SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast

The Mane Land
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Soccer
  • Updated Weekly

News and analysis about the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

  1. 4d ago

    SkoPurp No. 125: Bay FC Rewind and USWNT Friendlies

    The Orlando Pride hosted Bay FC and made it two straight wins for the first time in 2026. Orlando continued its successful ways against California-based teams with another standout performance by striker Barbra Banda. The Zambian international scored two goals and set up another to lead the Pride to another big three points on the cusp of the World Cup break. Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi came off the bench, taking the Pride two steps closer to having a healthy roster. It wasn't all good news, however. The game was fun until Banda picked up an injury late in the game and now we wait to see what the severity is. Losing Banda for any length of time is not ideal for a team reliant on her for goals and hovering near the bottom of the playoff places. We break down the Pride's 3-1 win at home, look back at our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match. This week's mailbagbox asked about Nicole Payne, Tallahassee-based side TLH Reckoning, Orlando Pride players as USWNT starters, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 look ahead to the USWNT heading to Brazil for a pair of friendlies. These games should be good tests for Emma Hayes' side, and it will be fun to watch Orlando's Brazilians play for their national team. 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 Episode 125 went down: 0:15 – Orlando has its first winning streak of the season with a victory over Bay FC. 19:04 - The mailbagbox takes us into the summer break. 32:45 - The USWNT heads to Brazil to face a good team with several Pride players on it.

    39 min

  2. May 27

    SkoPurp No. 124: Wave Rewind and Bay FC Preview

    The Orlando Pride stayed on the road, which is usually a recipe for disaster. But instead of suffering a second straight multi-goal loss, the Pride rose to the occasion, played with grit and determination, and beat the then-first-place San Diego Wave 1-0 on the road. While Orlando has been adept at getting results in California in the past, there was no reason to expect an injury-plagued, reeling team to look like it was back in 2024, refusing to lose. We break down the Pride's big road win and how it could be a sign that the club has figured things out, look back at our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match. This week's mailbagbox asked about why this Orlando Pride team can't be normal, what if the team had been healthy all season, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 look ahead to Friday's final game before the break as Bay FC comes to Orlando. We look back at the limited series history between the two clubs, provide our key matchups, and make our final score predictions. 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 Episode 124 went down: 0:15 – Orlando continued its road trip and found a way to finish it on a high note. 14:56 - The mailbagbox is not sure what to make of this year's Pride team. 27:14 - Bay FC visits on Friday and we'll see if the Pride can build on the win at San Diego or if it was a moment of magic.

    38 min

  3. May 20

    SkoPurp No. 123: Boston & Denver Rewinds and Wave Preview

    The Orlando Pride suffered through a miserable week on the road, losing to both 2026 NWSL expansion teams — Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — conceding penalties in each match, continuing to get no goals in the run of play by anyone not named Barbra Banda, and sustaining even more injuries. We discuss the two losses, look back at our score predictions, make our selections for Player of the Match for each game, and try to figure out what is going on with the midfield and how some players who showed such promise in 2024 no longer look like the same people out there on the pitch. We're not ruling out an Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario. This week's mailbagbox asked about Kerry Abello firing off a flip throw in her return from injury, what area of need Caitlin Carducci most needs to address to help the Pride, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 look ahead to the team's upcoming trip to San Diego to play the Wave. Although the California sun has been kind to the Pride the last few years, the 2026 squad seems far too out of sorts to compete with a team that beat Washington despite not having some of its key players. But you never know what might happen when soccer boot meets soccer ball. We look at the series history, discuss the teams' places in the league, provide our key matchups, and make our final score predictions. 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 Episode 123 went down: 0:15 – Orlando went on the road, suffered more injuries, and got swept by the two NWSL expansion teams in an awful week. 20:18 - The mailbagbox is quite smitten with Kerry Abello's flip throw, and who could blame it? 31:57 - The Pride go back on the road to face the San Diego Wave, the league's best team at the moment.

    43 min

  4. May 12

    SkoPurp No. 122: Courage Rewind and Boston & Denver Previews

    The Orlando Pride snapped their two-game losing streak but it was anything but easy. The Pride struggled to convert chances until Barbra Banda struck in the 87th minute, while the team had a lot of defending to do against the Courage. The Pride did fine with that, however, keeping a clean sheet and fending off North Carolina long enough to capture all three points on a rainy night in Central Florida. Even though Dave is on vacation, he checked in from the road so we could check our score predictions and see how well we anticipated the result; discuss the key moments, plays, and players; and make our selections for the player of the match. This week's mailbagbox asked about Temwa Chawinga, whether Banda scoring all the goals is a recipe for success, required reading that we enjoyed, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 look ahead to the team's two matches on the road this week, with both of them new venues in the NWSL. First up, the Pride visits Boston Legacy FC tonight for the first time. We know so little about the expansion side, but Boston is in good form of late, so the Pride will need to play well to get a result. Without a series history to discuss, we get into the teams' relative positions this season and offer up our key matchups and score predictions. The Pride will head west to visit Denver Summit FC on Saturday, playing the league's other expansion team for the second time ever and the first away from home. The teams played to a draw earlier this season in Orlando, but the Pride created enough chances to win easily. They'll hope to get a better result at altitude on short rest. We visit the (brief) series history, discuss the matchup, and make our predictions. 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 Episode 122 went down: 0:15 – Orlando got back in the win column even though it was far from convincing. The Pride will look to build on the victory over North Carolina with two matches this week against the NWSL's newest teams. 14:10 - The mailbagbox is still a bit restless this week despite the victory. 25:53 - The Pride hit the road for two games that appear winnable on paper, but there is virtually no way those teams will play Orlando on paper.

