The Mane Land PawedCast

Michael Citro

4.8 (108)
SOCCER
UPDATED WEEKLY

The official home for audio programming from The Mane Land, a community for fans of Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, Orlando City B, and all things soccer related in the City Beautiful.

4D AGO

Good and Bad from Orlando City's Preseason

It's been a month since our last episode of this show, and Orlando City's preseason is winding down. The Lions will start their 2026 regular season in less than two weeks, and there seem to be a lot more questions this year as opening day approaches. We start this show with some of the bad news, beginning with the sale of Alex Freeman to Villarreal in Spain's La Liga. While we're happy Alex is chasing his soccer dreams, it's a bitter pill to swallow getting only one season out of a kid we've watched grow up with OCB and blossom over the course of one fantastic MLS season. Speaking of bitter pills...Facundo Torres is back — but not with Orlando. Torres will play for Austin FC just a year after leaving the Lions to return to South America to play in Brazil. Sticking with the bad news theme, we discuss Robin Jansson's foot surgery and when we might see him back on the pitch. Not only do the Lions need their captain, but there's precious little top flight experience at the center back position, especially with the signing of Dusan Stojinovic falling through due to a failed medical. We discuss the problems with depth along the defense and what Orlando might be doing about it. It is not what we would do about it. But it isn't all bad news. There is plenty of good news in the preseason as well, and we start that with a discussion of Orlando City re-signing Martin Ojeda through the 2028-2029 season. Ojeda is one of the league's more humble and likeable star players, and we hope he's building his professional legacy here in the City Beautiful. Additionally, the Lions signed first-round 2026 MLS SuperDraft picks Harvey Sarajian and Nolan Miller. If both players end up having decent careers, this year's draft will be one to remember for City fans. But there was another big signing as well. Brazilian center back Iago joins Orlando City on an MLS U22 Initiative deal, and it looks like he'll be pressed into service sooner rather than later. Finally, we discuss some of the best news of all: Wilder Cartagena and Yutaro Tsukada have both been participating fully in preseason after suffering season-ending injuries during the 2025 preseason. It's great to see them back on the pitch and they'll hopefully be able to contribute throughout the 2026 season. Our mailbagbox asked us to rank potential Polish international signings, pick our (and Oscar Pareja's) Orlando City midfield starters, and run through the depth chart. 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. Following our mailbagbox, we discussed the club's new Sunken Treasure kits. The Lions will be adorned in gold for the first time and we like the look. We break down some of the features about the kits and some of the things that we're not as happy with. Overall, it's another solid design for OCSC. We wrap up with a brief discussion of the 2026 OCB schedule release and what to expect from the Young Lions' MLS NEXT Pro opponents this year. There was also another one of our patented digressions in the middle of that, but you expected it, right? 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. 516 went down: 0:15 – We've got some bad news, Orlando City fans, and we've got some good news. We start with the bad so we could end on a high note. 35:43 – The mailbagbox is still trying to sign Polish internationals and is interested in the midfield. 55:19 - The Sunken Treasure kits and OCB's 2026 slate is out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 22m
JAN 13

Orlando City Transfers, Preseason Schedule, OCB Signings, and More

Orlando City has gathered for preseason camp ahead of the 2026 season, and we're still here to talk about it. How long that continues to be the case may unknown at this point, but we're trending in the right direction, so if that continues, you're stuck with us for a while longer. The Lions have had various comings and goings since our last show, and we discuss the movement in and out of the roster. We thought Carlos Coronel was going to be the new Orlando City starter in goal, but he fled to Brazil, so we welcome Canadian international Maxime Crepeau to the City Beautiful. It's not as splashy an addition, but it could be just as effective a roster move if he can regain his form from his Vancouver and LAFC days. We also discussed the additions of Tiago, Luis Otavio, and Braian Ojeda. On the other hand, departures took place as well, such as Nico Rodriguez being loaned to Atletico Nacional and the reports that Luis Muriel may be finalizing a deal to move on. We chatted about what those moves mean in the grand scheme of things. Kyle Smith went home and we are glad he's still playing but sad to see him in another team's uniform. The preseason schedule was a bit underwhelming, but we ran through it quickly. Our mailbagbox was a little light, and it proved to us how little we know about the Polish national team. 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 talked a bit about the recent moves OCB has made, including the addition of a Brazilian striker. Former OCB forward Shak Mohammed is off to Nashville, while OCB/OCSC left wing Yutaro Tsukada showed up to preseason camp with a wedding ring. Congrats to Yutaro! 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. 515 went down: 0:15 – An update on our staffing crisis is more hopeful than the last one, and we go through the various arrivals and departures. 30:16 – The mailbagbox seeks help for Orlando City from Poland and wants to know which position we'd least like to see the club make a Designated Player signing. 41:52 - OCB news, a new home for Shak, and Tsukada ties the knot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

54 min
12/24/2025

Orlando City Departures and Arrivals, OCB News, and More

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

1h 3m
12/02/2025

Freeman's Dream Season, Orlando City's Schedule, Jansson Re-Signs, and More

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

48 min
11/18/2025

Cartagena's Back, Araujo's Gone, Roster Decisions, and More

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

48 min
11/11/2025

Accolades for Alex Freeman, Pedro Gallese Gone, International Call-ups, and More

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

47 min
10/28/2025

Chicago Rewind, Luiz Muzzi Leaves Orlando City, Stays/Goes, and More

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

1h 11m
10/21/2025

Toronto Rewind, Chicago Fire Playoff Preview, and More

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

57 min

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4.8

out of 5

108 Ratings

For the love of the game

03/05/2025

FlyFightWin21

This podcast is THE Orlando City podcast to follow if you are a fan, follower or supporter. The venerable Michael Citro and the invaluable Dave Rohe make a terrific team as they cover all things Orlando City. It’s a fantastic hybrid of informative, cogent analysis and funny banter making for a reliably entertaining listen. You can really tell it’s a labor of love and the fact that these two gentlemen do this podcast on a weekly basis for nothing but the love of the game makes it even cooler.
It’s the mane Orlando City podcast

02/27/2025

AC Rebel

Orlando City podcasts come and go, but you can always count on Michael and Dave on the Maneland Podcast . Keep up the great work.
A Must-Listen For Orlando City SC Fans!

02/26/2025

Jennifer & Nabil

We have been listening to this PawedCast for years now it’s always a great listen. We really appreciate the in-depth analysis of Orlando city and Orlando city B. It is insightful and keeps us up-to-date with everything happening with the Teams. We also love Mailbagbox. Keep up the great work and GO CITY!!
Great listen!

11/05/2024

Harantheimoral

Enjoy hearing in depth analysis of OSSC! Enjoy the banter between the guys.

The official home for audio programming from The Mane Land, a community for fans of Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, Orlando City B, and all things soccer related in the City Beautiful.