Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Hopefully, most of you are not in the path of Helene like I am. Sure, it’s heading right towards Tallahassee as of this writing, but we’re as ready as we can be at Mane Land Studios North. Fortunately, I had plenty of time to get today’s links together for you before the storm arrives. Let’s get to it!

Orlando City Is Okay

If you’re like me, you were disappointed with Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Columbus Crew. However, keep in mind that the Lions made it close after looking like it was going to be a blowout. The team didn’t give up and took things to the final whistle. That is the type of fight you want from this club heading down the stretch, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Despite the loss, Orlando City is still at No. 10 in the MLS power rankings. The Crew are a very good club, so heads held high, and we go again this Saturday.

Pochettino Barks Back

There’s been quite a bit of talk around Mauricio Pochettino’s plan to bring success to the USMNT in the 2026 World Cup. Some are questioning whether he can transform the often-dubbed “golden generation” into a World Cup contender. There are those who think the only reason he took the job is because the U.S. is a host in 2026 with an automatic bid. Can he get the players to adapt to his philosophy and style of play? Pochettino took issue with such a suggestion. Hopefully, he can bring a winning mentality to the team, and secure a result that will make U.S. supporters happy.

USWNT Coaching Updates

U.S. Women’s National Team Assistant Coach Twila Kilgore is leaving to pursue other coaching opportunities. Kilgore was the longest-serving interim coach in USWNT history. She does not have a new coaching destination as of now, but her resume is impressive. She effectively bridged the gap between Vlatko Andonovski and Emma Hayes, even winning the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2024.

Speaking of Hayes, the USWNT head coach is back in the news, thanks to Pochettino. When Hayes was hired, her base salary matched that of then-head coach Gregg Berhalter at $1.6 million per year. Now, she is making significantly less than Pochettino, who will earn an estimated $6 million per year. Given the fight for equality between the men’s and women’s teams, questions are being asked about the discrepancy in salary. Alexi Lalas tried to bring it up with U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson. Ultimately, Batson didn’t give a straight answer, but take a look for yourself.

The U.S. Open Cup Final is Tonight

LAFC and Sporting Kansas City meet tonight in the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Orlando City fans are well-versed on how important this competition is to supporters, despite Don Garber doing everything he can to steal the spotlight for the Leagues Cup. Two former USMNT players will face off, with Steve Cherundolo in charge of LAFC and Peter Vermes in charge of Kansas City. If you want to watch, you’ll need to stay up late, as it has a 10:30 p.m. start time.

Free Kicks

• Bay City FC is building a permanent training facility.

• UEFA has reopened bidding for the 2027 Champions League final after taking it away from AC Milan when officials couldn’t convince UEFA that planned redevelopment work wouldn’t interfere with the event.
• If you’re still confused by the NWSL’s new collective bargaining agreement, then look no further than this link for the clarification you need.
• I love when Haley Carter calls out examples of the Orlando Pride being ignored when they shouldn’t be ignored.

• Kyle Smith gave his rankings of some of the Orlando City jerseys over the years. See if you agree with him, and can we get that for all of us to rank as well?

That will do it for today. Everyone stay safe, and check back as we get you ready for the matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was a mixed bag of results for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend as the Orlando Pride won but Orlando City lost. The Lions still had a good showing on the road against one of the best teams in the league. Regardless of the results, life goes on, and that means we have plenty to talk about this morning. Let’s get into the links.

Orlando City B Wins to Claim Playoff Spot

Orlando City B cruised to a 3-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC II on Monday night, with the Young Lions clinching a playoff spot as a result. The first half was scoreless, but things blossomed for Orlando after halftime. Jack Lynn got things started in the 61st minute when he latched onto a header from Alex Freeman. Yutaro Tsukada doubled the lead 10 minutes later, and Favian Loyola finished things off with a great strike from distance to put the game well and truly out of reach. OCB now gets some time off before its final match of the regular season when it will face FC Cincinnati 2 on the road on Oct. 6.

U.S. Soccer Names Nations League Quarterfinal Venue

U.S. Soccer has announced that the United States Men’s National Team will play the home leg of its upcoming Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal in St. Louis at CityPark , the home of St. Louis City FC. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. on Nov. 18, and it will be new manager Mauricio Pochettino’s first competitive home game with the USMNT. We won’t know the Yanks’ opponent until the conclusion of the October international window, but the USMNT has a strong track record when playing in St. Louis regardless.

