Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s also match day for Orlando City. The fixture congestion is back for the next couple of weeks which means plenty of opportunity to watch the Lions in action. I’m looking forward to seeing Martin Ojeda fully integrate back into the offense with Antione Griezmann. We will have more match prep later today, but for now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads to Atlanta

Orlando City is headed north to take on Atlanta United tonight. Both teams have been playing better of late, but this is still an opportunity for the Lions to get all three points from a rival on the road. Atlanta has struggled to score goals this season, and Orlando City’s offensive weapons are many, and the team is rising up the MLS power rankings, thanks to the win over San Diego FC. It’s a double match week, so it will be interesting to see how Atlanta rotates players based on availability.

Grizi Gets Fined

The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann an undisclosed amount for violating the League’s policy regarding throwing/kicking an object toward fans in the match against San Diego FC. Here is the “incident” in case you missed it during the match.

If the fine was more than a dollar, it was too much. That’s not true, a dollar is also too much.

Pride in the News

The Orlando Pride made history in the 3-1 win over the Houston Dash. The victory made Yolanda Thomas the first Black woman in a head coach’s role in NWSL history, and only the fourth female coach to win their first-ever NWSL match in charge. It also comes as no surprise that Barbra Banda is a nominee for the Women’s Ballon d’Or.

Pochettino’s Big Plans

Mauricio Pochettino wants to make the USMNT one of the “most powerful” international teams in the world. That is a pretty ambitious goal, though I like the high aspirations. Pochettino is now in charge of the procedural and developmental sides of the game. He will have some time to experiment before the next World Cup, including utilizing more MLS homegrowns.

Free Kicks

• Marco Pasalic has been called up to the Croatian National Team for the UEFA Nations League matches later this month and in the first part of October. Croatia will be playing Czechia, England, and Spain.

• Ivan Angulo will be sporting a new look at the match tonight. Hopefully it helps him score goals on his breakaway opportunities.

• Season ticket memberships are now available for Orlando City’s 2027 MLS Sprint Season.
• U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team Head Coach Morgan Church has released her list for the 18-player roster for a domestic training camp.
• European leagues and global players’ union Fifpro is expanding its legal action against FIFA for abusive conduct regarding the women’s international match calendar and related women’s football regulatory decisions.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for live match updates and we will also have a recap of the match tonight and more coverage tomorrow. Vamos Orlando!

Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend — the same way Orlando’s soccer teams most certainly did. All three teams picked up victories over the weekend: Orlando City B got the party started on Friday with a 4-1 win over Inter Miami CF II; Orlando City knocked off San Diego FC 1-0 on Saturday; and the Orlando Pride made it a full nine points from nine with a 3-1 win over the Houston Dash on Sunday. OCSC has a midweek game against Atlanta United Wednesday night, before all three teams are back in action over the weekend. We’ve got lots to talk about today, so let’s get into the links.

Antoine Griezmann Earns Recognition

Antoine Griezmann scored the all-important goal in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over San Diego FC on Saturday, and his performance has been rewarded with a bench place in the MLS Team of the Matchday. The goal was his fifth of the season and he now has eight goal contributions in eight league appearances with the Lions. His arrival has coincided with OCSC slowly climbing up the table into the playoff places, and the good guys will need more defensive performances like the one we saw on Saturday if they’re going to hang onto a playoff spot and potentially make some noise in the postseason.

Lessons from Matchday 24

Major League Soccer’s 24th matchday is now in the books, and there were plenty of things to be learned from the weekend’s action. Up in Canada, Josh Sargent bagged a hat trick and is starting to look more and more like the player he was at Norwich City. Toronto FC is now unbeaten in its last six games. Strikers were certainly at the forefront this weekend, as Petar Musa bagged a brace for FC Dallas in the team’s 4-3 win over Sporting Kansas City, and Breel Embolo scored a penalty kick on his Atlanta United debut to salvage a point with Inter Miami on the road. Finally, while its been an uneven year for the LA Galaxy, they knocked off the New England Revolution 2-1 at home and are now just one point outside the Western Conference playoff places.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and the UEFA Champions League is firmly back in the crosshairs. Things get going on Tuesday when Alex Freeman and Villarreal start their UCL campaign on the road against Borussia Dortmund. Wednesday sees Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid play Liverpool on the road in UCL play, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic play St. Johnstone during Scottish Premier League play. Things then wrap up on Friday when Gianluca Busio and Venezia play Fiorentina in Serie A action.

