Sadly, the season has come to an end prematurely for one Pride midfielder. Orlando’s Viviana Villacorta will miss the rest of 2023 with a torn ACL. This is the third season to end early for her due to injury and you have to feel for a young player who blossomed quite a bit this season. We discuss Villacorta’s injury and what it means for the Pride.

With no Pride match to recap, we touched on the United States Women’s National Team and its sweep of South Africa in a pair of friendlies without allowing a goal. We also waxed nostalgiac about the retirements of Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe, who have been icons with the squad during an extremely successful period.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us questions about Carrie Lawrence and Adriana. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form.

Following our mailbagbox activities, we turned our attention to a new NWSL team coming to Boston in 2026, the impending free agents on the Orlando Pride, and our key matchups and score predictions for the Pride’s trip to play Angel City FC.

Here’s how Episode 25 went down:

0:15 – Viviana Villacorta’s season again ends early due to injury and the USWNT racks up two more shutout victories.

16:18 – Our mailbagbox questions are still fresh a week later!

33:50 – Boston gets an expansion franchise, the Pride’s free agents, and a look ahead at Angel City.

Orlando City didn’t have to face Inter Miami’s “big three” of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, but still fell behind and had to have a Duncan McGuire cannon shot to rescue a point at home. It wasn’t that the Lions played poorly per se, it was just that they struggled to put chances away, which can happen during the season. Miami did the same a time or two, and ultimately both teams looked like tired groups that were playing on short rest again. (They were.)

On this episode, we break down Orlando City’s 1-1 draw, with the curious and gutless officiating that once again helped the Herons keep 11 men on the pitch — something Tomas Aviles was determined to prevent in his 45 minutes of wearing the ugly, pink uniform on Sunday night. We also make our selections for Man of the Match (we were unanimous), and tell you which Lion made the MLS Team of the Matchday.

After our opening segment, we check our mailbagbox, only to find it surprisingly empty. 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.

OCB closed its MLS NEXT Pro regular season with a 2-1 win at home over FC Cincinnati. We discuss the Young Lions’ victory and dive into Jack Lynn’s wild pursuit of the league’s Golden Boot. He ended up getting it, but some odd things happened to keep him from having to share it with two other players.

Here’s how No. 378 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City didn’t win against Inter Miami, but the Lions also didn’t lose.

20:47 – Our mailbagbox is empty, and we discuss OCB’s win on Decision Day and Jack Lynn’s pursuit of the Golden Boot.

As special and memorable as Saturday’s win over the Columbus Crew was, Wednesday’s match at New York City FC was the polar opposite. The Lions played one of their most forgettable games of the season in a lethargic 2-0 loss on the road. The Pigeons played well, so give them credit, but that was not the Orlando City we’re used to seeing. The Lions lacked ideas, urgency, energy, and — perhaps most of all — the ability/desire to track attacking players defensively.

The Lions simply were unworthy of bringing three points home from New York City during the midweek.

That said, the team’s body of work on the season was rewarded with the Lions’ fourth postseason berth in as many years. We break down a game we didn’t want to talk much about, check back on our score predictions, and make our unanimous pick for Man of the Match.

After that chore, we checked our mailbagbox, where we were asked about Orlando City’s biggest rival. 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.

OCB will close the regular season with a home match, looking to secure fifth in the Eastern Conference when FC Cincinnati 2 visits Kissimmee on Sunday afternoon.

Finally, we previewed Orlando City vs. Inter Miami, discussing our key matchups and score predictions and voicing some concerns that the NYCFC loss doesn’t turn into two.

Here’s how No. 377 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City and Ramiro Enrique went from high to low in just three days.

20:47 – Our mailbagbox and Orlando City B’s task in the regular-season finale.

34:29 – Our key matchups and score predictions for Inter Miami’s visit on Sunday.