Americans in Midweek Action

Speaking of the USMNT, there are a number of American players who will be taking part in games this week. Patrick Schulte earned his first minutes with the team during the last international window, and he and the Columbus Crew will face Club America in the Campeones Cup tomorrow. Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis in La Liga action against Las Palmas, while Tanner Tessmann and Lyon will face Olympiacos in Europa League action. Things wrap up on Friday as Christian Pulisic will try continuing his torrid run of form as he, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Lecce in Serie A play.

Everton Set for Takeover

Everton’s ownership is set to change, with the club announcing on Monday that the Friedkin Group will take over Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% controlling stake in the team. It will be the consortium’s second foray into soccer club ownership, as it also has a controlling stake in Roma. The news will almost certainly come as a massive relief to Everton fans, who have watched their club struggle increasingly after Moshiri first bought stakes back in 2016. The team has barely escaped relegation on several occasions during recent seasons, and is currently 19th with one point in five matches.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride unsurprisingly retained the top spot in the most recent edition of ESPN’s NWSL power rankings.
• Meanwhile, Orlando City slipped one spot to 10th in the same outlet’s latest MLS power rankings.

• Bob Bradley has left his position with Norwegian club Stabaek after a third straight defeat left the team in seventh with seven games to play.
• Rodri reportedly suffered an ACL tear in his left knee during Sunday’s match with Arsenal, and will likely miss the rest of the season.

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’ve been working at Wrigley Field all week for Chicago Cubs baseball games and Under Armour. Today marks 10 years since The Mane Land was first created on WordPress back in 2014! Let’s also all wish Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena a happy birthday before we dive into today’s links.

Lions Fall On the Road to the Columbus Crew

Orlando City’s attempt at a late comeback fell short in a 4-3 loss on the road to the Columbus Crew on Saturday. The Crew were leading 3-0 late in the second half before Ramiro Enrique and Luis Muriel scored for Orlando to make it 3-2. Columbus added another goal to extend its lead to 4-2 before Muriel scored again for the Lions in stoppage time. Orlando’s three-match winning streak ends, and the Lions will have to wait another week to try to punch their ticket to the MLS playoffs. They’re fifth in the Eastern Conference with 43 points, and their next match will be on the road on Saturday against FC Dallas.

Pride Extend Unbeaten Run With Win Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride went to PayPal Park and left with a 1-0 win over Bay FC on Friday. Barbra Banda scored the lone goal in the match to seal the victory for Orlando to stay undefeated this season. It was also the club’s fifth consecutive shutout. The win extends the Pride’s unbeaten streak to 21 matches in the regular season, clinching a top-four finish in the NWSL to host a home playoff match for the first time in club history in the process. Orlando remains atop the NWSL table with 51 points and is seven points above the Washington Spirit in second with 44 points. The Pride will return to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday to take on the Houston Dash.

U.S. Wins Bronze Medal in Women’s U-20 World Cup

Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos came off the bench in the second half for the United States U-20 Women’s National Team in the third-place match against the Netherlands in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The U.S. defeated the Netherlands 2-1 after extra time to win the bronze medal. Ally Sentnor scored the opening goal for the U.S. before the Netherlands equalized in the first half. After a scoreless second half, the Netherlands gave up an own goal in extra time, and the U.S. claimed third place in the tournament.

Orlando Reportedly a Host City for 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Inter&Co Stadium will reportedly be chosen to host matches for the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup next summer. The tournament is scheduled to kick off in June and last through July, and it will feature 32 clubs from around the world. Other cities and stadiums linked with hosting include the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Lumen Field in Seattle, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Free Kicks

• Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse has set a new NWSL record for the most shutouts in a single season.

• USWNT and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman exited in the second half of Friday’s match against the Kansas City Current due to a back injury, and there is currently no update on her return.
• Christian Pulisic’s stellar form continued over the weekend, as he scored the opening goal for AC Milan in its 2-1 win over rival Inter Milan and has now scored in five consecutive matches.

• Manchester City’s John Stones scored an equalizer in stoppage time against Arsenal in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Both teams remain undefeated this season and Manchester City remains atop the English Premier League table.
• Lina Souloukou has stepped down from her role as AS Roma’s chief executive officer after receiving backlash from fans due to the club parting ways with manager Daniele De Rossi last week.

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