Orlando City hosts Toronto FC Saturday night and it’ll be the first of two meetings. A lot has changed with Toronto, so we invited an expert to join us and answer our questions about the Reds. James Grossi, beat writer for TFC’s official website (torontofc.ca), jumps on with us right away and we ask all about John Herdman’s style, how he’s gotten the team’s Italian stars to buy in, and much more. Big thanks to James for his time.

This week’s mailbagbox was a little light, but it did have one intriguing question…at least to us. We gave it the thoughtful answer it deserved. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

Finally, we turned our attention to our Toronto FC preview, looking at the leaders on the team and selecting our key matchups for Saturday night’s game as well as our score predictions. Will the Lions keep their unbeaten run going or will TFC spoil the party?

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next show.

Here’s how No. 413 went down:

0:15 – Just seconds into our show, we welcome James Grossi aboard to tell us all about Toronto FC.

24:01 – Our mailbagbox throws us a curveball, but we are up to the challenge of answering the question.

36:35 – Previewing the Reds and our key matchups and score predictions.

The Orlando Pride suddenly find themselves on a winning streak to go with their unbeaten streak to start the season. Orlando dispatched the San Diego Wave 1-0 in a game that should not have finished that close, as the Pride dominated long stretches of the match, but largely wasted a 20-4 advantage in shots. We break down the match, check on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

Barbra Banda made her long-awaited Pride debut against the Wave. She didn’t score, but she had her chances, and she showed how adept she is at getting into dangerous areas. Banda should be a great addition to Orlando’s roster.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us about Brianna Martinez, former Pride players who might make good coaches, NWSL expansion, the biggest challenges on Orlando’s schedule, 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 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.

We finished the show with our preview of Orlando visiting the Washington Spirit on Friday night. The Pride swept the regular-season series last year but didn’t fare as well in the Challenge Cup. Can Orlando keep things rolling in the regular season against a talented Washington squad? We provide our key matchups for the game and our score predictions.

Here’s how Episode 40 went down:

0:15 – The Pride finally got their first home win over a California team. We discuss.

18:15 – The mailbagbox has many questions.

37:37 – Previewing the Spirit ahead of the Pride’s trip to Washington.

Orlando City’s regular-season series against CF Montreal is over already, and nobody won. The teams played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday night at Stade Saputo, with the Lions looking like the better side in the first half and the hosts controlling much of the second period. We finally saw some attacking players score their first goals of the season, too, so it was another positive step forward for the 2024 Lions. We break down the match, check our score predictions, and make our selections for Man of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us how the Lions will utilize new player rules regarding Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative signings. Our listeners also wondered what positions we would target in the summer transfer window. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

Finally, we turned our attention toward Orlando City B. The Young Lions went to Crown Legacy on Friday. The Carolina-based side made it through 2023 without a home loss, but that’s not going to happen in 2024. OCB went to Matthews, NC, and came away with a 2-0 victory. It wasn’t exactly one of the drunkest MLS NEXT Pro games we’ve ever seen, but we’ll take the result any day of the week. Congrats on the goals to Alex Freeman and Shak Mohammed.

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next show.

Here’s how No. 412 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City completed its two-game road swing, earning four of a possible six points. We dissect the most recent match in Montreal.

21:19 – Our mailbagbox asks us about Designated Players and U22 Initiative players, as well as other stuff.

31:41 – OCB handled its business with a complete 2-0 win on the road at Crown Legacy.