How’s it going, Mane Landers? After nearly a full month of daily World Cup soccer, it felt a bit weird not having a game to watch on Wednesday. Only eight games remain in this year’s tournament, and each one should be a doozy as some of the top nations square off. We also have plenty of Orlando soccer to get excited about as the summer rolls on. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Dominates Tampa Bay in Friendly

The Lions returned to action with a friendly against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and cruised to a 6-0 victory at home. It was Antoine Griezmann’s first game as a Lion and he showed Orlando supporters and Season Ticket Members what he’s capable of with a goal and an assist in the match. The team’s younger players picked up where the starters left off once subbed on in the second half, with Justin Ellis providing three assists to help pile on more goals. Friendlies should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s hard not to feel excited for the second half of the season. The Lions will play another friendly on the road against FC Dallas on Wednesday before league play resumes, and that match might give us a more accurate picture than Wednesday’s game.

Maxime Crepeau Named to MLS All-Star Roster

Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was chosen to be a part of the 2026 MLS All-Star roster as a coach’s selection by Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith. Crepeau started in all five of Canada’s World Cup games this summer and has recorded 63 saves as a Lion so far. While Orlando’s defense has done him few favors this season, it’s still a bit surprising to see Crepeau included, considering the Lions have conceded a league-high 44 goals this season. The All-Star Game will take place in Charlotte on July 29 and will once again pit the MLS against the top players from Liga MX.

Anna Moorhouse Nominated for Save of the Week

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was up for NWSL Save of the Week for catching a hard shot from Jun Endo at fairly close range in the team’s 2-0 loss to Angel City FC. She ended up finishing fourth in the voting, but it’s still nice to see a Pride player recognized in at least some capacity after a rough result.

The honor ultimately went to the Houston Dash’s Jane Campbell, who made a nice diving save to deny a glancing header following a corner kick. Moorhouse and the Pride will look to turn things around in a home match against the Kansas City Current on Friday.

Gabriel Pec Transferred to Cruzeiro

The LA Galaxy have transferred Brazilian winger Gabriel Pec to Cruzeiro for a club-record transfer fee reported to be around $13.5 million. The 25-year-old joined the Galaxy prior to the 2024 season and was named MLS Newcomer of the Year that year, helping LA win the league title. He’s recorded 42 goals and 28 assists in 101 appearances with the Galaxy, and he now returns to Brazil’s top flight. Along with that hefty transfer fee, Pec’s exit notably opens up a Designated Player spot for the Galaxy as well.

Predicting the USMNT’s 2030 World Cup Roster

The United States Men’s National Team’s 2026 World Cup campaign came to a close a few days ago and the focus has now shifted on what the team will do to improve by 2030. While Mauricio Pochettino’s inclusion is arguably the biggest question mark looming over the team, Ben Wright from SixOneFive Soccer examined what the roster could look like for the next World Cup. Former Lion Alex Freeman was the youngest player on the USMNT this time around and was predicted to return in 2030, while aforementioned Orlando City forward Justin Ellis is in the mix of young attackers on the rise like Julian Hall, Zavier Gozo, and Cole Campbell. Plenty can change between now and then, and it will be interesting to see just how different the two rosters will be.

Free Kicks

• American goalkeeper Matt Turner is returning to the New England Revolution on loan from Olympique Lyonnais once again. The loan will last through the 2026 season, with an option to buy.
• Enjoy this analytical dive into the impact Mauricio Pochettino had on the USMNT’s success and failures at the World Cup.
• The World Cup quarterfinals kick off today with an intriguing matchup between France and Morocco, who squared off in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.
• Zlatko Dalic’s time as Croatia’s head coach has come to a close. Under Dalic, Croatia was a World Cup finalist in 2018 and claimed third in 2022.
• Rafael Marquez was officially announced as Mexico’s next head coach for the 2030 World Cup.

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

The Antoine Griezmann era got off to a flying start as Orlando City crushed the Tampa Bay Rowdies 6-0 in a friendly match at Inter&Co Stadium. The French star scored a goal and added an assist in just over an hour of game time as five different Lions found the net and Tampa Bay added an own goal in the rout.

Interim head coach Martin Perelman’s lineup for what amounted to a second-half preseason scrimmage featured the first start for Griezmann since joining the team in late June. Javier Otero started in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, and Wilder Cartagena started in midfield, with Ivan Angulo, Griezmann, and Martin Ojeda leading the attack.

