It's been a few weeks since we last shipped a factory-fresh episode of the PawedCast, but we're back to drop off this audio present that discusses the news that's happened since early in the month.

However, we start with an update on The Mane Land's current situation with regard to whether or not we are going to be able to continue service in 2026. Right now, we're remaining optimistic amidst several people offering to help out. We're going through some "practice recaps" from prospective writers and trying to determine who can help us on the editing side. We would love to keep going, but we are spread far too thin to carry on as we have in the past. If you want to get involved, here's what we're talking about and what to do if you're in a position to help.

After our update, we discuss some difficult departures, as veteran defenders Rodrigo Schlegel and Kyle Smith have both left the club. Schlegel will always own one of the most iconic moments in Orlando City history, and we will miss the Lions' agent of chaos. Smith was a good soldier (sorry, soldado), and we'll miss his hustle, determination, and willingness to do whatever it takes to help the club.

We also touched upon the fact that the Lions will be playing in three competitions next season, with entry in both the U.S. Open Cup and the Leagues Cup to go along with their MLS participation. We rank the order of importance and you will not be surprised at our rankings.

Players didn't just leave Orlando City. Some arrived, too. We discuss the Lions' 2026 MLS SuperDraft haul and the way they spent their plethora of first-round picks. We also welcome MLS U22 Initiative player Tiago from Brazil ahead of the 2026 season. Additionally, we tell you who is pretty much done with the exception of the official announcements.

OCB also released some news, with Head Coach Manuel Goldberg getting his option picked up for 2026 and midfielder Justin Hylton signing a two-year MLS NEXT Pro deal with the Young Lions.

Finally, our mailbagbox was extremely full and featured a trivia mini-marathon. You'll be able to see how your guesses stack up against ours. We also had a fun question about a missing remote and a horrifying hypothetical. 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.

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it. We'll also return for at least one more show to say goodbye if things don't work out for us to continue, but we are hoping it doesn't come to that!

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.

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 No. 514 went down:

0:15 – A word about our future and while we're staying optimistic about getting the help we need, we are by no means out of danger. Plus, more bad news as we say goodbye to a few Lions.

28:24 – The good news is who is arriving, who might be arriving soon, and OCB happenings.

40:45 - A full mailbagbox leaves us as satisfied as a big Christmas dinner.

Happy holidays to you all and thank you for your support all year long (and in years past)!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're checking in early this December, although it probably won't be our only show of the month. Alex Freeman keeps giving us stuff to talk about. The young fullback dazzled the crowd in Tampa with his brace against Uruguay for the U.S. Men's National Team. That performance made him Man of the Match, but it was just one aspect of a great year that got him named as a finalist for U.S. Male Player of the Year. The competition is tough, but Orlando City's Homegrown defender has a good shot at bringing home even more hardware in a magical 2025.

We also discussed the Luis Otavio rumors as the 18-year-old central midfielder is reportedly finalizing an MLS U22 Initiative deal to join the Lions for the 2026 season. We're watching with great interest after Cesar Araujo's departure.

Our mailbagbox asked how contracts are going to work with the change to a fall/spring MLS calendar and which Lions and dishes we want at our Thanksgiving feast. 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.

After the mailbagbox, we discussed Robin Jansson re-signing with the Lions through 2027. The captain is back, and it sounds like he helped restructure his deal in a way that will help the club conduct the off-season business Ricardo Moreira wants to complete. Always the team player, our captain.

Finally, we looked at Orlando City's 2026 MLS schedule. The Lions start and finish at home, must play Atlanta on short rest twice, and will face San Diego FC for the first time.

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it.

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.

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 No. 513 went down:

0:15 – Alex Freeman is a finalist for U.S. Male Player of the Year on the heels of his brace against Uruguay in Tampa, and Luis Otavio may be on his way to Orlando.

13:31 – The mailbagbox is seasonal this time out!

26:05 - Robin Jansson is staying in Orlando and the 2026 schedule is out early.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our off-season schedule isn't exactly going as planned, as we continue not being able to take a week off. This week, we're back once again as happenings with the club keep on...well, happening. We start this episode with a discussion of Orlando City's central midfield. Wilder Cartagena is returning to it in 2026, but Cesar Araujo is not. We look back at our predictions for those two players' futures with the club and talk about how Cartagena's return to form could be a big boost to the Lions next season.

