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Checking in on The Mane Land’s Preseason Predictions for Orlando City’s 2019 Campaign

Published

7 years ago

July 23, 2019

We’re past the halfway mark of the season and it’s time to look back at our staff predictions for 2019 to see how everyone is doing. Every season brings with it a number of surprises, twists, and turns, so it’s difficult to really make any sense of a thing before it happens, but we (and every other outlet) seem to do it every year.

Ultimately, what we think will happen never matters much, except to whoever gets to claim bragging rights by making a better guess than everyone else. Still, anything worth doing is worth tracking, so here goes.

Record

Here’s how the staff predicted:

Alek Pierce: 14-11-9.

Andrew Sharp: 9-13-12.

Jennifer Warren: 15-ish wins (no actual record given).

Scott Carnevale: 11-16-7.

David Rohe: 14-9-11.

The Bearded Guy: 17-13-4.

Michael Citro: 12-13-9.

Orlando City is on pace for a record of about 11-15-8 for 2019. So far, Scott is tracking closest, with only one loss and a draw swapped from where the team is on pace to finish. I’m about half a step behind. Andrew was the most pessimistic, while it seems that Dave, Jennifer, and especially our bearded guy were a bit too optimistic.

Eastern Conference Result / Playoff Result

The Lions are tracking toward missing the postseason again. Alek, Jennifer, and Dave had Orlando making the playoffs — barely, before getting eliminated. The bearded guy had the Lions finishing as high as fourth. I had Orlando in eighth, with Scott and Andrew predicting a ninth-place finish. Indeed, the Lions are currently in ninth, with 12 matches remaining.

Season MVP

Alek: Nani.

Andrew: Nani.

Jennifer: Nani.

Scott: Nani.

Dave: Dom Dwyer.

Bearded Guy: Lamine Sané.

Michael: Dom Dwyer.

Alek, Andrew, Jennifer, and Scott all went with the easy choice of Nani and he’s arguably been the team’s MVP so far this season, although he’s been much quieter in recent weeks. Dave and I went with Dom Dwyer, figuring he’d reap the rewards for having a world-class distributor to set him up. It looked like a great pick at the beginning of the season but then Dom went into a slump and, just when he started to break out of it, he hit a series of injuries and suspensions. The bearded dude went with Lamine Sané, taking a hard left turn from offense to defense. Right now I’d put Nani ahead in the team MVP race, with guys like Will Johnson, Sané, Robin Jansson, Sebas Mendez, Tesho Akindele, and Ruan all in striking distance.

Breakout Player

Alek: Chris Mueller.

Andrew: Chris Mueller.

Jennifer: Tesho Akindele.

Scott: Alex De John.

Dave: Tesho Akindele.

Bearded Guy: Benji Michel.

Michael: Sebas Mendez.

This is a more difficult category to define at the season’s midway point. Certainly Mueller has improved in 2019 but I hesitate to call him the team’s breakout player. Akindele has been surprisingly productive when you look at his past numbers. Mendez has nearly been indispensable in the Lions’ midfield, but he plays the kind of position that doesn’t rack up statistics, so he could fly under the radar for many folks. It’s safe to say that De John and Michel are role players and not the team’s breakout player of 2019 (yet, anyway). You could make an argument in favor of Akindele, Mendez, or even Mueller. But for this spot I’d say Ruan has been the breakout star, despite his quiet last month or so. But it’s been close. On the other side, Joao Moutinho has been better than expected and if not for an unfortunate injury, the team’s breakout star could have been original Lion Cristian Higuita, who brought a previously unseen level of control and consistency to his game when he finally got his opportunity this year.

Bold Prediction

Alek: The team’s goal differential will be in the black this season.

Andrew: Orlando will have three players with 10+ goals for the first time.

Jennifer: The Lions will not only make the playoffs but land solidly in fifth place.

Scott: Orlando City will improve in every statistical category from last year.

Dave: Orlando City doesn’t change coaches mid-season.

Bearded Guy: Orlando City solidifies itself as an Eastern Conference juggernaut.

