Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are both currently helmed by interim head coaches, but that might be where the similarities end. It’s quite an interesting time for the club given the circumstances, though interesting isn’t always a good thing. You shouldn’t expect any decisions to be made soon, but let’s look at where these two situations are similar and where they are decidedly different.

How We Got Here

Martin Perelman has been the interim head coach for Orlando City since the departure of Oscar Pareja. Prior to that he was the head coach of Orlando City B from 2022-2024. He then was promoted to assistant coach with the senior team, and has now been in charge for 19 regular-season matches, three Leagues Cup matches, and three U.S. Open Cup matches. He has a record of 11-9-5 across all competitions.

Perelman has at least one more Open Cup match, and 12 regular-season matches remaining to prove he deserves the job.

Yolanda Thomas was just announced as the interim head coach for the Orlando Pride on Monday. She was hired as an assistant coach for the Pride under Seb Hines in 2023. Unlike Perelman, Thomas has helped an Orlando team win some trophies. She will lead the Pride for the first time on Sunday.

Thomas only has eight regular-season matches to make her case for the position. I’m not including any playoff matches, as there is absolutely no guarantee that either team makes the post season.

The Decision Makers

Ricardo Moreira is the general manager and sporting director for Orlando City. He originally came to the club as the director of scouting in 2018. Luiz Muzzi was then brought in as general manager, and then Oscar Pareja was hired. Moreira worked under Muzzi for several years before taking over the position he now holds. It was Moreira who hired Perelman for the Orlando City B job and gave him the interim tag earlier this year. Moreira could have done a coaching search following the departure of Pareja but ostensibly decided that because of the World Cup he needed to — or simply could — hold off on looking for a bigger name to take over.

Caitlin Carducci is the vice president of soccer operations and general manager for the Orlando Pride. The club hired her after the departure of Haley Carter. Typically when a new GM comes on board, they like to hire their own coach and institute their own systems and style of play. Carducci walked into a club coming off a record-breaking 2024 season that saw the club win both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship before barely missing out on the final again in 2025. Seb Hines had also won NWSL Coach of the Year in 2024. If Carducci had let Hines go immediately, there would have been riots. It was her decision to give Thomas the interim tag.

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance?

Yes, there is a chance for both of these coaches, though I think the likelihood of either getting the full-time gig differs greatly. Perelman has had much more opportunity to prove he deserves the job. He could conceivably lead the team to a second U.S. Open Cup trophy and a seventh straight playoff berth. There have been zero rumors floating around about an earnest coaching search for Orlando City. I continue to believe that Moreira wants Perelman to give him enough reasons to offer him the permanent position. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, just that it is the impression that I get.

Carducci inherited Hines and his staff. Given the team is languishing in 12th in the standings with so few matches left to play, I believe that Carducci is employing Thomas to make the most out of a roster that will have a ton of turnover following the season. It’s not a recipe for success if you’re Thomas — or Hines, if I’m being honest — but that’s the hand she’s been dealt. It is possible that Thomas is being given the same chance that Hines was given when he took over for Amanda Cromwell, but I think it is unlikely. This is an opportunity for Thomas to show what she can do to hopefully get another gig elsewhere, and to give Carducci more time to find the coach she’s probably wanted since she was hired.

Those are my thoughts on the current situations, but I’d love to hear what your think in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a fairly hectic week for me so far, but things are starting to wind down as we get ready for the weekend. I was at least able to catch “Coyote vs. Acme” in theaters and highly recommend it if needing a laugh or even just some motivation to keep on keeping on. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Home Game Amidst Changes

The Orlando Pride will play their first game since Seb Hines’s departure on Sunday when they host the Houston Dash. Following their 2-1 loss to the Utah Royals, the Pride have fallen to 12th in the NWSL standings with eight games remaining this season. Sunday’s match will be interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’s first game at the helm and she spoke on how she and the team have been navigating the changes this week while still preparing to take all three points.

Gary Lewis Named Orlando City Academy Director

Orlando City named Gary Lewis as its new academy director to oversee the club’s development pathway for young players. He joins Orlando from the Chicago Fire organization, where he served as the technical director of that club’s academy. Before coming to the U.S. for stints with the Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders, and New York Red Bulls, he was Liverpool’s head of youth development and coached one of Everton’s youth teams as well. Hopefully he’ll be able to take Orlando’s academy to another level.

