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USA vs. Panama: Final Score 5-1 as USMNT Romps in World Cup Qualifying Win in Orlando

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4 years ago

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United States Men’s National Team captain Christian Pulisic scored a hat trick — with two of those goals from the penalty spot — to lead the Yanks to a resounding 5-1 win over Panama at Exploria Stadium. Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira also scored as the U.S. put four on the board in the first half to take control of the match.

The USMNT still hasn’t lost in Exploria Stadium and tonight was the Yanks’ most decisive win to date. While the win by Costa Rica kept the U.S. from clinching a spot in the World Cup, the lopsided victory puts the USMNT on solid footing with one match to play in the qualifying campaign.

“We knew we were in a position where the group needed to respond, and when I look at the effort and intensity of the first half and the level that we’re playing, it was really impressive,” U.S. Head Coach Gregg Berhalter said after the match. “You can see exactly what the guys took on, and and their motivation to get back to the World Cup. We scored five goals in the game, and I think we could have had more if we were a little bit more clinical at times, but we made a big step towards our goal of qualifying for the World Cup.”

Berhalter started Zack Steffen in goal behind a back line of Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, and Shaq Moore. Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, and Luca de la Torre manned the midfield behind an attacking line of Pulisic, Ferreira, and Arriola.

Los Canaleros looked to keep possession and work for a good shot early while the Yanks seemed content to pick their spots to press and look for transition opportunities. Panama had a good early spell of possession and Adalberto Carrasquilla fizzed a hard shot over Steffen’s crossbar in the eighth minute.

Arriola drew a free kick on the right just outside the penalty area in the 10th minute and that eventually led to the U.S. breakthrough. Pulisic went for goal on the free kick and it took a deflection, giving the USMNT a corner. Miles Robinson knocked down the corner cross in the box and Moore was the first to it, sending a hard shot/cross toward goal, where it was knocked out for another corner.

Zimmerman went down hard on the second U.S. corner kick of the match and was slow to get up. On a stoppage after the ensuing run of play, Zimmerman smartly picked up the ball to delay the restart, which allowed referee Ivan Barton to have a chat with the video assistant referee, Marco Ortiz.

Barton went to the monitor to look at the play again and determined that Panama’s Anibal Godoy had fouled his Nashville SC teammate in the area. The penalty was awarded and Pulisic smashed it just under the bar to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

Panama tried to pull that goal right back with some quick and physical play and a ball into the area nearly found a friendly head in the area in the 20th minute. Steffen went up and did just enough to prevent a goal and the ball pinged around in the box and was close enough for the keeper to grab. Whether he didn’t see it or couldn’t get his body into position, the loose ball continued to elude everyone until the defense could finally clear it and calm down the mad scramble.

“Panama’s a good team, and you could see that guys were processing everything and dealing through working through the pressure of the game and the physicality of Panama,” Berhalter said. “And thankfully we had the breakthrough, and the guys put a lot into it.”

Moments later, Robinson was sent down the left side and sent in a perfect cross. Arriola rose to meet it and flicked it into the right side of the net to double the lead in the 23rd minute.

“I was super happy with the goal and obviously to help the team,” Arriola said after the match. “As an attacking player, it’s always important to try and make your mark and be productive in the final third.”

The U.S. wasn’t done. Four minutes later, a good buildup ended up on Moore’s foot and his cross deflected in. Ferreira was the first to it and slipped it home to make it 3-0 in the 27th minute.

It was the first time that the USMNT had scored three goals in the first half in a World Cup qualifier since the last time the U.S. and Panama played a qualifier in Orlando in October of 2017.

The game calmed down for a bit after that, with much of the play between the boxes. But the end of the first half produced more fireworks.

After Godoy flashed a shot just wide of the left post for Panama, the Yanks were looking for more at the other end. A quick passing sequence unlocked Antonee Robinson down the left and he put in a dangerous cross. Arriola headed it back across the front of goal and Ferreira went for a bicycle kick but it sailed over the bar.

Pulisic made it four with his second goal from the spot on the night in first-half stoppage time. Godoy was booked and Barton wasted no time in pointing to the spot. The captain stepped up and smashed it into the top right corner. Luis Mejia guessed correctly but couldn’t keep it out and the U.S. lead bulged to 4-0.

The United States took its four-goal lead into the break. Panama held 60.7% of the possession and passed more accurately in the opening half (75.7%-71.7%), but the Yanks had more shots (10-5), shots on target (4-1), and corners (2-1).

