PawedCast Episode 312: Atlanta & Toronto Rewinds, Pride-Louisville, OCB Closes Season, and More

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Orlando City had a pair of split results at home since our last show, with a good performance overall but a severe lack of finishing in a 1-0 loss to Atlanta United during another wet, weather-delayed, midweek match. The Lions could just about have put the Five Stripes’ playoff chances on life support but instead Atlanta is knocking on the door and Orlando has more to do if it wants to both clinch and perhaps challenge for a home postseason match. We break down the loss and select our Man of the Match.

Things went much more to our liking on Saturday with Toronto FC coming to town looking to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. Instead, this time the Lions stuck the dagger in and eliminated the Reds with a 4-0 beatdown at home to go into the international break on a high note. It was Orlando’s biggest regular-season win of the season and biggest ever win over Toronto. We were unanimous again in our Man of the Match selection and it wasn’t Facundo Torres, even though he made the MLS Team of the Week, which can be stupid, for reasons we explain on the show.

The Pride fell out of playoff contention with a third straight loss and second consecutive via shutout despite having some glorious early scoring chances at Louisville. The team gave it a valiant effort under Interim Head Coach Seb Hines but fizzled at the end of the season as the Pride have done in six of their seven seasons of existence. We discuss the road loss to Racing Louisville and prepare for the worst with North Carolina and San Diego Wave FC coming in to try to feast on the scraps this week.

OCB’s season was figuratively over before, but now it is literally over after the Young Lions blew a 1-0 lead late and lost 2-1 at home to Toronto FC II on Decision Day to close out their first MLS Next Pro season. While OCB can’t hurt us anymore, it will be interesting to keep an eye on what happens with the players this off-season and if any Homegrown signings take place. Jack Lynn was shipped off to San Antonio in the USL Championship, where we hope he gets some playing time at the second tier level.

This week’s mailbag asked us to draft basketball teams from the Avengers and Justice League members, wanted us to describe MLS, and gave us the keys to a time machine. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.

With the Lions off this weekend, there were no key match-ups or predictions for Orlando City this week.

Stay safe and enjoy the show!

Here’s how No. 312 went down:

0:15 – The Lions suffered a loss but then got a win, so it was an even week and the team got a few points closer to the postseason but there is still a lot of work to do in the final three games of the season.

32:08 – The Pride and OCB continued to be bad this week and we are not pleased with this development (or lack of any development).

55:00 – We open the mail and for some reason, I had to pick last in a draft for no apparent reason just days after my birthday. Come on!