Good morning, everyone. It was about as good of a weekend as Orlando City could have hoped for, as the Lions took care of business and got enough help to climb up to eighth in the Eastern Conference. We’ve got a whole host of things to talk about this morning, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Braian Ojeda Honored

Braian Ojeda made the difference in Orlando City’s Decision Day victory over the New England Revolution, and he’s been rewarded for his efforts with a starting place in the MLS Team of the Matchday. “Bojeda” corralled a poor clearance from a corner just before halftime, and volleyed in a screamer that curled past Matt Turner into the top corner and proved to be the eventual game winner that secured the Lions a home date with FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference’s play-in game. In a game where good chances were at a premium, it was a spectacular piece of finishing, and he’s well deserving of his place in the TotM. Congrats!

Lions Nominated for Yearly Awards

A pair of Orlando City players have been nominated for MLS end-of-season awards. First up is Maxime Crepeau, who is in the running for the MLS Save of the Year thanks to a tremendous flying stop he made against the San Jose Earthquakes in the first game after the World Cup break on Matchday 17. Crepeau flew across his goal in the 47th minute and got a strong hand to deny a goal-bound effort from Beau Leroux and keep the score at 2-0 in favor of the Lions. Make sure you go vote for Crepeau to win here.

Martin Ojeda has been nominated for the MLS Goal of the Year, and in case you need a little help figuring out which goal has been chosen, allow me to assist.

Make sure you vote for Ojeda to win here.

Barbra Banda Honored

Continuing the theme of accolades for Orlando players, the Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda has been named to the 2026 FIFPRO Women’s World 11. This is Banda’s third consecutive selection to the team, which is the only global award that is exclusively voted on by players. Banda was the first African player to be voted onto the team in 2024 and remains the only African player to be selected to multiple iterations of the team. She bagged a club-record 17 goals and four assists during a truncated NWSL campaign for the Pride, and she is the only NWSL player to be named to this year’s team. Congratulations!

New Contract for Oihane

The Orlando Pride have signed defender Oihane Hernandez to a new contract that runs through the end of the 2028 NWSL season and contains a mutual option year for 2029. Oihane joined the team prior to the 2025 season and has played in 50 matches across all competitions during her two seasons with the Pride. The defender has recorded three assists during that time. She started 27 of the 28 appearances she made during the 2026 season. With her staying in Orlando for the foreseeable future, Oihane will be a building block for a Pride team that will likely be doing some retooling during the off-season after a rocky 2026.

Free Kicks

• Toronto FC announced on Monday that the club has fired head coach Robin Fraser.
• Sporting Kansas City also announced that it fired head coach Raphael Wicky.
• Joey Saputo has begun the process of putting CF Montreal up for sale.
• MLS has announced the schedule for the 2026-2027 off-season roster building events like the MLS SuperDraft and the start of free agency.
• Former Lion Jonathan Spector is reportedly out from his position with Atlanta United.

• Gotham FC will host an NWSL semifinal at 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.
• Manchester United will reportedly part ways with Michael Carrick.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school basketball and wrestling. Our beloved Lions were in action over the weekend, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Shut Out New England on Decision Day

Orlando City defeated the New England Revolution 1-0 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium on Decision Day. Braian Ojeda scored the lone goal late in the first half, helping Orlando close out its regular-season finale with a win, clinching the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference table. It was the Lions’ first shutout since a 3-0 win against Toronto FC on Sept. 12. Orlando City will host FC Cincinnati in the wild card play-in match on Nov. 19. The winner of that match will face Nashville SC in the first round. Before the match, the Lions honored Martin Ojeda for becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer.

Robin Jansson Announces Retirement

Orlando City defender and captain Robin Jansson announced his retirement from professional soccer on Friday He spent eight seasons in purple with Orlando City after signing on March 12, 2019, from Swedish top-flight side AIK. The 34-year-old Swede set Orlando City records for appearances (263), starts (256), and minutes played (23,050) across all competitions. Jansson last played for the Lions on Oct. 10 against the Columbus Crew and ended the 2026 season on the injured list after undergoing foot surgery. He was dependable on the back line, and the Lions will miss his leadership and ability to keep the defense organized. Orlando City will need to add a defender this off-season and name a new captain for the 2027 season. The Lions honored Jansson on the field during Saturday’s match with a retirement ceremony.

Orlando City to Play in 2027 Leagues Cup

Major League Soccer announced on Sunday the 18 MLS clubs that will play in the 2027 Leagues Cup. Orlando City has qualified and will make its fifth consecutive appearance in the competition. Orlando is one of nine MLS clubs to play in every edition of the Leagues Cup since its inception in 2019. The tournament is set to take place Aug. 3 through Sept. 5 in 2027.

