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.

It’s been a few weeks since we last shipped a factory-fresh episode of the PawedCast, but we’re back to drop off this audio present that discusses the news that’s happened since early in the month.

However, we start with an update on The Mane Land’s current situation with regard to whether or not we are going to be able to continue service in 2026. Right now, we’re remaining optimistic amidst several people offering to help out. We’re going through some “practice recaps” from prospective writers and trying to determine who can help us on the editing side. We would love to keep going, but we are spread far too thin to carry on as we have in the past. If you want to get involved, here’s what we’re talking about and what to do if you’re in a position to help.

After our update, we discuss some difficult departures, as veteran defenders Rodrigo Schlegel and Kyle Smith have both left the club. Schlegel will always own one of the most iconic moments in Orlando City history, and we will miss the Lions’ agent of chaos. Smith was a good soldier (sorry, soldado), and we’ll miss his hustle, determination, and willingness to do whatever it takes to help the club.

We also touched upon the fact that the Lions will be playing in three competitions next season, with entry in both the U.S. Open Cup and the Leagues Cup to go along with their MLS participation. We rank the order of importance and you will not be surprised at our rankings.

Players didn’t just leave Orlando City. Some arrived, too. We discuss the Lions’ 2026 MLS SuperDraft haul and the way they spent their plethora of first-round picks. We also welcome MLS U22 Initiative player Tiago from Brazil ahead of the 2026 season. Additionally, we tell you who is pretty much done with the exception of the official announcements.

OCB also released some news, with Head Coach Manuel Goldberg getting his option picked up for 2026 and midfielder Justin Hylton signing a two-year MLS NEXT Pro deal with the Young Lions.

Finally, our mailbagbox was extremely full and featured a trivia mini-marathon. You’ll be able to see how your guesses stack up against ours. We also had a fun question about a missing remote and a horrifying hypothetical. 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.

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. 514 went down:

0:15 – A word about our future and while we’re staying optimistic about getting the help we need, we are by no means out of danger. Plus, more bad news as we say goodbye to a few Lions.

28:24 – The good news is who is arriving, who might be arriving soon, and OCB happenings.

40:45 – A full mailbagbox leaves us as satisfied as a big Christmas dinner.

Happy holidays to you all and thank you for your support all year long (and in years past)!

[Note: This episode was recorded Monday night, prior to the Pride signing Hailie Mace on Tuesday.]

The Orlando Pride are coming off back-to-back NWSL semifinal appearances, and much of the credit for that just walked out the door. Haley Carter is leaving her post as the club’s vice president of soccer operations and sporting director to pursue other opportunities. It was not welcome news, as Carter has done well to help install the right kind of culture with the Pride — one that shows the utmost respect for the players and protects them from the kind of things that have given the NWSL a few black eyes over the years. Her legacy is turning Orlando into a place players want to play and turning a perennial doormat into one of the better clubs in the league, both on and off the pitch.

After our discussion about Carter’s departure, we discussed Emily Sams playing for the USWNT in her club’s home stadium and her thoughts on Carter’s departure.

Our mailbagbox basically just wants to dunk on the Washington Spirit for this episode, but at least Washington got to the final game. That said, it probably hurts worse to lose a final than a semifinal, so…yeah. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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.

After our mailbagbox, we went through the Pride’s end-of-season contract status update. Orlando has 23 players under contract for 2026 (24 with Tuesday’s signing of Hailie Mace), and we tell you who is and isn’t on the squad at the moment. There weren’t a ton of surprises, but we will miss Carson Pickett’s golazos and Simone Charley’s fire.

We’re in our off-season schedule now, so we’ll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires.

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 Episode 111 went down:

0:15 – Haley Carter built a thing and then let it go, because if you love something, you set it free. Yeah, let’s go with that.

11:53 – Our mailbagbox just wants the Washington Spirit to feel shame.

21:52 – All player contract statuses are accounted for. We wish Ally Watt good luck in Denver (except when she plays Orlando).