Michael: Sacha Kljestan will return to his Red Bulls-level assist numbers.

Scott and Dave took the bold approach of not going very bold, so their predictions are fairly predictably on point so far. Alek’s prediction is looking solid at this point, but it could go either way. Right now the club is at dead even for goals scored and conceded. Andrew could reach his prediction of three 10+ goal scorers. Nani should reach 10 goals if he stays healthy and Akindele could probably score four more. However, Mueller or Dwyer will need to add five goals over the final 12 games. That’s doable, but that third player is in jeopardy unless Dwyer hits a hot streak.

The bearded guy and Jennifer are likely falling short. Certainly the Lions are no juggernaut in the conference, as bearded dude wrote, but a good run could conceivably find the team finish in fifth to make Jennifer’s bold prediction come true.

Mine got blown up completely. Kljestan was a beast in the preseason matches we saw when the team pressed high and played a different formation. Once the season started, Kljestan immediately fell into a deeper lying role, the team didn’t press as high or as much, and he even fell out of the full-strength starting lineup when everyone is available. Kljestan has just one assist this season. Hey, it was supposed to be a bold prediction! No one went bolder than me except maybe the bearded guy.

Season Outlook

Alek: This is the season that the Lions finally make their presence known and James O’Connor will remain at the helm at the conclusion of the season.

Andrew: Orlando City will be scrapping for the last handful of playoff spots. My biggest hope for 2019 is that it’s simply more watchable.

Jennifer: I’m quite optimistic about this season.

Scott: This season will be much more entertaining, with fewer goals allowed and more goals scored, but ultimately the Lions will miss the playoffs.

Dave: There will be marked improvement. O’Connor will have everyone pulling the same direction and the team will score many more goals. This will just be the foundation, as the 2020 season will be the year to enjoy.

Bearded Guy: It’s going to be a roller coaster, but in the end, the club will see the Promised Land. I fully expect more wins than losses, thanks to defending our home.

Michael: This team is a couple of players away from completing the overhaul it needed, I’m not convinced the young strikers will be sufficient additions, and the attacking part of the midfield is still too thin. Some steps in the right direction will be made, but I don’t know that this team is ready to join the postseason party just quite yet.

I’m not sure how “known” Orlando’s presence is, with the team in ninth place, but Alek does seem on track for O’Connor to last the season. Andrew got his wish for a more watchable team in 2019 and he’s correct that scrapping for a final playoff spot seems to be where the team is headed. Jennifer’s outlook is still up in the air with 12 matches left. Scott’s and Dave’s outlooks are tracking for now. The bearded guy’s “Promised Land” is in sight, although still off in the distance, but the team has been a train wreck at home as far as being able to grind out results, with one of the worst home records in MLS. So, that part of his outlook didn’t bear fruit.

My outlook is tracking. The team still seems a few pieces removed from contending and although both Michel and Santiago Patino show promise, they aren’t sufficient additions to replace or pick up the slack for Dwyer. There’s still little attacking bite in the midfield and that often isolates the forward line and requires the fullbacks to serve as the playmakers. Orlando is trending in the right direction but the playoffs still seem more of a mirage than the oasis for which we’re looking.

Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 144: Gotham Rewind, Seattle Preview, and More

The Pride finished their home schedule with a loss to Gotham and hope to finish their road schedule with a win in Seattle.

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Solai Washington running onto a ball behind the Gotham defense.

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride tried to send their fans home happy in their regular-season home finale, but despite an impressive overall performance against the league leaders, the Pride wasted numerous chances in front of goal and paid for two big mistakes at the back in what ultimately ended as a 2-1 loss in a season filled with far too many defeats. Solai Washington did so many things well, but despite a month’s worth of chances, she could only muster one goal. Still, it was a promising outing albeit in a developing story that won’t continue much longer this year.

