SkoPurp Soccer Episode 50: Angel City Rewind, Current Preview, and More

It’s our 50th episode! When we embarked on our Orlando Pride-centric podcast, we didn’t know if there would be an audience, but we have found one and it continues to grow. Thanks, as always, for your support.

The Orlando Pride went to Los Angeles to play their third road game in four matches and did what they’ve done most of the season — they won. The Pride shut out their third consecutive opponent and earned their seventh clean sheet of the season in a 3-0 win over Angel City and its cast of thousands of former Orlando players. Adriana exploded for two goals in six minutes and Barbra Banda capped the game with her 11th of the season, pulling within two of the club’s single-season record.

We break down the big win, check back on our score predictions (Dave was very close!), and make our selections for Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox was light this week, but asked us about our favorite Pride jersey so far and what themes we’d like to see in future kits. 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. 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.

We also discussed the new contract Bri Martinez signed after a good start to the 2024 season. Martinez is now locked down through 2025 and won’t need to be re-signed in the off-season. It’s good to build depth, and Martinez has shown an ability to provide minutes when starters are out or when Seb Hines wants to move some pieces around.

Finally, the Pride will head to Kansas City for a massive match Saturday against the Current. The Kansas City club has kept pace with the Pride’s incredible start — while maintaining the tiebreaker — all season. The Current have the league’s best offense, while the Pride have the NWSL’s stingiest defense. Which will prevail? We provide our key matchups and score predictions for what should be a regular-season match that feels like a playoff game.

Here’s how Episode 50 went down:

0:15 – The Pride won 3-0 but could have had more goals with a little more precision in front of net.

14:44 – The mailbagbox is all about Orlando Pride soccer jerseys, and a Pride defender gets a new deal.

24:22 – The match of the year (so far) is coming. Hopefully, regardless of who wins (or if it’s a draw), it will live up to the hype.