he season is over. It seemed like this was an Orlando City built to do the darn thing, but you can't do the darn thing if you don't score any goals. It's also difficult to do the darn thing when one of your center backs gets sent off and your team has fewer players than the opposition. These are the things the Lions had to contend with on Saturday …

After an unbelievably long gap in the playoff schedule, Orlando City is back this weekend with an Eastern Conference semifinal match at home against the Columbus Crew. And because it's a special week, we've got a special show for you. We open our discussion this week with a quick look at the United States Men's National Team's two-leg performance a…

Orlando City now knows its opponent for the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Lions will welcome the Columbus Crew into the purple palace in Parramore on Saturday, Nov. 25 for a 5:30 p.m. match. The series this year has been extremely competitive, with Orlando going 1-0-1 in the two regular-season meetings but needing to rally from two goals down …

Second verse, same as the first! Orlando City scored a first-half goal and rode that and a solid defensive game plan to a 1-0 playoff victory over Nashville SC in Game 2. This was essentially the same script, only with a less impressive winning goal and it took place in Tennessee rather than Florida, but the result is that the Lions are through the…

Escape To Earth Issue 3 #kickstarter: http://kck.st/45Uk63F Keith James takes us through his extensive career, going from a stage manager, to developing and planning some of the biggest theme parks in the industry, and living and working all over the globe. If anyone in-bodies the moniker of "theme park legend" it's Keith James. Other podcasts by R…

Orlando City played a great game to start the 2023 playoffs. Although there were a few things the Lions could clean up, it's hard to imagine the team playing much better against a stubborn Nashville SC side. Sure, it would be nice to finish a few more chances, but the important thing is that Orlando is halfway to where it needs to be in this openin…

Oftentimes, awards are popularity contests. We get that. But it's still nice to see the players and teams you follow get some recognition. To that end, we discuss the Lions who made the final cut for Major League Soccer's end-of-season awards. We don't think they'll win, but it's nice to be nominated. However, it's not nice to be snubbed. We point …

The regular season is over. Despite Orlando City giving everyone a participation trophy on Decision Day and the hosts having a bit more to play for in the season's final game — a retiring legendary captain and a new coach at the helm — the Lions prevailed 2-0 over Toronto FC on the strength of a fully caffeinated cup of Duncan's finest. Rookie Dunc…

We've gotten through the final international break of the 2023 Major League Soccer regular season and soon we'll be watching the matches around the league on Decision Day. The final day of the season takes place on Saturday and the Lions will be north of the border for a meeting with Toronto FC. The Reds will have a few more things to play for than…

Orlando City completed a monster eight-day run, getting wins against Montreal, Nashville (on the road), and the New England Revolution. Saturday's home win over the Revs wasn't as close as the 3-2 scoreline would seem to indicate, and it's another good sign for an Orlando City team that has feasted in the past on lower teams while not being quite a…

Orlando City claimed another big road victory in a difficult place for visitors to get wins, and the Lions did it with only one shot on target all night on Wednesday. Duncan McGuire's strike late in the first half held up and the hosts didn't look particularly threatening after the opening moments of the second half thanks to a cool, calm, and coll…

The Lions put together a complete game on Saturday night, soundly defeating visiting CF Montreal to the tune of 3-0 at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City needed that victory, which snapped a modest, two-game winless streak (0-1-1). Facundo Torres, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson were particularly good but the entire team played a solid match.…

Without a match to recap since our last show, we turned our attention to several news bites that have come out since Monday. We started with the news that Ajax is "monitoring" Orlando City winger Facundo Torres. Hey, they're not the only ones. Plenty of teams are keeping an eye on the young Uruguayan, and boy if he ever develops a right foot to go …

Orlando City didn't have to face Inter Miami's "big three" of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, but still fell behind and had to have a Duncan McGuire cannon shot to rescue a point at home. It wasn't that the Lions played poorly per se, it was just that they struggled to put chances away, which can happen during the season. Miami did t…

As special and memorable as Saturday's win over the Columbus Crew was, Wednesday's match at New York City FC was the polar opposite. The Lions played one of their most forgettable games of the season in a lethargic 2-0 loss on the road. The Pigeons played well, so give them credit, but that was not the Orlando City we're used to seeing. The Lions l…

There have been a lot of special moments already this season, but Orlando City's three-goal rally from down 3-1 to up 4-3 at the death on Saturday night against the Columbus Crew was special. The Lions came roaring back behind Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres, and Ramiro Enrique, who somehow found himself in the right place at the right time repeatedly…

With no Orlando City match to recap, we turned our attention to the United States Men's National Team's performance in the recent international window. We aren't as angst-ridden about the 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Uzbekistan and Oman, respectively, as many people are, but there is certainly room for improvement and it wasn't the best two games from Ser…

