We're back with our first show of the 2026 calendar year and there's a lot to talk about. We start things off with the bad news: Emily Sams has played her last game with the Orlando Pride (barring some wacky future return). The Pride traded Sams — at her request — to Angel City, and even though the club got a pile of intraleague transfer funds in return, it just doesn't feel like enough. We discuss the disarray now prevalent in the center back position group with the Sams departure and Kylie Nadaner's pregnancy.

We also discussed two new arrivals who can play center back even though they should probably stick to fullback. The Pride brought in Hailie Mace and Hannah Anderson to help on the back line. Both are versatile, but neither is Sams at center back.

Our mailbagbox is a short one this time out, as we're asked if more Pride players will depart or arrive between now and the start of the season. 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.

After our mailbagbox, we spend slightly less time discussing Grace Chanda's departure than Chanda spent on the pitch for the Pride. That's a little bit of an exaggeration, but not as much of one as you'd think.

Finally, we discussed the big news: Orlando has found a new vice president of soccer operations and general manager to replace Haley Carter. Stepping into the role is former Kansas City Current GM Caitlin Carducci, who brings a wealth of experience in various disciplines to Orlando in much the same way Carter did. If it also makes the Current weaker, it's twice as good of a hire as it appears to be on the surface.

We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 112 went down:

0:15 – Sams is gone, as we start the show on a down note for the second consecutive episode.

19:41 - Our mailbagbox seems nervous about players leaving.

28:05 - Grace Chanda departs but the Pride have a new GM, so perhaps a replacement on the roster won't be far away.

[Note: This episode was recorded Monday night, prior to the Pride signing Hailie Mace on Tuesday.]

The Orlando Pride are coming off back-to-back NWSL semifinal appearances, and much of the credit for that just walked out the door. Haley Carter is leaving her post as the club's vice president of soccer operations and sporting director to pursue other opportunities. It was not welcome news, as Carter has done well to help install the right kind of culture with the Pride — one that shows the utmost respect for the players and protects them from the kind of things that have given the NWSL a few black eyes over the years. Her legacy is turning Orlando into a place players want to play and turning a perennial doormat into one of the better clubs in the league, both on and off the pitch.

After our discussion about Carter's departure, we discussed Emily Sams playing for the USWNT in her club's home stadium and her thoughts on Carter's departure.

Our mailbagbox basically just wants to dunk on the Washington Spirit for this episode, but at least Washington got to the final game. That said, it probably hurts worse to lose a final than a semifinal, so...yeah. 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.

After our mailbagbox, we went through the Pride's end-of-season contract status update. Orlando has 23 players under contract for 2026 (24 with Tuesday's signing of Hailie Mace), and we tell you who is and isn't on the squad at the moment. There weren't a ton of surprises, but we will miss Carson Pickett's golazos and Simone Charley's fire.

We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 111 went down:

0:15 – Haley Carter built a thing and then let it go, because if you love something, you set it free. Yeah, let's go with that.

11:53 - Our mailbagbox just wants the Washington Spirit to feel shame.

21:52 - All player contract statuses are accounted for. We wish Ally Watt good luck in Denver (except when she plays Orlando).

[Note: This episode was recorded Monday night, prior to the news late afternoon that Haley Carter is leaving the Pride's front office to pursue other opportunities. We will, rest assured, address that news on our next show.]

The Orlando Pride just couldn't score. The team played well against Gotham FC, particularly on the defensive end and in the middle of the pitch, but the team's inability to find a goal — coupled with a late set piece goal conceded off an iffy foul call just outside the area — ended Orlando's bid to repeat as NWSL champions. The game could have gone either way, but it went the wrong way. We break down the heartbreaking loss, check on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match (we split the vote this time).

The Pride may also be on the move in terms of training location. We briefly discussed the club's intentions to put everyone at the same facility at Osceola Heritage Park, which would be a boost in the facilities arms race for Orlando.

Our mailbagbox wants to know if the NWSL will follow MLS in changing to a fall-to-spring schedule, if the Pride's attendance will keep going up, if Marta should become a super sub, 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.