Panama came out of the locker room strong, pressing high and forcing the U.S. into several turnovers. The back line had to do some emergency defending, with two big blocks by Antonee Robinson and a vital sliding block by Tyler Adams to deny Alberto Quintero.

Gaby Torres sent a header toward goal after that deflection but Steffen was there to catch it.

Second-half sub Gio Reyna had a big impact on the game. Just moments after the restart, he flashed a shot just wide of the left post from the right corner of the box. His passing unlocked a couple of opportunities that the U.S. was unlucky not to finish, including a ball to de la Torre, who found Ferreira in front. The FC Dallas striker had a great opportunity to make it 5-0, but he fired just over the bar from about 10 yards out.

Pulisic continued the onslaught in the 65th minute. Taking a ball from Robinson on the left, the captain deftly cradled the ball on his foot, spun around two defenders, and slotted home his third goal of the match, making it 5-0.

“There’s something special about Christian,” Arriola said. “And, you know, him as our captain tonight, to be able to step up a couple times to finish PKs, and then his great run and finish that he had for his third goal was great. I mean, he’s a great kid, great leader, obviously unbelievable, even better person, so i’m super happy for him.”

Panama pulled one back late on a free kick. Substitute Aaron Long appeared to do well in breaking up a counter attack but was called for a foul and booked. Godoy got onto the ensuing cross from Eric Davis and nodded into the bottom left corner, well out of Steffen’s reach in the 86th minute.

From there, the U.S. simply booted the ball up the field and saw out the remaining time to cap the victory. Panama held the advantage in possession (60.5%-39.5%), and passed more accurately (82.1%-76.4%), but the U.S. fired more shots (15-10), got more on target (5-2), and won more corners (3-2).

The match had an electric atmosphere throughout, even after the U.S. had taken its huge lead. That energy transferred to the players on the pitch.

“The crowd was unbelievable,” Berhalter said. “We enjoy playing in Orlando, this is exactly why. The crowd, even when we arrived at the stadium, the people in their seats and cheering and really help boost the team.”

The USMNT will finish World Cup qualifying on Wednesday at Costa Rica. The United States can qualify with a win, a draw, or a loss by five or fewer goals.

“We know we still have a game to go, and it’s a difficult game in Costa Rica,” Berhalter said. “So, our job right now is to recover, do regeneration. and then the healthy guys, fit guys, get them on the field and go compete in San Jose, where we’ve never won before.”

“I’m not celebrating anything,” Arriola said. “I was in this exact position, or a very similar position four years ago, and we know how that that qualification ended. So, for me, I think it’s just maintaining focus, understanding that we still have work to do, and anything is possible. The mentality of this group is, and has to be, to go down there to get a good result against Costa Rica.”

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PawedCast Episode 515: Orlando City Transfers, Preseason Schedule, OCB Signings, and More

We’re back to discuss Orlando City’s transfer news and rumors, OCB roster additions, and the preseason schedule.

Published

5 days ago

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January 13, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has gathered for preseason camp ahead of the 2026 season, and we’re still here to talk about it. How long that continues to be the case may unknown at this point, but we’re trending in the right direction, so if that continues, you’re stuck with us for a while longer.

The Lions have had various comings and goings since our last show, and we discuss the movement in and out of the roster. We thought Carlos Coronel was going to be the new Orlando City starter in goal, but he fled to Brazil, so we welcome Canadian international Maxime Crepeau to the City Beautiful. It’s not as splashy an addition, but it could be just as effective a roster move if he can regain his form from his Vancouver and LAFC days.

We also discussed the additions of Tiago, Luis Otavio, and Braian Ojeda. On the other hand, departures took place as well, such as Nico Rodriguez being loaned to Atletico Nacional and the reports that Luis Muriel may be finalizing a deal to move on. We chatted about what those moves mean in the grand scheme of things. Kyle Smith went home and we are glad he’s still playing but sad to see him in another team’s uniform.

The preseason schedule was a bit underwhelming, but we ran through it quickly.

Our mailbagbox was a little light, and it proved to us how little we know about the Polish national team. 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 talked a bit about the recent moves OCB has made, including the addition of a Brazilian striker. Former OCB forward Shak Mohammed is off to Nashville, while OCB/OCSC left wing Yutaro Tsukada showed up to preseason camp with a wedding ring. Congrats to Yutaro!

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it. We’ll also return for at least one more show to say goodbye if things don’t work out for us to continue, but we are hoping it doesn’t come to that!