Mauricio Pochettino Speaks on Young Talent

Speaking of American players, USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has urged caution when it comes to the hype surrounding young Yanks like Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall. The United States Men’s National Team will play four friendlies in the upcoming international window, and with the roster set to be announced on Sept. 17, there’s plenty of people calling for young talent like Sullivan, Hall, and Justin Ellis to get some looks with the senior squad. While the USMNT coach said he’s happy about the young talent in the player pool, he also urged people to not get carried away, and said,

“We need to be careful because when you are young, of course you need to be confident, you need to have the trust in yourself, and believe that you can perform and you can do well. But the thing is it’s a limit. The balance is the most important. And one of our responsibilities is to protect this guy because sometime if you play well and you are 17, 16 or 18 and you play well and people started to know to talk about that you are Messi or you are a big star in the world because you do some few good things. If after you are confused and you don’t manage well, that can be dangerous for your career.”

Free Kicks

• Orlando City is up three places to no. 13 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• The Orlando Pride rose one spot to no. 11 in the same publication’s NWSL power rankings.
• The Belgian Football Association says that it is still seeking clear answers about why Folarin Balogun’s red card was overturned at this summer’s World Cup.
• Vlatko Andonovski is no longer the sporting director of the Kansas City Current. The Pride play at Kansas City on Friday.

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

Justin Ellis has quickly established himself as one of Orlando City’s most promising young attacking players. Now, as he continues to develop, the 19-year-old is showing that his value extends beyond what he can do with the ball at his feet.

Ellis has spent much of his young career playing in central midfield or higher up the field, where his creativity and attacking instincts have made him an exciting part of Orlando City’s future. But over the last two games, he’s taken on a different challenge, moving to the right side and showing a willingness to adapt to what the team needs.

The position is new for Ellis, and it comes with considerably more defensive responsibility. Yet, instead of simply adjusting to a different spot on the field, he’s beginning to show that the move could help him become a more complete player.

“Obviously, this is a new position for me,” Ellis said after Orlando City’s 1-0 victory over San Diego FC. “Last game was the first time I played this new role, off the right a little bit. It’s so much more defending than centrally.”

For a young player who has made his biggest impact by creating and attacking, the change represents a significant adjustment. But Ellis has embraced it, even if the right side isn’t necessarily where he’d prefer to play.

“Do I prefer it? No,” Ellis said. “But will I do it? Yes.”

That willingness has allowed Ellis to remain an important part of Orlando’s attack while also taking on responsibilities that could prove valuable to his long-term development.

Ellis’ move to the right hasn’t come because Orlando suddenly stopped believing in what he could do centrally. Instead, it’s primarily the result of the Lions having more attacking options available.

Earlier in the season, Ellis benefited from circumstances that opened up opportunities in the center. Martin Ojeda was dealing with an injury, Marco Pašalić was slow to return from the World Cup amid Hull City transfer reports, and Daryl Dike was still building his fitness. That gave Ellis more opportunities to play centrally and higher up the field. The addition of Antoine Griezmann further cluttered the attack.

Ellis knew those opportunities would eventually become more difficult to come by as Orlando’s attacking group strengthened.

“I had a feeling that this was going to come at some point in the season, because we’re bringing in great players up top,” Ellis said. “I think I was lucky to have that much time in the central position because Tincho (Ojeda) was injured and then Daryl was just building his fitness. But I knew at some point.”

Rather than viewing the move as losing a role, Ellis has approached it as another opportunity to contribute. And that flexibility could become increasingly important for Orlando.

The Lions have a deep collection of attacking options, giving head coach Martin Perelman a number of players capable of influencing the game in different ways. For Ellis, being able to operate in more than one position gives him another avenue to get on the field and another way to help the team.

But playing on the right has also forced him to expand his responsibilities. The biggest difference for Ellis has been what happens when Orlando doesn’t have the ball. Playing centrally allowed him to concentrate more on finding space and influencing the attack. On the right, he has to think about the players around him and the defensive structure.

