I don’t know about all of you, but I’m craving some Orlando soccer. There’s still a little over a month to go before Orlando City’s season opener on Feb. 21, but the preseason is here, and it’s nice to see Lions on grass again. The Orlando Pride’s schedule should also be revealed today, and seeing more Pride games in person this year is a resolution I’m eager to fulfill. Let’s get to the links!

Caitlin Carducci’s Plans for the Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci spoke on the state of the team as she heads into her first year in the City Beautiful after two years with the Kansas City Current.

“I’m not stepping into a rebuild; nothing needs to be torn down to be built back up,” she said. “We’re looking at refining the amazing foundation that’s in place. And I’m really looking forward to getting out onto the field, seeing how everyone’s working, seeing what our coaches can do with this roster, and then as we need to make adjustments going forward, we’re able to do so.”

The Pride’s preseason begins next week and it should allow Carducci to get a better understanding of the roster so that she can work with the coaching staff on elevating the team to the next level. Carducci also discussed her desire to win, the leadership model she wishes to cultivate in Orlando, and the value of the relationships she has within the league.

Chris Richards Named U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year

Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards was voted 2025 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year after a stellar year for club and country. The 25-year-old started in 11 matches for the United States Men’s National Team and scored twice in the Gold Cup, earning a spot on the tournament’s Best XI. He also helped Crystal Palace win both the FA Cup and Community Shield last year. Not only is it Richards’ first time winning the award, but it was his first nomination for it as well. He claimed 48.6% of the total vote, while Orlando City defender Alex Freeman finished third in voting with 13%.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

San Diego FC and winger Anders Dreyer agreed to a contract extension through the 2028-2029 season, with an option for an additional year. Dreyer was a force to be reckoned with last season, recording 23 goals and 22 assists to earn the title of MLS Newcomer of the Year.

Somehow, Hector Herrera returned. The Dynamo signed their former captain to a contract through 2026, with an option for 2027. The Chicago Fire and Kellyn Acosta agreed to mutually terminate his contract, allowing him to reportedly join Pogon Szczecin in Poland. LAFC claimed winger Tyler Boyd off waivers as well.

Africa Cup of Nations Final Set

Senegal prevailed over Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations yet again, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 78th minute from Sadio Mane and booking a spot in the final. It was a rematch of the 2021 final between the two nations and another fun duel between former Liverpool teammates Mane and Mo Salah. Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly will miss Sunday’s final due to yellow card accumulation.

Senegal will be joined in the final by Morocco, which beat Nigeria in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw. Yassine Bounou came up with two saves in the shootout to help Morocco come out on top, and the home crowd was a factor in the result as well according to Head Coach Walid Regragui. It should be a great final to cap off what has been an entertaining tournament so far.

Free Kicks

• This year’s NWSL Challenge Cup between the Kansas City Current and NJ/NY Gotham FC will reportedly take place in June at a neutral site.
• Real Madrid was eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the round of 16 after a 3-2 loss to Albacete of Spain’s second division. It’s not a great start for new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso.
• The Bundesliga season has reached its midpoint, and Bayern Munich remains undefeated after a 3-1 win over Cologne. Vincent Kompany’s team has scored a whopping 66 goals, a league record at the halfway point of the season.
• Burkina Faso sacked head coach Brama Traore and his assistant coaches following the nation’s performance at the Africa Cup of Nations. Burkina Faso fell in the round of 16 to the Ivory Coast and didn’t qualify for this year’s World Cup.
• Cameroonian Football Federation President Samuel Eto’o was suspended for four games and fined $20,000 for alleged misconduct during Cameroon’s loss to Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.

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

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It has felt like the off-season has been in slow motion despite several signings. Recent developments make it feel like things are going to start speeding up. So keep your head up as the preseason is underway, and the season is just around the corner. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Name Caitlin Carducci VP & GM

The Orlando Pride hired Caitlin Carducci as the club’s new vice president of soccer operations and general manager. Carducci was most recently the general manager for the Kansas City Current. Like the recently departed Haley Carter, Carducci is proven commodity, having built trophy-winning teams. She has an impressive resume, having worked at multiple levels of soccer including with U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and as an attorney and former compliance officer. This is a move that proves the commitment of the Wilf family regarding the Orlando Pride.

Muriel Exit Rumors Heat Up

It’s one of those things where everyone knows something is coming, but we still have to wait for it to actually happen (see Carlos Coronel). It’s a known secret that Orlando City and Luis Muriel want to mutually move on from each other, and now it looks like it might be happening. Of course, we don’t have anything confirmed by the club yet, but when Tom Bogert posts something like this, it’s usually a good indication.

