We want to give a big shout-out to WJ Dog Treats (wjdogtreats.com) for sponsoring the mailbagbox segment of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. WJ Dog Treats is a small, family-run company of Orlando soccer fans who are committed to producing healthy, high-quality dog treats with just five ingredients, including their own home-made peanut butter. Give them a try. If you use the code SkoPurp at checkout, you’ll get a dollar off a bag of treats for your pooch!

The Pride faced international competition for the first time ever, and things didn't start out so good but in the end, Orlando got yet another result. We start this week's show with a discussion of the Pride's 2-2 home draw against CF Monterrey, including a rude visit from an old friend, and the shootout that followed. Remember, the Summer Cup matches go directly to shootouts after draws so that one team can earn an extra point. In this case, it was Orlando.

Again, we didn't dare make any score predictions, but we did made our selections for the Pride's Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox clarified a question from a recent episode and asked what might have been a facetious question about Saturday's referee (or maybe it was serious...either way, we treated it as if it was serious). Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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 discussed the latest results for the Pride players in the Olympics. Will an injury lead to Emily Sams getting her first senior cap? Can Orlando's Brazilians bounce back from a difficult loss? Will Barbra Banda stop scoring hat tricks if it means her team will win?

The Pride will have a weird, Thursday match against Racing Louisville as they wrap up group play in the Summer Cup. Orlando needs to get a win in this competition, and Thursday is as good a time as any, but it won't be easy, as games against Racing rarely are.

Here’s how Episode 54 went down:

0:15 – The Pride faced Liga MX Femenil competition for the first time ever and it took penalties to separate the sides.

14:56 – The mailbagbox clarifies itself and then asks another question.

25:09 – Pride players in the Olympics and a look ahead to Racing Louisville.

The Pride (minus several starters) went to North Carolina and — much like the first time they went there — they came home with a point. The 1-1 draw wasn't a terrible result, but it would have been a lot better if Orlando had managed to win the extra point that was just sitting there, waiting for them, in the ensuing penalty shootout. We discuss the team's Summer Cup opener with two home games remaining against Monterrey and Racing Louisville.

We may not have made score predictions, but we did give our thoughts (unanimously) on the Pride's Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox asked about Bri Martinez, Olympic rosters, defenders making the monthly Best XI, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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 discussed the Pride players in the Olympics and what their schedule looks like this week. There will be a lot of reasons to watch this Olympic tournament for Pride fans.

The Pride return home for a Saturday night meeting with Monterrey — the team's first competitive match against an international opponent. This is great for the game, and we are excited to learn all about Monterrey this weekend.

Here’s how Episode 53 went down:

0:15 – The Pride went to the Courage and were outplayed but still managed a late goal to tie it before throwing away a penalty shootout lead.

12:47 – The mailbagbox asks us to reveal what we know.

27:55 – The Olympic schedule for the Pride's internationals this week and a brief discussion of how little we know about Monterrey.

We open this week's show with a discussion of the Orlando Pride signing two young players to new contracts through the 2025 season with option years for 2026. Rookie Cori Dyke and second-year pro Summer Yates have earned new deals and the Pride didn't want to waste time getting them to stick around for a bit longer. We discuss both players' accomplishments in 2024, and of course we recorded the night before Orlando signed Viviana Villacorta to a similar new deal. Haley Carter is doing all of the business!

Our mailbagbox asked about the NWSL Best XI for the month of June, Marta's highlights, National Team Replacement Players, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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.

The Pride now head to North Carolina to face a difficult Courage side in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, and we have no idea what to expect. Will Seb Hines play his best available lineup with more than half of his starters unavailable? Will he give opportunities to young players to see how they respond to getting competitive minutes? Will it be a combination? There are a lot of variables and we're not even tempted to try to figure out how to identify the key matchups or predict the score.

Here’s how Episode 52 went down:

0:15 – The Pride signed Cori Dyke and Summer Yates to new deals and we love seeing the club invest in its young players.

15:52 – The mailbagbox is interested in June's NWSL Best XI and other topics.

38:35 – It's hard to predict Orlando's Summer Cup opener at North Carolina due to a number of missing Orlando starters on international duty.

If people were skeptical about the Orlando Pride before Saturday night, they are probably believers now. The Pride went into a sold-out CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, struck first, withstood the answer from the hosts, lost a player to a second yellow card, and then outplayed the Current the rest of the way to take over the top spot in the NWSL. The Pride beat Kansas City in its own fortress with one player tied behind their backs after Carrie Lawrence's sending off late in the first half. What we learned from the rest of the game is that Orlando is a team that can deal with adversity.

We break down a tense match that lifted Orlando into first place at the Olympic break, check back on our score predictions, and select our pick for Player of the Match. We also discuss the unlikely talking point of celebration and what constitutes too much of it. If you can't go crazy after a match like that, there's no such thing as a regular-season game you can celebrate.

Salt? Salt.

Our mailbagbox was chock full after Orlando's win in Kansas City, including queries about fouls, celebrations, that Kerry Abello commercial, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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.

The Pride are off this weekend and won't have another league match for weeks, but the Summer Cup competition between the NWSL and Liga MX Femenil teams ramps up toward the end of the month. We look forward to seeing what those lineups look like and whether Orlando can ride its momentum through the Summer Cup and out the other side while some of the team's stars are playing in the Olympics in France.

Here’s how Episode 51 went down:

0:15 – The Pride only had 10 players for more than half the game but still finished with twice as many goals as the mighty Current. That was cool.

33:24 – The mailbagbox is busting at the seams this week after Orlando won the battle of the last two undefeated teams in the NWSL.

