SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast

Because last Wednesday's Challenge Cup match at Gotham FC was canceled (which we didn't even mention), the Orlando Pride came off consecutive shutout losses and had to host the defending champion Portland Thorns. What might seem to be a recipe for disaster was anything but that as the Pride rallied from a goal down to beat the mighty Thorns, 3-1. We talk through the game, which Dave got to see in person for a change, and selected our Player of the Match. We also discussed Adriana being nominated for NWSL Player of the Week.

The mailbagbox wanted to know how the Pride can bottle whatever happened on Sunday night to use in future games. We gave very different answers. You can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form.

Finally, we gave our key matchups and score predictions for a trip to North Carolina on Saturday to face the Courage. The Pride seem to have figured out home matches but need to do better away from Exploria Stadium if they want to climb a few more places in the standings to leap over the playoff line.

Here’s how Episode 10 went down:

0:15 – Our breakdown of the Pride's outstanding win over Portland.

19:13 – Mailbagbox time, and we get the perfect question.

25:20 - Our preview and predictions for the Pride's trip to North Carolina.

The Orlando Pride played without Adriana and Rafaelle and got only a half out of Marta and Barbra Banda, but still managed to bring home a hard-fought road point after a 1-1 draw against the Wave in San Diego. The Pride remain unbeaten in Southern California and on the 2024 season thanks to an acrobatic goal from Julie Doyle. We break down the match, check back on our score predictions (one of us nailed it), and made our selections for Player of the Match.

Banda and Emily Sams made the NWSL Team of the Month for May, and the Pride's Zambian striker was also the league's Player of the Month. Both are well-deserved honors for Banda, and it's nice to see Sams recognized for her outstanding efforts.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us about the Pride's unsung hero, Sophia Smith's silly sending off, Anna Moorhouse's performance Friday night, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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, the Pride will visit the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. The Pride blasted the Courage the first time the teams met, but North Carolina has a perfect home record in 2024, so Orlando will have to be better than it was in San Diego. We hit you with our preview, key matchups, and score predictions for this week's game.

Here’s how Episode 47 went down:

0:15 – The Pride didn't win for the first time in a while, but still got a good road result. Plus, some Orlando players gained league recognition.

17:34 – The mailbagbox gives us a chance to provide much-needed answers to our listeners' most penetrating questions.

35:58 – The Pride head to North Carolina to take on the Courage.

Just one game after clinching the 2024 NWSL Shield, the Orlando Pride gave some starters a much-needed rest. While lineup changes have not prevented the Pride from getting positive results throughout the season, this time it was different. There were too many new faces in the lineup and the players attached to those faces did not perform well against what had been a struggling Portland Thorns side — but a proud franchise desperate to reach the postseason for its retiring captain. The venue, the surface, the crowd, the circumstances, and the rotation were too much for Orlando to overcome in their totality. Even the insertion of key starters in the second half couldn't turn the tide in a 2-0 road loss.

Still, one loss may teach the team more than all the wins and draws that came before it. That will be the hope of Seb Hines as his team approaches the postseason as the league's top seed.

For the first time all season, we look back on a Pride loss. We also check our score predictions from last week, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us about electrical stuff, songs, which teams will make the playoffs, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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 the mailbagbox, we spent some time digesting the (awful) name of the new NWSL franchise in Boston. We also discussed some Pride international call-ups.

Finally, we looked ahead to the Pride's matchup Sunday at Gotham FC. Last years champs have a defense like Orlando's as well as a good offense and Gotham will be seeking revenge for its recent loss at Inter&Co Stadium. We give the two teams' tale of the tape, select our key matchups, and make our score predictions.

Here’s how Episode 65 went down:

0:15 – The Pride went west and rested some starters. Things went...poorly.

23:51 – Our mailbagbox is both soccer-related and random. Plus, a bad team name and more Pride news.

51:45 – The Pride look to get back on track against Gotham FC on the road.

Our off-season schedule continues as we reconvene for a December episode and there was more to talk about this time around. The Pride have been busy since our last show and the pattern has started to clarify what the 2024 squad will look like, as well as some of the position groups beyond the next NWSL campaign.

The discussion begins at the back as we talk about the Pride adding one goalkeeper before subtracting another, bringing that position group into focus for the season ahead (and probably beyond). We welcome Sofia Manner in from Finland and say goodbye to the departing Carly Nelson, who is returning to her native Utah.

After the goalkeeper talk, we discussed whether the Orlando Pride overachieved under Seb Hines in 2023. Did Hines get more out of his squad than we should have expected? Did he get the perfect amount? Or did he not quite get as much as the roster had to offer?

Our mailbagbox, asked us about the Pride as a holiday song, what the new midfield signings mean, and about what Haley Carter has brought to the club. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form.

After we answer the mail, we turn our attention to the back line. Orlando has been busily signing the 2023 starting back four to new deals, with three of the four now under contract through 2026, while Rafaelle is under contract through 2025. It's clear that the club likes this group and it's putting its money on it. If they can become even more cohesive in 2024, it'll be a move that pays off.

Finally we turn our attention toward that midfield question from the mailbagbox. The Pride have added a pair of Brazilian internationals to the central midfield and it appears the majority of the roster is now signed through either 2025 or 2026, meaning there should be some continuity across the next couple of seasons. Angelina and Luana, meanwhile, could vastly improve the Pride's central midfield and they should assimilate quickly since they're used to playing between defender Rafaelle and attackrs Adriana and Marta. They could help spring Orlando's faster forwards and may also assist with helping the Pride's fullbacks work the ball up the field with fewer turnovers.

Here’s how Episode 31 went down:

0:15 – The Orlando Pride goalkeeper position seems set for 2024, but who will win the starting job remains to be seen.

17:18 – The mailbagbox is the lifeblood of the show. Thanks for the questions!

24:06 – The Pride's back line has no anxiety whatsoever about contracts for the next couple of years and the midfield has added even more Brazilian ingredients to the roster.

The Orlando Pride just keep setting league records. They aren't necessarily the NWSL records you want to set and then continue to break, but Orlando doesn't seem concerned with the details. After all, the Pride have conceded three straight goals that each broke the league's record for latest goal conceded. Two of those came in Orlando's 2-0 home loss Saturday against NJ/NY Gotham FC at Exploria Stadium.

We break down what we saw of the game — and rant about Paramount+ over what we didn't see — and make our Player of the Match selections for another difficult loss.

After that, we're joined by Cindy Lara from the Kansas City Soccer Journal (formerly the SBNation blog known as The Blue Testament but now an indendent website like ours). Cindy gives us the scoop on Orlando's next regular-season opponent, the Kansas City Current, what it's like adding Brazilian superstar Debinha to the squad, all the injuries the team has suffered through early in the season and the team's overall outlook. Big thanks to Cindy for coming on the show.

After talking with Cindy, we discuss Julie Doyle's longterm injury and the signing of Maliah Morris as her replacement before diving into a very full mailbagbox. Look, we tried to keep this show under an hour and we almost made it but you guys asked a lot of questions, so really it's on you. You can ask us anything on Twitter by tweeting to @SkoPurpSoccer with the hashtag #AskSkoPurp.

Finally, we gave our key match-ups and score predictions for the Pride's matches this week against the North Carolina Courage and the Kansas City Current.

Here’s how the show went down:

0:15 – The Pride lost in Kaylie Collins' NWSL debut, but does it count if no one outside the stadium could see it?

24:35 – Cindy Lara lends us her expertise on the Current.

39:35 – Julie Doyle's knock, a new attacker, and predictions for North Carolina and KC.