Support Reptilian Media, buy a comic book! https://reptilianmedia.bigcartel.com/ Jenifer Davis takes us through her #Themepark journey as a #dancer and #performer at #DisneyWorld in #Florida, and tells us what was waiting for her, when the journey ended. Find Jenifer Davis on #instagram: Xripprincessx Also in this episode, host Steve Honeycutt talk…

Orlando City went to TQL Stadium and did something no other visiting team has done this season — defeat mighty FC Cincinnati. In fact, the Lions went 1-0-1 against the assumed Supporters' Shield winners in 2023, so that might bode well for a potential postseason run. You'll recall that the Lions are also the only visiting team with an MLS regular-s…

Orlando City fell into the proverbial trap. With St. Louis City in the rearview mirror and a trip to league-leading Cincinnati looming this weekend, the match in Charlotte against a team that's below the playoff line always looked like a trap game, even taking into account the Lions should have been out for revenge against a team that beat them at …

Orlando City had one of its toughest tests of the season and passed with flying colors. The Lions held the high-powered St. Louis City offense to a single goal and even that one wasn't originally awarded. The defense did a good job of cutting off the visitors' transition chances, and Orlando got a brace from streaky winger Facundo Torres, including…

We've got Robin Jansson on this week's show! The Beefy Swede himself took time away from out-muscling opposing attackers to chat with us about many topics, including facing Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami circus, his partnership with Antonio Carlos (and Rodrigo Schlegel), what he enjoys about Orlando, the possibility of cutting down on yellow card…

Orlando City returned to regular-season play on Sunday night and ran into a stingy Chicago Fire defense that kept the Lions stymied for the first half. The second half was a different story, even though it started out on the wrong foot. The Lions fell behind just moments after the restart but were resilient enough to come back against the Fire on t…

With another off week for the senior Lions, we turn our attention to the Young Lions of Orlando City B. OCB headed northeast to face New York City FC II in Queens and it was yet another wild affair for the Young Lions. They grabbed an early lead, threw that away, went down multiple goals, and then stormed back for a much-needed three points on the …

We're still in the limbo between Leagues Cup and the resumption of the Major League Soccer season, so it's time for the Young Lions to take center stage. Unfortunately, this week that means having to rehash an unsatisfying 1-1 draw against an Inter Miami II side that was down a man for more than half an hour. That draw was followed by an even less …

The Lions got got. It's difficult enough to deal with an Inter Miami team getting not only the new coach bump, but also adding three former Barcelona stars through whatever financial gymnastics MLS employed, but it's even worse when you have to take on the officiating crew as well. Another downy soft penalty, an uncalled second yellow on Lionel Mes…

The Lions found a way. Orlando City came back from a first-half deficit, then responded late after Santos Laguna had erased its own one-goal deficit in the second half. There was one likely hero and two less likely ones accounting for Orlando's goals, and a vital tackle turned Santos Laguna's potential game-winning transition opportunity into the L…

With Orlando City having the midweek off, a wet Exploria Stadium welcomed English Premier League sides Aston Villa and Fulham on Wednesday night as the Summer Series came to Orlando. Despite a late start due to typical inclement Central Florida weather, the 16,000+ fans in attendance were treated to a fairly feisty friendly between the teams from B…

Orlando City did just about enough against the Houston Dynamo on Friday night but a highly questionable penalty call spoiled Pedro Gallese's clean sheet and ultimately cost the Lions a point in the South 2 group of the 2023 Leagues Cup. That makes the road to the knockout stages slightly more difficult with a big match coming up against Santos Lagu…

When we went to our two-shows-per-week format, we intended to cut the average length of our episodes. With that in mind, we think you won't mind too much about this episode being a little longer than usual. First of all, we're giving it to you a day early and second...well, we are extremely excited to bring you our extended interview with Orlando C…

Orlando City went to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and did something the Lions have only done once in their history in the series — they claimed all three points on the road against Atlanta United. From Mauricio Pereyra's string-pulling to Duncan McGuire's strong finishing, to Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo starving forwards of service, to Antonio Carlo…

Without a midweek game (thank goodness!), we decided to take a look at the transfer window from Orlando City's perspective. Although we don't expect an active transfer window for the Lions, we did think it was worthwhile to look at the spots on the roster where a move might be helpful to the team. We had one common train of thought and expanded in …

Be a goldfish, but only for the bad games. It's perfectly fine to remember the 4-0 win over Toronto last Tuesday but the sooner we get rid of all vestiges of Saturday night's 4-0 loss at Real Salt Lake, the better. The Lions looked lively for about 15 minutes and then the reality of the fixture congestion, travel, and altitude caught up with them. …