It's our 50th episode! When we embarked on our Orlando Pride-centric podcast, we didn't know if there would be an audience, but we have found one and it continues to grow. Thanks, as always, for your support.

The Orlando Pride went to Los Angeles to play their third road game in four matches and did what they've done most of the season — they won. The Pride shut out their third consecutive opponent and earned their seventh clean sheet of the season in a 3-0 win over Angel City and its cast of thousands of former Orlando players. Adriana exploded for two goals in six minutes and Barbra Banda capped the game with her 11th of the season, pulling within two of the club's single-season record.

We break down the big win, check back on our score predictions (Dave was very close!), and make our selections for Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox was light this week, but asked us about our favorite Pride jersey so far and what themes we'd like to see in future kits. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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.

We also discussed the new contract Bri Martinez signed after a good start to the 2024 season. Martinez is now locked down through 2025 and won't need to be re-signed in the off-season. It's good to build depth, and Martinez has shown an ability to provide minutes when starters are out or when Seb Hines wants to move some pieces around.

Finally, the Pride will head to Kansas City for a massive match Saturday against the Current. The Kansas City club has kept pace with the Pride's incredible start — while maintaining the tiebreaker — all season. The Current have the league's best offense, while the Pride have the NWSL's stingiest defense. Which will prevail? We provide our key matchups and score predictions for what should be a regular-season match that feels like a playoff game.

Here’s how Episode 50 went down:

0:15 – The Pride won 3-0 but could have had more goals with a little more precision in front of net.

14:44 – The mailbagbox is all about Orlando Pride soccer jerseys, and a Pride defender gets a new deal.

24:22 – The match of the year (so far) is coming. Hopefully, regardless of who wins (or if it's a draw), it will live up to the hype.

The Orlando Pride did some heavy editing to the club record book on Friday when the Utah Royals visited. In front of nearly 10,000 fans, the Pride put the visitors to the sword, beating Utah 6-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. Led by braces from Barbra Banda and Marta, the Pride set several new team marks, including most goals, biggest margin of victory, largest shutout win, and most-attended home game that wasn't a home opener. Banda set a new record for braces in a season and equaled a club best with four goal contributions in a match. It was a joy to behold.

We break down the match, check our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

Our mailbagbox this week had questions about the international slot limit, the Olympics impacting player availability, and much more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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.

Finally, the Pride head west to face Angel City on the Road Sunday. The teams played to a draw in Orlando early in the season, but a lot has changed since that matchup. Can Orlando continue its winning ways in Los Angeles? We've got our key matchups for the match and our final score predictions.

Here’s how Episode 49 went down:

0:15 – The Pride take the Utah Royals to the woodshed and it could have been worse than the 6-0 final result.

20:29 – The mailbagbox beckons and one listener assigned us homework that we didn't do.

39:37 – The Pride get ready to head west to California to take on several ex-Pride players. Our preview.

The Orlando Pride got some players back and lost some others, as the revolving door continues. Seb Hines would probably love to have his entire squad available at some point, but so far it's worked out fine, with the team remaining unbeaten after a scoreless draw at North Carolina. Sometimes the ball doesnt' go in, sometimes the opposing goalkeeper plays well, and sometimes both of those things happen together. So it was on Saturday, but Orlando kept the door shut on its own end to become the first road team to take any points from the Courage.

We break down the match, discuss the handball call that wasn't given, look back at our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

Following our breakdown, we also tell you where you can find your friendly neighborhood SkoPurp hosts downtown from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday prior to Orlando City's match against Chicago. David Rohe is coming down from Tallahassee and we'll be getting together (hopefully with you!), as we'd like to thank you in person for your support of this show and our website.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us a lot of questions, and we spent some time discussing the fact that the referee allowed North Carolina to play while Orlando's goalkeeper was down with an injury. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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.

Finally, the Pride will host the Utah Royals Friday night. The Pride squeaked past the Royals in Utah in the first meeting. Can Orlando return to its winning ways? Find out in our preview, as we give you our key matchups, and score predictions for the game.

Here’s how Episode 48 went down:

0:15 – The Pride have gone two matches without a win, but it's meaningful to be the first team in six tries to take any points away from a road match in North Carolina.

22:22 – There are a lot of Pride birthdays this week, just like there is a lot of mail in this week's mailbagbox.

42:03 – The Pride will look to get back on track against the Utah Royals on Friday.

The Orlando Pride played without Adriana and Rafaelle and got only a half out of Marta and Barbra Banda, but still managed to bring home a hard-fought road point after a 1-1 draw against the Wave in San Diego. The Pride remain unbeaten in Southern California and on the 2024 season thanks to an acrobatic goal from Julie Doyle. We break down the match, check back on our score predictions (one of us nailed it), and made our selections for Player of the Match.

Banda and Emily Sams made the NWSL Team of the Month for May, and the Pride's Zambian striker was also the league's Player of the Month. Both are well-deserved honors for Banda, and it's nice to see Sams recognized for her outstanding efforts.

Our mailbagbox this week asked us about the Pride's unsung hero, Sophia Smith's silly sending off, Anna Moorhouse's performance Friday night, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. 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.

Finally, the Pride will visit the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. The Pride blasted the Courage the first time the teams met, but North Carolina has a perfect home record in 2024, so Orlando will have to be better than it was in San Diego. We hit you with our preview, key matchups, and score predictions for this week's game.

Here’s how Episode 47 went down:

0:15 – The Pride didn't win for the first time in a while, but still got a good road result. Plus, some Orlando players gained league recognition.

17:34 – The mailbagbox gives us a chance to provide much-needed answers to our listeners' most penetrating questions.

35:58 – The Pride head to North Carolina to take on the Courage.