MLS Decision Day Recap

The 2026 MLS Cup playoff field is set after Decision Day concluded on Saturday. Nashville SC shut out FC Cincinnati 2-0 and set a new single-season MLS points record with 77. Inter Miami drew Charlotte FC 3-3 after blowing a 3-0 lead. The Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers shut out CF Montreal and Austin FC by the same 2-0 scoreline. New York City FC beat D.C. United 1-0, and St. Louis City and Sporting Kansas City defeated the Houston Dynamo and San Diego FC, respectively, by that same score. The Columbus Crew edged the Chicago Fire 4-3 on a stoppage-time goal to clinch seventh place. Cavan Sullivan scored twice as the Philadelphia Union cruised past Toronto FC 4-1, and the New York Red Bulls shut out Atlanta United 3-0. FC Dallas beat the Colorado Rapids 3-1 and Minnesota United defeated the San Jose Earthquakes by the same score. Real Salt Lake edged the LA Galaxy 2-1, and the Seattle Sounders beat LAFC 2-1 as those two teams booked the final playoff spots in the Western Conference and will face each other in the Wild Card play-in game . The MLS Cup playoffs will kick off with the Wild Card round on Thursday, Nov. 19. The first-round, best-of-three series’ begin Friday, Nov. 20.

NWSL Playoff Quarterfinals Recap

The 2026 NWSL playoff quarterfinals are in the books. On Friday, Kiana Palacios scored the only goal in the match for the Utah Royals in a 1-0 road win against the San Diego Wave. On Saturday, Michelle Cooper buried her penalty kick for the Kansas City Current to seal a 1-0 win over Angel City after extra time. On Sunday, despite the poor field conditions, Gotham FC shut out the Seattle Reign 1-0 on Jordan Bugg’s early first-half own goal sending the defending champions to the next round. Trinity Rodman scored two goals for the Washington Spirit in a 4-1 win against the Portland Thorns. The Spirit will host the Utah Royals while Gotham FC will battle the Kansas City Current in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City B defender Parker Amoo-Mensah was called up to the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for training camp and the upcoming tournament at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center. The U.S. will face Japan on Nov. 12, Colombia on Nov. 14, and Paraguay on Nov. 17.
• Stoke City midfielder Jack McGlynn has been added to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals series against Haiti. McGlynn will replace midfielder Gio Reyna, who withdrew from the squad due to injury.
• Fermin Lopez scored twice for Barcelona to overturn a 1-0 deficit and secure a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday in La Liga.
• New York City FC announced Sunday that the club will part ways with Head Coach Pascal Jansen.
• Chattanooga FC defeated LAFC 2 1-0 on Sunday in the MLS NEXT Pro Cup final, becoming the first independent club in league history to win a championship.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

Good morning, Mane Landers. It’s Friday and I feel fine. Probably because I’m off today and actually have an entire weekend off work, which is really rare for me. I’ll be riding in a Gravel bike race and seeing Hamilton all in the same day. What a long, strange trip it will be. Sadly, I won’t be able to make the match on Saturday due to these events, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go to the stadium. I’ll feel better knowing you’re there. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Day of Decision

Orlando City hosts the New England Revolution on Decision Day at Inter.co Stadium. The Lions have a chance to move back up to seventh in the Eastern Conference and out of the play-in match if they defeat the Revolution and get a little help from the teams above them in the standings. To be fair, it’s pretty astounding that Orlando City even made the playoffs, given how the season started, but adding Antoine Griezmann will do wonders for a struggling club. Here are the scenarios for all the Eastern Conference teams.

Ellis Climbs the Ranks

Justin Ellis is one of the young players making a name for himself on the USMNT. His stock has risen due to his performances for both club and country. While Ellis is poised to get more playing time, other older players may see less of the field as these younger players see more minutes. In fact, Ricardo Pepi was not called up for the roster, although it is in part to recover fully from a knock.

Orlando Pride Needs Abound

With the off-season kicking off for the Orlando Pride, there are plenty of questions to address if the club is to get back to 2024 levels. Obviously, Barbra Banda is the foundation, though Haley McCutcheon is also a player that can be foundational. In fact, McCutcheon is now the youngest player to reach 15,000 regular-season minutes in NWSL history. The Orlando Pride defensive midfielder is 30 years old.

Of course, we’ll be waiting for a coaching decision before most of these needs can be addressed.

Women’s Soccer Roundup

ACL injuries are too common in women’s soccer and the FA and WSL have launched a research project into why they happen and how to reduce them. Sadly, female players are two to six times more likely to suffer the injury than male players. Elsewhere, FIFA is in talks about restricting Olympic squads to U-23 players. Finally, as the NWSL playoffs approach, we take a look at how the teams that made it stack up.

Free Kicks

• Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo is retiring from international football. He is doing the honorable thing by returning the number seven for the next generation.
• Angel City FC has signed 17-year-old U.S. U-17 Youth National Team star forward Maddie DiMaria through 2030. DiMaria is the type of young talent that the Orlando Pride should be trying to find.

• Kohzo Tashima intends to run for FIFA president, challenging Gianni Infantino for the position.

• Concacaf is revamping the Gold Cup. The big change is that the group stage will now feature two eight-team groups instead of four groups of four.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get your ready for Orlando City’s match this weekend. Vamos Orlando!