Orlando City blew a 1-0 lead at home again. However, the Lions also finally did two things they hadn't done in a while — scored more than one goal at home and won at home. Those two things are probably related. The Lions were able to overcome giving up the tying goal in the second half by scoring twice more to beat Atlas FC 3-1, staying alive in their bid to reach the Leagues Cup knockout rounds. Much of the credit goes to attacking players Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, but certainly everyone contributed in their own way. We break down the victory, check our score predictions (we were both partially right), and make our selections for Man of the Match.
Following our game breakdown, we discussed Orlando City's acquisition of Trinidad & Tobago international winger Tyrese Spicer. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft has some untapped upside, and we'll see if Oscar Pareja and his staff can unlock his potential. Spicer fills a need by providing depth on the left side, and he's versatile enough to play wingback and even fullback if needed.
We're also happy to welcome back Cristian Diaz, a writer for FutMexNation and a podcaster at Cantina MX. He helps us preview the weekend meeting with Necaxa as Orlando City closes the League Phase of the 2025 Leagues Cup. Big thanks to Cristian for joining us yet again and giving us the info we need on Wednesday's opponents.
The mailbagbox asks us about what Spicer's arrival means, what cool nicknames we would want, random OCSC jersey sightings, 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.
Following the mailbagbox segment, we spend some time being exasperated with OCB's recent form, including some of the worst goals conceded this season against New York City FC II on Sunday.
Finally, we previewed the Lions' Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, presenting our key matchups and final score predictions.
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Here’s how No. 495 went down:
0:15 – The Lions blew another lead in the second half, but this time they wrote themselves a different ending. Plus, welcome, Tyrese Spicer!
18:48 – Cristian Diaz smacks us with all his knowledge about Necaxa.
29:16 - The mailbagbox, the OCB Minute, and our Necaxa key matchups and predictions.
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