Happy Friday! It’s been a long week, but we’ve made it. We’re rewarded with a thrilling slate of Orlando soccer that begins when Orlando City hosts Atlanta United on Decision Day. Orlando City B also kicks off its playoff campaign Sunday before the Orlando Pride take on NJ/NY Gotham FC. Plan your weekend accordingly and have some fun out there!

Pride Exercise Summer Yates Contract Option

The Orlando Pride and midfielder Summer Yates agreed to exercise the option on her contract to keep her at the club through 2026. The Pride selected Yates in the fourth round of the 2023 NWSL Draft in what was quite the coup for the club. The 24-year-old has scored five goals this season, including three winners to help the Pride gain valuable points en route to winning the NWSL Shield. She just signed a new contract with the club in July and it seems the club has wasted no time securing her talents for 2026.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Gotham

For the first time this year, the Orlando Pride will aim to bounce back from a loss when they take on NJ/NY Gotham FC Sunday. With the top seed in the playoffs locked up, this will be the Pride’s final road game of the year. Sunday’s match is a heavyweight showdown between two of the league’s top teams, as Gotham sits third in the standings and hasn’t lost since the Pride beat the defending champs 2-0 in Orlando on Sept. 1. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team is getting ready for this match while keeping the postseason in mind.

Emily Sams Called Up for USWNT Friendlies

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was one of 26 players called up for the United States Women’s National Team’s training camp this month ahead of friendlies against Iceland and Argentina. Sams could make her first USWNT appearance this month, although she did receive a gold medal for being on a game day roster at this summer’s Olympics. She’s been one of the best players in the NWSL this year, so it’s great to see her called up by USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes. Of those called up, 14 players have fewer than 20 appearances with the USWNT, including forward Emma Sears, defender Eva Gaetino, and midfielder Olivia Moultrie. Forward Jaedyn Shaw is also back after missing out on playing in the Olympics due to an injury right before the tournament began.

Man Charged With Arson at Orlando City Game

Federal prosecutors announced that Giovanni Isai Ramirez Reyes has been charged with arson for releasing two flares into the supporters’ section at Orlando City’s home game against CF Montreal in this season’s opener. A child suffered burns as a result of the incident according to the indictment, and Orlando City stated it’s been working with law enforcement to identify those responsible. The arrest was made earlier this week and Ramirez Reyes pleaded not guilty to the charges. He faces up to 40 years in federal prison if convicted.

Free Kicks

• Kansas City Current midfielder Desiree Scott will retire once this season is over after a career that’s included three stints playing in Kansas City.
• Here’s a breakdown of the playoff scenarios heading into the penultimate week of the NWSL regular season. Bay FC and the Portland Thorns can clinch the final playoff spots this weekend.
• The Levine Leichtman family has completed its acquisition of the San Diego Wave from Ron Burkle.
• West Ham’s Rehanne Skinner, who is just one of two English women managers in the Women’s Super League, spoke on how there should be more support and opportunities for women to receive coaching experience.
• French midfielder Paul Pogba spoke on how he considered retirement after being handed a four-year ban, which was later reduced to 18 months earlier this month.
• Atletico Madrid was successful in its appeal regarding fans throwing items on the field in a derby match with Real Madrid. As a result, the three-game partial stadium ban was reduced to one game and the fine was changed from $49,000 to just $3,200.

That’ll do it for me today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope you all have been enjoying the cooler temperatures this week. It’s been nice to break out some long sleeves and it gives me a chance to acclimate before a trip to Maine next week. I may even drink some hot coffee today instead of the usual cold brew. Let’s get this Thursday started with today’s links!

Facundo Torres’ Path to Orlando

Orlando City forward Facundo Torres is enjoying his best season yet with the Lions, scoring 18 goals across all competitions to help the Lions climb up the Eastern Conference standings. It’s his third year in the City Beautiful, joining the club as a Designated Player from Penarol back in 2022. The 24-year-old discussed just how quickly things changed after just one year playing professionally with Penarol.

“At first, I was a little afraid and a little nervous because it was my first time going off on my own,” Torres told WESH 2 recently. “I could only enjoy a year of being a professional in Peñarol because everything happened so fast, debuting and then going to the national team and then the transfer to Orlando — it happened so fast. But I found good people in this club, and the Hispanic community here is big, so that helped me feel at home.”

Torres also talked about how soccer fits in Uruguay’s culture, as well as how his work ethic has helped him reach this point in his career. Orlando’s roster features players from many different cultures, with many hailing from countries in South America. The result is a unique club culture that’s helped the team build a strong identity and find success.

Orlando City Prepares for Decision Day

Orlando City will host Atlanta United on Saturday in what should be an exciting Decision Day showdown between the two rivals. Both teams have plenty to play for beyond the usual bragging rights, as the Lions aim to secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs while Atlanta fights for a spot in the postseason. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how the team is maintaining momentum after the international break to finish the season strong before the playoffs.

Yutaro Tsukada Honored For Rookie Season

Orlando City B’s Yutaro Tsukada was an honorable mention at forward in this year’s MLS NEXT Pro Best XI. Drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Tsukada had seven goals and seven assists in 22 matches with OCB this season. His efforts earned him a contract with the first team in August and he’s made three appearances with the Lions. It’s nice to see the 23-year-old receive some recognition for a solid first year. I think an argument could definitely be made that Alex Freeman deserved a spot after recording eight goals and nine assists this season. The Young Lions are back in action this Sunday for a playoff match on the road against Chicago Fire FC II.

