (Spicer, or, for that matter, Gibson), but I think it is a move that the coaching staff should make, as Otero has the ability to follow in Gallese’s gloves and be the starting goalkeeper for years to come. 

Don: Spiciest would be that Lionel Messi steps foot on the Inter&Co Stadium field this season, but I’ll go with the Orlando City player with the most goals at the end of the season is currently not on the roster.

Dave: Orlando City shocks everyone by taking both regular-season matches from Inter Miami again. Doing so makes Don Garber quit and Messi decides to retire. World peace is achieved.

Ben: Iago scores five goals as a center back, giving Orlando a true consistent aerial threat from set pieces that the club has lacked for much of its MLS existence. 

Joshua: My bold prediction is Martin Ojeda will be Orlando City’s top goal scorer again this season with 22 goals and break former Lion Cyle Larin’s single-season club scoring record in the regular season.

My Take: Moreira makes good on his “promise” to The Mane Land PawedCast and signs Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid as a Designated Player in the summer window. It’s time.

Another roundtable, another bold prediction involving Ivan Angulo.
Where will Orlando City finish in the Eastern Conference based on starting the season with the current roster?

Don: The Eastern Conference is tough. The Jansson injury will cause too many defensive lapses to let the offense carry the team alone. It will all hinge on how quickly Iago rounds into form. Playoff bound but it could be a play-in spot.

Dave: I’m going to say this roster finishes 10th, just outside of making the playoffs as it is currently constructed. Pareja will be able to have this team play better than the stats show, but unless there are changes, it’s going to be a long and difficult season.

Ben: Sixth. The acquisition of Dorsey makes me feel better about the defense, but not having Jansson for the first few months of the season, combined with very thin CB depth, hurts, as does not having any proven striker outside of McGuire. Tiago has played there during preseason, but he’s nominally a winger. Plus, plenty of other teams in the Eastern Conference got better on paper. That said, I think the roster has talent, as well as some promising pieces that could push the club higher if they hit the ground running and contribute well. At the end of the day, get another experienced center back in the door, sign a DP striker, and I think the team will climb a few additional places.  

Joshua: Orlando City will finish seventh in the Eastern Conference and make the MLS playoffs.

Marcus: I’ll be an optimist and say fourth. There are some loaded offenses and teams on the rise in the Eastern Conference but I think the Lions are flying a bit under the radar. Last year was disappointing, but Orlando was one of the best teams in the league over some stretches. Consistency will be key.

Sean: I think Orlando City will once again finish ninth. The problems the Lions had last year still exist, and they haven’t improved anywhere else. However, I don’t think any other teams have improved enough to knock them out of a wild card spot.

Matt: I’m going to go roughly middle of the table, say in the 7-10 range. You guessed it! I hated saying that three…

Andrew: Last season I was a little overzealous with my positivity, so I am going to go ahead and rein that in a little bit this year and predict that this year’s team continues its streak of making the playoffs, but finishes in sixth place and will likely not have home-field advantage at any point in the playoffs. Speaking of reins, I hope they throw them out the window when they start negotiating to sign that third DP, because if they do that, I am willing to go back to the well again and say they can compete to win the Eastern Conference. But with the current roster as is I think at best they can finish fourth and more likely will be toward the bottom of the playoff spots.

My Take: I love the optimism of my colleagues, but I don’t share it. While I’d never bet against Pareja, I don’t like the roster as it stands. Two center backs going down would be catastrophic. I’m not sure Tahir Reid-Brown is ready to step into MLS yet, so Adrian Marin seems to be the left back position group. I love the central midfield, but the attack has depth issues, it remains to be seen if Spicer can steal the left wing spot from Angulo and produce consistently, and I’m not really sure who is backing up Pasalic. McGuire must return to form, and Tiago…is he ready for this level? I think the roster as it stands looks like a ninth-place or 10th-place team in the Eastern Conference. I expect the roster to evolve though, and I’ll predict a seventh-place finish, with a ceiling of fifth.

If you made it to the end of this roundtable discussion, wow. Good job! It was a long one. But, hopefully there is a lot here to discuss.

Let us know in the comments where you agree and disagree with us, and give us your own bold predictions.

