Uncategorized
TML Staff Roundtable: 2021 Orlando City Preseason Thoughts
As we head into the 2021 MLS season this weekend, we live in a much different landscape from the time prior to the 2020 season, when we hadn’t yet begun dealing with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that ended up halting the last campaign after just two weekends. The world looks a bit different now, but it’s trending in the right direction after an arduous 2020 calendar year.
After a standout season, the Lions didn’t make a lot of changes in the off-season but did add a few pieces to the attack. Oscar Pareja will head into his second year at the helm with an established philosophy and team identity, and expectations have never been higher.
I reached out to The Mane Land staff to find out what everyone is thinking ahead of the Lions’ seventh season in Major League Soccer.
What is your biggest concern with Orlando City entering 2021?
Ben Miller: As it stands right now, my biggest surefire concern is fullback depth — specifically left back. Kyle Smith proved that he’s more than capable of holding things down in Joao Moutinho’s absence, but Moutinho just brings a different level of play when he’s on the field. Both he and Ruan have struggled with fitness at times, and depth behind them is pretty damn thin at the moment.
Daniel Finton: Honestly, it may sound silly, but I’m concerned with how Orlando will cope with not being the underdog in every match. Pareja has made the team a force to be reckoned with and sides may view matches against the Lions as difficult, and play differently.
Guilherme Torres: It has to be a key player sustaining an injury that keeps him off the field for some time. The Lions easily have their deepest roster ever but some players like Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Pedro Gallese just won’t be replaced by others with the same quality and experience if they go down. Missing one of these three would inevitably drop Orlando’s level and that could be enough to jeopardize the entire season. That could also be the case, to a smaller extent, with one of Ruan or Moutinho.
Scott Carnevale: My biggest concern has to be the back line depth. I wrote about it a few weeks ago as part of three questions around Orlando City. Specifically, who will play left back? Smith is a good enough option to fill in for Moutinho. When he needs a rest or if he gets hurt, what happens then? Similarly, Orlando only has three experienced center backs — Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Rodrigo Schlegel. Let’s hope that the Lions don’t fall into injury troubles because the options at the back are thin.
Sean Rollins: The left back position will once again be an issue for Orlando City. Jonathan Suarez was brought in to provide depth but with him now gone, Smith will probably start the season there. While he’s done well, it’s not his natural position.
David Rohe: The left back position. I don’t just mean that the Lions need a left-footed backup for Moutinho, which they do. I also mean João himself. I’m hoping that injuries don’t continue to be an ongoing issue for the youngster. Orlando has Smith, who many know is a favorite of mine for his tenacity and effort, but he’s better as Ruan’s backup on the right side.
Marcus Mitchell: The depth at fullback is worrisome. Smith did well at left back last season to fill in for Moutinho, but an injury to Smith or Ruan could leave Orlando scrambling. Homegrown Player Michael Halliday can step in at right back if needed, but he is far from experienced. Fullbacks were utilized often on offense by Oscar Pareja in 2020, so it will be crucial that they stay healthy until more depth is added.
Joshua Taylor: Striker. Orlando City scored 40 goals last season and improved with a plus-15 goal differential. However, Dom Dwyer left the club in the off-season and we aren’t sure what’s next for Daryl Dike’s future, especially with him leading the strikers with eight goals last season. This season will have a combination of Tesho Akindele, Alexandre Pato, and Matheus Aias leading the front with the most experience. If Dike doesn’t return, they will have lots of work to do unless the Lions’ midfield bails them out.
My Take: While most of my colleagues chose a specific position as their area of concern, and I agree that left back is the most troubling spot when Moutinho is unavailable (I definitely don’t share Joshua’s concern with the strikers — this is the deepest group ever if Dike plays and is still good without him), I like the answers Daniel and Guilherme gave. There is no chance Orlando sneaks up on anyone, especially Atlanta, in 2021. And there is no like-for-like replacement for Pereyra or Gallese, although I think the Lions could be OK if Nani is unavailable after adding Silvester van der Water. My biggest concern is that Orlando simply handled the weirdness of the pandemic better than most teams and that will be much less of a factor this year. I’ll be interested to see how the Lions get out of the gate to start building momentum.
Which position group on the 2021 Lions are you completely unconcerned about?
Ben: Winger, without question. You have Nani and Chris Mueller starting, with van der Water competing for and possibly usurping a starting position, and then Benji Michel and Alexander Alvarado. Alexandre Pato can also play out wide if necessary. Orlando looks very established and dangerous at that position.
Scott: At first I was inclined to say forward. Even if Dike doesn’t come back, or is in Orlando for just part of the season, Orlando still has many attacking weapons. But even stronger than the forward line are the goalkeepers. Pedro Gallese is one of the best ‘keepers in the league. El Pulpo made some truly fantastic saves last season. While we have yet to see Brandon Austin in action, the Tottenham Hotspur youth product appears to be an excellent choice as the number two ‘keeper.
