Not only is it Friday, but it’s also game day! The Orlando Pride’s playoff campaign kicks off tonight and I’m a bundle of nerves and excitement. If you’re headed to the stadium for tonight’s game, make sure to stay warm and hydrated. Have fun too! Let’s get to the links.

Alex Freeman Called Up for Friendlies

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was one of 25 players called up by United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino for friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay this month. Freeman has made 11 appearances for the USMNT this year, but we’ll see how much action he sees with both Sergino Dest and Joe Scally returning to the fold. Giovanni Reyna is also back with the team, while Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah are a few of the notable omissions. The USMNT will take on Paraguay in Pennsylvania on Nov. 15 before coming to Florida for a friendly against Uruguay in Tampa on Nov. 18.

NWSL Playoffs Kick Off Tonight

The Orlando Pride host the Seattle Reign at 8 p.m. tonight in the first game of this year’s NWSL playoffs. Although the Kansas City Current are the favorites heading into the postseason, any team can make a run at lifting the trophy. The defending champion Pride enter tonight’s game on a five-game unbeaten run with some needed momentum for a tough match against a Reign side that has found results despite struggling to create chances this year. Orlando will need to be at its best this month in order to win it all for the second year in a row.

Pride Players Nominated for FIFA Awards

The Pride’s Barbra Banda, Marta, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse were all nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s 11, which honors the top performers in the world from Aug. 11 of 2024 to Aug. 2 of this year. The Pride had a historic season last year, with Banda, Marta, and Sams all being named to the 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines is nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach as well, while Moorhouse is also nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper. Make sure to vote!

Bradley Carnell Named MLS Coach of the Year

Speaking of awards, Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell was announced as the winner of the 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Award. In Carnell’s first year as head coach, the Union won a club-record 20 games this season and won the Supporters’ Shield. Philadelphia’s defense conceded just 35 goals this season and the team only lost once at home. Carnell garnered 37.78% of the total vote to win the award, with Vancouver Whitecaps Head Coach Jesper Sorensen coming in second with 26.53% and San Diego FC Head Coach Mikey Varas finishing third with 19.82%.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City defender David Brekalo was called up for Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden this month. Slovenia is third in the group and will need a win against Kosovo on Nov. 15 to remain in contention to qualify.

• Gerardo Martino was hired as Atlanta United’s head coach once more, signing a contract through the 2027 season.
• Enjoy this nice look behind the scenes of Apple’s production of MLS Season Pass as the tech company aims to make sports broadcasting better.
• The MLS NEXT Pro Cup between New York Red Bulls II and Colorado Rapids 2 is set for Saturday and here’s everything you need to know heading into the match.
• Former Roma player and coach Daniele De Rossi was hired as Genoa’s next head coach. The Italian club is currently fighting to avoid relegation in Serie A, although it just won its first game of the season on Monday.

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

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the week is treating you well as we get ready for the Orlando Pride’s playoff game and other soccer over the next few days. It’s about that time of the year where I start trialing Thanksgiving dish ideas, which means my oven is being put through its paces. My apartment has been smelling nice at least. But enough about that, let’s get to the links!

Alex Freeman Makes 2025 MLS Best XI

MLS announced its Best XI of the 2025 season to celebrate the top players at each position, and Orlando City right back Alex Freeman became the first Lion to ever receive the honor. Freeman had a breakout year for the Lions, recording six goals and three assists as a regular starter. The 21-year-old was already named MLS Young Player of the Year and is the youngest player to make the Best XI since Brenden Aaronson’s inclusion in 2020.

Freeman is joined on the Best XI’s back line by Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon and Philadelphia Union duo Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner. Those three were the finalists for 2025 MLS Defender of the Year, with Blackmon winning, so it’s pretty good company for Freeman. Forward Denis Bouanga, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, and goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair are a few of the other players who made this year’s list.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Playoff Match

The Orlando Pride will host the Seattle Reign on Friday in the quarterfinals of this year’s NWSL playoffs. There will be a bit of déjà vu going on, as the two teams just played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando on Decision Day. The Pride have done well to bounce back in recent weeks after a rough stretch in the second half of the season, so hopefully they can get a win on Friday. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on the pressure Orlando faces as the defending champions, as well as the importance of securing home-field advantage for this match.

U.S. Wins First U-17 World Cup Game

The U-17 United States Men’s National Team won 1-0 against Burkina Faso in its first match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. American winger Mathis Albert created chances throughout the match and it paid off in the 79th minute when one of his crosses fell for Philadelphia Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan to score the winner. Goalkeeper Aidan Stokes had four saves, and the defense did well to secure the clean sheet. The U.S. will be back in action on Saturday with a match against Tajikistan.

Analyzing the USWNT Roster

Although the United States Women’s National Team still has a pair of friendlies against Italy this year, we’re starting to get a clearer look at how the roster is shaping up under Head Coach Emma Hayes. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams is likely to be called up until further notice, although Jordyn Bugg’s ascent and Naomi Girma’s health may determine her chances at starting. Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has seemingly locked up the starting job while the forward position is filled with talented players who give Hayes different ways of attacking defenses. There’s still a year before the Concacaf W Championship that will serve as qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, so it will be interesting to see if there are any major changes on the roster between now and then.