All U.S. MLS Clubs Will Participate in 2027 U.S. Open Cup

After a couple of years of only partial participation, it was announced that the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will feature all 27 MLS teams that are based in the U.S. The MLS teams will join the fray in the round of 64, which will take place in July against regional opponents from the first round. While the MLS NEXT Pro teams like Orlando City B that are affiliated with an MLS club can’t compete, the players will be able to play for their senior team in the tournament. With the shift in the MLS calendar starting next year, this tournament should be a nice way to showcase soccer across the country as the 2027-2028 MLS season gets rolling.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The MLS secondary transfer window came to a close and several teams not named Orlando City made big moves as they prepare for the home stretch of the season. The Columbus Crew have a new Designated Player, signing midfielder Santiago Rodriguez from Botafogo in Brazil. St. Louis City also added some firepower, bringing in American forward Damion Downs on loan from Southampton through the 2027 Sprint Season with an option to buy. As for other players coming to the league, midfielder Giuliano Galoppo joined Atlanta United on loan from River Plate, FC Cincinnati signed midfielder David Doudera from Slavia Prague, and Inter Miami added 19-year-old forward Riquelme Fillipi from Palmeiras.

There were also notable moves between MLS clubs, with the Colorado Rapids receiving a club-record $12 million from St. Louis in exchange for Designated Player forward Rafael Navarro. Toronto FC acquired winger Lewis Morgan from San Diego FC for an international roster slot. San Diego also sent Sam Vines out on loan to the Houston Dynamo.

Free Kicks

• Enjoy Ivan Angulo and David Brekalo trading goals against each other in training.

• Pride forward Barbra Banda placed fourth on ESPN‘s power rankings of the top African women’s soccer players, finishing behind a trio of players from Malawi after the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
• Here’s everything you need to know as the United States U-20 Women’s National Team prepares for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off this weekend. The Yanks’ first game will be against Italy on Sunday.
• New York City FC II is moving to Middlesex County in New Jersey and will play under a new brand identity there starting in July of 2027.
• The Washington Spirit transferred defensive midfielder Rebeca Bernal to Manchester United in the Women’s Super League.

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. It’s a little odd not having a midweek match this week, but given how congested the schedule is the rest of the month, we should probably enjoy it. Speaking of enjoying things, some have said that season 4 of Ted Lasso hasn’t been as good, but I think that each episode is better than the last. It can be tough to recapture the magic of a beloved show, but I think they’re doing it. Rant over. Let’s get to the links.

Thomas’ Tenure Begins

With the Orlando Pride parting ways with Seb Hines on Monday, Yolanda Thomas begins her stint as interim head coach. Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations & General Manager Caitlin Carducci said that the club believes the pieces are in place to win matches and make the playoffs, and that hopefully Thomas will be able to make that happen. As we said on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, that might be a pretty tall order. In the latest ESPN NWSL power rankings, the Pride have fallen to the 12th spot. To be fair, Hines started as an interim head coach as well, so Thomas should be given the opportunity to earn the permanent position. Her first opportunity to prove she has the right stuff comes Sunday against the Houston Dash in Orlando.

Orlando City Falls

Orlando City is on the edge of the playoffs sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but dropped to 19th in the MLSSoccer.com power rankings after dropping two points to Minnesota United FC in a match that almost saw them drop all three points. I think my feelings on power rankings are well known, but I think they may have gotten it correct this go-around.

MLS NEXT Pro Playoff Changes

With only three matches left until the playoffs begin, MLS NEXT Pro has updated the league’s playoff format for 2026 by adding a play-in round. The top seven teams from each conference on Decision Day will still make the playoffs. The 8th and 9th seeded teams will play for the final spot in the respective conference. The top four teams in each conference will still get to pick their opponent. As of today, the rule change puts Orlando City B one point out of the play-in round.

USWNT Soccer News

The 2027 Women’s World Cup is less than a year away, and while it’s likely that the USWNT will qualify, one shouldn’t take that for granted. Here is what Emma Hayes’ team will need to do to make it. The USWNT lost last time around but are the Yanks once again considered the favorite heading into 2027? We can also take a look at which players Hayes may call up for the World Cup are doing well and which are not. Speaking of call-ups, we now know which players U-17 Women’s National Team Head Coach Katie Schoepfer has chosen for the September training camp.

Free Kicks

• Gotham has reportedly re-signed Rose Lavelle through 2029 using the High Impact Player rule that allows a team to spend up to $1 million in additional funds outside of the salary cap on a player.
• The Portland Timbers are reportedly acquiring veteran center back Joel Waterman. Wait a minute. teams can add experienced center backs? Has anyone told Orlando City?

• The New York Red Bulls have transferred midfielder Dennis Gjengaar to Norwegian club Vålerenga.
• Folarin Balogun’s transfer to Everton has hit a snag as the USMNT striker has failed his medical. As such, Balogun will stay at Monaco.
• The summer transfer window closed Tuesday and here are the biggest winners and losers among the European clubs.

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