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Podcasts

PawedCast Episode 515: Orlando City Transfers, Preseason Schedule, OCB Signings, and More

We’re back to discuss Orlando City’s transfer news and rumors, OCB roster additions, and the preseason schedule.

Published

2 months ago

on

January 13, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has gathered for preseason camp ahead of the 2026 season, and we’re still here to talk about it. How long that continues to be the case may unknown at this point, but we’re trending in the right direction, so if that continues, you’re stuck with us for a while longer.

The Lions have had various comings and goings since our last show, and we discuss the movement in and out of the roster. We thought Carlos Coronel was going to be the new Orlando City starter in goal, but he fled to Brazil, so we welcome Canadian international Maxime Crepeau to the City Beautiful. It’s not as splashy an addition, but it could be just as effective a roster move if he can regain his form from his Vancouver and LAFC days.

We also discussed the additions of Tiago, Luis Otavio, and Braian Ojeda. On the other hand, departures took place as well, such as Nico Rodriguez being loaned to Atletico Nacional and the reports that Luis Muriel may be finalizing a deal to move on. We chatted about what those moves mean in the grand scheme of things. Kyle Smith went home and we are glad he’s still playing but sad to see him in another team’s uniform.

The preseason schedule was a bit underwhelming, but we ran through it quickly.

Our mailbagbox was a little light, and it proved to us how little we know about the Polish national team. 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.

Finally, we talked a bit about the recent moves OCB has made, including the addition of a Brazilian striker. Former OCB forward Shak Mohammed is off to Nashville, while OCB/OCSC left wing Yutaro Tsukada showed up to preseason camp with a wedding ring. Congrats to Yutaro!

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. We’ll also return for at least one more show to say goodbye if things don’t work out for us to continue, but we are hoping it doesn’t come to that!

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. 515 went down:

0:15 – An update on our staffing crisis is more hopeful than the last one, and we go through the various arrivals and departures.

30:16 – The mailbagbox seeks help for Orlando City from Poland and wants to know which position we’d least like to see the club make a Designated Player signing.

41:52 – OCB news, a new home for Shak, and Tsukada ties the knot.

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Uncategorized

A Few Words About the Future of The Mane Land

TML needs help to continue bringing you coverage of Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, OCB, and all things soccer related in the City Beautiful.

Published

3 months ago

on

December 9, 2025

By

Stock image courtesy of GoDaddy.com Managed WordPress

For the last 11 years, The Mane Land has worked hard to provide daily content telling the story of Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, OCB, and any other soccer-related events we can get to in the Central Florida area. We love doing that, but we’re at a critical stage in being able to do so. Staff has been difficult to replace in recent years, and we’ve come to a point where some of us have not only been stretched to an unsustainable limit, but we’ve been going at that rate for multiple years without a break.

To that point, TML is now at a critical juncture where we must have more contributors who can cover live events in order to survive in our current format (and possibly at all). For the past few years, we have had only two primary game night writers covering three teams, and we are unable to continue at that pace, regardless of how much we enjoy doing it.

To continue as an entity, we’re going to need anywhere from two to four new contributors who can pitch in with game-night coverage of Orlando City/Orlando Pride matches. Additionally, another copy editor is essential, while two more would be preferred.

We’d like to continue into 2026, but if we can’t get the additional help we need, the current plan is to shut down at the end of the 2025 calendar year. The minimum we need to carry on would be two new live event writers and a copy editor.

What does this mean? Well, if you’ve ever thought it would be cool to cover soccer matches (it is) or thought about joining us, now is the time to volunteer. If you enjoy soccer and talking about this club with your friends, you might be perfect for our team, because if you can talk about soccer, you can probably write about it as well. Writing is just talking on a screen with your fingers, after all.

To get started, please write to us at themaneland@gmail.com and let us know how you’d like to contribute — writing, editing, etc.

It is important to note that we do this out of a love for the beautiful game and these positions are on a voluntary basis. However, if freed from the shackles of such an overwhelming schedule, my goal is to spend more time creating strategic partnerships and promoting our membership platform that could combine to bring in revenue that would go toward compensating staff writers. Additionally, some of our staff members have gone on to more financially rewarding opportunities as a result of their time with us. You never know what this experience will lead to. Like anything else in life, you’re likely to get out of it what you put in.