This week's mailbagbox asked about Major League Soccer's switch to a European soccer calendar, the number of current Lions under contract who will start on opening day in 2026, what we thought of the most recent season of Slow Horses, and more. 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.

After the mailbagbox, we discussed Orlando City's 2025 end-of-season roster update. There weren't any big surprises, but there were one or two mild ones. We discuss every player's contract status and compare that to our predictions from our annual stays/goes segment. We did pretty well, but it's not that difficult when you know the contract situations. The old days, when contract lengths were secrets, were a crapshoot

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it.

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.

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 No. 512 went down:

0:15 – A young Uruguayan midfielder leaves, but a veteran Peruvian midfielder can fill his shoes, provided he can come back from an Achilles injury.

9:25 – The mailbagbox fills our hearts with joy by letting us talk about Gary Oldman portraying Jackson Lamb.

26:18 - Orlando City roster decisions! Hey, we need a keeper.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We may be in our off-season schedule here on The Mane Land PawedCast, but as promised, we are back when there is news, so here we are. For this episode, we open with a discussion of Alex Freeman's year-end awards, with the 21-year-old fullback picking up MLS Young Player of the Year and becoming the first Lion to grace the MLS Best XI. It's been a phenomenal breakout season for Freeman, who was also just recently called up again by the USMNT, so Orlando fans can hop on I-4 and go see him play in Tampa later this month.

After our Freeman discussion, we chatted about the Lions who were called up for the November FIFA window, including four players at the youth level. There was a time not long abo when Orlando City academy players weren't getting a sniff by the youth national teams, but those days are in the past. Congrats to Tahir Reid-Brown, Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jacob Ramirez.

David Brekalo and Tyrese Spicer will also be with their national teams in the upcoming window.

This week's mailbagbox asked about whether Michael Halliday should get another look from Orlando after being let go by Houston, and more. 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 discussed Pedro Gallese's departure from Orlando City. El Pulpo was one of the faces of the franchise for the past six seasons and it's hard to imagine anyone else being the No. 1 for the Lions, but that's the new reality. In addition to reminiscing about Gallese's play, we talked about how he's almost certainly going to have his name in the Legends Terrace in the future, and we pontificated about where he'll turn up next. We also discussed Orlando City being at a crossroads on the backend, as the team not only needs to replace Gallese, but Rodrigo Schlegel and a pair of defensive midfielders are out of contract, Robin Jansson has an option year remaining, and so does Eduard Atuesta. Plus, Freeman will be courted by European teams, so the back half of the lineup could look extremely different in 2026.

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it.

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.

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 No. 511 went down:

0:15 – Alex Freeman broke out in just about every way imaginable: MLS All-Star, MLS Best XI, Young Player of the Year, and now getting regular call-ups by the USMNT. Deservedly so.

14:52 – You get a guest voice in this week's mailbagbox!

29:38 - We will miss your time-wasting antics and your spectacular saves, El Pulpo.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lions crashed out of the playoffs hard, as the Chicago Fire torched Orlando City's defense in a 3-1 loss that could have been much more lopsided than that. Tyrese Spicer kept the Lions from getting shut out, but goals and wins down the stretch were hard to come by for OCSC, and having a clean slate as the postseason started did nothing to change that.

We discussed Orlando's brief stay in the playoffs, checked on our score predictions, and made our selections for Man of the Match.

The club also dropped a bombshell on Monday with the announcement that Luiz Muzzi is leaving the club. Muzzi is the architect that constructed Orlando City squads that reached six consecutive postseasons and won the club's first trophy in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup. We discuss Muzzi's exit and the job that Ricardo Moreira must now do to get the team to the next level.

This week's mailbagbox asked about changes in the game we'd like to see, which player we'd be most surprised to see start on opening day 2026, returning Designated Players, and more. 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 went through the Orlando City rosters and discussed whether we think each player will stay or go this off-season in our annual stays/goes segment. As an added wrinkle, this year we included whether we would prefer if they stay or go.

Note: we are now in our off-season podcast schedule, which is guaranteed to give you at least one episode per month but we will only be weekly if/when news warrants it.

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.

