Saturday night did not go as planned for Orlando City, and that’s something that can be said for several Saturdays already during this trying 2024 MLS regular season. In fact, if things don’t start to turn around soon, there may only be a regular season for the Lions in 2024.

We looked back at another unhappy result for Orlando City, although there is a lot to be said for the team’s attitude despite being down both a man and a goal for the majority of the match. We checked in on our score predictions and made our selections for Man of the Match. We also discussed the fullback injuries that could change the look of the team for the coming weeks.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Concacaf Champions Cup balance, Orlando City in the English football pyramid, beer, and more. 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 turned our attention to Orlando City B’s matchup against Chattanooga FC on Saturday. Many people were making their way to Inter&Co Stadium for the senior team’s match against FC Cincinnati, so it’s understandable if you missed it. The Young Lions remain unbeaten on the road this year, but the performances need to be better, especially in shootouts, after another road draw. OCB held Chattanooga 1-1 but then lost the shootout, 5-4.

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Here’s how No. 416 went down:

0:15 – We look back at a game that got ruined pretty early but one from which the Lions still could have taken some points.

26:15 – Our mailbagbox meandered through a variety of topics and we were happy to answer all questions.

49:25 – A quick look at OCB’s trip to Chattanooga.

One year ago, the Lions were second only to FC Cincinnati in the race for the Supporters Shield. Fast forward to 2024 and the Lions have struggled out of the gate, despite only losing once in their last five games, but even though Cincinnati jettisoned top goal scorer Brandon Vazquez, the southwest Ohio side is second in the Eastern Conference. Although Saturday’s visitors haven’t been scoring as many goals, they’ve also bulked up defensively and have been stingy against opposing attacks.

Joining us to help prep for FC Cincinnati is Coach Gough from Cincy Soccer Talk. Coach was kind enough to fill us in on how FCC is doing offensively and defensively, how the new faces are fitting in, and what the team is doing without Vazquez. Big thanks to our special guest for giving us the scoop on Orlando City’s opponents on Saturday.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about scrambling the Orlando City starting lineup, OCB going up against college teams, non-craft beer, and more. 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 turned our attention to Saturday’s matchup and how we see it playing out. We presented our key matchups for the game and our final score predictions. We’re not feeling particularly optimistic after last Saturday, especially when Orlando City will have to figure out a way through the towering defense of the visitors, most of which have played (or currently play) for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

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.

Here’s how No. 415 went down:

0:15 – Coach Gough joins us to give us the scoop on FC Cincinnati’s 2024 season so far.

21:18 – Our mailbagbox has us changing everyone’s positions and it’s frankly hard to keep track of when doing it live.

43:12 – Our key matchups and score predictions for Saturday night against FCC under the lights.

The Orlando Pride continued their winning ways on Friday, but that news has been overshadowed by Brazilian midfielder Luana’s diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Luana will miss the rest of the season undergoing treatment and we wish her all the luck, love, and positive vibes we can possibly send. We know she’s a battler, so we believe she will overcome this illness and return stronger than ever.

We broke down Orlando’s win at Washington, including Barbra Banda’s huge night in her first start, as well as Anna Moorhouse’s unnecessary adventures in goal. It’s great that the Pride are winning, but something must be done to stop these massive mistakes by Moorhouse, who has now made three critical errors in her last 11 NWSL matches. We checked in on our score predictions and made our selections for Player of the Match, which was always going to be a no-brainer.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us about the name of this podcast, the Pride’s goalkeeping situation, why a one-goal lead late fills one of our listeners with dread, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

We finished the show with our previews for the Pride’s two matches in the coming days against the North Carolina Courage and Racing Louisville. We looked into their statistical accomplishments to date, provided our key matchups for the game, and gave our score predictions.

Here’s how Episode 41 went down:

0:15 – Luana needs our support. Plus, the Pride continued their successful run against the Spirit, but the end was much more nervy than it should have been.

30:35 – The mailbagbox is so full and we love it.

51:03 – Previewing the Courage and Racing Louisville, both of which will visit Inter&Co Stadium within the next week.