USMNT Will Face Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Jamaica in next month’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. The first match of the two-leg series will take place in Kingston on Nov. 14 before the two teams face off again in St. Louis on Nov. 18. The U.S. has won all three of the past editions of the Nations League and beat Jamaica 3-1 in the semifinals earlier this year in a match that was closer than the score suggests. Jamaica tends to keep things tight when playing the U.S. and went undefeated in its group play to reach the quarterfinals. It will be interesting to see how Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino builds his lineup for his first Nations League matches.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Kicks Off

The U.S. had a rough start to its U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 3-1 loss to Spain. An own goal gave Spain an early lead, but the U.S. battled back with a goal from Melanie Barcenas later in the first half. Spain took all three points though with Noa Ortega scoring and then providing the assist on Spain’s third goal. The result puts the U.S. last in its group for the time being, as Colombia and South Korea played to a 1-1 draw. The U.S. will play its next match Saturday against Colombia before taking on South Korea Tuesday to close out its group play.

Free Kicks

• Congratulations to former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

• You can download a customized cover featuring the Lions for EA Sports FC 25. I haven’t played a soccer video game in a while, but this is pretty dang cool to see regardless.

• Boston’s NWSL team apologized for the “Too Many Balls” part of its marketing campaign. It’s honestly such a baffling thing to have existed in the first place. Hopefully those in charge make some changes about the name BOS Nation FC as well.

• American defender Emily Fox scored her first goal for Arsenal in a 4-1 win over Valerenga in the Champions League.
• It’s official: Thomas Tuchel is England’s new manager. He will get started in January, with Lee Carsley serving as the interim head coach for the team’s UEFA Nations League matches next month.

I hope you all have a great Thursday as we get ready for a weekend filled with Orlando soccer to enjoy. Make sure to stay hydrated out there!

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the groundbreaking at Orlando City SC’s soccer-specific stadium. The stadium has been home to plenty of memories over the years, and I’m hoping I can make the trip to see the Orlando Pride make some history there this postseason as well. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Barbra Banda Up for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was one of five players nominated for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for her stellar performance at both the club and international levels. Since joining the Pride from Shanghai Shengli for $740,000, Banda has scored 13 goals to help the club reach the top of the table. She also scored four goals for Zambia at the Olympics this summer to become Africa’s all-time top scorer at the Olympics at just 24 years old. Banda also spoke to the BBC about challenging herself by joining the Pride, playing alongside Marta, and creating a foundation to help girls and boys in Zambia (see the embedded video in the story linked above).

Americans Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma were also nominated after helping the U.S. win gold in Paris. Barcelona duo Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen round out this year’s nominees for their roles in yet another successful season for the Spanish club.

USMNT Falls to Mexico

The United States Men’s National Team went to Mexico and lost 2-0 in a friendly against its rival. Although the USMNT was without some of its best players for this match, it’s still a disappointing result. The Yanks conceded in each half, with Fulham forward Raul Jimenez scoring the first goal and assisting on the second. The match at least gave Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino a look at some of the team’s depth to see what he’s working with moving forward. The USMNT will be back in action next month in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.

Thomas Tuchel Reportedly Set to Take England Job

Thomas Tuchel has reportedly agreed to become England’s next manager on an 18-month contract. He would start in January to coach the team through World Cup qualifying next year and get England ready for the tournament. This would be Tuchel’s first time coaching at the international level, but he does have experience coaching in England after leading Chelsea to Champions League and Club World Cup trophies in 2021. He would replace Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after eight years at the helm of England following the team’s loss in the Euro final this summer.

Boston NWSL Team Confirms Awful Name

The branding for Boston’s NWSL team was unveiled and it will officially be named BOS Nation FC. The club’s crest will be revealed at a later date, but the club’s colors will include green, raspberry, and charcoal. The name, which is an anagram for “Bostonian” has been on the receiving end of criticism, and deservedly so in my opinion. It’s worse than uninspired, it’s just bad. I find it hard to believe that no better options were pitched. Only time will tell if the club reconsiders things before taking the field in 2026. We did see Racing Louisville FC make a change after originally opting for Proof Louisville FC. Fingers crossed!

Free Kicks

• Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was called up for England’s pair of friendlies later this month.

• Pride midfielder Evelina Duljan was called up by the Swedish U-23 team as well.

• The U-17 Women’s World Cup kicks off today in the Dominican Republic, with the U.S. set to take on reigning champion Spain at 4 p.m. The U.S. will then play Colombia on Saturday before facing South Korea to close out group play on Tuesday.
• American striker Folarin Balogun will reportedly miss two months due to a shoulder injury suffered earlier this month while with Monaco.
• Merritt Mathias, who has played in nearly 200 NWSL games and played in the very first NWSL game back in 2013, has announced her retirement.
• The draw for the FA Cup’s first round is complete and Wrexham will take on Harrogate Town, a team it wasn’t able to beat across two matches in League Two last season.
• Jonas Eidevall has resigned as the head coach of Arsenal’s women’s team following a rough start to the Women’s Super League season and a 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
• There were a pair of own goals in a 1-1 draw between Japan and Australia in AFC World Cup qualifying. Elsewhere, South Korea took control of Group B by beating Iraq 3-2.
• Alex Ferguson is stepping down from his ambassador role with Manchester United as the club continues to cut costs.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!