Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a great weekend, as Orlando City got its playoff campaign off to a strong start. We have a busy week ahead of us with the United States Women’s National Team in action, the Orlando Pride playing their last match of the regular season, and the Lions traveling to North Carolina for Game 2 against Charlotte FC. As usual, there’s plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right in.

Keeping Up With the MLS Playoffs

The playoffs continued on Monday night, which means we have two matches to catch up on. The early fixture saw FC Cincinnati pick up a 1-0 win over New York City FC at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati had the better of things for most of the game with 22 shots (seven on target) to NYCFC’s six (two on target). In the end, Yamil Asad’s goal in the 51st minute was the decider, and NYCFC defender Tayvon Gray’s red card in stoppage time adds an extra layer of intrigue for Game 2 in New York on Saturday. The late match delivered the first scoreless draw of the postseason as the Seattle Sounders battled the Houston Dynamo to a 0-0 result in regulation, with the Sounders advancing 5-4 on penalties. To make matters worse for the Dynamo, Adalberto Carrasquilla was sent off in the 66th minute so they’ll need to find a way to keep their season alive without him as the series now shifts to Houston.

Previewing the USWNT Friendly Against Argentina

The United States Women’s National Team is having a good international window so far, starting things off with a pair of 3-1 victories over Iceland. The final game of the window will take place tomorrow when the U.S. faces Argentina in Louisville. It will be just the sixth meeting between the two teams, with the USWNT winning all five previous games, including the most recent one during the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. Argentina is managed by German Portanova, who lines the team up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3. Accordingly, the idea is to stay compact and be difficult to play through, although things have a tendency to devolve after giving up a goal, which was the case during the USWNT’s 4-0 triumph in the last match between the two sides. It’s a game the Yanks should win, and win comfortably.

Ballon d’Or Winners Announced

The Ballon d’Or ceremony took place on Monday evening in Paris, and there weren’t too many surprises in how the awards were doled out. Manchester City midfielder Rodri took home the award on the men’s side, following a year in which his club team won the Premier League and his Spanish side won the 2024 European Championship. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for the second straight year after helping her side win its second consecutive Champions League title. Orlando Pride forward Barbra finished 12th in the voting for the award.

Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21, while Emiliano Martinez was named the best goalkeeper in the world for the second year running.

Manchester United Sacks Erik ten Hag

Manchester United announced on Monday morning that the club has fired Erik ten Hag, with Ruud van Nistelrooy named interim manager. The Red Devils were in the midst of a poor run of results to start the season, with just four wins from 13 matches played. A 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday seems to have been the final straw, with the result leaving United 14th in the Premier League on 11 points after nine matches. While van Nistelrooy has taken over on an interim basis, reports have emerged that Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is the leading candidate to get the permanent gig, with United having also reportedly asked about the availability of Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

Free Kicks

• Emma Hayes was named 2024 Women’s Coach of the Year.

• Italian forward Mario Balotelli has joined Genoa on a free transfer.
• The NWSL Disciplinary Committee has issued additional suspensions to Chicago Red Stars forward Ludmila and Washington Spirit forward Rosemonde Kouassi.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I was busy working at Under Armour all week but got to check out some 2025 U.S. Open Cup qualifying matches in Chicago over the weekend. Orlando City has started its playoff journey, and we have plenty to discuss, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Win Playoff Opener Against Charlotte FC

Orlando City got its playoff run off to a good start on Sunday night, defeating Charlotte FC 2-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions won the first game in this best-of-three series for the first round. Orlando scored in each half, with the team’s Designated Players doing well to lift the team to victory. Orlando controlled the match from start to finish, and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese only needed to make two saves to earn his third MLS playoff shutout. The second game in this series will be on Friday at Bank of America Stadium.

Emily Sams Earns Praise While With USWNT

Sports Illustrated featured Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams and her future with the United States Women’s National Team. Although she did not play during the USWNT’s gold medal triumph, she still got to experience it and earn a medal. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines gave insight into how far Sams has come in developing her game and succeeding in her second season with the club.

“[Sams] has been instrumental, and I think everyone can see how far she’s come from the day we signed her last year to where she’s at right now,” Hines says. “She should take a lot of confidence in her performances but also getting her first call-up and going away with the U.S. national team and being in that environment goes a long way. Credit to her because she’s put a lot of work into her craft and we’re just so pleased to have her here.”

Sams has been a critical part of the Orlando Pride’s defense this season. The Pride lead the league in shutouts with 12 clean sheets in the NWSL and have only conceded 18 goals this season. Sams has had 151 recoveries going into the regular season’s final match, which is the fourth most of any defender. The Pride will face the Seattle Reign in their last match of the regular season on Saturday before their NWSL playoff match on Nov. 8.