Free Kicks

• Luis Suarez was suspended for Inter Miami’s deciding playoff match in the best-of-three series against Nashville SC on Saturday for kicking Andy Najar last weekend. Whoever writes his apologies for violent conduct must have one of the most secure jobs in the world at this point.

• Real Salt Lake signed both Sporting Director Kurt Schmid and Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni to new contracts, while Tony Beltran was promoted to assistant sporting director. These moves come a week after former Orlando City head coach Jason Kreis was named Real Salt Lake’s president of soccer operations.
• Victor Osimhen is now the leading scorer in this year’s UEFA Champions League after his hat trick in Galatasaray’s 3-0 win over Ajax.
• According to Wrexham Chief Executive Michael Williamson, the filming of Welcome to Wrexham played a role in Christian Eriksen choosing not to play there.
• Here’s what to watch for across the many Europa League matches today, with Roma’s road game against Rangers likely to be a good one.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a great day as we look forward to the weekend!

I don’t know about you all, but the time change still has me in a bit of a fugue state, as it constantly feels like I just woke up from a nap. The weather remains nice at least. Hopefully that trend continues as we make our way through the week. In the meantime, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Linked With Luis Otavio

With Orlando City’s season over, attention turns to how the team will improve for 2026, and the club is reportedly interested in Brazilian midfielder Luis Otavio. The 18-year-old is currently with Internacional in Brazil’s top flight and under contract through 2028.

Orlando has a track record of identifying young talent from South America and has open MLS U22 Initiative Player slots to bring in players who can make an impact. With Cesar Araujo possibly leaving this off-season, adding some depth at the position after it was ravaged by injuries this season makes plenty of sense.

OCSC Celebrates Youth Financial Literacy

The Orlando Pride’s Decision Day game also served as a celebration for local children and families who took part in this year’s Financial Literacy Game Night by Orlando Saves, a program that helps teach students in Orlando neighborhoods how to save, invest, and budget. The Orlando Saves partnership with Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and digital bank Inter combines sport with the goal of increasing financial literacy among the community’s youth. On top of the Pride’s match being a celebration of the students’ efforts, Orlando City players Tahir Reid-Brown and Thomas Williams visited students as well.

“Our goal is to make a lasting impact in our community and amazing partners like Inter understand the importance of investing in our local youth,” said Kaia Forget, Vice President of Community Impact & DEI for Orlando City and Orlando Pride. “Together, we are helping students learn critical life skills that will set them up for long-term success.”

Anders Dreyer Named MLS Newcomer of the Year

San Diego FC winger Anders Dreyer was announced as this year’s MLS Newcomer of the Year after recording 19 goals and 19 assists this season. The 27-year-old was phenomenal in his first year in the league, providing a goal contribution on more than half of San Diego’s 64 goals to help the expansion club claim the top spot in the Western Conference standings in its inaugural season. He dominated the voting for the award, garnering 74.11% of the total vote to win it over LAFC star Son Heung-Min and Chicago Fire midfielder Philip Zinckernagel.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

We’ve reached the fourth round of the league phase of this year’s UEFA Champions League, and there have been some exciting matches. Bayern Munich extended its win streak to 16 games across all competitions after beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in France. Luis Diaz scored twice before being sent off right before halftime after a foul on Achraf Hakimi that forced the PSG right back to exit due to the injury. In another heavyweight matchup, Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring the game’s only goal. Arsenal, Tottenham, and Atletico Madrid also secured nice wins, while Juventus was held to a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP.

As for the Americans in the tournament, forward Folarin Balogun scored the winner in Monaco’s 1-0 victory against Bodo/Glimt by smashing the ball into the top of the netting.

Ricardo Pepi also scored, salvaging a point for PSV Eindhoven with a goal in stoppage time to equalize things in a 1-1 draw with Olympiacos. The 22-year-old is no stranger to delivering in big moments in the Champions League, joining some pretty rare air in the tournament’s history.

Free Kicks

• The New England Revolution will reportedly name Marko Mitrovic as the club’s next head coach. Mitrovic is currently the head coach of the U-20 United States Men’s National Team, recently leading the side to the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup.

• In other MLS coaching news, LAFC Assistant Coach Marc Dos Santos is reportedly the favorite for the head coaching job once Steve Cherundolo exits after this season.

• The Portland Thorns signed midfielder Olivia Moultrie to a contract extension that will keep her with the club through 2029. The 20-year-old led the Thorns with eight goals this season.
• The U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team will take on Burkina Faso today in its first match of the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
• North Carolina FC announced that it will cease playing in the USL Championship after this year and has submitted an application to join the USL’s Division One league, which won’t start until 2028. It’s an interesting time for the club to announce this decision, considering the team is still playing in the postseason.
• Speaking of the USL Championship, Sporting Club Jacksonville appointed Liam Fox as its new head coach. Fox heads to the U.S. after coaching Heart of Midlothian and Dundee United in Scotland.
• The groups for UEFA’s 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifying are out and the format sets up some interesting fights for direct qualification in this stage. England was drawn in a group with Spain, Germany will contend with Norway, and France is in a group with the Netherlands.

That’s all I have for you this time around, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and rest of your week!