The 2025 calendar year is upon us, and after an exhaustive recounting of the 2024 season through our Top 10 Moments and our Season in Review articles on every Orlando City and Orlando Pride player, it is time to expand our thoughts to look back not just on the 2024 season, but on the full decade of the 2020s, which is somehow now halfway over. American soccer teams do not operate in the same manner as clubs do in Europe, where a club like Arsenal has both a men’s and women’s soccer team under the same moniker and ownership, but we do have cities, like Orlando, that have men’s and/or women’s teams. What if we looked at American cities to see which cities have produced the best professional soccer results thus far this decade, and looked to see how Orlando compares? What if, indeed. Let’s go.

When I started pulling together all the data for this, I thought it was going to be pretty simple, and I would just use the MLS and NWSL standings and playoff results and then start writing. Easy, like Sunday morning. But then I thought about the U.S. Open Cup, which, in case you forgot (let’s be honest, there is no way you forgot), Orlando City won in 2022. And then I thought that if I was including the U.S. Open Cup, I should also include the Leagues Cup, since every MLS team participated in that competition. And that reminded me of the NWSL x Liga MX Feminil Summer Cup, which then reminded me of other international competitions like the Concacaf Champions Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, and last but not least, the Concacaf W Champions Cup.

Funny story about that Concacaf W Champions Cup though, it is a brand new competition and it is actually a 2024-2025 tournament, so it will not conclude until later this year. Teams qualified in 2023 to play in a tournament in 2024 that finishes in 2025. Ah FIFA, how I enjoy thee. The Pride will play in the second edition of this cup later this year, by virtue of WINNING ALL THE 2024 NWSL THINGS, but for now I was not able to include the results of the first edition since it still ongoing. My apologies to the two NWSL clubs (Gotham and Portland) still alive in this cup.

Back to all the competitions, here is the official list of competitions that I included (M = men’s competitions and W = women’s competitions)

• M: MLS regular season (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• M: MLS playoffs (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• M: Concacaf Champions Cup (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• M: U.S. Open Cup (2022, 2023, 2024) [2020 and 2021 were not played due to COVID-19]
• M: Leagues Cup (2023, 2024)
• M: FIFA Club World Cup (played every year, Seattle qualified in 2022)
• W: NWSL regular season (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) [2020 was not played due to COVID-19]
• W: NWSL playoffs (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• W: NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup (2024)
• W: NWSL Challenge Cup (2020)
• W: NWSL Fall Series (2020)

I used a pretty simple scoring rubric to allocate points to those teams who did well in each competition — six points to the winner, four for second place, three for third place, two for fourth place, and one for fifth place. Teams could share points, and often did, since in many knockout competitions there would not be a third-place game, so I would assign both teams that lost in a semifinal as the third-place winners and recipients of three points.

For the regular seasons in MLS and in the NWSL I used the league table, and so while for playoff seeding the leagues would use tiebreakers to differentiate among teams, I did not, meaning that the 2023 Pride, for example, tied for fifth place in the NWSL regular season and earned one point for the city of Orlando, even though they ended up seventh overall and out of the playoffs once the league tiebreakers were evaluated. MLS and NWSL use different setups, so I thought that was a fair way to do it. Feel free to disagree with me in the comments. Or, and I like this idea a little better, laud me and write thousands dozens of words of praise for my innovative and creative (read: not really that innovative or creative) method of assigning points.

Enough preamble, it is time to see which cities racked up the points in the 2020s based on the performances by the men’s and women’s teams who play there. Without any further ado:

Now, I can already hear the grumbling, “…but Los Angeles and New York City each have three teams, so of course they have the most points.” I mean, yes, but also no. While New York City has had three teams (New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, and Gotham FC/Sky Blue) for all five years of this decade, Los Angeles only added Angel City during the 2022 season. Additionally, of the 27 cities that had at least one team in MLS or NWSL, eight scored five or fewer points during the first five years of this decade, so while it certainly does help to have three teams, having more teams is not guaranteed to generate success.

The city of Chicago is a great example, the Chicago Fire and Chicago Red Stars both played all five seasons in the 2020s but their combined points (13) rank 14th overall, and behind four cities that only had one club each (Philadelphia, Columbus, Miami and Cincinnati).

I would also like to spend a moment to point out that in recent years there has been great debate about who the current “soccer city of the south” is. MLS and FIFA would love you to believe it is Miami, with how far back they bend to help out that club, but the results on the field do not make that case (Miami ranked 11th by my scoring), though certainly Miami has done much better in the last two years. Atlanta won an MLS Cup in 2018, but during this decade they have done very little, earning only four points. Nashville scored seven points, and Charlotte, which entered MLS in 2022, has only earned one point in three seasons. Houston is probably the city that has the best argument, as the Dash and Dynamo have both had some success, but not to the degree of, you were waiting for it, the City Beautiful.

While Orlando City has now had several years of sustained success under Head Coach Óscar Pareja, including the U.S. Open Cup title in 2022, top-five finishes in the league table in 2020 and 2023, and making the Eastern Conference final in 2024, the Pride’s successes were only really in this past season, but they were massive, as the team claimed both of The Mane Land’s No. 2 and No. 1 moments of 2024 by winning the NWSL Shield and NWSL Cup, respectively. Those two titles account for 12 points by my scoring rubric, two-thirds of the total number of points that Orlando City scored over five seasons. A monster season will do that for you, and in this case it is not a competition between the two teams but a symbiotic relationship, with those points going towards Orlando’s overall totals. That total placed them seventh overall and fifth among cities that have both a men’s and women’s team.

In future years, I expect that there will be more competitions for the women’s teams in the United States to enter, as the entertainment world and FIFA are slowly waking up to the idea that there is an audience for elite soccer played by both men and women, and I hope that it is sooner rather than later that we see a similar number of domestic and international club competitions for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride to qualify for and compete in.

In 2025, we should see Orlando City in MLS, hopefully the MLS playoffs, Leagues Cup, and possibly the U.S. Open Cup. The Lions did not qualify for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup or the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (I would like to point out that Inter Miami did not really qualify for this tournament either, but is in because it has Lionel Messi on the roster). We should see the Pride in the NWSL, hopefully the NWSL playoffs, Concacaf W Champions Cup, and possibly another tournament still to be determined.

There will be ample opportunities for both clubs to add points to my theoretical city rankings for the decade of the 2020s, and possibly even vault up to top-five-city status. I look forward to watching and writing about it whether they do or not, but it will be whole lot more fun if they add some more banners and hardware to the trophy collection.

Vamos Orlando!

New Year’s resolutions are a common way for many to get back on track or to continue progress already made. While I don’t personally make such resolutions, I can see how committing to bettering one’s self can provide motivation heading into a new year. That got me thinking about what resolutions some Orlando City and Orlando Pride players and staff might make at the start of 2025.

Most of these are tongue in cheek, so take these resolutions with the mirth and amusement with which they are given.

Seb Hines

What could the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year possibly improve upon in 2025? It can’t be to smile more. I think I’ve literally only seen him not smiling on the sidelines one time. That’s it. Even when he’s having words with the officials he’s got a grin on his face. I certainly don’t want him to change that positive attitude since it’s what helped build the culture of a winning Pride. Instead, I want Hines to take a little credit for himself, even if just in his own heart.

Oscar Pareja

Oscar Pareja has taken Orlando City to five straight playoff appearances, won the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, and proven the early season doubters wrong time and again. It would be easy to say he should resolve to win the whole flipping thing, but I’m certain that is already his goal. Instead, I want him to resolve to be a little more flexible in his starting lineups. Pareja has a tendency to stick with a lineup match after match if he thinks it’s working. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the opponent, a change at say, striker, might be a good idea. You can do it, Papi!

Rodrigo Schlegel

You may not have noticed, but Rodrigo Schlegel has grown mentally and emotionally over the last few seasons. He has always had a bit of hot headedness in his play. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you can focus that passion so you don’t get as many fouls, that’s even better. He has done that the last two seasons. He’ll be fighting for a starting spot yet again this off-season, and I think he should continue to grow in his ability to employ the dark arts without losing that fire he has in his belly.

Julie Doyle

Julie Doyle brings a lot of things to the pitch. She can contribute goals and assists, she brings fire and attitude, and she has bought into the Pride culture. What I want from her in 2025 is to bring back the Doyle Buns. I have absolutely no stats to back this up, but I feel she plays better when her hair is in double Doyle Buns formation (see picture below). It doesn’t have to be every match, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen them.

It should be obvious that Doyle’s hairstyle has nothing to do with how she plays, but since that is the case, why not bring back the buns?

Cesar Araujo/Wilder Cartagena

Orlando City’s colors are purple and gold. I feel that Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena might think they are purple and yellow with as many yellow cards they’ve earned. In 2024, the pair earned 18 yellow cards between them, which was two more than the 16 in 2023. While defensive midfielders are the most prone to be booked, given their role on the pitch, perhaps they could resolve to limit that number to avoid suspensions.

Haley McCutcheon

Haley McCutcheon was the “I didn’t see that coming” goal scorer for the Pride in the playoffs. She scored the first goal of the playoffs to give Orlando the lead in the 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars.

She then scored the Pride’s first goal in the 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Current to get the Orlando offense started.

If it’s not too much to ask, perhaps McCutcheon could resolve to start scoring goals earlier in the year? I don’t see the need for her to wait until the playoffs.

Luis Muriel

Luis Muriel is one of those players who needed more time to adapt to MLS. Based on his play down the stretch, it seems he’s finally comfortable with the league and his team, and he has settled in to his new home in Orlando. His resolution should be to break into the starting lineup for Orlando City. As a Designated Player, he garners a hefty paycheck, and I want the goal contributions to be commensurate with his contract.

Marta

Does anyone know where the Fountain of Youth is? I want nothing more for Marta than to stop time and keep her energy, pace, and health at 2024 levels. She was a critical component in the Pride’s historical season. As such, whatever she needs to do to bring it all again in 2025 is what she should resolve to do. Actually, I think everyone else should resolve to do whatever they can to help Marta. All of the coaches, trainers, teammates, and the front office should make her their resolution.

Obviously, I’ve only scratched the surface of the possibilities here. Now, I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below. Happy New Year!

Welcome to the second day of the new year, Mane Landers. I didn’t do anything too monumental to ring in 2025, but it was still a fairly good start. I’ve foolishly increased my reading goal even though I didn’t hit it last year, but I’m feeling pretty optimistic. Before we get going, we here at The Mane Land want to give a special shout out to Steele Mycroft for signing up for a TAM Player-level membership on our Buy Me a Coffee page. By signing up at one of our three levels of support, our readers and podcast listeners can enjoy added benefits in addition to keeping our bills paid so we can continue doing what we do.

With that, let’s dive into today’s links!

Women’s Soccer to Watch in 2025

While most of our attention will be on whether the Orlando Pride can repeat as NWSL champions, there’s plenty worth keeping an eye on in women’s soccer this year. We’ll get to see how Brazil does without Marta in this summer’s Copa América Femenina in Ecuador. We also may get to see Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with Zambia in Group A along with host Morocco, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Every FIFA confederation will also have a club champion by the end of the year, with the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup and AFC Women’s Champions League wrapping up. There’s also the new UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, which should put a spotlight on smaller European teams.

Predicting 2025 for USMNT and USWNT

Stars and Stripes FC made predictions for how 2025 will go for both the United States Men’s National Team and United States Women’s National Team. It predicts that the USWNT will go undefeated this year, beating some of the world’s best teams along the way. Plenty of attention will be on Lily Yohannes this year, and this month’s Futures Camp is also worth noting. I’m personally hoping the Pride’s Emily Sams can claim the center back spot alongside Naomi Girma.

As for the USMNT, Stars and Stripes FC predicts it will win both the Concacaf Nations League and Concacaf Gold Cup this year. I’m mostly excited to see how Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino unlocks the offense, and I agree that Ricardo Pepi is in a great spot to score plenty of goals.

James Sands Loaned to St. Pauli

New York City FC midfielder James Sands is headed to the Bundesliga, joining St. Pauli on loan until the end of June. The loan can also be extended through the following European season if conditions are met. The 24-year-old has already spent time in Europe, joining Rangers on loan back in 2022, but the Bundesliga should be a new kind of challenge for him. St Pauli is just four points clear of the relegation zone and Sands may help the club ensure its spot in the league next year.

MLS Teams Reportedly Interested in Marcus Rashford

A move to MLS could be an option for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, who has not been receiving much playing time at the club as of late. The 27-year-old still has three and a half years on his contract, but an exit before then feels inevitable. He will likely have options to stay in Europe, but MLS teams are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation and could convince Rashford to play in the U.S. While it’s not particularly novel that MLS teams would want someone of Rashford’s caliber, it’s nice that such a move isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Free Kicks

• Austin FC signed Ilie Sanchez through 2025, removing another notable free agent from the market. The 34-year-old recorded 10 goals and 18 assists in his time with LAFC and Sporting Kansas City since joining the league in 2017.
• The Athletic ($) dove into how Christian Pulisic will be affected by AC Milan hiring Sergio Conceicao.
• Wrexham had a minor setback in its fight for promotion after a 2-1 loss to Barnsley dropped it to third in the League One standings. While a loss never helps, there’s still plenty of the season left to go.
• Arsenal moved up to second in the English Premier League after a 3-1 win over Brentford. Liverpool has a six-point lead and a game in hand over Arsenal, but the transfer window could change things up in the second half of the season.

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