USWNT Defeats Iceland in Friendly

The United States Women’s National Team defeated Iceland 3-1 on Sunday at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Sams started the match to earn her first cap for the USWNT and played a full 90 minutes. The USWNT was down 1-0 at halftime but turned it around in the second half. Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan, and Emma Sears scored for the USWNT to help secure another win against Iceland. Sears also added an assist and became the first player to record both a goal and an assist in her first national team match. The USWNT has remained unbeaten for 12 matches since Emma Hayes took charge as the head coach, and its next match is on Wednesday against Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville.

MLS Playoff First Round Recap

The first round of the MLS Cup playoffs is underway, and we’ve had a few matches played over the weekend. On Friday, Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 2-1 in the first game of its best-of-three series to take a 1-0 lead. The LA Galaxy dominated the Colorado Rapids 5-0 in their first game, with Riqui Puig and Dejan Joveljic scoring two goals each in their opening matchup. LAFC won 2-1 Sunday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps, with Denis Bouanga and Cristina Olivera scoring. Tonight, the Seattle Sounders face the Houston Dynamo while FC Cincinnati takes on New York City FC. Tomorrow’s matches will feature Real Salt Lake against Minnesota United while the Columbus Crew face the New York Red Bulls.

Free Kicks

• The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly in advanced negotiations with former New England Revolution Head Coach Bruce Arena to name him the club’s next head coach.
• Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Holden Trent passed away over the weekend. We here at The Mane Land offer our condolences to Trent’s family, loved ones, and teammates during this difficult time.

• Julian Carranza scored a goal in Feyenoord’s 2-0 win over FC Utrecht yesterday. He took a moment to pay his respects and express his condolences after the recent news of Holden Trent’s passing.

• Barcelona dominated Real Madrid in El Clasico with a 4-0 win against its La Liga rival on Saturday.
• Darren Fletcher, who coaches on Manchester United’s first team, was charged with misconduct by the English FA after confronting the referees during halftime following the team’s 2-1 over Brentford on Oct. 19.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

Welcome to Friday, Mane Landers. Congratulations on making it through another week. Hopefully, you’re in the type of job that allows you to have weekends off. If not, then I share your pain. Regardless, there’s plenty of soccer coming up this weekend to watch, including your very own Orlando City. Before we get started today, remember to schedule some time to celebrate, as today marks the anniversary of the USL announcing Orlando City joining the league. OCSC started play in 2011, won a bunch of trophies, later joined MLS, and the rest is history.

Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Will Host FC Series

Inter&Co Stadium will be the site of a special edition of the FC Series in January. In addition to Orlando City, three Brazilian clubs will take part: Cruzeiro, São Paulo, and Atlético Mineiro. The competition will consist of three matches, with Orlando City playing Atlético Mineiro in the third match. The event will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the series going back to its Florida Cup roots.

USWNT Defeats Iceland

The USWNT won the first of two friendlies against Iceland with a 3-1 victory Thursday night in Austin, TX. The U.S. struck first on an excellent shot by Alyssa Thompson, who netted her first international goal. Iceland equalized in the second half. Jaedyn Shaw gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead late, and Sophia Smith added another goal minutes later. Emily Sonnett earned her 100th cap, while Hal Hershfelt and Yazmeen Ryan made their debuts. Sadly, Emma Hayes didn’t see fit to give the Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams her debut. Hopefully, that is remedied in Sunday’s match.

MLSPA Releases Salary List

The MLS Players Association has released salary data for all the players in MLS. Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi tops the list at $20.5 million which is more than the entirety of Orlando City’s roster put together. The only surprising thing is that Inter Miami doesn’t have more than two names in the Top 10. Luis Muriel is Orlando City’s highest paid player, followed by Facundo Torres. Duncan McGuire rounds out the top three for the Lions, thanks to his new contract.

Dike Returns from Injury

Former Orlando City striker Daryl Dike is finally making his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon injury suffered last season. His time at West Bromwich Albion has been marred with injuries that have kept him on the sidelines for the majority of his tenure with the club. Dike is training with the club’s Under-21 squad. He’ll next train with the senior squad before getting playing time with the Under-21s and finally making his return to play for the senior team. We wish him luck.

Free Kicks

• The USMNT will be the subject of a multi-part documentary series produced by HBO Sports Documentaries. It will be about the preparation of the team heading into the 2026 World Cup.
• Melchie Dumornay from Haiti and Adalberto Carrasquilla from Panama have been named 2023-2024 Concacaf Women’s and Men’s Players of the Year, respectively. Congratulations to them both.
• The Seattle Sounders have signed Head Coach Brian Schmetzer to a contract extension. The club has not announced specific details on the multi-year contract.
• Utah Royals FC took the “interim” tag off now head coach Jimmy Coenraets. Much like the Orlando Pride’s Seb Hines, Coenraets started out as an assistant for the club.
• Alex Morgan received the key to the city from San Diego officials for her athletic contributions and advocacy for equal pay in women’s sports.
• I’ll leave you with these sentiments from Haley Carter. Well said.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for Orlando City’s upcoming playoff match against Charlotte FC on Sunday. Vamos Orlando!