“I have to help out Griffin (Dorsey) and we’re always talking,” Ellis said.

That communication has become an important part of the adjustment. Ellis said he, Dorsey, Joran Gerbet, and David Brekalo, along with the other players on the right side, have spent time at training developing an understanding of their responsibilities.

“It’s just communication. It’s also me willing to sacrifice as well,” Ellis said. “I think me, Grif, Joran, David, our whole right side on defense, we talk a lot at training, we all know our job.”

For Ellis, that sacrifice means doing more of the work that doesn’t necessarily show up in the statistics. He has to defend wider areas, help teammates behind him, recognize when to stay with his assignment, and when to provide support elsewhere.

It’s a different side of the game for a player whose natural instincts are often geared toward getting forward. But it’s also the part of his game that Perelman believes is developing the most.

“I think the biggest change for Justin is defensively,” Perelman said Saturday night. “I think for him, the biggest change, and where he is improving and developing the most, is on the defensive side.”

That makes Ellis’ move to the right about more than simply finding a place for him in the lineup. It’s giving him an opportunity to develop an area of his game that could make his already impressive attacking ability even more valuable.

Perelman said there isn’t much that needs to be changed about Ellis’ attacking instincts. The coach sees something unique in the teenager’s ability with the ball.

“Offensively, I don’t think there is a coach who can help Justin,” Perelman said. “He’s so talented and so unique.”

Instead, Orlando’s focus is on helping Ellis learn how to combine those natural attacking abilities with the other aspects of his game.

That includes learning from the experienced players now surrounding him in the attack. Griezmann, Ojeda, Dike, Pašalić, Tyrese Spicer, and Iván Angulo are among the options Orlando can put in front of Ellis, giving the young player an opportunity to learn alongside established attackers.

Perelman said Ellis can continue developing his own game while learning how to connect with those players.

“We try to help him there, but again, I think he’s working defensively,” Perelman said.

That work was particularly noticeable to Perelman against San Diego. Despite the fact that Ellis’ attacking talent is what initially made him stand out, his manager was most impressed by what he did defensively.

“I think what I like most from him now is how he is defending,” Perelman said. “His defensive game today, for me, was amazing.”

That’s significant praise for Ellis, particularly because defensive play hasn’t traditionally been the first thing associated with his game. But it’s also exactly why Perelman believes the new role can be beneficial.

“I think this is important for him because he’s completing his profile as a player,” Perelman said.

At just 19 years old, Ellis still has plenty of time to determine exactly what kind of player he will become. His attacking ability has already made him one of the most intriguing young players on Orlando’s roster. Now he’s learning how to contribute in other ways.

The challenge now for Perelman and the Orlando City coaching staff is making sure that Ellis’ development doesn’t come at the expense of the qualities that make him special.

Moving to the right means Ellis is often receiving the ball in different areas and playing deeper than he did centrally. But once he gets possession, Perelman still wants him to trust his instincts.

The key is  having the freedom to make decisions once he has the ball.

“On the ball is different,” Ellis said. “I’m playing a lot deeper. But I don’t mind it. As long as the coach gives me freedom. Once I have the ball, he tells me, just play your game. I’m not going to tell you what to do when you have the ball.”

That balance has allowed Ellis to embrace the defensive demands of the position without feeling as though he has to become a completely different player. He can be disciplined without the ball and creative with it. He can sacrifice for the players around him and still look for opportunities to attack.

And he can play somewhere that isn’t necessarily his preferred position while continuing to develop the qualities that have made him such an exciting young player. That versatility could prove increasingly valuable as Orlando’s roster continues to take shape.

Ellis doesn’t necessarily need to become a permanent right-sided player. The value of these last two matches may ultimately be less about where he plays and more about what he learns from playing there.

For a young attacking player, learning to defend is part of becoming a more complete player. For Orlando City, discovering that Ellis can do it could give the club another option and another dimension to a player who already has plenty of attacking ones.

“Being an ’07 with that quality, and if he is going to defend like that, then the future is bright for him,” Perelman said.

Ellis may not prefer playing on the right. But he understands that being willing to do it can make him a better player. And after two matches in his new role, he’s already showing that his future may be about much more than what he can do in the middle of the field.