    45 min

  5. May 5

    SkoPurp No. 121: Spirit Rewind and Courage Preview

    The Orlando Pride lost their second straight game and once again a bad defensive few minutes and a lack of scorers not named Barbra Banda were largely to blame. Two goals conceded inside of the game's first six minutes and a blown sitter combined to put Orlando well behind the 8-ball, and although the Pride rallied to tie the match by halftime, Washington was the better side in the second half and took all three of the available points. We look back at our score predictions, discuss the key moments and players, and make our selections for the player of the match. Our mailbagbox asked about Barbra Banda, Ally Lemos taking penalties, second-leading scorers vs. backup goalkeepers, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 look ahead to the North Carolina Courage's upcoming visit to Inter&Co Stadium on Friday night. The Pride need a bounce-back game (and a few healthy bodies), but it's going to take a team effort for Orlando to beat a solid North Carolina squad. We look back at the series history, which has favored the Courage over the years, provide our key matchups, and make our final score predictions. 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 Episode 121 went down: 0:15 – Much like last season, a loss at Louisville has turned into a skid for the Pride. 17:38 - The mailbagbox seems upset. 33:26 - The Pride host North Carolina looking to get back on the right track. How about just getting healthy?

    46 min

  6. Apr 29

    SkoPurp No. 120: Louisville Rewind and Spirit Preview

    The Orlando Pride must really hate Kentucky. The club has never won there and a lot of weird things seem to happen. For example, on Friday, the Pride went to Louisville, dominated at least 80% of the game, fired 27 shots toward Racing's goal, and still left town with a 3-2 loss. It was a wasteful performance spent mostly shooting either right at the goalkeeper or off the target entirely, but at least Barbra Banda scored a brace to give fans a couple of moments of magic. We break down Orlando putting the 'L' in Louisville, due largely to a terrible start to the second half, look back at our score predictions to see if we came close, and made our unanimous selections for Player of the Match. Our mailbagbox asked about the Pride's attackers, Orlando's best and worst matchups around the league, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 look ahead to the Washington Spirit's visit to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Trinity Rodman is the big name, but the Spirit have a lot of quality in the squad, and the Pride will have to be much better prepared and locked in for 90 minutes than they were against Racing Louisville. We look back at the series history, provide our key matchups, and make our predictions for the final score. 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 Episode 120 went down: 0:15 – We open the show with our breakdown of the Pride's latest loss in Louisville. 10:55 - The mailbagbox beckons from all corners of the internet. 24:52 - The Pride are set to host the Washington Spirit, so bouncing back is of utmost importance.

    36 min

  7. Apr 22

    SkoPurp No. 119: International Break and Louisville Preview

    It feels like months since the Orlando Pride last took the field, but the calendar says otherwise. If you believe calendars, it's only been a little less than three weeks, but time moves strangely in the post-pandemic apocalyptic world. Anyway, we don't have a match to recap, so we touched on a couple of Pride players putting the ball in the net during the international break and chat a bit about the United States Women's National Team's three-game friendly series against Japan. Emma Hayes used a lot of players, and the team looked solid for two of the three matches, but the rotated middle game seemed a bit disjointed. Hayes has greatly expanded the player pool and will have plenty of options when the World Cup approaches. Our mailbagbox had questions about a potential change in the NWSL schedule, as the league explores adopting the fall-to-spring slate, and opposition own goals. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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 turned our attention toward Friday's late afternoon tussle with Racing Louisville in Kentucky. The Pride have never won on the road against Louisville, and it's about high time they did. This match begins a congested push to the June World Cup break, and although Friday's hosts aren't high in the table, the Pride must be at their best to get a road result in this fixture. We look back at the series history, compare the two sides, provide our key matchups in the game, and make our final score predictions. 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 Episode 119 went down: 0:15 – We open the show with a little banter about the Pride in the international break and the USWNT's series vs. Japan. 9:03 - The mailbagbox features questions via both eletronic mail and social media. We welcome all modes of delivery. 19:59 - The Pride travel to Louisville to face Racing. They've never won in Kentucky, but we inform them how to do so.

    33 min

  8. Apr 8

    SkoPurp No. 118: Angel City Rewind

    Angel City FC entered Inter&Co Stadium without a loss on the 2026 season. The Los Angeles-based club left Inter&Co Stadium with one loss on the 2026 season. That's mainly because Haley McCutcheon turned vulture just a few feet in front of the Angel City net. The veteran midfielder scored on two shots that traveled about a combined six feet, ending what could have otherwise been a frustrating night on a high note. The Pride scored late, conceded later, and retook the lead even later than that on the way to a 2-1 home win over former Orlando defender Emily Sams' new team in a match that saw two would-be Pride goals not count. The first was offside and the second was for a push, but the other two counted despite nervy reviews. We look back at a solid performance against a good Angel City side, checked our score predictions (one of us nailed it), and made our picks for Player of the Match. Several players performed well, but it was an easy pick in the end. Unfortunately, it wasn't all good for the Pride, as both Jacquie Ovalle and Oihane left the match with injuries. Our mailbagbox had questions about starters on the back line, memes, NWSL referees, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. 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. With the international break upon us, we touched on the USWNT's upcoming matches against Japan briefly before wrapping up the 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 Episode 118 went down: 0:15 – Angel City's perfect record is over, thanks to Haley McCutcheon and the Pride. 18:16 - The Mailbagbox brings some snark this week as the listeners weren't fans of the officiating Friday. 37:42 - The international break is here, so it'll be a minute before the Pride travel to face Racing Louisville.

    43 min
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5
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News and analysis about the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

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