Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I’ve been staying busy at work and checked out the 2026 Chicago Cubs Convention over the weekend. Before we get started, let’s all wish OCB’s Titus Sandy Jr. a happy birthday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs First-Round Pick Harvey Sarajian

Orlando City announced Friday that the club has signed 2026 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick Harvey Sarajian to a first-team contract. The deal runs through the 2027-2028 MLS season, with three additional club option years that could keep him in Orlando through 2030-2031. The Naples native began his collegiate career at Georgia Southern before transferring to Wake Forest last year. He scored two goals and added two assists in 17 games last season for the Demon Deacons, but his side fell to SMU in the ACC Tournament and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Sarajian will likely be a reserve for MLS games this year and develop his game with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro.

Lions Reportedly in Negotiations to Sign Brazilian Defender

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, Orlando City is reportedly in negotiations to sign 20-year-old center back Iago from Flamengo in Brazil’s Serie A.

Iago joined the club in 2024 and has played for the Flamengo U-20 squad, making 10 appearances and scoring six goals. He has also made five appearances for Flamengo’s first team, scoring one goal across all competitions. According to another report, the two sides have been in negotiations for the last 10 days, and the transfer fee is reportedly $3.5 million. Iago has exceeded the age limit for Flamengo’s U-20 side, and his contract expires at the end of the year as the club looks to sell the defender.

Orlando Pride Sign Three Players to One-Year Deals

The Orlando Pride announced Friday that the club has signed forward Seven Castain, goalkeeper Cara Martin, and defender Nicole Payne to one-year contracts for the 2026 NWSL season. Castain spent four seasons playing collegiate soccer at Texas Christian University. She earned 2025 United Soccer Coaches All-America first-team honors, was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, and tied the school’s single-season goals record with 17 in her senior season. Martin played college soccer at Georgetown University, where she was named Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, starting 23 games in her senior season, and recording eight shutouts and 59 saves. Payne was a free agent and had previously played for the Portland Thorns and Paris Saint-Germain.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

There is plenty of transfer moves from the past few days. Austin FC has reportedly submitted a transfer bid to acquire former Lion Facundo Torres from Palmeiras. A week ago, Torres was linked with a potential move to Benfica. Orlando City would receive a 15% sell-on percentage if the transfer move is finalized.

St. Louis City is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Mamadou Mbacke Fall from Barcelona.

Toronto FC has signed goalkeeper William Yabrough to a contract through the 2026 season with an option through June 2027. Real Salt Lake has acquired Lukas Engel from EFL Championship side Middlesbrough. Engel is under contract through December 2028 with an option for 2028-2029. New York City FC announced the club has loaned defender Mitja Ilenic to Polish side Rakow Czestochowa through December 2026. Lastly, the San Jose Earthquakes announced that defender Nick Lima has retired from professional soccer after nine seasons in Major League Soccer.

Rose Lavelle, Lilly Earn U.S. Soccer Recognition

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced its 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year and Young Female Player of the Year Award Friday. NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle was voted 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Lavelle scored the lone goal to help Gotham FC defeat the Washington Spirit to win the 2025 NWSL Championship, earning match MVP honors. She returned to the U.S. Women’s National Team last June and had six caps and one goal contribution in each of those matches. She beat out Sam Coffey and Catarina Macario for the award. Lavelle’s teammate, Lilly Reale, was voted the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. The 22-year-old defender made 29 appearances last season in the NWSL, played 2,217 minutes, and was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. Reale had five caps for the USWNT and recorded one assist in her debut against Ireland last summer. She won 48% of the total vote, beating out Jordyn Bugg and Micayla Johnson.

Senegal Wins 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal beat host Morocco 1-0 after extra time to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title for the second time in five years. The match saw drama late in the second half when Morocco was awarded a controversial penalty kick in stoppage time. Senegal Men’s National Team manager Pape Thiaw instructed his team to leave the pitch. Players from both teams argued over the controversial VAR penalty call, and violent altercations ensued between Senegal supporters and Moroccan authorities. After a 15-minute delay, the Senegal players returned to the pitch, and Brahim Diaz saw his Panenka penalty attempt easily saved, keeping the match scoreless and sending it to extra time. Pape Gueye scored the winning goal for Senegal, while Morocco missed out on ending its 50-year wait for a continental title on home soil.

Free Kicks

• Our Lions have been busy at preseason training camp over the weekend, working on their conditioning.

• Orlando City gave new signings Braian Ojeda and Maxime Crepeau a warm welcome at Inter&Co Stadium.

