Happy Friday! I hope December has been going smoothly for you as we gear up for the weekend. Soccer here in Orlando may be finished for the year, but there’s still plenty of the beautiful game to enjoy thanks to the MLS Cup final and all of the action in Europe. Let’s dive right into today’s links.

Orlando City Announces Postseason Roster Decisions

With Orlando City’s season officially over, the club announced its roster decisions and the status of all players. Felipe is out of contract and won’t be returning, and Orlando declined the contract options for Gaston Gonzalez, Luca Petrasso, Abdi Salim, Jeorgio Kocevski, and Carlos Mercado as well. Defender Kyle Smith’s contract is also up, but the club is in negotiations with him for him to return next year. The club exercised the contract on Jack Lynn, Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Rafael Santos, so they’ll be around next year along with the 18 players already under contract for 2025. Performance-based options were automatically triggered for Nicolas Lodeiro, Pedro Gallese, and Cesar Araujo as well.

MLS Ranked Second in the World in Attendance

Among all soccer leagues in the world, MLS has the second-highest attendance according to Opta’s data. Over 12.1 million fans have attended MLS games this season, including the playoffs. That number is second only to the English Premier League’s 14.6 million, and it’s nice to see MLS putting plenty of butts in seats as it continues to grow. Liga MX is eighth on the list, with over 6.9 million in attendance.

2025 Club World Cup Draw Revealed

The draw for next year’s Club World Cup was completed and we now know which teams the two MLS representatives in the tournament will square off against here in the U.S. The Seattle Sounders will host all three of their group games at Lumen Field in a brutal group that includes Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Botafogo. Inter Miami dodged some of the toughest teams in the tournament but still has its work cut out for it in a group with FC Porto, Palmeiras, and Al Ahly. I think most of the groups should be entertaining and competitive, as this expanded format allows more clubs from around the world to showcase their talent on a big stage. We’re still waiting to learn which games will be held in Orlando’s two venues for the tournament, but hopefully there are some good games heading to the City Beautiful.

Boston’s NWSL Expansion Side Hires General Manager

The future NWSL club currently known as BOS Nation FC has hired Domenec Guasch as its first general manager. Guasch has been with Barcelona for 13 years and has been the club’s head of management for women’s football for the past two years. He’ll join his new club in January and will have a year and some change to get the team ready for its inaugural season in 2026. Hiring someone outside of the NWSL sphere is an interesting move, but may make sense considering the abolition of the expansion draft and college draft. No word yet on whether the team is going to stick with the announced name, but it has announced it is reconsidering the idea after a public backlash.

Free Kicks

• Here’s an interesting article in which ESPN‘s Gabriele Marcotti pitches the idea of the Orlando Pride facing off against the best team in Europe for bragging rights. I’m not a big fan of the proposal and would prefer more structured formats like the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup in 2026 to determine such things.
• With Alyssa Naeher’s international retirement, the United States Women’s National Team’s goalkeeping position is up for grabs. Former Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury is one of many players who can step up to fill the role.
• The injury bug won’t leave American forward Folarin Balogun alone, as his shoulder injury may keep him out of Monaco’s Champions League match next week against Arsenal.
• Angel City FC and General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano have parted ways after the club finished 12th in the standings this past season. Assistant General Manager Matt Wade will take over in an interim capacity while the club searches for a permanent hire.
• Lazio beat Napoli 3-1 to eliminate the Serie A leader from the Italian Cup, with Tijjani Noslin scoring a hat trick in the match.

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

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a long week, but I’ve at least been able to get some errands knocked out. I’m looking forward to hanging out with friends over the weekend and getting some more reading done before the year is up. Let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Sights and Sounds From Orlando Pride Title Win

The Orlando Pride made history by winning their first NWSL title last month and the club provided an awesome look behind the scenes of the big win in Kansas City. The video covers everything from Marta’s pre-game pep talk that will have you willing to run through walls to the final whistle that wrapped up the greatest victory in club history. It’s also great to see Barbra Banda’s winning goal from even more angles.

Orlando City’s U-19 Team Stands Out

In MLS NEXT, Orlando City’s U-19 squad is the only undefeated team remaining in its age group and was noted as one of the top performing teams of November. The Baby Lions won all four of their games last month, including a pair of big 6-2 wins against both CF Montreal and Charlotte FC. Justin Ellis had a hat trick in the match against Montreal and scored seven total goals last month. It’s been a great year for the 17-year-old, as he also scored in each of the United States U-18 Men’s National Team’s friendlies against Peru and Japan in September.