The Lions appeared to use the early part of the match with some specifics in mind, often pulling back from potential transition attacks and allowing Tampa Bay to set up defensively before trying to work their way through it. The shape was fluid, with Cartagena dropping to the left side of a three-man back line at times, allowing Marin to roam forward both up the left side and even in the middle at times.

Orlando could, and should, have scored a lot of goals in the first half, but the Lions were wasteful with multiple breakaways after getting in behind the Rowdies’ back line. Credit Tampa goalkeeper Jahmali Waite for some of that, but the finishing simply wasn’t precise enough.

Orlando fashioned the game’s first chance just two minutes after the start. Dorsey headed a long ball down to Griezmann, who worked with Atuesta before finally setting up a Cartagena shot from distance that deflected wide for a corner. The ensuing corner was played short for Griezmann, but he stepped on the ball and fell, ending the attack.

Ojeda sent Angulo in all alone in the sixth minute but the Colombian left his shot too close to Waite, who got a foot to it to knock it wide.

Tampa Bay sent a warning shot at Orlando in the ninth minute when a good cross from the right found M.D. Meyers in front, but his header crashed off the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Angulo got behind the defense again. This time his shot beat Waite but it too smashed into the crossbar. Ojeda got to a beautiful through ball from Griezmann in the 17th minute but Waite made another big save. Brekalo had a free run on the ensuing corner kick but headed wide.

The Rowdies created their second good chance of the match in the 21st minute when Evan Conway got behind the back line. Dorsey recovered enough to bother his shot, which the attacker sent straight at Otero for the save.

Just after the hydration break, the Lions appeared to hold the ball to invite pressure to play through, and it was nearly costly. Otero sent a wayward pass to the right that Conway picked off, volleying it toward goal. However, the shot in the 32nd minute was off line and the game remained scoreless — at least for a few more seconds.

Griezmann received the ball on the left wing, cut across the middle of the field near the top of the box, got the entire Tampa defense moving one way, then cut a soft shot back against the grain, sending it just inside the right post to make it 1-0 in the 32nd minute.

It took only two minutes for Orlando City to double the lead. Dorsey got down the right side and carried the ball into the box. He tried to send a pass through the area for Angulo, but Sebastian Cruz deflected the ball into his own net, doubling Orlando’s lead to 2-0 in the 34th minute.

Tampa got a look two minutes after the own goal, but Isaiah Le Flore sent a soft shot right at Otero.

Atuesta was nearly sent in behind by Otavio in the 42nd minute, but the midfielder didn’t have enough pace to break in alone on goal. As his defender arrived, he made two quick moves before firing into the outside netting in what turned out to be the last sight of goal in the half for either side.

Justin Ellis, Tiago, and Tristan Himes entered the game at halftime for Ojeda, Cartagena, and Otero.

Tampa Bay started well in the second half, getting forward early after picking off an errant Dorsey pass, but Jansson blocked the shot for a corner. Brekalo took a knock to the head after winning the aerial ball from Karsen Henderlong, ending the threat. In the 51st minute, Pedro Dolabella fired wide off another Orlando turnover that resulted from a heavy Tiago touch near the left sideline.

Tiago nearly got in behind in the 57th minute but backup Tampa goalkeeper Joshua Kachurak came out and just beat him to the loose ball over the top. But the Lions struck again just as a host of substitutes prepared to enter the match just past the hour mark.

Griezmann stole the ball in the Tampa Bay penalty area and stepped toward goal. Instead of shooting, the Frenchman calmly found Angulo, who was all alone in front of an empty net. Angulo converted to make it 3-0 in the 61st minute, ending the night for the starters.

Zakaria Taifi, Colin Guske, Iago, Bernardo Rhein, Ignacio Gomez, Dylan Judelson, Tyrese Spicer, and Harvey Sarajian all checked in after the celebration.

Ellis nearly put Sarajian in behind in the 64th minute with a great ball. Kachurak came out and beat him to the ball but misplayed it. With the net empty, Kachurak got to the loose ball just in time to knock it out of play.

Guske’s foul set up Tampa Bay with a free kick opportunity to the left side of the box moments later. Hal Uderitz got his head to the set piece cross, but he popped it up in heavy traffic and sent it over the bar.

Kachurak made a fantastic save to keep the game at 3-0 (for the moment) in the 69th minute. Spicer got down the right side, cut to the middle and blasted a low shot inside the right post. Kachurak laid out and got a strong hand to it, knocking it wide.

Iago took a silly foul in the 71st minute, handing Tampa a free kick in a dangerous spot just outside the box. Louis Perez took the shot but slammed his attempt into the defensive wall. He got to the rebound first, but sent that shot right back into the wall, ending the threat.