• Norwich City forward Josh Sargent was reportedly sent to train with the club’s U-21 squad after he made himself unavailable for the third round FA Cup match against Walsall, despite being linked to a move to Toronto FC recently. Sargent did not play in Norwich City’s 2-1 win against Wrexham Saturday.
• Patrick Agyemang scored the lone goal to lift Derby County to a 1-0 win against Preston North End. Haji Wright came off the bench in the second half and scored a late winner as Coventry City edged Leicester City 2-1.
• The Illigs, owners of Sporting Kansas City, have reportedly reached an agreement to sell a majority stake to one of the club’s existing limited partners, Peter Mallouk, for an MLS-record sum of $700 million.
• Arsenal midfielder Katie McCabe is reportedly attracting interest from several NWSL clubs as her contract expires at the end of the season.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

Happy Friday! While it feels a little wrong to complain about cold weather here in Florida while other people are shoveling snow up north, I sure can’t wait for things to warm up. I plan on hunkering down with blankets and books over the next few days while putting the candle warmer I got for Christmas through its paces. It was a busy week for Orlando soccer news, so let’s dive right into the links!

Martin Ojeda Re-Signs With Orlando City

The Lions re-signed Designated Player Martin Ojeda to a new contract that will last through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Orlando just exercised the option on Ojeda’s previous contract following the 2025 season, but wasted no time securing his services for the foreseeable future. The Argentine attacker is the club’s all-time leader when it comes to goal contributions, recording 33 goals and 42 assists in 130 appearances across all competitions in the time since joining Orlando before the 2023 season. He was phenomenal last season in particular, providing 31 goal contributions as the team’s best player. This decision comes amid buzz that European and Brazilian clubs were interested in signing him, so it’s nice to see Orlando was able to get a deal done.

Luis Muriel Transferred to Atletico Junior

Orlando City transferred forward Luis Muriel to Atletico Junior in Colombia’s top flight officially on Thursday, opening up a Designated Player slot in the process. This move has been reported on throughout the off-season and seems to be positive for all parties involved. Muriel joined Orlando ahead of the 2024 season and scored 17 goals and provided 18 assists in 84 appearances across all competitions. While his time as a Lion may be looked back at as underwhelming given his Designated Player status, his performance last August when he scored a hat trick against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup and then a brace against rival Inter Miami will be hard to forget. The Lions now get the chance to reload their Designated Player slot with someone who can bring a more consistent impact to the team.

Orlando Pride 2026 Schedule Unveiled

The 2025 NWSL season schedule is out and the Orlando Pride will open their season at home against the Seattle Reign on March 15. The Pride will play 30 games over the course of the longest regular season in league history, playing the other 15 teams twice as part of a balanced schedule. Following their season opener, the Pride will host Denver Summit FC on March 20 in the club’s first-ever match against the expansion side. Orlando’s first match against the other expansion club, Boston Legacy FC, will be on the road on May 12, with Boston playing in Orlando for the first time on July 15. The Pride’s final game of the regular season will be on Nov. 1 against the Reign.

A notable new addition this season is Victory+, a free streaming service that has partnered with the league and will broadcast many games this year. The Pride will have nine games streamed on Victory+, including the first four games of their season.

Benjamin Cremaschi Named U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year

Florida native Benjamin Cremaschi was voted as the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year. The 20-year-old captained the U.S. at last year’s U-20 World Cup in Chile, scoring five goals in the tournament to win the Golden Boot. He started in all five U.S. matches, helping the team win 3-0 against both France and Italy before falling in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Morocco. At the club level, Cremaschi was loaned from Inter Miami to Parma in September and has made three appearances there.

Free Kicks

• Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and Zambia were drawn into a star-studded group alongside Nigeria, Malawi, and Egypt in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in March. The four semifinalists of the tournament will earn qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
• Sporting Kansas City signed forward Calvin Harris as a free agent, with the contract lasting through June of 2027. Harris was drafted second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft and has spent the past three years with the Colorado Rapids.
• Brazilian club Vasco da Gama has reportedly signed Brenner from Udinese. The 26-year-old spent half of last year on loan with FC Cincinnati, and Cincy was in talks with him following the expiration of the loan regarding his return to the club.

• Speaking of FC Cincinnati, it signed winger Bryan Ramirez from LDU Quito in Ecuador’s top flight. The 25-year-old is under contract through the 2028-2029 season with an option for the 2029-2030 season.
• Both the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign will play some of their home games this season in Spokane due to World Cup preparations at Lumen Field.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay nice and warm out there and I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

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!