Don Garber Signs Contract Extension

MLS Commissioner Don Garber won’t be leaving the league anytime soon after signing a four-year contract extension. The 67-year-old has been the league’s commissioner since 1999 and the league has experienced plenty of growth over the course of his 25-year tenure. He also negotiated the $2.5 billion broadcasting deal with Apple that will last 10 years. Only time will tell if Garber will stay on as commissioner once this extension ends following the 2027 season.

Referees Speak On PRO Interference

You will need to get through the paywall for the full details, as The Athletic published a great article regarding the interference from the Professional Referee Organization in MLS and NWSL games. Matches already get disrupted by VAR checks, but officials have also had to deal with PRO managers weighing in on their decisions. A transcript provided by a video assistant referee who requested anonymity showcased one such incident in a regular-season game, with the PRO manager wanting another look at a play to be made. The delays not only disrupt the flow of things, but it opens the door for others to cast suspicion on the process as well.

Free Kicks

• FIFA announced DAZN as the exclusive global broadcaster for next year’s FIFA Club World Cup. The platform will stream all 63 games of the tournament at no cost for those watching.
• The Seattle Sounders confirmed that Raul Ruidiaz is leaving the club after seven seasons. The 34-year-old is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 86 goals across all competitions. This move opens up a Designated Player spot for a Sounders side that reached the Western Conference final.
• Liverpool managed a comeback but gave up a late equalizer in a 3-3 draw with Newcastle that allowed Chelsea and Arsenal to close the gap to seven points.
• In a moment reminiscent of Rodrigo Schlegel’s heroics, 19-year-old left back Pol Arnau stepped up as an emergency goalkeeper for fourth-division side Lugrones against La Liga’s Girona in the Copa del Rey. Arnau made saves to send the game to a shootout and then stopped a penalty en route to victory.

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

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving, and aren’t too crestfallen to be back at work if you were lucky enough to get some time off. Saturday’s game may not have gone the way we wanted it to, but it was still a vastly enjoyable season that I’ll look back on fondly. We have a lot to talk over today, so let’s wish David Brekalo a happy birthday and get into the links!

Orlando Pride Top Early 2025 NWSL Rankings

The National Women’s Soccer League season has only just ended, but it’s never too soon to start looking ahead to next year, so let’s have a look at how the teams are stacking up at the moment. As is right and just, the Orlando Pride top the list after winning both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship this year, although there’s the question of whether Marta will be with the team in 2025 now that she’s a free agent. The runner-up Washington Spirit come in at second, with other semifinalists NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current at third and fourth, respectively. The Houston Dash are at the other end of the list, as they currently don’t have a coach, general manager, or sporting director after a rough season.

What to Watch for Against the Netherlands

The United States Women’s National Team takes on the Netherlands today in the team’s final match of 2024. Even though it’s a friendly there are still plenty of things to keep an eye on. Alyssa Naeher’s final international match will rightly grab a lot of the headlines, considering how long and illustrious her career has been with the USWNT. Newly committed Lily Yohannes will have a chance to show what she can do in the attack in the absence of big names like Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson. Jaedyn Shaw finds herself in a similar situation as well. If that wasn’t enough, we may also have a chance to see Pride defender Emily Sams, who didn’t appear in the team’s previous game against England.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who are in action this week, so make sure you have everything noted and marked down on your calendar. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan get things started today when they take on Sassuolo in the Coppa Italia’s round of 16. Thursday has Antonee Robinson and Fulham welcoming Brighton and Hove Albion to Craven Cottage in English Premier League play, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth travel to play Tottenham Hotspur. Things wrap up on Friday with Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven hosting FC Twente in Eredivisie play.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Plenty of MLS teams are busy making off-season moves, and we have a few that we need to cover. We start in the realm of rumor, where new San Jose Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena has reportedly traded for Mark Anthony-Kaye, Dave Romney, and Ian Harkes from the New England Revolution. Arena worked with all three during his time with the Revs, and Tom Bogert reports that San Jose is giving around $500,000 in General Allocation Money and an international roster spot in exchange. We then shift to confirmed moves, where we know that FC Cincinnati has permanently acquired Luca Orellana after he spent 2024 on loan with the Knifey Lions to great effect. Cincy also announced that it signed defender Bret Halsey to a contract extension.

Free Kicks

• Barba Banda and Marta are both finalists for the 2024 FIFPRO World 11.

• Congratulations to Orlando City defender Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who announced on Instagram that his family has a little one is on the way.

• Barcelona fan groups have accused the team’s board of selling out after they were not allowed to be in the team’s stadium for the last two home games.
• Speaking of Barcelona, Hansi Flick reportedly held an emergency meeting with the team after a shocking loss to Las Palmas.
• A horrifying crowd crush at a stadium in Guinea has left at least 56 people dead.
• Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reportedly been in contact with Mohamed Salah’s agent with a view to signing the Egyptian winger at the end of the season.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!