After our mailbagbox, we briefly talked about Luana's new contract before going player by player through the Pride's roster and determine whether we think that player will stay for next season or go, and whether or not we want them to stay or go. Listen in real time as I struggle to remember who Kat Asman is, and as we forget Cosette Morche and Elyse Bennett completely. Yeah, we were not ready to do stays/goes yet.

We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 110 went down:

0:15 – The Pride didn't score, so the Pride didn't win. It's as simple as that. But it's also not. The team played well apart from lacking goals.

20:28 - Our mailbagbox is searching for answers.

36:00 - Stays/goes time. We discuss contract situations and try to predict how the 2026 roster will shake out.

The Orlando Pride hosted the Seattle Reign for the second consecutive weekend and there was a lot more on the line the second time. The Pride scored a well-worked goal in the opening 21 minutes, defended like hell, and rode the sheer force of Marta's will to a late insurance goal to beat the Seattle Reign 2-0 at home Friday to advance to the NWSL playoff semifinals. It was a match reminiscent of last year's playoff run with Haley McCutcheon opening the scoring and the Pride putting the clamps on the opposition's offense.

We look back at a huge win in the playoff opener, McCutcheon going full McClutcheon, Marta's refusal to be denied, and the emotional finish with Luana's first Orlando Pride goal to cap things off. We also checked back on our score predictions and made our selections for Player of the Match.

After our Seattle playoff rewind, we dive into a gigantic mailbagbox. Our listeners wanted to know how embarrassed the Kansas City Current should be after losing at home to Gotham FC, whether Seb Hines was snubbed for an end-of-season award, who the Pride should court for a leg sleeve sponsor, whether a certain former-player-turned-pundit should shut up, 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.

After our mailbagbox, we previewed Sunday's semifinal match at home against Gotham FC. The Pride fell into a second postseason home match in the 2025 playoffs, and now they have an opportunity to take advantage of playing in front of their own fans with a trip to a second straight league final on the line. Gotham isn't a normal No. 8 seed, so there's no room for taking Sunday's visitors lightly, especially after they ousted the seemingly unbeatable Current.

We look at the series history, provide our key matchups, and try our best to predict the final score.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 109 went down:

0:15 – The Pride put a crooked number on the board Friday and didn't allow a goal, so based on that math, you can surmise Orlando won its playoff game over Seattle. We discuss it.

19:53 - Our mailbagbox is absolutely supersized and presents a lot of questions and comments at the expense of the Kansas City Current.

46:51 - Gotham slew the dragon in Kansas City and will visit the Pride on Sunday in the NWSL semifinals. We preview.

The Orlando Pride hosted the Seattle Reign Sunday on the final matchday of the 2025 NWSL regular season. The Reign spoiled things by scoring just three minutes after Orlando’s late goal, preventing the Pride from finishing third. However, the club still managed to snare a top-four position in the final standings. As a result, these same teams will play Friday in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals.

We discuss the Decision Day matchup, including the last-minute change Seb Hines had to make at the top of his formation, Orlando’s continuing struggle to score goals, and the decisive plays late in the game. We also looked back at our score predictions and make our selections for Player of the Match.

After our Seattle rewind, we dive into our mailbagbox. Our listeners wanted to know about Carson Pickett at striker, which team we don’t want to win the NWSL championship, 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.

After our mailbagbox, we discuss the NWSL playoff bracket, which does not include re-seeding after the quarterfinals. As a result, top seed Kansas City, should it win, will face either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the semifinals, even if the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds pull off upsets on the other side of the bracket. Is that fair? We think not. We’re not weeping for the Current, but we know we wouldn’t like it if it happened to Orlando.

Finally, we chat about Friday’s playoff game. The schedule forces Seattle to choose between flying back and forth across the country before Friday or staying on the road in Orlando. We know the teams just played, but we still have your key matchups and score predictions for the match.

If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 108 went down:

0:15 – As has been the most common result between the teams, the Pride and Reign split the points. These teams historically haven’t liked picking a winner when they square off. If that happens Friday, it’ll mean a penalty shootout.

22:33 – Our mailbagbox has questions about ChatGPT and other stuff.

32:32 – Pride and Reign Round 3 has much more on the line than the first two rounds.