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.

If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how No. 515 went down:

0:15 – An update on our staffing crisis is more hopeful than the last one, and we go through the various arrivals and departures.

30:16 – The mailbagbox seeks help for Orlando City from Poland and wants to know which position we’d least like to see the club make a Designated Player signing.

41:52 – OCB news, a new home for Shak, and Tsukada ties the knot.

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A Few Words About the Future of The Mane Land

TML needs help to continue bringing you coverage of Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, OCB, and all things soccer related in the City Beautiful.

Published

1 month ago

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December 9, 2025

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Stock image courtesy of GoDaddy.com Managed WordPress

For the last 11 years, The Mane Land has worked hard to provide daily content telling the story of Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, OCB, and any other soccer-related events we can get to in the Central Florida area. We love doing that, but we’re at a critical stage in being able to do so. Staff has been difficult to replace in recent years, and we’ve come to a point where some of us have not only been stretched to an unsustainable limit, but we’ve been going at that rate for multiple years without a break.

To that point, TML is now at a critical juncture where we must have more contributors who can cover live events in order to survive in our current format (and possibly at all). For the past few years, we have had only two primary game night writers covering three teams, and we are unable to continue at that pace, regardless of how much we enjoy doing it.

To continue as an entity, we’re going to need anywhere from two to four new contributors who can pitch in with game-night coverage of Orlando City/Orlando Pride matches. Additionally, another copy editor is essential, while two more would be preferred.

We’d like to continue into 2026, but if we can’t get the additional help we need, the current plan is to shut down at the end of the 2025 calendar year. The minimum we need to carry on would be two new live event writers and a copy editor.

What does this mean? Well, if you’ve ever thought it would be cool to cover soccer matches (it is) or thought about joining us, now is the time to volunteer. If you enjoy soccer and talking about this club with your friends, you might be perfect for our team, because if you can talk about soccer, you can probably write about it as well. Writing is just talking on a screen with your fingers, after all.

To get started, please write to us at themaneland@gmail.com and let us know how you’d like to contribute — writing, editing, etc.

It is important to note that we do this out of a love for the beautiful game and these positions are on a voluntary basis. However, if freed from the shackles of such an overwhelming schedule, my goal is to spend more time creating strategic partnerships and promoting our membership platform that could combine to bring in revenue that would go toward compensating staff writers. Additionally, some of our staff members have gone on to more financially rewarding opportunities as a result of their time with us. You never know what this experience will lead to. Like anything else in life, you’re likely to get out of it what you put in.

The good news is that we have already reached out to our Founders and our Buy Me a Coffee subscribers about this subject, and several have shown an interest in helping, so we are in the process of exploring those potential contributors at the moment.

We Are Currently Seeking:

  • Match writers – You don’t need a degree in journalism or English to write for us. If you like to talk about soccer, you can probably write about it as well. Staff writers contribute regularly to our game coverage, which could be in the form of recaps, player grades pieces, five takeaways posts, etc. We have a need for this on both the Orlando City and Pride sides, and you can do both if you want. If you’re not local to the Orlando area, you can cover road matches via the broadcast/stream.
  • Editors – Can you spot a subject/verb disagreement from a mile away? An editor position may be for you! How often do you get to correct people without anyone shaming you for it? This position will edit copy for submitted stories, make headlines punchier and more SEO-friendly, and ensure the story has a properly cropped/centered photo that helps tell the story. Typically you’ll only be on “desk duty” one or two evenings per week when it fits your schedule. You may also write stories if you wish!

About TML

Our little blog became an idea and then an independent WordPress site in late September of 2014, and went live on SBNation in December of that year. When SBNation stopped funding nearly all of its MLS blogs a few years ago, we went independent again, and we’ve long been the only outlet providing daily coverage of Orlando City’s teams. Even the club doesn’t post new content to its website every day!

FAQ

Why shutter the site at the end of December? Why do you need help now when the season doesn’t start for a couple of months?

Preparing to cover three teams requires advance planning. Each year, we put together a publication schedule to ensure all our bases are covered. This includes what will run (a placeholder or sometimes the specific piece) on every day of the year, which obviously doesn’t take into account breaking news or extra features that people want to do. Setting up this publication schedule also includes noting when major soccer events are coming, known USMNT/USWNT scheduled matches, MLS and NWSL deadlines, player birthdays, important milestones and anniversaries, and more. We also put together volunteer sign-up sheets for grades and takeaways posts. That setup work is all for naught if we don’t have the bodies to physically cover the team when the season starts. Also, it’s easier to pull the plug on our LLC at the end of a calendar year. None of us want to stop, but we have to be realistic about being able to continue covering the team as we have.

