The Orlando Pride visited Bay FC for the first time and ended up getting a season sweep of the expansion side by identical 1-0 scorelines. The match was anything but easy and the Pride’s offensive struggles continue since the restart of league play, but Barbra Banda’s header was enough to get a road win, opening up a little breathing room in the shield race with five games remaining. Orlando’s list of club and league records continues to grow.

We broke down the game, checked our score predictions from last week, and made our selections for Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us about songs to enjoy the 2024 Pride by and Evelina Duljan. We also got a fun fact from one of our listeners about that Kerry Abello commercial. 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.

After the mailbagbox, we discussed the U-20 USWNT winning the third-place match after failing to score in a tightly played semifinal at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Ally Lemos brings home a medal after a solid run in the competition.

Finally, we look ahead to Orlando’s home match Saturday against the Houston Dash. It won’t be easy to score goals, as it never is against the Dash, but the Pride will look to try to continue setting the pace in the NWSL. We previewed the game and provided our key matchups and score predictions.

Here’s how Episode 62 went down:

0:15 – The Pride is still struggling to score goals but got enough to get past Bay FC on the road.

15:12 – Our mailbagbox asks us for playlist ideas and the U-20 USWNT picked up a medal.

26:18 – The Pride get ready for a rematch with the Houston Dash.

Orlando City’s shutout streak and winning streak are over after a wild game in Columbus that was really hard to watch for a while but then it got better, although not better enough. The Lions managed to put three goals on the board against the league’s best defense but could not string together a fourth straight shutout, conceding four of their own, and they were pretty much all preventable. We break down a road loss against the defending champions.

We also looked back at our score predictions, which were quite wrong, and made our selections for Man of the Match.

This episode’s mailbagbox had a trivia question and then asked for our recipe ideas using a very odd special ingredient. 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, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

After the mailbagbox, we broke down OCB’s playoff-clinching home win over Chicago Fire II at home on Monday night, which is why this podcast is a day later than usual. The Young Lions came up big in the second half, putting three balls in the net to take care of Chicago and solidify a spot in the postseason. The Young Lions have the weekend off to prepare for next week’s regular-season finale at Cincinnati.

Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday night’s road match against Oscar Pareja’s former team. FC Dallas is pretty good for a team currently below the playoff line, and it won’t be easy for Orlando City to get a result in Frisco, TX. It’s something the Lions have never done. We provide our key matchups and score predictions.

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next show.

Here’s how No. 447 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City lost a shutout streak and a winning streak in a crazy game in Ohio.

23:49 – OCB clinches a playoff spot and we check the mailbagbox for listener questions.

45:35– The Lions head to Oscar Pareja’s old stomping grounds in Dallas.

The Lions started slowly on Wednesday night in the heat and humidity on short rest, but Orlando City got it together in the second half, scoring twice to beat Charlotte FC, 2-0. The goals were worth the wait, as both were nice team buildups capped by quality strikes. We broke down the few chances in the boring first half and discussed the changes that opened up the match after halftime.

We looked back at our score predictions (both getting the right result without picking the correct score) and made our selections for Man of the Match. We also tell you which Lion made the MLS Team of the Matchday.

This episode’s mailbagbox was brief and touched on the subject of fixture congestion in Major League Soccer and what (if anything) we would do about it. 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, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

After the mailbagbox, we look ahead to OCB’s big match on Monday against Chicago Fire II, an important game for both sides in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race in MLS NEXT Pro. We provide the tale of the tape as the Young Lions look to lock down a second consecutive playoff appearance and wonder if Alex Freeman can keep his hot streak going.

Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday’s matchup on the road against the Columbus Crew. The Crew will be a tough nut to crack, so the Lions will need to continue their excellent form to get a result against the league’s stingiest defense while trying to keep Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi quiet. We provide our key matchups and make our score predictions.

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next show.

Here’s how No. 446 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City made it three straight shutout victories at home with a 2-0 win over Charlotte.

29:47 – Our mailbagbox asks about the MLS schedule.

36:49– OCB will host Chicago in a pivotal game and the Lions head to Columbus.