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 No. 510 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City is out of the playoffs after a poor performance at Chicago. We provide your playoff autopsy and look at Luiz Muzzi's Orlando's exit.

19:56 – The mailbagbox is chock full this week and there's an underlying (sometimes overlying) sense of frustration.

35:35 - It's our annual stays/goes segment. Walk through the roster with us and help us build next year's team.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lions had a lot to play for on Saturday but forgot to do so. Orlando City's trip to Toronto hopefully led to some cool sightseeing in Canada, because it didn't produce any points. As a result — and other results elsewhere — the club has to go to Chicago for the wild card game instead of facing a first-round, best-of-three series. We reluctantly look back at a game that started poorly, could have changed significantly if two major calls hadn't gone the way of the hosts, and the complete capitulation despite Orlando firing 31 shots toward Sean Johnson's net.

We discussed the game longer than it deserved, looked back at our hilariously wrong score predictions, and made our selections for Man of the Match. One of us persuaded the other to change his pick, which rarely happens.

This week's mailbagbox asked us about Orlando City's many draws this season, non-alcoholic beer recommendations, how much we'd sell Marco Pasalic for, and more. 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, Orlando City must play a midweek game against the Chicago Fire on the road to advance to the first round of the MLS playoffs. The Lions are not in a great position and are dealing with some key absences, but at least they get to start over with a clean slate now. We looked back at the season series with Chicago, the all-time series against the Fire, and compare the teams. We also provide our key matchups and make our (pessimistic) score predictions.

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.

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 No. 509 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City did not seem prepared to take on a middling Toronto FC team on the road on Decision Day despite the Lions having much more to play for hanging in the balance. Now the Lions will have an even more uphill climb in the postseason, traveling for a wild card game.

25:52 – The mailbagbox isn't sure which of Orlando City's draws was the most frustrating.

39:31 - Orlando City's postseason could be a short one, as the Lions visit the Windy City to take on a dangerous Chicago Fire attack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lions entered Saturday's matchup against Vancouver missing a lot of bodies, including half the starting back line. Then things got worse when starting center back and team captain Robin Jansson suffered a nasty-looking injury early in the game.

Despite all that, the Lions took the lead through Dagur Dan Thorhallsson's well-taken goal. Although the Whitecaps dominated possession and smothered Orlando whenever the Lions had the ball, the lads in purple were just minutes away from a gigantic three points. But Kyle Smith smashed a clearance off a Whitecap and into his own net to tie the game late, and Vancouver's big signing scored in the seventh of five added minutes to take all the points from Orlando. After seeing the good side of the Cardiac Cats in recent weeks, the game was a reminder that the bad Cardiac Cats are also out there lurking.

We tried not to dwell too much on a gut punch of a game in our recap, checked our score predictions, and made our selections for Man of the Match.

This week's mailbagbox asked us about Saturday's center back pairing and pizza toppings — in completely separate questions. 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, Orlando City will have to try once more to score more than one goal in a game as the Lions visit BMO Field in Toronto Saturday for a Decision Day match against the Reds of Toronto FC. We look back at the series history, discuss the relative performances of the two clubs, provide our key matchups, and make our predictions for the final score on Saturday.

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.

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 No. 508 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City was nine minutes plus stoppage from an improbable but much-needed win. Then a dumb thing happened. And then a bad thing happened.

22:57 – The mailbagbox is succinct this week but still quite fun.

30:53 - The Lions travel north of the border for a Decision Day match against Toronto FC. Orlando needs three points to safely avoid the wild card game, but the Reds have been drawing almost everyone lately.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lions fell behind in the first half, but struck back immediately against the Columbus Crew on Saturday. However, neither side could dent the twine in the back of the net afterwards, despite each club getting some quality looks at goal. Marco Pasalic's goal broke a dry spell for him and secured a point for Orlando City, allowing the lads in purple to stay above the dreaded play-in wild card game — at least for the moment.

We look back at the key moments, players, and plays of a home game with some squandered chances to claim all three points. We also check our score predictions, and make our selections for Man of the Match.

This week's mailbagbox asked us about Orlando City's back four, the Eastern time zone, beers, hikes, and more. 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.