Why not just scale back and cover what you can? Do you have to cover every game?

I don’t have a good answer for this other than I would not feel right about putting my name on a product I don’t believe in. I don’t ever want our audience to have to guess whether or not they’re getting a game recap or any follow-up analysis from a given match. In my opinion, we have never had the personnel to fully provide what I envision. For example, I want to add more video content, player grades and recaps for the Pride games, and to bring back weekend Lion Links and OCB match previews. And we should have a lot more features and analysis pieces! In short, we’re already doing the bare minimum that I’m comfortable with. And, I have to be honest: if there was a game coming up with no one to cover it, knowing me, I’d probably just do it myself, and I already know I can’t continue the pace of the past few years. I have to save me from myself sometimes.

Could The Mane Land continue in a different form?

I have toyed with the idea of turning TML into a newsletter. This might be a daily that includes a Lion Links-type section and opinion/analysis of club news. It would not include match coverage or any kind of regular news. I almost pivoted to that when SBNation stopped funding us, but we decided to make a go of it as an independent outlet. The problem with the newsletter style is that I can’t do it daily every single day or it would be no different than the situation I’m in, so some help would still be needed. Some of that could come from the current TML staff, but I’m not sure all of it could, and the newsletter format is not for everyone, so we’d be leaving part of our audience behind. I’m not sure it’s the way to go.

Is new management or investment needed?

Possibly. I am willing to sell the name and logo and turn over all our passwords for someone else to take over the operations, which would free up a considerable amount of my time. I’m even willing to continue on as a writing and editing contributor, because I love covering the club. Some of the other staff might as well. But I would not be interested in covering every single match. I’m not a kid anymore, and I have a regular job, a family, and other side gigs that require my attention.

Will you still do the podcasts if the site shuts down?

No. I think if we decide to shut down, it will be across the board. I much prefer our written content, and that’s the reason I started our outlet to begin with. I feel the podcasts complement our coverage and give us more of an opinion platform and a way to discuss matches in a deeper, richer way, but I’m not interested in doing only the podcasts. That said, others on our staff might want to continue and I’m OK with that.

Contact us at themaneland@gmail.com today to get started as a new contributor!

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PawedCast Episode 506: Cincinnati Rewind, OCB-Carolina Core, Columbus Preview, and More

The Lions claimed a late draw at Cincy and now host Columbus while OCB’s playoff hopes hang by a thread.

Published

4 months ago

on

September 30, 2025

By

Image of Alex Freeman celebrating after scoring the tying goal at Cincinnati.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City left it late again. Tyrese Spicer reprised his role from the Nashville game by providing the assist for a goal late in stoppage time, but this time it was a different goal scorer and a road draw instead of a home win. Alex Freeman played great against FC Cincinnati, so it was fitting that he literally pulled a point out of thin air on a Sunday night that saw the Lions squander numerous good opportunities to score while allowing the hosts only one Kevin Denkey strike.

We look back at the key moments, players, and plays of a critical road match, check our score predictions, and make our selections for Man of the Match, splitting the vote

This week’s mailbagbox asked us a pair of trivia questions and added an individual question for each host. 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.

OCB got two points at Carolina Core FC when it needed three, but it did enough to stay alive in the postseason race but there is no margin for error. The Young Lions fell behind by two goals, battled back to get level, conceded again, and once again equalized on the road. Carlos Mercado then helped his team win the penalty shootout on his birthday to claim the extra point. OCB must beat FC Cincinnati 2 on Sunday at home and get help to reach the postseason.

Finally, Orlando City returns home with another game against a good team from the Buckeye State, as the Columbus Crew visits Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Whether Diego Rossi plays or not, the Crew are always a difficult opponent. We break down the series history, look at the battle ahead, provide our key matchups, and make our predictions for the final score.

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.

If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how No. 506 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City didn’t seem to want to put the ball in the net, but maybe that’s because it wasn’t yet the death of stoppage time. Earlier goals are OK too, guys!

27:55 – The mailbagbox offers trivia, but no prizes if we get them right.

39:11 – OCB was listening to Meat Loaf and thinking two out of three ain’t bad, and the senior Lions prepare for Columbus.

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