Sean: The strongest position group for Orlando City is probably the midfield. There is more depth in the midfield than any other position. While Pedro Gallese is a rock in goal, Austin and Mason Stajduhar are unproven thus far.
Daniel: I’m the least concerned with the midfield at this point. City has a great deal of players who can play in many different areas. Therefore, I think in the middle of the park the Lions will be set this season.
Dave: I am most unconcerned with the forward position. Pato, van der Water, Mueller, Akindele, Michel, Aiás, newcomer Derek Dodson (if he signs after his college season), and the potential return of Dike is a large and diverse group of goal scorers. The only question will be who gets the hot foot and when? I can see many of these players putting up double digit numbers in 2021.
Marcus: This group of wingers may be Orlando’s strongest since joining MLS. Nani and Mueller combined for 16 goals and 10 assists in the shortened MLS regular season last year, while Michel did well coming off the bench. Alvarado and new addition van der Water and give Pareja even more options to work with out wide.
Guilherme: Central midfield. Orlando is four-deep right there and has a group that features players with different skill sets in Uri Rosell, Junior Urso, Andres Perea, and Sebas Mendez. I believe Pareja will not only have enough bodies to rotate at his will during the season but actually viable options to change the team’s playing style if he wants to.
Joshua: I liked the team’s midfield lineup. Michel, Mueller, Perea, Mauricio Pereyra, and a healthy Nani could do some damage if the strikers struggle early on in the season. I know the Lions are stacked at every position this year, but if Pereyra can continue to create scoring chances for the club, it can make a difference with the Lions winning big games down the stretch.
My Take: As most of my colleagues mentioned, Orlando is set in the midfield and on the wings with lots of depth and quality there. In addition to the defensive mids that Guilherme mentioned, I think Joey DeZart could develop into a solid option as well. I don’t share Scott’s confidence in the goalkeeping because I agree with Sean that Austin and Stajduhar are unknown variables right now. Both have potential, but we knew what Brian Rowe brought to the table and we can’t count on that reliability when Gallese is out at this point.
Which of these players — Andres Perea, Joey DeZart, Benji Michel, or Rodrigo Schlegel — will improve the most over last season?
Ben: I think Perea is well positioned to make a big leap this year. Defensive midfield depth will take a hit when Sebas Mendez is at Copa America during the summer and Perea has already shown he’s got the raw ability to be a contributor for this team. If he can refine certain parts of his game like his passing and decision making then I think we could see a lot of improvement.
Scott: Michel. Perea will get the most game time out of the group, but Michel will have a fantastic year. I think he will end the season as the second highest goal scorer on the team, behind Mueller. The addition of other attacking players on the team this off-season will free Michel up, as well as Mueller’s continued development and the sheer presence of Nani. 2021 will be a career year for the Homegrown Player.
Dave: I’m going with DeZart. I think that Schlegel has some room for improvement but has already shown he’s a capable center back. Benji has already shown improvement in his time with the U.S., and Andres played a ton of matches last season. Because of that, DeZart has the opportunity to make an outsized improvement in comparison to the others mentioned. Plus, I think he has a pretty high ceiling, and some great players ahead of him from which to learn.
Sean: I expect to see the most improvement from Perea. I don’t expect DeZart or Schlegel to play as much this year and I see Perea having a bigger role in the team.
Daniel: I would have to say Michel. The more I see him, the more he impresses me. I have this weird feeling he could be the next big thing for the club.
Marcus: I think it has to be Perea. He will likely be the one forced to fill in for Pereyra during the Uruguayan’s two-game suspension to start the season. The Lions don’t have many creative players in central midfield and the opportunity is there for Perea to build upon the flashes of skill shown last year.
Joshua: I think Michel can really improve in his third year with the club. I know he won’t start every game but I can see him fill a familiar role as a super sub and score goals off the bench. Over the last two seasons with the Lions, Michel has 10 goals and three assists. He could break that 10-goal barrier mark this year and can have a breakout season just like Mueller had last season.
Guilherme: I believe Perea is the one who will get the most playing time among the four, so I’ll take him. He was really solid in 2020 and seems ready for the next step, especially after being called up for the USMNT.
My Take: Of these four players, I think Michel might improve the most of these four, but I’m not sure that will translate into much better numbers now that the presence of van der Water and perhaps more minutes for Alvarado will combine to make the wing position more crowded.
What’s your gut feeling on Daryl Dike? Will he play zero games for Orlando City in 2021, a few games, half the season, or the whole season (after he returns)?
Ben: That’s a tricky question, made all the more difficult by his scoring numbers for Barnsley. If he comes back to Orlando after his loan ends, I think he’ll be here the whole season. He’s proven that he can play at a European level, so if Orlando brings him back, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the savvy Luiz Muzzi hold onto him for the season and try to drive up his asking price with a good full season of MLS play. But honestly, with the way he’s been playing for Barnsley I think its probably 50/50 on whether he comes back at all, regardless of what the company line has been from the front office so far.
