Orlando Soccer Things I’m Thankful For

As is always the case with this time of year, I’ve been thinking about what I’m thankful for, and when it comes to Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, there’s a nice list of things that have me feeling very grateful. So in the spirit of the holiday, let’s sit down and dig in.

Inter&Co Stadium

If we’re sticking to the Thanksgiving theme, then the purple palace is the dinner table where everything happens. There might be more elaborate soccer-specific stadiums that have been built since the stadium opened in 2017, but Inter&Co was the first to have the safe-standing supporters section, and it’s no coincidence that the trend very quickly caught on. Ownership has done well to bring in a variety of local food vendors, has made concerted efforts to upgrade the concourses with televisions, and the way the roof is constructed does a great job of keeping noise in, even when the stadium isn’t at full capacity. I’ve been to a few different MLS stadiums, but I still think that there’s no place like home.

Haley Carter

The Orlando Pride’s former vice president of soccer operations and sporting director will be sorely missed. There’s a saying that you don’t really know what you have until it’s gone, but that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Carter. She masterminded the acquisition of Barbra Banda that was vital to the Pride’s double-winning 2024 season. She also made other savvy additions that helped fill out a roster that’s been competitive for a couple seasons in a row now. It’s a damn shame that she won’t be with the club any longer, but considering the success that she had with the Pride, she’ll almost certainly be headed for big things.

The Wilf Family

Since taking ownership of OCSC and the Pride in the summer of 2021, the Wilfs have shown a willingness to open the wallet and invest in both teams. For the Lions, there have been the acquisitions of Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, while the Pride have seen the arrivals of Banda and Jacquie Ovalle for big transfer fees. There’s also the aforementioned investments to the stadium, as well as the continued commitment to improving the training facilities for all three of the club’s teams. The Lions and Pride are both at points where the rosters need to be revamped a bit, so the readiness to spend is a trend that will need to continue, but based on what we’ve seen in past seasons, it’s reasonable to assume it will.

Playoff Streaks

Orlando City owns the longest active postseason streak in Major League Soccer, as the Lions have made the playoffs in six straight years. The Pride have made the NWSL playoffs in back-to-back years and have made the semifinals two years in a row. In the case of the Lions, it would be great if they could consistently make deep playoff runs and come away with some silverware, but it would be foolish to not be grateful for the streak of postseason appearances. D.C. United and Toronto FC have six-year and five-year playoff droughts, respectfully, so it’s important to remember that things could be worse. That doesn’t mean we should be content and complacent, but once you get your foot in the postseason door, anything can happen, which we saw with the New York Red Bulls last year. Long may the postseason streaks continue!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend filled with good food, time with family and friends, and a little rest and relaxation thrown in. We’ll be back cheering on Orlando’s soccer teams before we know it, and hopefully we have lots to be thankful for in the 2026 season!