OCB needed to win on Decision Day to get into the playoffs given other results around MLS NEXT Pro. However, the Young Lions played poorly, got throttled, and instead allowed visiting FC Cincinnati 2 to get into the postseason. OCB's streak of playoff appearances was snapped at two, and the Young Lions are done for 2025 after a rough second half of the season.

Finally, Orlando City will be missing a plethora of key players against a Vancouver Whitecaps side looking to finish atop the Western Conference. The Whitecaps will mostly be intact during this international window, while the Lions will be thin. That said, you've got to play who is in front of you, and that deep run in Leagues Cup ended up preventing Orlando City from playing Vancouver outside the international window with a more full-strength squad. We give you the series history against the Whitecaps, compare the two teams, provide our key matchups for Saturday night, and make our score predictions.

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.

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 No. 507 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City wasted too many good transition chances and it was costly against Columbus — as was a bad-looking injury to Joran Gerbet.

21:30 – The mailbagbox pleads with us to help convince a listener's spouse of something.

36:05 - OCB went gently into that goodnight on Decision Day, and the senior Lions (or what's left of them) will brace themselves for one of the best Vancouver teams in years.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Orlando City left it late again. Tyrese Spicer reprised his role from the Nashville game by providing the assist for a goal late in stoppage time, but this time it was a different goal scorer and a road draw instead of a home win. Alex Freeman played great against FC Cincinnati, so it was fitting that he literally pulled a point out of thin air on a Sunday night that saw the Lions squander numerous good opportunities to score while allowing the hosts only one Kevin Denkey strike.

We look back at the key moments, players, and plays of a critical road match, check our score predictions, and make our selections for Man of the Match, splitting the vote

This week's mailbagbox asked us a pair of trivia questions and added an individual question for each host. 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.

OCB got two points at Carolina Core FC when it needed three, but it did enough to stay alive in the postseason race but there is no margin for error. The Young Lions fell behind by two goals, battled back to get level, conceded again, and once again equalized on the road. Carlos Mercado then helped his team win the penalty shootout on his birthday to claim the extra point. OCB must beat FC Cincinnati 2 on Sunday at home and get help to reach the postseason.

Finally, Orlando City returns home with another game against a good team from the Buckeye State, as the Columbus Crew visits Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Whether Diego Rossi plays or not, the Crew are always a difficult opponent. We break down the series history, look at the battle ahead, provide our key matchups, and make our predictions for the final score.

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.

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 No. 506 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City didn't seem to want to put the ball in the net, but maybe that's because it wasn't yet the death of stoppage time. Earlier goals are OK too, guys!

27:55 – The mailbagbox offers trivia, but no prizes if we get them right.

39:11 - OCB was listening to Meat Loaf and thinking two out of three ain't bad, and the senior Lions prepare for Columbus.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Orlando City made up for drawing at D.C. United by getting an important win over Nashville SC, one of the team's chief competitors for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. Martin Ojeda's brace was worth the price of admission alone, but after the visitors drew level, it required a show-stopping performance by Duncan McGuire, who snatched all three points at the death with a vintage Cardiac Cats goal.

We look back at the key moments, players, and plays of the match, check our score predictions, and make our selections for Man of the Match.

This week's mailbagbox asked about an Orlando City Best XI, ranking rock bands, using MLS U22 Initiative slots, and more. 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.

OCB did not help itself in the playoff race by losing 1-0 at home to Huntsville City. We discussed the difficult spot the loss put the Young Lions in with just two games remaining. The schedule is favorable, but OCB needs to get wins and a little help to get back above the line or the team will miss the postseason. We give a brief preview of the all-important visit to Carolina Core FC on Saturday.

Finally, the senior Lions head to Ohio to face a good FC Cincinnati team that won the first meeting in Orlando. Stopping Evander is the key but it's much easier said than done. Can Orlando City finally pitch a shutout? If so, can the Lions keep scoring? It's an important game, as they all are down the stretch, with a playoff spot not yet clinched and home field far from certain. We provide the history of the series and our key matchups and make our final score predictions.

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.

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 No. 505 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City threw away the two-goal lead Ojeda provided but McGuire called game.

22:47 – The mailbagbox is concerned with Alex Freeman getting sold.

39:11 - OCB-dropped a heartbreaker to Huntsville City and has no margin for error, and the MLS side heads north to Cincinnati.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices