Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work, covering high school bowling and playing video games such as EA FC 26. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Trade Emily Sams to Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride announced Friday that the club has traded 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Emily Sams to Angel City FC. In exchange, the Pride received a club-record $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds. Sams had requested a trade and departs Orlando after three seasons with the club. The Pride had given Sams a contract extension 11 months ago through the 2027 NWSL season. She made 86 appearances for the Pride across all competitions, scored one goal and added two assists, and played a crucial role on the back line to help Orlando secure both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship during the 2024 season. Sams also earned seven caps with the U.S. Women’s National Team. Orlando will now need to focus on finding a replacement at center back.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

We’ve got plenty of MLS moves to catch you up on from the last few days. Nashville SC announced Friday the club has signed former San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Cristian Espinoza to a Designated Player contract through 2028 with options through 2028-2029 and 2029-2030. The Earthquakes have signed Cristian “Chicho” Arango to a new contract through 2027, with club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 season. Austin FC has reached an agreement with midfielder Dani Pereira on a contract extension through 2027-2028 with an option for 2028-2029. D.C. United announced the transfer of midfielder Boris Enow to Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem. San Diego FC has acquired Osvald Soe from Danish Second Division side Boldklubben af 1893. Soe is under contract through the 2027-2028 MLS season with options through 2029-2030. Meanwhile, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is reportedly not in San Diego FC’s plans for the upcoming 2026 MLS season. Lastly, Toronto FC has reportedly submitted a transfer bid to Norwich City for forward Josh Sargent.

Third Round FA Cup Recap

There was plenty of drama and some notable upsets in the third round of the FA Cup. On Friday, Wrexham knocked out Premier League side Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties after a 3-3 draw. On Saturday, Macclesfield FC, which plays in the sixth tier of English football, defeated defending FA Cup champion Crystal Palace 2-1 in one of the biggest upsets of the weekend. Manchester City demolished Exeter City 10-1, while Tottenham Hotspur fell 2-1 to Aston Villa. On Sunday, former Lion Daryl Dike played 60 minutes as West Bromwich Albion defeated Swansea City 6-5 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to move on to the fourth round. Brighton & Hove Albion beat Manchester United 2-1, and Gabriel Martinelli scored a hat trick as Arsenal cruised to a 4-1 victory against Portsmouth. Today, Liverpool hosts Barnsley, and Salford City takes on Swindon Town Tuesday to conclude the third round of the FA Cup.

2025 Africa Cup of Nations Quarterfinals Results

The quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations concluded in Morocco, with four teams booking their spots in the semifinals. On Friday, Senegal edged Mali 1-0, with Iliman Ndiaye scoring the lone goal for Senegal to advance. Host Morocco shut out Cameroon 2-0 to advance to the semifinals. On Saturday, Nigeria defeated Algeria 2-0 with Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams scoring in the second half to advance to the next round. Egypt held on for a 3-2 win against Ivory Coast to eliminate the defending champions. Mohamed Salah scored a goal and added an assist as Egypt booked its spot in the semifinals with the win. The semifinals will kick off on Wednesday with Senegal facing Egypt and Morocco taking on Nigeria.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City players report today for preseason training at Osceola Heritage Park.

• Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada revealed to his teammates that he is married.

• Robin Jansson, Duncan McGuire, and the Orlando City technical staff shared their thoughts on the importance of preseason training camp.

• Benfica has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring former Lion Facundo Torres, who is currently playing for Palmeiras.

• Major League Soccer players have expressed support for the league’s plan to align with the international calendar, shifting the regular season to a summer-to-spring schedule beginning in 2027.
• Ricardo Pepi scored for PSV Eindhoven over the weekend but came off the pitch in the first half, suffering a broken arm during a 5-1 win against Excelsior. Pepi will be sidelined for two months.
• Raphinha scored two goals as Barcelona defeated rival Real Madrid 3-2 to win the Spanish Super Cup.

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

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty busy week, but we have a weekend of what is hopefully some rest and relaxation to look forward to. I don’t have many plans beyond some deep cleaning of my apartment, but it should still be a nice couple of days. Let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Nico Rodriguez Loaned to Atletico Nacional

Orlando City loaned winger Nicolas Rodiriguez to Atletico Nacional in Colombia through 2026, with an option to buy as part of the deal. The Lions added him as an MLS U22 Initiative Player in January of last year, signing him to a three-year deal. He recorded a goal and an assist in 17 appearances across all competitions for Orlando, starting in just four games. This loan notably frees up an MLS U22 Initiative slot for the Lions to make use of, while also giving Rodriguez an opportunity for more minutes to hone his game.

Orlando City Announces Preseason Schedule

Orlando unveiled its schedule for this year’s preseason and training will begin on Jan. 12. There will be a closed-door scrimmage against the USL Championship’s Lexington Sporting Club on Jan. 24 before the team heads to Mexico for a training camp from Jan. 25 to the end of the month. The Lions will then play two more closed-door friendlies once they return, playing at Nashville SC on Feb. 7 and at FC Cincinnati on Feb. 11. Orlando’s final preseason game will be on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, when the Lions take on the Colorado Rapids in a match exclusively open to season ticket members, who will receive an email to RSVP for it.

Orlando Pride Acquire Defender Hannah Anderson

The Orlando Pride traded for defender Hannah Anderson, sending $70,000 in intraleague funds to the Chicago Stars in exchange. Anderson joins the Pride on a contract through 2027. Drafted in the third round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, Anderson has made 28 appearances across the past two seasons in Chicago. Hopefully she can add some solid depth to a Pride defense that has been formidable in recent years but has been tested by injuries.

Orlando Pride and Grace Chanda Part Ways

The Orlando Pride and Zambian midfielder Grace Chanda have mutually agreed to part ways, allowing her to sign with FC Gallos Queretaro in Mexico. The Pride signed Chanda to a two-year deal back in May of 2024 and exercised the 2026 option on her contract last summer. Injury prevented her from playing for the Pride in 2024, and she only made seven total appearances across all competitions in 2025. It’s unfortunate she wasn’t able to become a starter for a Pride team that could’ve used a creative force in the midfield at times last year, but hopefully she’ll be able to get more playing time with Queretaro.

USWNT January Roster Announced

United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes called up 26 players for training camp this month, including Pride defender Emily Sams. It’s a fairly inexperienced roster in terms of minutes with the USWNT, and four players were called up for the first time. Trinity Rodman, who is out of contract, is technically the only player called up not currently on an NWSL team. It will be Rodman’s first time at a USWNT training camp since April, as injuries limited her throughout 2025. The USWNT will play Paraguay on Jan. 24 and Chile on Jan. 27 in a pair of friendlies in California to conclude the camp.

Camping World Stadium Will Host Friendlies

A pair of international friendlies will be held at Camping World Stadium as World Cup teams set up their preparations for this year’s tournament. Colombia and Croatia will clash in the City Beautiful on March 26 before Croatia plays against Brazil on March 31. Tickets for the matches are scheduled to go on sale on Tuesday. According to Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan, construction may prevent Camping World Stadium from hosting other international friendlies before the World Cup.

Free Kicks

• Former Orlando City B player Austin Amer has signed with the Richmond Kickers in the USL League One.
• Another American player may be leaving the NWSL for Europe, as Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey is reportedly in talks to join Manchester City.
• Denver Summit FC signed Jasmine Aikey to a two-year contract. Aikey had 43 goals and 29 assists across all competitions in four years at Stanford and was a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist last year.
• Atlanta United transferred midfielder Bartosz Slisz to Brondby IF in Denmark for a reported $3.5 million transfer fee.
• Alejandro Bedoya signed a new contract with the Philadelphia Union through 2026. The 38-year-old will continue his front office role with the club as well.
• Hector Herrera will reportedly return to the Houston Dynamo, although he won’t be a Designated Player. Every referee should be offered face shields in case he gets a little testy again.

• Minnesota United Head Coach Eric Ramsay will reportedly become West Brom’s next manager. He’s done well with the Loons over the past two seasons, and hopefully Daryl Dike thrives under him.
• Nashville waived forward Tyler Boyd, who recorded three goals and four assists last season.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

We have a full week of 2026 under our belts now, so how are those resolutions coming along? I’ve been getting some more reading done and am looking forward to trying out a new truffle recipe this weekend. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Receives Third-Round Pick for Shak Mohammed’s Rights

Nashville SC sent Orlando City a 2027 MLS SuperDraft third-round pick in exchange for the first right of refusal on Shak Mohammed, who has signed with Nashville. The Lions drafted Mohammed with the second overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, a pick acquired by trading right back Ruan to D.C. United. He was the scoring leader for Orlando City B the past two seasons, but his contract option was declined by the club following the 2025 season. A third-round pick isn’t too valuable, but it’s better than nothing and gives Orlando another dart to throw in the next draft

Luis Muriel Reportedly Nears Contract Termination

You’ll need a translation tool for the details, but Orlando City forward Luis Muriel is reportedly working towards terminating his contract with the Lions for a move to his boyhood club in Colombia, Junior FC.

Muriel has been inconsistent as a Designated Player and him leaving for Junior seems like a win for all parties, although there’s likely still math to be worked out regarding the money. Anything that cheapens fully buying out Muriel’s contract would likely be good for Orlando City. Muriel’s future has been talked about throughout the off-season. Though the process may not have the requisite drama attached for it to be labeled a saga, I’m looking forward to a resolution.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Former Lion Kyle Smith signed with FC Cincinnati, inking a contract through 2026 with an option through June of 2027. It’s a homecoming for Smith, who was born and raised in Cincinnati. It will definitely be weird seeing him on the opposite of the field when Orlando plays Cincinnati this season.

Nashville has reportedly signed winger Cristian Espinoza as the club’s third Designated Player, completing a dangerous trio alongside Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge. The 30-year-old joins Nashville after six seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes and he’s San Jose’s all-time leader in assists. Elsewhere across the league, the Philadelphia Union re-signed midfielder Ben Bender to a contract through June of 2027, Real Salt Lake added 21-year-old midfielder Zach Booth on loan from Excelsior in the Eredivisie, and Toronto FC re-signed midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr. to a deal through the 2026 season with options for the following two seasons.

Kansas City Current Officially Hire Chris Armas

Chris Armas was announced as the Kansas City Current’s next head coach. He’ll replace Vlatko Andonovski, who stepped down as head coach to focus on his role as the club’s sporting director after a historic season that included winning the NWSL Shield. This will be Armas’ first time coaching in the NWSL. He most recently coached the Colorado Rapids for three seasons. Kansas City is an interesting landing spot for a head coach new to the league, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out this year.

2026 SheBelieves Cup Schedule Unveiled

The United States Women’s National Team will take on Canada, Argentina, and Colombia in this year’s SheBelieves Cup. All four teams hail from the Western Hemisphere, likely due to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Women’s Asian Cup, and UEFA World Cup qualifying also taking place this March. The SheBelieves Cup will kick off in Nashville on March 1, with the USWNT taking on Argentina and Canada facing Colombia. The U.S. will then play Canada on March 4 in Columbus before wrapping things up against Colombia in Harrison, NJ on March 7.

Free Kicks

• Congratulations to Kylie Nadaner, who announced her pregnancy on social media!

• The recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela has disrupted travel for many Venezuelan athletes. This includes multiple MLS players, although Orlando City said it expects its players will make it to training camp.
• After recording seven goals and three assists this past season, Brazilian forward Bia Zaneratto has left the Current to sign with Palmeiras.
• According to The Athletic ($), the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association is preparing for arbitration with the NWSL over the new High Impact Player rule.
• American forward Damion Downs will join Hamburg on loan through May. He hasn’t played for Southampton since November, so hopefully this move will get him some notable playing time.
• Neymar signed a contract extension with Santos through the end of 2026. The 33-year-old helped Santos avoid relegation last year, scoring 12 goals
• No Brazilian player has scored more goals in an English Premier League season than Brentford’s Igor Thiago, who scored twice against Sunderland to bring his total to 16 this year.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!