Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I hope you have your costume ready for tomorrow, and the candy ready for the kiddos. In addition to Halloween, it’s a big week for the club as Orlando City prepares for playoff match number two, and the Pride finish the regular season. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Ready for Charlotte, Part Deux

Orlando City is heading into the second match against Charlotte FC riding the good vibes of a 2-0 victory in the first match. Facundo Torres and company executed Oscar Pareja’s game plan to perfection and will look to do so again this Friday. The second match will pose a bigger challenge as this will be the North Carolina-based club’s first-ever home playoff match. The crowd will be big and loud in this must-win match for the home team.

Pride Await Playoff Opponent

We’ve known for weeks that the Orlando Pride will be the number one seed in the NWSL playoffs. What we don’t know is which team the Pride will be playing. If the standings remain the same after this weekend, it will be Bay FC. The other two possibilities are the Portland Thorns or the Chicago Red Stars.

Orlando’s Gone But Not Forgotten

There have been many professionals who have played for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride over the years. While they may no longer wear purple, we still like to keep track of their comings and goings. For example, former Orlando Pride forward Sydney Leroux has signed a new three-year contract that will see her end her career at Angel City FC. Likewise, former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Erin McLeod, has signed with Canadian Northern Super League side Halifax Tides FC.

In not-so-great news, former Orlando City striker Daryl Dike, has to endure yet another setback on his way back from injury for West Bromwich Albion. Dike suffered a mild hamstring issue in training with the first team. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.

The Ballon d’Or Problem

The Orlando Pride’s Marta was seemingly quite upset with Vinícius Júnior not getting the Ballon d’Or this year. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but given Marta’s accomplishments, her opinion carries more weight than many others.

Of course that isn’t the only criticism being leveled at the award. The women’s side of the award has been treated with disdain and marginalized consistently over the years. This year was no exception. Given that the award ceremony took place during the women’s international break. Many nominees and winners for the various awards, including USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes, were unable to attend. Given how fast the women’s game is growing, it’s time for those giving out the accolades to treat the women equally.

Free Kicks

• Christian Pulisic may be joined by USMNT teammate Johnny Cardoso at AC Milan. It’s just a rumor for now, given Tottenham Hotspur has first right of refusal for the Betis player.
• The USWNT plays Argentina tonight in a friendly match. You’ll want to watch this match as the Pride’s Emily Sams might get her second cap.
• The Libyan Football Federation is looking to overturn the sanctions suffered due to its boycott of an Africa Cup of Nations match against Nigeria.
• Manchester United’s interest in Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim has been confirmed by the Portuguese club. Jeez guys, Erik Ten Hag’s seat isn’t even cold. Allow the rest of us to grieve his departure for a bit.

That will do it for today. I hope everyone has fun and stays safe tomorrow for Halloween. Also, remember to check back as we get you ready for the upcoming Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches. Vamos Orlando!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a great weekend, as Orlando City got its playoff campaign off to a strong start. We have a busy week ahead of us with the United States Women’s National Team in action, the Orlando Pride playing their last match of the regular season, and the Lions traveling to North Carolina for Game 2 against Charlotte FC. As usual, there’s plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right in.

Keeping Up With the MLS Playoffs

The playoffs continued on Monday night, which means we have two matches to catch up on. The early fixture saw FC Cincinnati pick up a 1-0 win over New York City FC at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati had the better of things for most of the game with 22 shots (seven on target) to NYCFC’s six (two on target). In the end, Yamil Asad’s goal in the 51st minute was the decider, and NYCFC defender Tayvon Gray’s red card in stoppage time adds an extra layer of intrigue for Game 2 in New York on Saturday. The late match delivered the first scoreless draw of the postseason as the Seattle Sounders battled the Houston Dynamo to a 0-0 result in regulation, with the Sounders advancing 5-4 on penalties. To make matters worse for the Dynamo, Adalberto Carrasquilla was sent off in the 66th minute so they’ll need to find a way to keep their season alive without him as the series now shifts to Houston.

Previewing the USWNT Friendly Against Argentina

The United States Women’s National Team is having a good international window so far, starting things off with a pair of 3-1 victories over Iceland. The final game of the window will take place tomorrow when the U.S. faces Argentina in Louisville. It will be just the sixth meeting between the two teams, with the USWNT winning all five previous games, including the most recent one during the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. Argentina is managed by German Portanova, who lines the team up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3. Accordingly, the idea is to stay compact and be difficult to play through, although things have a tendency to devolve after giving up a goal, which was the case during the USWNT’s 4-0 triumph in the last match between the two sides. It’s a game the Yanks should win, and win comfortably.

