SkoPurp No. 110: Gotham Rewind and Stays-Goes

[Note: This episode was recorded Monday night, prior to the news late afternoon that Haley Carter is leaving the Pride's front office to pursue other opportunities. We will, rest assured, address that news on our next show.]The Orlando Pride just couldn't score. The team played well against Gotham FC, particularly on the defensive end and in the middle of the pitch, but the team's inability to find a goal — coupled with a late set piece goal conceded off an iffy foul call just outside the area — ended Orlando's bid to repeat as NWSL champions. The game could have gone either way, but it went the wrong way. We break down the heartbreaking loss, check on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match (we split the vote this time).The Pride may also be on the move in terms of training location. We briefly discussed the club's intentions to put everyone at the same facility at Osceola Heritage Park, which would be a boost in the facilities arms race for Orlando.Our mailbagbox wants to know if the NWSL will follow MLS in changing to a fall-to-spring schedule, if the Pride's attendance will keep going up, if Marta should become a super sub, 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 our mailbagbox, we briefly talked about Luana's new contract before going player by player through the Pride's roster and determine whether we think that player will stay for next season or go, and whether or not we want them to stay or go. Listen in real time as I struggle to remember who Kat Asman is, and as we forget Cosette Morche and Elyse Bennett completely. Yeah, we were not ready to do stays/goes yet.We're in our off-season schedule now, so we'll be back at least monthly, and as often as news requires.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 110 went down:0:15 – The Pride didn't score, so the Pride didn't win. It's as simple as that. But it's also not. The team played well apart from lacking goals.20:28 - Our mailbagbox is searching for answers.36:00 - Stays/goes time. We discuss contract situations and try to predict how the 2026 roster will shake out.