Dave: Orlando City will most likely get Dike back for part of the season. I said weeks ago that he would continue to get bigger offers while still on loan to Barnsley, and then even bigger offers once he came back and started scoring goals for Orlando City. Most likely he will be gone in the summer window, and while that stinks for Orlando City supporters, it will ultimately be good for both Dike and the club. Whatever number over $20 million it turns out to be is a heck of a return on investment for a drafted player.
Scott: Dike will not play again for Orlando City. It hurts to even write this, but his success while on loan has Premier League teams looking for him and Orlando will want to cash in. Dike’s value should only continue to grow, but I think a team pulls the trigger and pays the asking price for Dike this summer.
Marcus: I’m predicting a few games with the Lions for Dike until Orlando gets an offer too good to refuse. Not only are English Premier League clubs reportedly interested, but Dike will have a busy year with the United States Men’s National Team as well. Regardless of how this shakes out, it will end up well for Orlando, considering the windfall of cash if Dike is sold.
Daniel: I have a feeling he will play zero games for the club next campaign. The better he performs with Barnsley, the more likely a move away could become. While his loan club might not be able to snap him up on a permanent basis, I believe some club will be able and willing to.
Sean: I don’t see Dike returning to Orlando. Based on the reported offers, I expect he’ll be sold before he’s able to play another game for the club.
Guilherme: I believe Dike will return from his loan spell just because not many teams in the world are in position to spend the money Orlando is (justifiably) asking for him right now in a player with such a short career and some important questions yet to be answered. If he leaves, I’d think it will be at the end of the European summer window, after a team makes a big sale and decides to invest in him.
Joshua: I think Dike will play a few games this summer for the Lions, assuming Barnsley FC doesn’t get promoted to the Premier League. However, I don’t think Dike will be a Lion for long with many Premier League clubs expressing interest. I think some club is going to bite and pay some big money to keep Dike in Europe.
My Take: Barring some crazy good offer that is too high to refuse, I think Daryl returns, plays about a month and a half, and gets sold when he continues scoring. Barnsley is playing well now, but I’m not sure the Reds will get through the playoff to earn promotion. It’s possible the club could execute the purchase option on the loan and immediately sell him on to another team, which would greatly benefit Orlando from the initial sale price, plus the percentage of his sell-on, but I think that would require Dike to score even more than he already is. Here’s why:
The price would have to go up or it’s not worth Barnsley’s while. For example, assuming reported numbers are correct, if Barnsley bought him for $20 million and moved him on for $25 million, the Lions would reap the original $20 million, plus an additional $5 million, which is a wash for Barnsley, which would net zero profit after spending the initial $20 million and passing along 20% of that sell-on fee. If Dike sold for $30 million, Orlando would get $6 million and Barnsley would net $1 million dollars profit in the transaction. I’m not sure Dike has yet shown enough for an EPL club to spend $30 million on him. So, the most likely sale would be to a promoted Barnsley, and then only if the technical staff there think Dike is ready to start at center forward in the EPL. So, I think the most likely scenario is that Daryl returns to Orlando and plays a few games while Orlando lines up a buyer.
Who leads the Lions in goals in 2021 and how many will they score?
Ben: If Dike is here for a full season, then I think he leads the team with 15. If he isn’t, then I think Pato seizes the opportunity and leads the way with 10.
Sean: I think Nani will lead the team in goals this season with around 14 goals.
Scott: Mueller will have the most goals, followed closely by Michel. Mueller will finish with about 20 goals, with Michel at around 15.
Daniel: Pato for me. I have a feeling he’ll do decently and score a respectable 13 or so.
Guilherme: If my thoughts about Dike are correct and he ends up staying for the entire season, I’d say it’s him with 14 goals (regular season and postseason included). If not, I’ll take Mueller with nine.
Dave: Pato leads the club in goals with 16. I don’t think Orlando City will have one dominating scorer, but rather several guys with double digit seasons. We saw something similar last season, with goals coming from multiple players, and I expect that to continue this season.
Marcus: Pato will finish with the most goals with 15. The Brazilian has done well in the preseason so I don’t think there will be much rust or time needed to adjust. Dike and Akindele are both great at pulling defenders and Pato is capable of finding the same spaces exploited by Mueller last year. With a lethal supporting cast around him, Pato should do very well.
Joshua: Nani will lead the team with 16 goals this season. I know he only scored six goals last season and played 19 games due to injuries. If Nani can regain his form when he joined the team in 2019 — he led the Lions with 12 goals — so it’s certainly possible.