The sandwich in Orlando City's three-games-in-eight-days schedule was a tasty one, with the Lions exploding for four goals in a beatdown of Toronto FC prior to the more usual holiday fireworks display in the sky above Exploria Stadium afterward. Cesar Araujo, Rafael Santos, Wilder Cartagena, and others starred on a night that never seemed in doubt …

After one normal work week, the Lions are right smack dab in the midst of fixture congestion once again, as Orlando City is set to play on two days rest against Toronto FC before flying out to Utah to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Orlando City is coming off a 3-1 home victory over the Chicago Fire, with Facundo Torres adding two more goals and R…

Orlando City finally has a normal work week. But even though the Lions didn't play since our last show, there's still a game to discuss. OCB hosted Philadelphia Union II, looking to keep its unbeaten home streak intact. That did not, in fact, happen. The Union kids came in and took all three points in a lopsided 3-0 win over the Young Lions. The st…

Orlando City completed a three-games-in-eight-days gauntlet, finishing with a transcontinental trip to play the Seattle Sounders. Although the Lions played well in the match and created chances, they were ultimately undone by a lack of finishing once again as Mauricio Pereyra's empty-net sitter sailed over the crossbar from about eight yards out an…

Orlando City returned home on short rest and squred off with a well-rested Philadelphia Union team on Wednesday night. Things started off well and then got better in the second half before the game took a turn on an unintentional Union goal and then nothing seemed to go right as the Lions' legs got heavier in the late stages of the match. We look b…

Some important players were missing on Saturday and so was Orlando City's connectivity as the Lions once again came home from Gillette Stadium without any points. The Revolution's 3-1 win was deserved and only a late strike from Duncan McGuire gave Orlando fans anything to cheer about from a rain-soaked game on the fake plastic grass in Foxborough.…

As the Lions prepare for an important trip to Gillette Stadium to play the New England Revolution, there will be some names missing from the starting XI and even from the bench. We discussed how Oscar Pareja's troops will assemble in Massachusetts and what will happen in the second half when tired legs require substitutions. Sam Minton from The Bla…

Orlando City did that thing where you outscore the other team at home and get three points and it was everything we dreamed it would be. No, the game wasn't an objectively entertaining match, but the Lions dominated possession and did just enough to take advantage of the Colorado Rapids having not one, but two men sent off. We break down the procee…

It's PawedCast time again, and since there was apparently only one news story in the entire world this week, we've sunk to giving actual minutes of our show to discussing the as-yet-unsigned Lionel Messi. What does it mean for MLS, for Miami, and for Orlando if and when that signature happens? As with any signing, we'll have to wait and see, but it…

It's early June, so technically it's still time to do some spring cleaning. Speaking of which, the Lions got their brooms out and swept the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night in Harrison, NJ. Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, Wilder Cartagena, and Robin Jansson starred on a night when Orlando City's strategy was to stay organized against New York's ch…

we have no special guest, however, we still had plenty to discuss. Orlando City B took center stage early this week with a rare Monday night match against New York Red Bulls II. The Young Lions jumped out to an early lead, fell behind by halftime, and managed to stage a comeback to claim all three points. OCB remains unbeaten at home in 2023 after …

Orlando City returned home and once again goals were difficult to come by, which allowed the visitors to score late and take points home with them. The Lions were playing their second straight rivalry match and Atlanta United was ripe for the picking, but Orlando City could only muster one goal from Kyle Smith — getting the PawedCast bump from his …

[Note: Apologies for the echoey sound on my mic on this episode (Dave and Kyle sound great). Apparently my mic switched to the built-in laptop mic without me noticing and that's on me. It sounds OK but not as good as usual.] We're back with a second show in between rivalry matches and we're joined by Orlando City defender Kyle Smith! It's about dar…

Orlando City went back on the road for a tussle with its neighbors to the south in the latest installment of the Tropic Thunder rivalry. The Lions struck first and last in a good overall performance against Inter Miami and claimed all three points in Fort Lauderdale for just the second time in five visits. Ercan Kara continued to pour in goal contr…

Orlando City returned home but not to its winning ways as an 89th-minute equalizer by a kid scoring his first MLS goal ruined what was moments from being a perfectly fine victory over New York City FC. The Lions couldn't build on Ercan Kara's early goal, although some good saves from the opposing goalkeeper did help the visitors on that front. A po…

Orlando City finally scored a couple of goals but, unfortunately, the Lions fell behind 2-0 before scoring them. The lads in purple went to Columbus for their third consecutive match away from the friendly confines of Exploria Stadium to take on the Crew. After falling behind 2-0 at the break, again without putting any shots on frame, the Lions sta…

Can someone with a lion on their shirt badge please locate the goal? Orlando City followed up its 2022 U.S. Open Cup championship with a one-and-done entry in the competition in 2023 with Tuesday night's 1-0 loss at Charlotte FC. Overall, the Lions did almost everything they had to do in order to advance with a road win — with the major exception o…