The regular season is here, the Lions have their in-state rivals coming up on the schedule this weekend, and Antoine Griezmann may come to Orlando...wait, what? We start this episode with the report from Tom Bogert that Orlando City is pursuing Atletico Madrid star attacking midfielder/forward and French international Griezmann for the club's third Designated Player slot. This is something we put out into the universe a few years ago with no expectation that anything would ever happen. It's entirely possible nothing ever does happen, but it's astounding that credible soccer writers are even talking about it. We know Ricardo Moreira was just going along with us when we asked him to sign Griezmann, but it's still been amazing to parlay our longtime running gag into a potential bit of historic club news. Our discussion revolves around staying grounded amid the current reports, how exciting it would be to have an attacker of his quality if Griezmann were to sign, and how a potential signing puts us on the hot seat if he doesn't perform. Thanks to everyone who reached out to us after hearing the news. After diving into the surrealism that my dumb gag could actually take place, we turn to a less pleasant topic: Orlando City's 2-1 home loss to the New York Red Bulls in Saturday's 2026 season opener. The Lions started the match horribly, with the exception of Maxime Crepeau's shot stopping. Although the second half was much better after a couple of substitutions and a tactical change, the Lions had an equally difficult time beating Ethan Horvath, who was outstanding in the New York goal. Ultimately, Tiago's first MLS goal came too late to change the game, but at least Orlando fans can take heart in the team's fight and the Lions can perhaps take some momentum from the second 45 minutes. We discuss all the key moments, players, and plays from the game, check on our score predictions, and select our Orlando City Man of the Match. The latter was an easy choice. Our mailbagbox asked about our reactions to the Griezmann reports, how to rank the future minutes of the bench players Saturday who didn't get on the field, 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 wrap up the show with a look ahead to Sunday's Tropic Thunder rivalry match with Inter Miami. The Herons were blasted at LAFC over the weekend and Lionel Messi escaped punishment for his petulant pursuit of the match officials after the game as his teammates tried to hold him back. Might Messi try to take his frustrations out on the Lions Sunday in Orlando? Well, he has yet to step foot on the Inter&Co Stadium pitch for a league game since arriving in MLS, but...maybe. Will fans run onto the field like idiots if he plays? Possibly. We present our key matchups to the game and try to predict the final score. We were in lockstep on both topics. 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. 518 went down: 0:15 – Antoine Griezmann in Orlando? I'll believe it when I get the club's press release with photos of the Frenchman with his purple kit. Still...it's nice that it's even being discussed. Oh, and Orlando City played a match against the Red Bulls. 37:55 – The mailbagbox is fun and seems to genuinely want me to be happy. 54:26 - The first round of Tropic Thunder 2026 looms on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