My Take: With Dike’s uncertainty and Pato’s preseason form without even probably knowing all his teammates’ names yet, I think the Duck will end up on top with around 14 or 15 goals. I think Scott might be clinically insane (j/k), but I wouldn’t hate it if he ended up being right. Getting 35 goals from those two guys in addition to what Pato, Nani, and others contribute would be an incredible offensive season. I expect Michel to be a backup all season and 15 goals off the bench would be unbelievable.
Which newcomer (and I’m counting two guys who arrived late last year) will have the greatest impact in 2021: Alexandre Pato, Silvester van der Water, Brandon Austin, Matheus Aias, or Alexander Alvarado?
Ben: I think it’ll be Pato or van der Water. In Pato’s case, he showed last season at Sao Paulo that he still knows where the goal is, and with Nani, Mueller, and Pereyra around him I think he could surprise a lot of people with what he does this year. Van der Water is no slouch either, and between his own ability, Nani getting up there in age, and Mueller potentially getting brought in for the Gold Cup, he’s definitely going to have an opportunity to impress. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if van der Water ends up with something like six assists and seven goals, or something in that range.
Scott: I think Pato will have the most appearances and most goals out of the group. I don’t think any of them get to double digit goals though. Pato will especially have the biggest impact if Dike is not on the team. It will be interesting to see how many minutes he gets, but even if he largely comes off the bench he should have enough quality left in him to change the momentum of the match. Austin will likely get games in cup matches and possibly start for Gallese when El Pulpo is in need of a rest. He could end up being a terrific addition but without the appearances he will not be the Lions’ best newcomer.
Sean: I think that Pato will have the biggest impact. With Dike possibly not returning, I think the team will rely more on Pato than originally planned.
Joshua: After transferring from Hercales in the offseason, I think van der Water will have the greatest impact in 2021. He can be that creative playmaker for the Lions. We know when Pereyra missed games last season, the Lions’ offense really struggled. If Nani or Pereyra go down with injuries, you have a proven midfielder with experience that can fill the void to keep the Lions steady, especially with a packed schedule of matches and tournaments this year.
Daniel: I’d be inclined to go with Pato. While I think many will be impressed with Austin’s quality, if he’s rotated in, Pato could be the standout newcomer.
Dave: This is a no-brainer for me, as we’ve already seen it during the preseason. Pato is going to be a huge part of the offense. Prior to Dike’s return, I expect him to be the first choice striker, and even after Dike comes back that might still be the case. He scores, he provides assists, and he has plenty of experience. My impression is that he has something he wants to prove to himself and his doubters. I also think Pareja and Orlando City might be the right coach and the perfect place for him.
Marcus: For the same reasons I think he will score the most goals for the Lions, I think Pato will have the greatest impact. Pato will likely receive more minutes than any other newcomer considering his experience and the chance Dike doesn’t play many games with the Lions. I’ll also throw a small shoutout to Dodson, who isn’t signed or with the team, but could make an impact once he does.
Guilherme: It has to be Pato. As a striker, he’ll have the most chances to impact the game and I believe he’ll be a nice addition for the Lions. I don’t expect him to set the league on fire, but he’ll score important goals and bring a spark off-the-bench when called upon. He should also get some starts when Dike is out, either still on loan or in international duty.
My Take: Yep, it’s Pato. Joshua is the outlier here as we have a strong staff consensus.
Which Orlando City Homegrown Player not named Benji Michel gets the most minutes in 2021: Mason Stajduhar, Raul Aguilera, Jordan Bender, Michael Halliday, David Loera, or Wilfredo Rivera?
Guilherme: I say Loera because he seems to be the most ready of them and has been with the team last year already. Stajduhar has more first-team time than him, but goalkeepers hardly get as many opportunities to play as field players.
Sean: I think Bender will see the most minutes this year. He improved throughout the 2020 campaign and I see him coming off the bench more regularly in 2021.
Ben: Halliday. I think Orlando City’s fullback situation is going to lend itself to the youngster getting a decent chunk of playing time, whether it be in substitute appearances, cup games, or spot starts.
Joshua: It could be an opportunity for Rivera. I know I’m going out on a limb here, but I think Rivera will get a shot to prove himself after a solid performance with Orlando City B last season. He led the young Lions with three goals and made 15 appearances. Rivera will capitalize on this chance especially with his speed and versatility. If the striker depth gets dealt some injuries, Rivera could step up down the stretch even if his minutes are limited to a reserve role this season.
Scott: Halliday could end up becoming a starter this year. With the lack of depth on the back line, if Halliday proves himself early on, he could become a regular starter in just a few weeks. The rest will struggle to see the field much this season.
Daniel: It would not surprise me to see Halliday granted some more minutes. With his preseason goal, he could be filled with confidence, and that is the key as a youngster.
Dave: Halliday will get the most minutes due to his position as a defender. The rest are further down the pecking order on the roster in relation to those that play the same position. Given that Pareja likes his fullbacks to bomb forward into the attack, I think having Halliday as the third choice on either side gives him the best chance to get in the game.