The Orlando Pride return from the international break looking to close out the regular season strong and win a home playoff match on Decision Day. To finish third, the Pride will need to get past the Seattle Reign on Sunday with Orlando's international players returning from all over the world, and some will be on short rest.

Before we get to that preview, we looked inside this week's mailbagbox, which was a light one. Our listeners are curious whether it's more likely for Orlando to repeat as NWSL Championship winners or that Marta will start for the Pride on Decision Day next year. 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.

After our mailbagbox, we looked at the all-time series between Seattle and Orlando. The two teams enjoy splitting the points against each other, playing to numerous draws over the years. Orlando wants all three points to finish third, but so does Seattle, which sits just one point behind the Pride. We broke down where the teams are and how they've fared against one another, provided our key matchups for Sunday, and made our final score predictions.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 107 went down:

0:15 – We open the show with a little international talk and a brief mailbagbox.

12:35 - Orlando hosts the Reign in a crucial Decision Day matchup.

For our sanity, we opted not to really talk much about the Orlando Pride's 1-1 Concacaf W Champions Cup draw against Pachuca last week, aside from discussing our opinion of the way squad rotation made things more difficult for both matches rather than more difficult for one and less difficult for the other.

However, we were happy to discuss the Pride's wild 3-2 win at Washington on Saturday afternoon. Kerry Abello was hell bent on putting the ball in every net she could find, both teams scored for the other side, and Marta scored the game winner on a slickly approached penalty. It was the third win in four games and perhaps a sign that Orlando is getting better at the right time. Goals are still difficult to come by without help, but wins are wins and we don't care much how they go in.

We looked back at our pessimistic score predictions, discussed all the big moments and players (good and bad), and made our selections for Player of the match.

This week's mailbagbox asked us to be more specific with our messaging to Abello, wondered which kind of goal contribution Haley Carter wants from Jacquie Ovalle, 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.

Orlando is off this week. Several Pride players won't be, as they return to their national teams for the international break. Hopefully everyone comes back fully fit and ready to finish the regular season strong as the club heads toward the playoffs.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 106 went down:

0:15 – The Pride got a much-needed road win in Washington to keep some positive momentum going in the league, despite crashing out of continental competition with a disappointing home draw.

20:11 - The mailbagbox is seriously invested in fully weaponizing Kerry Abello, and the international break is here to wreck Orlando's momentum. We hate that last bit.

The Orlando Pride got a much-needed win on Friday, thanks to a stoppage-time own goal from the Portland Thorns off a Marta corner kick. The Pride played well in the second half after a first-half stalemate, but the goals continue to elude Orlando's attacking players. Ally Watt's brace didn't count because the speedy forward couldn't stay onside. However, we were glad to see Portland illustrate our repeated message that putting the ball in the box on set pieces is a good idea.

We looked back at our score predictions for the Portland match, discussed all the important moments and players, and made our selections for Player of the match.

After our Portland rewind, we discussed Orlando trading Zambian international forward Prisca Chilufya to Angel City FC. Parting ways with an attacking piece, despite being offensively challenged and jockeying for playoff position, speaks volumes about how expendable the Pride found Chilufya. The page has been turned, and we looked back at a forgettable Pride career for the Zambian.

This week's mailbagbox asked us about Marta's performance, Portland's goalkeeper, our off-season passions, what does MVP really mean, and much 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.

Orlando has a big midweek Concacaf W Champions Cup match against CF Pachuca, with the winner advancing and the loser going home. We opine on whether the Pride should prioritize this match or Saturday's NWSL road trip to Washington in terms of squad rotation.

Finally, we previewed Saturday's visit to play the Spirit. Washington is locked into second place, but the Spirit would like nothing more than to knock the Pride down the standings heading into the postseason. Orlando needs to scratch out a result to stay in contention for a spot in the top four and a home playoff match. We look at the series history, preview the game, provide our key matchups, and make our score predictions.

If you'd like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we'd love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 105 went down:

0:15 – The Pride got a last-gasp winner against Portland, and even though the Thorns scored it on themselves, it still counts. Plus, goodbye to Prisca.

17:19 - The mailbagbox was massive after a light one last week.

39:07 - The Pride host Pachuca in the midweek and then have to travel to Washington to take on the Spirit on short rest. That seems less than optimal.