We discuss the key plays, players, and moments, look back at our score predictions from last week, and select our Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Marta, the reasons for the Pride’s struggles in 2026, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we look ahead to Sunday’s season finale at the Seattle Reign. The Pride opened their 2026 season with a home loss to the Reign but would like to close it with a road win over Seattle to enter the off-season on a positive note. It won’t be easy, as the Reign are clinging to the last playoff spot and trying to catch rival Portland as multiple teams are trying to catch them. We look at Orlando’s attempt to play spoiler, check back on the series history, compare the teams’ positions in the table, provide our key matchups, and more.

Here’s how Episode 144 went down:

0:15 – The Pride finished their home schedule with a good performance but another poor result against the league’s top team.

20:07 – Our mailbagbox has questions about the GOAT.

38:26 – Seattle was the first 2026 opponent and will be the last 2026 opponent. We preview for the last time this season.

Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 140: Bay FC Rewind, San Diego Preview, and More

The Pride keep their playoff hopes alive by eliminating Bay FC but things get tougher with San Diego visiting Friday.

Published

1 month ago

September 30, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Jacquie Ovalle dribbling toward the Bay FC defense.

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride remained perfect on the road against Bay FC with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Deuces were wild, as Haley McCutcheon, who wears jersey No. 2, scored in the second minute of both halves, and her two goals in California gave the midfielder her second brace of both the 2026 NWSL season and her career. Barbra Banda figured heavily in pulling defenders out of position on two of the three Orlando goals and assisted on Jacquie Ovalle’s right-footed thunderbolt in stoppage time to put the game away. But make no mistake, it’s not as if the Pride played well, turning the ball over often and conceding 28 shot attempts to the hosts.

We break down a road win that may have been more exhausting to watch than to play in (although I wouldn’t bet on it), check back on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Haley McCutcheon, where to most strongly place the blame for the Pride’s disappointing season, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we looked ahead to Friday, when Orlando will host San Diego Wave FC, looking to both complete a season sweep and to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. We look at the series history, provide our key matchups for the contest, and make our predictions for the final score.

Here’s how Episode 140 went down:

0:15 – The Pride improved to 2-1-1 under Yolanda Thomas, but a lot of good Cosette Morche saves were required to get that second win.

20:00- The mailbagbox asks us to play the blame game.

33:36 – The Pride continue to face California-based competition, but Friday’s opponent is much higher in the table than Sunday’s was.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City restarts its 2026 MLS campaign late tonight out west at San Jose.

Published

4 months ago

July 22, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Braian Ojeda taking a shot in a friendly against FC Dallas.

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a late night midweek matchup tonight between Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points) at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in 2026 and the first time the teams have met since 2024.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

Orlando City is 3-1-3 in the previous seven MLS meetings with the Quakes since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015. The Lions got their only away win in the series in the last meeting and enter tonight 1-1-2 on the road against San Jose.

The teams last met on May 18, 2024, with Jack Lynn coming off the bench to score the game’s only goal. Lynn’s strike in the 89th minute broke the scoreless deadlock and lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory.

The teams met in Orlando most recently way back on June 22, 2021, with the Lions beating the Quakes down, 5-0. Orlando got things started with an early penalty kick goal by Nani, followed by braces from Benji Michel and Daryl Dike to easily put the game away. The lasting memory from the game is Michel’s celebratory dance wearing a cowboy hat that came out of the stands.

Prior to that Orlando City romp, the last time the teams met was on Aug. 31, 2019 when the Lions got freight trained 3-0 at Avaya Stadium, giving the Quakes their first win in the series. San Jose’s offense came via a Chris Wondolowski brace and an early opening goal by Magnus Eriksson. Orlando looked flat and weary out of the gate.

The Lions were victorious in Exploria Stadium in the 2018 meeting on April 21, a 3-2 Orlando win. It was the first win in the series for either side after three straight draws. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer gave the Lions a 3-0 lead before Florian Jungwirth pulled two back in the game’s late stages.

The Lions led all of the first three matches in the second half only to see San Jose pull level, with two of those tying goals coming late. In the 2017 meeting, Carlos Rivas finally broke the scoreless tie and gave Orlando City the lead in the 81st minute, but Wondolowski spoiled the Lions’ night with an equalizer two minutes later as the teams drew at Avaya Stadium, 1-1.