Marcus: In terms of minutes, I will go with Halliday. The midfield is going to be crowded with so many Homegrown Players fighting for minutes and I don’t see Stajduhar getting past Austin on the depth chart. As far as impact, Bender could stand out among the pack.
My Take: The majority likes Halliday here and it’s possible but, if it happens, I think that likely doesn’t mean very good news for Orlando City in terms of health. Loera and Bender seem the most ready but their position groups are deep. I think I’ll take Stajduhar here because if he plays one full game, he might get more minutes than any of the others in 2021.
What position in the Eastern Conference will the Lions occupy at season’s end?
Daniel: I have a feeling that Orlando City will narrowly scrape into the playoffs. If I had to predict a finishing spot I would say sixth.
Guilherme: I place the Lions at fourth, behind Columbus, Toronto, and Atlanta.
Dave: I think that Orlando City finishes the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Lions make the Eastern Conference final, and after that I’m not entirely certain. This is a team that could win it all, or merely take another step forward. My head says third at season’s end, but my heart says they lift the cup. Oof, I’m already starting to get worried about the season.
Ben: Third. The fullback conundrum and questions over Dike’s future definitely mean that there’s some room for fluctuation this season. However, I think this squad still has enough talent top-to-bottom and is comfortable enough with Pareja’s system to finish one spot above where it did last year.
Marcus: The Lions will finish third in the Eastern Conference, with the Columbus Crew and New York City FC above them.
Sean: I don’t see Orlando City being the top team in the East just yet but I think it can reach the third spot in the conference.
Scott: Orlando City had its best season to date last year. And, on paper, they have gotten better this off-season. They finished fourth in the East in 2020. I think that’s a fair place for them again this year. I’ll have them one spot better, finishing in third.
Joshua: The Lions will finish third in the Eastern Conference.
My Take: It’s clear that Daniel is the pessimist in the group, expecting a big drop-off for some reason. No one seems terribly optimistic, without a single person predicting an improvement by more than one position, but that’s just the way Orlando City fans are wired. This is a tough question because it forces you to figure out which other teams have gotten better or worse, and there are always teams that surprise everyone on both counts. I’m going with Guilherme and saying a repeat of fourth position but I think the team might be better prepared for the postseason.
Hit me with your boldest prediction for Orlando City’s 2021 season. Make ‘em extra spicy!
Marcus: Orlando City sweeps the 2021 MLS Awards. Pareja proves 2020 wasn’t a fluke due to the shortened season and will be named Coach of the Year for turning OCSC around. Nani will have double-digit goals and assists, including a strong highlight reel, to win MVP. Gallese will continue building his reputation in the league, adding more clean sheets to win Goalkeeper of the Year. Ruan will lead all defenders in assists after improving his crossing ability, becoming the first fullback to win Defender of the Year since 2001. Pato wins Newcomer of the Year and Moutinho secures Comeback Player of the Year once he returns to form. With Diego Rossi now ineligible, either Dike wins Young Player of the Year by staying with the Lions or Dodson becomes the latest young forward to shine under Pareja.
Dave: Orlando City not only wins the MLS Cup, but also the Leagues Cup. The Lions run the table on both Atlanta United and Inter Ft. Lauderdale, and do so while never losing a match in Exploria Stadium. The Dike deal garners the club a cool $30 million to play with, and Pareja earns the MLS Coach of Year award he was denied last season.
Scott: Mueller will win MVP. How’s that for bold? Mueller had a career year last year and was a key reason why the Lions were so successful. Cash has gotten better every year and that trend will continue in 2021. He will finish in the top five in the most combined goals and assists, and become a regular in the USMNT picture.
Ben: Orlando City leads the league in goals scored. Perhaps not the boldest direction I could have gone considering only four teams outscored the Lions last year, but the men in purple will have some stiff competition in that category. Atlanta United gets Josef Martinez back and LAFC will have a full season of Carlos Vela. However, if Dike stays, Orlando has one of the most dangerous crops of attacking players in the league, and I think it could start pouring goals as well as copious amounts of precipitation in central Florida this year.
Daniel: Michel will be an out and out starter. In my opinion, he could do what Mueller did last season this coming one.
Joshua: I think the Lions learned a lesson from their playoff loss to the New England Revolution last season. I say the Lions redeem themselves, make it to MLS Cup, and win their first trophy in club history.
Guilherme: Junior Urso will be sent off in one of the matches against Atlanta after a scuffle with Josef Martinez.
Sean: My bold take for this season is that Orlando City won’t qualify for the Open Cup but will make the Leagues Cup final.
My Take: I will say Nani scores seven goals this season for Orlando and ends up only fifth on the team in goal-scoring behind Pato, Mueller, Michel, and van der Water, in that order. If Dike returns after his loan and stays the full year, he will join the others ahead of Nani as well.