USMNT News

Josh Sargent has been doing very well with Norwich City scoring 13, 16, and 15 goals for the Canaries in the last few seasons. Now, he may be on his way to MLS as Toronto FC is trying to bring him to North America for an $18 million fee. In other news, Timothy Weah spoke out about the costs of World Cup tickets being too high. It’s not exactly a hot take, but good on him for addressing the issue.

NWSL Notes

Now that the Orlando Pride have a new general manager, we eagerly await the new player signings. Until then, let’s check out other NWSL happenings. Seattle Reign FC signed head coach Laura Harvey to a new contract through the 2028 season. Angel City decided that having Emily Sams wasn’t enough, so the club signed rookie forward Riley Tiernan to a contract extension through the 2028 season. The disturbing trend of Brazilian players signing with clubs other than Orlando City continued, as Ludmila was traded by Chicago to the San Diego Wave for $800,000 in transfer fee funds and up to an additional $200,000 in conditional transfer fee. She signed a three-year contract with the club.

Free Kicks

• I think we may get the 2026 NWSL season schedule on Thursday, but I’m just speculating.

• Manchester United has signed former player Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season.
• FC Cincinnati signed forward Kristian Fletcher through the 2026 season with options through the 2027-2028 MLS season.
• If you’re feeling bad about what Orlando City is or is not doing this off-season, at least the Lions haven’t messed up like this:

• It’s called the City Beautiful for a reason.

• Orlando City had a special guest at training, as Brazilian legend Zico stopped by to visit.

That will do it for today. Check back with The Mane Land as there’s going to be plenty of news as the new seasons for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride get closer. Vamos Orlando!

The preseason has begun, and we know about Orlando City’s four tuneup matches during the 2026 training camp. The season opener is just over six weeks away on Feb. 21. This seems like a good time to discuss a few things that I’m hoping for from this edition of the Lions’ preseason.

A Clean Bill of Health

I would trade every other item on this list if it means getting through the preseason without any injury setbacks like the one the Lions experienced last year. When Wilder Cartagena tore his left Achilles tendon against Atletico Mineiro on Jan. 25, it broke up the previously established and successful duo of himself and Cesar Araujo and had a big impact on the start of the season. Of course, OCSC pivoted magnificently as Eduard Atuesta was signed just a little over two weeks later on Feb. 10, but the timing of Cartagena’s injury and Atuesta’s subsequent arrival meant that he was playing catch-up when it came to integrating with his new teammates. The Colombian still put together a solid season with seven assists (good for third-best on the team), but not having Cartagena in 2025 was a blow, particularly when considering his versatility in being able to play at midfield or center back. If the Lions can get to opening day this year with no repeats of that incident or Yutaro Tuskada’s 2025 season-ending knee injury, then I’ll be a very happy man.

Timely Reinforcements

It’s been pretty well established that more additions need to be made to the roster before it’s ready for opening day. Luis Muriel is likely about to be moved and at least one striker will be needed to replace him, while convincing arguments can be made for signing a left back, a couple of center backs, and a right back. Not only would I love those signings to be made, but there’s also a lot to be said for any new arrivals to join up with the team sooner rather than later. Some of that is out of the Lions’ hands, particularly in the case of using the Designated Player spot if/when Muriel exits, but the more time any new faces have to begin integrating with their new teammates, the better. Of course, there’s also something to be said for Orlando doing its homework and ensuring that it makes the correct call when pulling the trigger on a new signing, but with how tough the Eastern Conference was last year, a fine balance is going to need to be struck between patience and urgency to ensure OCSC isn’t playing catchup in the standings.

Continued Chances for Young Players

It’s no secret that a big storyline for Orlando City during 2025 was the eye-wateringly fast rise of Alex Freeman. He’s a shining example of what MLS teams want to get out of their academies — rising up through the youth systems, starring for the reserve side, earning a spot on the first team, and going even farther beyond that. The big question now is whether or not other young players can follow in his footsteps. It would be unreasonable to expect other Young Lions to hit the heights that Freeman did in 2025, but there’s no reason that guys like Gustavo Caraballo, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Colin Guske can’t earn some more minutes after making their debuts last season. Likewise, as Sean Rollins noted several days ago, there are some current Orlando City B players who could realistically make their senior debuts this year. That process begins during the preseason, when the coaching staff is trying to get a good sense of what it has to work with, and if any of the youngsters show well, then Oscar Pareja and his staff have shown themselves to be more than willing to hand them opportunities. Hopefully, some of the more promising young faces get plenty of chances to prove themselves.

There you have it. If Orlando City can keep everyone healthy, get new signings in the door sooner rather than later, and hand promising youngsters the chance to show what they can do, then I’ll be a happy man during this preseason. Keep your fingers crossed, people. Vamos Orlando!