Ballon d’Or Winners Announced

The Ballon d’Or ceremony took place on Monday evening in Paris, and there weren’t too many surprises in how the awards were doled out. Manchester City midfielder Rodri took home the award on the men’s side, following a year in which his club team won the Premier League and his Spanish side won the 2024 European Championship. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for the second straight year after helping her side win its second consecutive Champions League title. Orlando Pride forward Barbra finished 12th in the voting for the award.

Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21, while Emiliano Martinez was named the best goalkeeper in the world for the second year running.

Manchester United Sacks Erik ten Hag

Manchester United announced on Monday morning that the club has fired Erik ten Hag, with Ruud van Nistelrooy named interim manager. The Red Devils were in the midst of a poor run of results to start the season, with just four wins from 13 matches played. A 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday seems to have been the final straw, with the result leaving United 14th in the Premier League on 11 points after nine matches. While van Nistelrooy has taken over on an interim basis, reports have emerged that Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is the leading candidate to get the permanent gig, with United having also reportedly asked about the availability of Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

Free Kicks

• Emma Hayes was named 2024 Women’s Coach of the Year.

• Italian forward Mario Balotelli has joined Genoa on a free transfer.
• The NWSL Disciplinary Committee has issued additional suspensions to Chicago Red Stars forward Ludmila and Washington Spirit forward Rosemonde Kouassi.

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 was busy working at Under Armour all week but got to check out some 2025 U.S. Open Cup qualifying matches in Chicago over the weekend. Orlando City has started its playoff journey, and we have plenty to discuss, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Win Playoff Opener Against Charlotte FC

Orlando City got its playoff run off to a good start on Sunday night, defeating Charlotte FC 2-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions won the first game in this best-of-three series for the first round. Orlando scored in each half, with the team’s Designated Players doing well to lift the team to victory. Orlando controlled the match from start to finish, and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese only needed to make two saves to earn his third MLS playoff shutout. The second game in this series will be on Friday at Bank of America Stadium.

Emily Sams Earns Praise While With USWNT

Sports Illustrated featured Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams and her future with the United States Women’s National Team. Although she did not play during the USWNT’s gold medal triumph, she still got to experience it and earn a medal. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines gave insight into how far Sams has come in developing her game and succeeding in her second season with the club.

“[Sams] has been instrumental, and I think everyone can see how far she’s come from the day we signed her last year to where she’s at right now,” Hines says. “She should take a lot of confidence in her performances but also getting her first call-up and going away with the U.S. national team and being in that environment goes a long way. Credit to her because she’s put a lot of work into her craft and we’re just so pleased to have her here.”

Sams has been a critical part of the Orlando Pride’s defense this season. The Pride lead the league in shutouts with 12 clean sheets in the NWSL and have only conceded 18 goals this season. Sams has had 151 recoveries going into the regular season’s final match, which is the fourth most of any defender. The Pride will face the Seattle Reign in their last match of the regular season on Saturday before their NWSL playoff match on Nov. 8.

USWNT Defeats Iceland in Friendly

The United States Women’s National Team defeated Iceland 3-1 on Sunday at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Sams started the match to earn her first cap for the USWNT and played a full 90 minutes. The USWNT was down 1-0 at halftime but turned it around in the second half. Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan, and Emma Sears scored for the USWNT to help secure another win against Iceland. Sears also added an assist and became the first player to record both a goal and an assist in her first national team match. The USWNT has remained unbeaten for 12 matches since Emma Hayes took charge as the head coach, and its next match is on Wednesday against Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville.

MLS Playoff First Round Recap

The first round of the MLS Cup playoffs is underway, and we’ve had a few matches played over the weekend. On Friday, Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 2-1 in the first game of its best-of-three series to take a 1-0 lead. The LA Galaxy dominated the Colorado Rapids 5-0 in their first game, with Riqui Puig and Dejan Joveljic scoring two goals each in their opening matchup. LAFC won 2-1 Sunday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps, with Denis Bouanga and Cristina Olivera scoring. Tonight, the Seattle Sounders face the Houston Dynamo while FC Cincinnati takes on New York City FC. Tomorrow’s matches will feature Real Salt Lake against Minnesota United while the Columbus Crew face the New York Red Bulls.

Free Kicks

• The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly in advanced negotiations with former New England Revolution Head Coach Bruce Arena to name him the club’s next head coach.
• Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Holden Trent passed away over the weekend. We here at The Mane Land offer our condolences to Trent’s family, loved ones, and teammates during this difficult time.

• Julian Carranza scored a goal in Feyenoord’s 2-0 win over FC Utrecht yesterday. He took a moment to pay his respects and express his condolences after the recent news of Holden Trent’s passing.

• Barcelona dominated Real Madrid in El Clasico with a 4-0 win against its La Liga rival on Saturday.
• Darren Fletcher, who coaches on Manchester United’s first team, was charged with misconduct by the English FA after confronting the referees during halftime following the team’s 2-1 over Brentford on Oct. 19.

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