Thanks for reading this way-too-long roundtable discussion. We can be a verbose bunch sometimes, but we’re all excited for the MLS season to get going. Let us know in the comments where you agree and disagree and give us your own bold predictions.
Uncategorized
Reflecting on Eight Years with The Mane Land
A look back over my time with The Mane Land (so far).
As of last week, I have been a contributor at The Mane Land for eight years. That’s longer than I’ve ever been at any of my actual jobs in my life. There are literally only a couple of people who have been with the site longer, but I’m still amazed at how long it’s been. This is not to say I’m going anywhere, but rather I wanted to take the opportunity to look back at the past eight years, and look ahead to the future.
Unlike some, I didn’t come to be a supporter of Orlando City until it was announced that the club was joining MLS. At the time, I was contemplating picking a club to follow in MLS, but being in Tallahassee, there were no nearby options at that time. I considered FC Dallas and D.C. United, given the two were geographically closer in proximity to me than any others. Fortunately, it was literally while I was considering my options that the announcement was made regarding Orlando City’s jump to MLS. It was an easy decision.
As I do in many aspects of my life, I immediately started researching my new club, which led me to the content being produced by The Mane Land. There was also an article on the site titled “Join The Mane Land Staff.” I had often over the years internally bemoaned that I rarely used my Bachelor’s degree in English, and the desire to write welled up in me so much that I emailed the staff.
In response, one of our former editors, Andrew Marcinko, contacted me and said “I think your voice would be a great fit on TML.” He asked me to submit a Fan Post (those went away with our presence on SBN), and then another piece for review. Following that, our founder and managing editor, Michael Citro, emailed me to welcome me to the staff. I had no idea at the time how big a part of my life this blog would become.
I started out writing Monday’s Lions Links — often one of the more difficult days to write — and a feature piece. It’s been many years gone by now, but there was a time when the feature piece was “Pride Pub,” an ongoing series that paired craft beer and good food based on Orlando City’s opponent. I can tell you that the research for that was very enjoyable, and I still use some of the recipes I found to this day.
Eventually, I started contributing more match coverage and analytical pieces. Staff came and went, but I never thought to leave since I was enjoying myself. Sometime after that, I was promoted to senior columnist, for which I’m grateful. I can without reservation say that I’m a better writer thanks to my time with the site, and from working with such excellent staff.
In November of 2016, Michael asked if I wanted to give co-hosting The Mane Land PawedCast a try. My first recording was for Episode 71. We just recorded Episode 354, and with the exception of maybe two or three episodes, I have been on every single one of 283 episodes over the last six plus years. Michael and I have spent a lot of time talking on and off the podcast over the years, and I’m proud of what we have produced and to call him my friend.
We recently added an Orlando Pride-specific podcast called Skopurp: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. For years we wanted to give the Pride the time and attention the club deserves. Now, it is a reality, but one that I ask you to listen to and share. I’ll even put out that although Michael and I are the current hosts, we merely consider ourselves stewards and are hoping to get others to come onboard and eventually take it to the next level.
When I started with The Mane Land, the site had just made the move from a free WordPress site to the SBNation network. It was a big deal, and for many years it was a good partnership. Of course that all came to an end not too long ago, and our blog went the independent route thanks to the incredibly generous support of our readers and listeners. In fact, if you want to be one of those supporting our efforts, please go to our Buy Me A Coffee site to become a member. The move has allowed a flexibility we didn’t have before, but I really want others to have the same sense of joy and accomplishment that I have as a member of our staff.
At one point we had nearly twice the staff that we do now, and as you know, many hands make light work. The opposite of that is also true. I genuinely believe that there must be others out there with the same passion for Orlando City as I have — with the same desire to have their voice heard, whether through the written word or on a podcast. I promise you there is an opportunity to contribute here with us. Our internal discussions are informative, engaging, and often funny. Please consider joining us, as I did eight years ago. I haven’t regretted it and I know you won’t either.
I want to thank all of those who contributed to The Mane Land over the years. There are many that I am still in touch with, though they are no longer a part of the staff. Of course, the current staff are a pleasure to work with, and I appreciate their dedication to what we are trying to do.
Finally, I want to thank the readers and listeners over the years. From those who regularly comment on our articles, to those that I’ve personally met at matches or even randomly on the street, you are a big reason that we do all of this. You are a big reason why I’ve been doing this for the better part of a decade. it is always a genuine pleasure hearing your thoughts or simply sharing a moment of joy together — U.S. Open Cup final, anyone?
So, thank you. I look forward to many more years of this journey together.
Orlando City
The Mane Land Announces Membership Program
Maximize your Mane Land experience with our new TML membership program while supporting our independent efforts.
Hello, readers of The Mane Land and listeners of our podcasts. Before you start reading this, please note that the most important part of this post is at the end. So, don’t stop until you get to the bottom.
You may recall that when we left SBNation to become independent, we really weren’t sure the best way to go about that. Many of our readers and listeners generously offered to help us make that transition, but we still weren’t sure the best path forward, so we took a poll.