The good news is that we have already reached out to our Founders and our Buy Me a Coffee subscribers about this subject, and several have shown an interest in helping, so we are in the process of exploring those potential contributors at the moment.

We Are Currently Seeking:

  • Match writers – You don’t need a degree in journalism or English to write for us. If you like to talk about soccer, you can probably write about it as well. Staff writers contribute regularly to our game coverage, which could be in the form of recaps, player grades pieces, five takeaways posts, etc. We have a need for this on both the Orlando City and Pride sides, and you can do both if you want. If you’re not local to the Orlando area, you can cover road matches via the broadcast/stream.
  • Editors – Can you spot a subject/verb disagreement from a mile away? An editor position may be for you! How often do you get to correct people without anyone shaming you for it? This position will edit copy for submitted stories, make headlines punchier and more SEO-friendly, and ensure the story has a properly cropped/centered photo that helps tell the story. Typically you’ll only be on “desk duty” one or two evenings per week when it fits your schedule. You may also write stories if you wish!

About TML

Our little blog became an idea and then an independent WordPress site in late September of 2014, and went live on SBNation in December of that year. When SBNation stopped funding nearly all of its MLS blogs a few years ago, we went independent again, and we’ve long been the only outlet providing daily coverage of Orlando City’s teams. Even the club doesn’t post new content to its website every day!

FAQ

Why shutter the site at the end of December? Why do you need help now when the season doesn’t start for a couple of months?

Preparing to cover three teams requires advance planning. Each year, we put together a publication schedule to ensure all our bases are covered. This includes what will run (a placeholder or sometimes the specific piece) on every day of the year, which obviously doesn’t take into account breaking news or extra features that people want to do. Setting up this publication schedule also includes noting when major soccer events are coming, known USMNT/USWNT scheduled matches, MLS and NWSL deadlines, player birthdays, important milestones and anniversaries, and more. We also put together volunteer sign-up sheets for grades and takeaways posts. That setup work is all for naught if we don’t have the bodies to physically cover the team when the season starts. Also, it’s easier to pull the plug on our LLC at the end of a calendar year. None of us want to stop, but we have to be realistic about being able to continue covering the team as we have.

Why not just scale back and cover what you can? Do you have to cover every game?

I don’t have a good answer for this other than I would not feel right about putting my name on a product I don’t believe in. I don’t ever want our audience to have to guess whether or not they’re getting a game recap or any follow-up analysis from a given match. In my opinion, we have never had the personnel to fully provide what I envision. For example, I want to add more video content, player grades and recaps for the Pride games, and to bring back weekend Lion Links and OCB match previews. And we should have a lot more features and analysis pieces! In short, we’re already doing the bare minimum that I’m comfortable with. And, I have to be honest: if there was a game coming up with no one to cover it, knowing me, I’d probably just do it myself, and I already know I can’t continue the pace of the past few years. I have to save me from myself sometimes.

Could The Mane Land continue in a different form?

I have toyed with the idea of turning TML into a newsletter. This might be a daily that includes a Lion Links-type section and opinion/analysis of club news. It would not include match coverage or any kind of regular news. I almost pivoted to that when SBNation stopped funding us, but we decided to make a go of it as an independent outlet. The problem with the newsletter style is that I can’t do it daily every single day or it would be no different than the situation I’m in, so some help would still be needed. Some of that could come from the current TML staff, but I’m not sure all of it could, and the newsletter format is not for everyone, so we’d be leaving part of our audience behind. I’m not sure it’s the way to go.

Is new management or investment needed?

Possibly. I am willing to sell the name and logo and turn over all our passwords for someone else to take over the operations, which would free up a considerable amount of my time. I’m even willing to continue on as a writing and editing contributor, because I love covering the club. Some of the other staff might as well. But I would not be interested in covering every single match. I’m not a kid anymore, and I have a regular job, a family, and other side gigs that require my attention.

Will you still do the podcasts if the site shuts down?

No. I think if we decide to shut down, it will be across the board. I much prefer our written content, and that’s the reason I started our outlet to begin with. I feel the podcasts complement our coverage and give us more of an opinion platform and a way to discuss matches in a deeper, richer way, but I’m not interested in doing only the podcasts. That said, others on our staff might want to continue and I’m OK with that.

Contact us at themaneland@gmail.com today to get started as a new contributor!

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