The Orlando Pride suffered through a miserable week on the road, losing to both 2026 NWSL expansion teams — Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — conceding penalties in each match, continuing to get no goals in the run of play by anyone not named Barbra Banda, and sustaining even more injuries.

We discuss the two losses, look back at our score predictions, make our selections for Player of the Match for each game, and try to figure out what is going on with the midfield and how some players who showed such promise in 2024 no longer look like the same people out there on the pitch. We’re not ruling out an Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario.

This week’s mailbagbox asked about Kerry Abello firing off a flip throw in her return from injury, what area of need Caitlin Carducci most needs to address to help the Pride, and more. 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 the mailbagbox, we look ahead to the team’s upcoming trip to San Diego to play the Wave. Although the California sun has been kind to the Pride the last few years, the 2026 squad seems far too out of sorts to compete with a team that beat Washington despite not having some of its key players. But you never know what might happen when soccer boot meets soccer ball.

We look at the series history, discuss the teams’ places in the league, provide our key matchups, and make our final score predictions.

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Here’s how Episode 123 went down:

0:15 – Orlando went on the road, suffered more injuries, and got swept by the two NWSL expansion teams in an awful week.

20:18 – The mailbagbox is quite smitten with Kerry Abello’s flip throw, and who could blame it?

31:57 – The Pride go back on the road to face the San Diego Wave, the league’s best team at the moment.

Orlando City played two teams lower in the standings over the past week and came away with four of six possible points, but somehow those points seemed tarnished a bit. The Lions blew a two-goal, second-half lead against the Union but managed a goal at the death to claim all three points against the Eastern Conference’s worst team. Although Martin Ojeda could have put the match away before halftime on a more clinical night and the low-scoring Union managed three goals in 45 minutes after just 10 goals entering the match, a win is a win.

Atlanta United came to town Saturday for the first of two meetings in three days and while Orlando was better defensively, the Lions didn’t generate much and looked tired and worn down against the fresher Five Stripes. Another late goal conceded by Orlando allowed the visitors to steal two points from City and take one for themselves.

We look back at both matches, check our score predictions, and name our selections for Man of the Match.

Our mailbagbox asked us about the next breakout player from OCB to the first team and Orlando City’s needs after Antoine Griezmann arrives. 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.

After the mailbagbox, we discussed Orlando City B’s 1-0 loss at the death at New England Revolution II. The Young Lions were just moments away from at least one point and possibly two, but a collision between two defenders handed the Revs their chance to win. They took it.

Finally, we looked forward to tonight’s rematch between the Lions and Five Stripes. The U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals matchup gives Orlando a chance to avenge the late goal on Saturday and advance to the semifinals.

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. 533 went down:

0:15 – The Lions weren’t convincing doing it but they managed to add four points to their season total against Philadelphia and Atlanta.

25:11 – Our mailbagbox is forward thinking in terms of the roster.

33:35 – OCB can’t keep it rolling at New England and we get ready for the second round of Orlando City-Atlanta United.

Orlando City seemed to be turning a corner. It turned out that there was a moving truck just around that corner and it flattened the Lions in stoppage time Saturday in Montreal. Just moments away from a road point and a rare clean sheet, despite being outplayed for much of the 90 minutes, Orlando City imploded and conceded twice for yet another multi-goal road loss in a 2026 already filled with them.

We break down the latest OCSC loss, look back at our score predictions, and begrudgingly make our selections for Man of the Match. The good vibes from the Miami comeback win did not last long at all.

Our mailbagbox asked us about Ted Lasso haircuts and Justin Ellis. 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.

After the mailbagbox, we discussed Orlando City B’s 2-0 win at Atlanta United 2 and looked ahead to the Young Lions’ upcoming match with New England Revolution 2. That previous sentence included a lot of instances of the numeral 2.

Finally, we looked ahead to two Orlando City matches coming up this week. First up is the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, followed by Atlanta United on Saturday. Both Eastern Conference rivals are coming to Orlando, so the Lions will be on home soil, and hopefully that means we won’t see them in their Sunken Playoff Hopes Treasure kits.

We look at the series history against both clubs, check out their relative places in the standings (they are the two closest teams to Orlando City in the Eastern Conference), provide our key matchups, and make our final score predictions for both matches.

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. 532 went down:

0:15 – The Lions picked the wrong time to stop scoring goals against a very meh Montreal team.

18:26 – Our mailbagbox wants to work a little Isaac McAdoo haircut magic.

24:36 – OCB managed a shutout win and we look ahead to two matches that under normal circumstances we would say were “winnable.” These are not normal circumstances.