The poll was pretty much split down the middle between those who preferred a one-time, Kickstarter-style campaign (which we did, and those of you who stepped up to help completely blew us away!) and those who favored a Patreon-style, subscription-based membership with extra perks. In fact, the member subscriptions option got a few more votes in our poll.
The folks who took part in our GoFundMe fundraiser were fantastic and are now immortalized on this very site on the “Our Founders” page. But we had always planned to give folks the option to choose whichever method of support they preferred and we tried to communicate that throughout the process. It took a little longer than expected to get up and running, but our membership subscription program is now in place! (You may notice the fancy new banner ad about it on the home page, echoed below.)
Part of that delay was thinking up something that didn’t encroach on the benefits we gave our Founders. Those folks helped us get started and deserve the exclusivity of the perks they got. The other part of the delay is that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. (However, for you guys, I’m willing to be cloned.)
We have utilized the popular Buy Me a Coffee platform to run this program. You can find the basics here. The Mane Land premium membership program includes three tiers of membership, as well as the option to click on the “Support” tab for those who just want to help us out whenever, without joining the program or adding any recurring “appointment-based” payments to their budgets. We love that feature of Buy Me a Coffee (or “Buy Us a Beer” in our case…you drink what you like).
For those who do choose to become members, we hope we have provided value and we are planning to add benefits along the way, in addition to providing special giveaways, events, etc. (more on that below). We have also provided subscription options — with monthly or annual memberships. The annual cost essentially gives you 12 months for the price of 10.
Current Benefits
The current membership benefits depend on which level of support you choose — Homegrown Player, TAM Player, or Designated Player level. Each level includes all benefits from the lower tiers, with additional benefits for each higher level.
Homegrown Player: This is a basic set-it-and-forget-it level of support for The Mane Land, providing a way for our readers and podcast listeners to contribute to the success of TML‘s independence goals. We want to compensate our current volunteers, replace lost income of those who previously received small stipends from being part of the SBNation network, add photographers, attract new writers, and expand our coverage. Additionally, each Homegrown Player Level member will be recognized in a Lion Links column, which is still typically our most widely read post of each day and one of the top daily links columns among soccer sites. Homegrown Player Level members will also be included in any future prize drawings we have or events we host and may be subject to future benefits as they are added.
TAM Player: In addition to Homegrown Player benefits, TAM Players will receive a new weekly e-newsletter in their inbox (unless you opt out…some people hate email). These will be informal missives from myself, other TML writers, or a combination, discussing what’s on our mind regarding Orlando City, the Pride, OCB, or soccer in general. Think of it as an extra post from our site that may cover multiple topics. Additionally, you’ll get a 10% discount from our web shop items that we control (presently, that means everything except our listed MLS Shop items). We will definitely have more benefits coming for this level soon and will look for opportunities to include additional benefits as they become available.
Designated Player: This limited availability level of support includes all perks from the Homegrown and TAM levels, but it goes beyond. Your discount at our webshop (for items we control) will be 15% off. Additionally, we’ll send you Zoom links to watch us “make the doughnuts” whenever we record the podcast. This includes when we interview guests. You’ll see how the sausage is made behind the scenes and everything that we say, some of which will end up on the cutting room floor before the final podcast is sent out. This includes both The Mane Land PawedCast and SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. And after two months of membership you can commission a bonus episode of either podcast simply by letting us know what topic you want us to cover. Think of this as an extended Ask Us Anything. We’ll do a whole show about your topic and you can even join us to discuss it if you wish.
The DP Level will certainly have additional benefits tacked on as we move forward. It is currently limited to 40 members but could be expanded slightly depending on demand and our Zoom attendance.
Future Benefits / Benefits Under Consideration
While we won’t be able to schedule these due to the random nature of items falling into our hands, there will be periodic prize giveaways in drawings that include all of our members, regardless of level. The catch is that you get one entry per level of support, meaning Homegrown Player Level members will get one entry per prize drawing, TAM Player Level members will get two entries per drawing, and Designated Player Level members get three entries for prize drawings. Some of the kinds of items we have come across in the past include match tickets, trinkets, posters, scarves, and so on.
We are planning to add a message board to our website, well…soon-ish is the word that comes to mind. The plan for the message board is to build our community and further the discussion about the club. As part of this, we’re planning an exclusive, members-only area of that message board that TAM and DP members can access. This will be a place our staff can share informational nuggets we can’t necessarily write stories about for various reasons and interact with our members on a daily basis.
Other things in the works include meet-and-greets/watch parties where you can chat with TML staff members and catch a road match with a bunch of like-minded Orlando City/Pride fans while we all cheer on the team together. There may also be other informal outings with one or more members of the staff, organized fantasy leagues, random Zoom calls for Q&A sessions, and perhaps even some organized group outings for Orlando City / Pride matches, national team games, etc.
