Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day for Orlando City, so I hope you wore your purple when you left the house. Speaking of what you’re wearing, have you picked out your Halloween costume? If so, are you coordinating with friends or family, or are you doing the Halloween equivalent of Bah Humbug? I’m actually pretty curious as Halloween is a pretty big deal at my house. Also, candy is yummy. For now, there are no tricks, but let’s get to the treats that are today’s links.

Lions in the Windy City

Orlando City takes on the Chicago Fire tonight at Soldier Field in the Windy City. If the Lions can somehow get all three points against the Fire — and get a little help from FC Dallas over the Columbus Crew — Orlando City can clinch a playoff spot. It won’t be easy, as the Fire have Robert Lewandowski and Philip Zinckernagel in the attack. The Lions counter that attack with Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda, with the latter chasing club records in the offense.

Orlando City B Announces Season-Ending Roster Status

It’s been a minute since Orlando City B ended the season as the developmental squad did not make the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. There’s always a bit of turnover each year with OCB as players like Justin Ellis move to the senior squad, others are loaned out, and younger players come in to take their places. The club has announced the end-of-year roster statuses. There are seven players under contract for 2027. That number will obviously need to increase before the start of the season.

NWSL GMs Surveyed

ESPN has released the findings of the latest ESPN NWSL GM survey. The general managers are asked a series of questions regarding the state of the league, what they would like to see changed, the impact of NWSL rules like the High Impact Player rule, and — most interesting to me — how much cheating is going on. It certainly seems like some clubs have a ridiculous amount of seemingly high-priced players, yet are supposedly under the salary cap set by the league. It seems suspicious, and many of the GMs agree with me, though slightly less than half think the problem is widespread. It’s definitely worth a read.

A Boisterous Ballon d’Or

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is usually full of pomp and circumstance, but this year’s version was a bit rowdy. London traffic, a large crowd, and a delay made for a raucous event. Still, it was nice for Harry Kane to be presented the long-awaited award in his native country. Sometimes good things come to those who sign for the biggest club in the Bundesliga…er, I mean wait. There was also a bit of controversy on the women’s side as well when no female journalists were included in the pool to ask questions of Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas, and there was a distinct lack of female athlete presenters. There is still room for growth.

Free Kicks

• Do you still care about where the Orlando Pride fall in SBNation’s NWSL power rankings? Spoiler alert: it’s not good.
• The NWSL expansion club in Columbus broke ground on the OhioHealth Training Grounds. The facility is supposed to be completed before the club begins play in the 2028 season.
• Did you see the video of the little soccer player running circles around the other three-year-olds? Someone actually called the police about it. Ridiculous, of course. I’m not the only one who agrees since former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman reached out in support of the young soccer player. Well done, sir.
• Remember when Ellis scored in the fourth minute of his USMNT debut in Orlando? Yeah, you do, but it’s still fun to watch that moment and plenty of others from the USMNT fall camp in this outstanding video.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for live match updates and we will also have a recap of the match tonight and more coverage tomorrow. Vamos Orlando!

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m looking forward to the time changing this weekend so I can enjoy an extra hour of sleep. The cooler weather has made staying bundled up in bed seem like paradise. Let’s get this Tuesday morning started with today’s links from around the soccer world.

Martin Ojeda Makes MLS Team of the Matchday Bench

Orlando City star Martin Ojeda earned a spot on the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance in the team’s 2-2 draw against New York City FC. He contributed to both of Orlando’s goals, providing an excellent cross for the assist on Antoine Griezmann’s goal before scoring himself in the second half. It was another great showing from Ojeda, who received Man of the Match honors in our player grades from the match as well. The 27-year-old now has 16 goals and five assists this season as a key part of Orlando’s attack. Hopefully, he can find the back of the net again when the Lions play on the road against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday.

Orlando City Drops in MLS Power Rankings

The Lions fell two spots to 11th in ESPN‘s MLS power rankings after blowing a lead late against NYCFC. It’s another disappointing result with dropped points, but the Lions are unbeaten in their last four games. Of their remaining three opponents, all three are above them in the Eastern Conference and both the Chicago Fire and New England are in the top five of these power rankings. Charlotte FC fell six spots to 13th though following its 3-2 loss to the Portland Timbers.

NWSL Power Rankings Ahead of Decision Day

The Orlando Pride remained in 13th in ESPN‘s NWSL power rankings following a 2-1 loss to Gotham FC. The Pride ultimately weren’t able to stop Gotham from leaving the City Beautiful with all three points, but they at least created good chances against the league’s top team. Orlando is already eliminated from playoff contention but will still be part of an important game on Decision Day against the Seattle Reign on Sunday. The Reign are just two points ahead of the North Carolina Courage and three points ahead of the Denver Summit as the three fight for a playoff spot, so the Pride have a chance to play spoiler.

Diego Chara Will Retire After 2027 MLS Sprint Season

Portland Timbers defensive midfielder Diego Chara announced that he will retire from professional soccer next year after the 2027 MLS Sprint Season. He’s been with the Timbers for the entirety of his MLS career, joining the club as its first Designated Player back in 2011. He’s made more than 500 appearances with the club across all competitions and helped the Timbers win the 2015 MLS Cup and the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament. Despite still playing regularly for the club, the 40-year-old spoke on how he’s nearing the end of his career.