In 2016, the Lions were gut-punched in the 94th minute in an emotional match that ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first home match following the Pulse nightclub tragedy and what appeared to be a storybook ending to a cathartic win turned sour on a last-gasp equalizer by Shea Salinas. Seb Hines — now the Orlando Pride’s head coach — opened the scoring for Orlando, only to see Chad Barrett tie it up. Julio Baptista restored the lead in stoppage time, but Salinas ruined everything.

The two teams also drew in the first meeting, a 1-1 affair at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Lions down to 10 men after Brek Shea was sent off in the first half. Kaká and Wondolowski each scored from the penalty spot four minutes apart in that initial meeting.

Overview

The teams meet tonight to get their post-World Cup portion of the season started. Orlando City has been terrible on the road all season long, keeping only one MLS opponent under two goals all year away from home and allowing five goals twice (at New York City FC and Nashville) and six goals twice (at LAFC and in the team’s most recent match away at FC Cincinnati just before the break).

Orlando City is a putrid 1-6-1 on the road this season, and now the Lions must face the Western Conference co-leaders tonight before coming home to face Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC at home on Saturday. They’ll have to play at least tonight’s game without Martin Ojeda, who is out with a thigh injury sustained some time between his first-half goal a week ago in a friendly against FC Dallas and the time the availability report dropped on Tuesday.

But it isn’t all bad news for the Lions, who should have both Antoine Griezmann and Dike in the lineup. Griezmann was the club’s highly prized and widely publicized summer Designated Player signing, while Dike’s return to Orlando came together more recently, following his departure from West Bromwich Albion. They’ll help the club’s offense, but the attack hasn’t been the issue in 2026 — it’s been the historically porous defense, which is on pace to shatter the MLS record for goals conceded.

Meanwhile, San Jose is one of the first half of the season’s biggest surprises, as the Quakes have been outstanding in 2026. Scoring 34 goals while conceding just 15, San Jose is among the league leaders in goals scored (tied for third), goals conceded (third), and goal differential (+19, third).

The Earthquakes are 4-2-1 at home and are coming off a 3-1 road win at Portland in their last game prior to the World Cup break. San Jose boasts Golden Boot challenger Preston Judd, who leads the Quakes with 11 goals, adding two assists in his 15 appearances. Ousseni Bouda has chipped in five goals and three assists. Niko Tsakiris leads the team with seven assists to go along with his two goals, but he’s still recovering from a lower body injury and is not available tonight. However, the arrival of Timo Werner (four goals and five assists in just seven games) has truly elevated Bruce Arena’s Quakes, and he’ll need to be one of the main focal points for the Orlando defense.

To have any shot at taking something from this game, the Lions will need to play better road defense than they have all season. Orlando can score goals, but with Ojeda out, Griezmann will need to adapt quickly, and someone other than the team’s leading scorer will need to find the net.

The Lions will play without Ojeda (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), Nolan Miller (knee), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archage (international duty). In addition, Marco Pasalic may or may not have returned to the team after the World Cup. He was not in training Monday, although interim head coach Martin Perelman said he expected the Croatian back soon. The Earthquakes will be without Nonso Adimabua (lower body), former Lion Earl Edwards Jr. (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), and Tsakiris (you guessed it, lower body…come on, San Jose).

Match Content

Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer

San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.

Defenders: Jamar Ricketts, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Benjamin Kikanovic.

Defensive Midfielders: Beau Lerouox, Ronaldo Vieira.

Attacking Midfielders: Timo Werner, Nick Fernandez, Ousseni Bouda.

Forwards: Preston Judd.

Bench: Jonathan Gonzalez, Dave Romney, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Jack Jasinski, Ian Harkes, Francesco Montali, Max Floriani, Darius Johnson.

Referees

REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Mike Nickerson.
4TH: Timothy Ford.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10:30 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!