The Most Important Part of This Post
Remember at the top of this post, when I said the most important part is at the bottom? Well, that seems like a long time ago, now, so it’s OK if you’ve already forgotten.
The most important part of our membership program is you. We want your feedback so we can make this program something that interests and excites you. We want to know what you like and dislike about this program. We want to know if there are some things we didn’t think of that interest you. If you like what we’re offering, tell us! If you hate what we’re offering, we want to know what you’d prefer instead or in addition. If you want to go drinking with Dave, we can probably arrange that, but it’ll be a unique tier and we’ll have to figure out the cost of that.
No idea is too crazy to suggest, even if it’s too insane for us to actually offer. Let us know what you want from your subscription and we’ll see if that’s something we can do. We’ll make it easy for you by putting the form right here below this post, which is now concluded.
Uncategorized
Welcome Home!
Where do I even start? When we were told in January that SBNation was pulling its support of The Mane Land and other MLS and NHL blogs — and many podcasts — I was devastated. The site had become my new baby in September of 2014 and after eight and a half years, I wasn’t ready to let it go.
I was in a pickle. I couldn’t afford to lose the monthly stipend I had been getting from SBNation to manage the site and provide a steady stream of content. It wasn’t that it was a huge monthly sum, but it mostly covered my car payment. That car was purchased when my salary was higher. The pandemic hit my day job like it did to many, and after a four-month layoff, I got my old job back but not at the same rate. So, imagine taking a pay decrease at work and then, on top of that, losing the amount you spend per month on your car payment. There was simply no way to launch The Mane Land independently, I thought, because I simply couldn’t cover the startup costs. Even with some generous offers from the staff to pitch in, there simply wasn’t a way.
Once we took the news public, there was an outpouring of support on social media. We appreciated both the pledges to help out that we got from the community and the signal boosting that the national media gave blogs like ours. Those national folks rely on local reporting for background.
Encouraged by this outpouring of public support, I met with the TML staff and we threw some ideas around. We polled our Twitter followers to see how our community would prefer to show their support. We got pretty close to a 50/50 split between those who wanted to provide a one-time donation via a Kickstarter or GoFundMe crowdsourcing effort, and those who would prefer some sort of premium subscription add-on service like Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee.
We didn’t get a lot of responses to that poll, but we decided as a group that since the results were so similar, we would offer both and let the public choose one path, the other, or even both. (Stay tuned for news soon-ish on the premium subscription level, but rest assured, everything you’ve been getting for free at TML will remain free!)
I was, admittedly, skeptical that we could raise enough startup money to create a private business, pay for hosting a new site and two podcasts (having long wanted to give the Orlando Pride their own unique show), registering a domain, paying for some design work and consulting, and any unexpected expenses that might come up. However, I thought we’d at least give it a try.
Then the amazing Orlando City, Orlando Pride, and TML community got involved. You guys pushed us past our bare minimum goal in just four and a half hours when our fundraiser went live on March 1. We reset our goal and you met that by midnight. We reset our goal again, to the dream total we discussed on our initial staff Zoom chat and you met that by that first weekend.
Stunned. Humbled. Amazed. Touched. All of these words apply to how that made us feel, but they don’t quite cover it. I think we all felt an enormous responsibility, as well. We felt a mandate to provide you the best site and the best coverage we can.
We got everything we needed to run the site for two years, even if we don’t earn a penny after our launch — and we plan to try, via advertising, a Patreon (or similar) program, an online shop, affiliate links, and anything else we can think of. But we decided to leave the GoFundMe open through the end of March, just in case there were folks who wanted to contribute but needed to wait for payday, or if more people wanted to become founding members of this new site.
Now, here we are. You guys did this. We’re here because of you. And this site isn’t quite what it will become. I’m still learning my way around WordPress, after being away from it for years. There’s more to build, and some of the things you’re seeing on this site now will be improved in the future. We’ll continue to tweak it, add things, and upgrade as we go.
For now, I just want to welcome you to your new online home. On behalf of our entire staff, I thank our founding members, who are now immortalized on this site in our founders section. If you weren’t able to contribute to our transition from SBNation’s network to an autonomous and independent, new version of The Mane Land, you can thank the folks on our founders page, because without them, we wouldn’t be here. And if you still want to help out, we’ve got more things on the way.
Vamos.
Michael Citro
Managing Editor
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando City B2 weeks ago
Orlando City B vs. Chicago Fire FC II: Final Score 3-0 as Young Lions Clinch Playoff Spot with Home Win
-
Orlando City1 week ago
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Dallas
-
Orlando City1 week ago
Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Player Grades and Man of the Match
-
Lion Links2 weeks ago
Lion Links: 9/23/24
-
Orlando Pride1 week ago
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 3-1 as Pride Claim Three Points in Front of Record Crowd
-
Lion Links2 weeks ago
Lion Links: 9/24/24