“Once you cross the line of 35 years old, you start thinking about what is next. That happened to me,” said Chara of retirement. “I always prepare myself to be competitive, try to give the performance, but at some point the body says, ‘Ok, it’s enough.’ 

“I think I’m getting that moment, and for me, I think it is the right time to do it.”

Ballon d’Or Winners Announced

Harry Kane won his first Ballon d’Or after scoring a whopping 73 goals for club and country. The 33-year-old helped Bayern Munich win a double and scored six times at the World Cup, claiming the award for Men’s Striker of the Year as well. Spain won plenty of awards after winning the World Cup, with Lamine Yamal winning Men’s Young Player of the Year, Luis de la Fuente claiming Men’s Coach of the Year, and Unai Simon winning Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Paris Saint-Germain was named Men’s Club of the Year.

Barcelona swept most of the women’s soccer awards after completing a quadruple last season. Alexia Putellas, who left Barcelona after 14 years this past summer, won her third Ballon d’Or, with midfielder Vicky Lopez, goalkeeper Cara Coll, and coach Pere Romeu winning awards as well. Mexican forward Charlyn Corral bucked the trend though by being named Women’s Striker of the Year after lighting it up for Pachuca. The Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda finished 18th in the voting.

Free Kicks

• There are plenty of Americans abroad to keep an eye on this week and former Lion Alex Freeman has games with Villarreal today and Friday.
• Columbus Crew midfielder Dylan Champost was named MLS Player of the Matchday after recording three assists in his team’s 4-2 win over Toronto FC.
• Defender Andrew Farrell announced that he will retire at the end of this season after 14 years with the New England Revolution. Drafted by New England with the first overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, Farrell holds the club career appearances record with 389 games played.
• The U.S. Power Soccer National Team claimed third place at the 2026 FIFA Powerchair Football World Cup by beating Argentina 2-1, with Lexi Heer scoring the winner in stoppage time.
• Police were called at a youth soccer game in Winter Park over an incident with parents involving a three-year-old player who was too good. Should Orlando start sending a scout to his games?

That’s all I have for you this time around. Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a great Tuesday!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy covering high school soccer playoff action up here in Chicago. Sunday marked the 16th anniversary of the United Soccer League’s announcement of Orlando City joining the league. Both the Lions and Pride played over the weekend, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw New York City FC

Orlando City drew New York City FC 2-2 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, dropping two points on just about the final kick of the match. The Lions trailed 1-0 in the first half, but Antoine Griezmann equalized for Orlando before halftime. In the second half, Martin Ojeda scored to put the Lions in front. However, in stoppage time, Jonathan Shore buried a late equalizer for New York City FC as the Lions couldn’t hold on to the lead. Orlando missed a chance to gain ground in the MLS playoff race and remains eighth in the Eastern Conference table with 42 points. Orlando City will have a busy week ahead with a two-game road trip. The next match is Wednesday against the Chicago Fire, followed by a trip to North Carolina to face Charlotte FC on Saturday.

Orlando Pride Fall to Gotham FC

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to Gotham FC on Sunday at Inter.co Stadium in the club’s final home match of the 2026 NWSL season. The Pride trailed 2-0 early in the second half before Solai Washington cut the deficit to one. Despite a great performance, dominating Gotham FC in total shots and earning plenty of breakaway chances, the Pride wasted their opportunities in front of goal and couldn’t find a late equalizer against the league leaders. The Pride will close out their 2026 season on the road, taking on Seattle Reign FC on Sunday.

Rafaelle Announces Retirement

Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle will retire from the National Women’s Soccer League following the 2026 season. She has played with the Pride since 2023, making 53 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals, and playing a key role on the 2024 squad that won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. The 35-year-old began her NWSL journey with the Houston Dash in 2014 and has played abroad for Arsenal, Palmeiras, and Changchun Zhuoyue. She also represented Brazil internationally for more than a decade, playing in 2 FIFA Women’s World Cups, captaining Brazil at the 2022 Copa America Femenina, and winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. The Pride honored Rafaelle on the field after Sunday’s home finale.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action abroad in Europe. Former Lion Alex Freeman played a full 90 minutes and scored for Villarreal in a 2-1 win over Valencia on Saturday in La Liga. Freeman shared insight after the match about scoring his first goal in Villarreal’s comeback derby win against Valencia.

Joe Scally scored his third goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 3-2 win against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Tyler Adams played a full 90 minutes for AFC Bournemouth in a 3-0 victory against Manchester United in the English Premier League. Weston McKennie scored the opening goal for Juventus in a 2-0 win against Lecce. Christian Pulisic scored for AC Milan in a 2-0 win against Udinese in Serie A. In the EFL Championship, Aidan Morris scored his second goal of the season for Middlesbrough in a 5-1 win against Bolton Wanderers.

Free Kicks

• The National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association have reached an agreement to remove restrictive qualifications from the High Impact Player rule, allowing any player who earns 12% of the base salary cap to earn the league’s highest possible salary.
• Kansas City Current midfielder Croix Bethune set a new NWSL record for assists in a single season on Sunday, notching her 11th assist against her former club, the Washington Spirit, in a 2-1 win.
• Nashville SC secured its first MLS Supporters Shield trophy on Saturday after a 2-0 victory against CF Montreal.
• Kylian Mbappe scored two goals for Real Madrid in a 2-1 win against rival FC Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday.

• The U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team fell 2-1 to England on Saturday in the final of the 2026 IFCPF World Cup.

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