Orlando’s lead bulged to 4-0 two minutes later. Sarajian made a fantastic run and Ellis picked him out with a gorgeous through ball. The rookie fired his shot inside the right post in the 73rd minute.

Following a failed corner attempt by Tampa, the Lions added another in the 78th. After sustained possession around the top of the area, Ellis backheeled a perfect pass for Taifi to run onto. The fullback chipped a shot over the keeper and into the left side of the net to make it 5-0.

The final subs for Orlando took the field over the next few minutes, with Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Gustavo Caraballo all entering in place of Tiago, Spicer, and Judelson.

Ellis earned his third assist of the night in the 88th minute, working a give-and-go with Caraballo, sending the latter in behind the defense. Caraballo fired home to make it 6-0 and capping a beatdown of the Rowdies on the game’s final scoring chance.

The Lions will head to FC Dallas for another friendly a week from tonight. After that, the MLS season resumes with a July 22 road match at San Jose.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s match day! Orlando City hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a friendly at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. If you are a Season Ticket Member or member of one of the supporters’ groups, you can go. If not, we’ll cover it as best we can for you right here and on Bluesky. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Griezmann’s Dream

While Orlando City signing Antione Griezmann seemed to be a pipe dream sprung from multiple episodes of The Mane Land PawedCast, it was evidently a dream of Griezmann himself to play in MLS. It’s nice to hear that he and his family are settling into life in Orlando, and that he feels he is mentally and physically in very good condition as he joins the club. We may not have to wait long for his first appearance, given the friendly against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, next week’s friendly at FC Dallas, or at least the club’s next MLS match against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 22.

Orlando Pride Notes

I learned yesterday that the Orlando Pride have a league-high 14 players whom are free agents. Seems like a good time for some major personnel changes, given what the on-field results have been so far in 2026. It’s a bit surprising that a major overhaul is needed only two years after winning the double, but here we are. The Pride are sitting on the edge of the playoffs and will need to do better than last week’s result if the team hopes to end the season over the line.

USMNT Leftovers

As much as I wish I hadn’t seen what I saw in the USMNT loss to Belgium, I wasn’t the only one watching. The match was the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history. Over 30 million people watched the match with peak viewership reaching 36.8 million people.

We all know the suspension drama surrounding Folarin Balogun, but he wasn’t the only person suspended before the match. Two U.S. Soccer officials were reportedly suspended by FIFA ahead of the game, though neither received suspensions of their suspensions. The personnel in question are reportedly team manager Sam Zapatka and U.S. Soccer Vice President of Security Frank Pannell.

World Cup Results

The World Cup provided two entertaining if somewhat personally disappointing matches Tuesday. In the first match of the day, Egypt jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the defending champions before giving up three goals in the last 12 minutes plus stoppage to lose 3-2 to Argentina. Sadly, I tuned in right when Lionel Messi scored his goal. I’m pretty sick of that guy.

The second match between Colombia and Switzerland went to penalties with Switzerland coming out on top 0-0 (4-3) to advance. This was the first time that Switzerland has won a penalty shootout at the World Cup. The reward for the Swiss is to face Argentina in a quarterfinal match. As you can tell from the score, this was a tight defensive match with very few mistakes made by either team.

Free Kicks

• It seems that FOX is upset with Telemundo for courting some of the English-speaking viewers of the World Cup. FOX is the official English language rightsholder, and Telemundo is the Spanish language rightsholder. Perhaps FOX shouldn’t have aired commercials during the hydration breaks. I know I’m guilty of watching matches on Telemundo.
• Gotham FC will play its home matches in the new Etihad Park beginning in 2028. The team will share the facility with New York City FC but will have its own dedicated locker rooms.
• Per Tom Bogert, San Diego FC is bringing on Gabriel Pirani from D.C. United.

• How crazy is it to think that Alex Freeman won’t be one of the young guys the next time the World Cup comes around. Here is a list of MLS Homegrown Players who might make the jump by then. Spoilers, there are no Orlando players on the list.
• Fireworks mishaps are often a joke around the Fourth of July, but what happened at the Orlando Pride at Angel City match was no joke.

• European Union lawmakers want to investigate FIFA President Gianni Infantino following his phone call with Donald Trump about the Folarin Balogun red card kerfuffle. Do it!

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando Pride match Friday night, and follow us on Bluesky for updates of Orlando City’s friendly with Tampa Bay. Vamos Orlando!