Maybe this weekly feature should be renamed “What Orlando City SC did this week.”

“I don’t think Carolina will have an easier 45 minutes than they did in that first half,” said FCE’s coach.

If the Eddies don’t get points this weekend at North Carolina FC, their odds of being in the NASL spring-season race, well, they might just get awfully long.

But, when the Mexican, American and Canadian soccer associations joined together Monday in New York to unveil that they would sign a memorandum of understanding to jointly bid for the 2026 World Cup, United States Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said that, in fact, this tripartite pact had been in the works for years.

At this time last year (the conclusion of week 6 of the MLS season), 16 Canadians had each seen at least of minute of action for their respective MLS clubs. This year, the number is down slightly to 14.

For sure, it’s an embarrassing own goal — but keepers have to be the most mentally tough players on the pitch and, in some bizarre way, we can argue that giving up a goal like that in a friendly will actually be good for Sheridan down the road; that it will only force her to understand that you’ve got to forget the bad goals and remain in the moment.

“I’m in disbelief that we lost that game,” Miller said after the Eddies’ 1-0 loss to Jacksonville. “We battered Jacksonville for 80 minutes. We’ll play worse and win.”

For one, well, FIFA rules state that, for senior tournaments, all games have to be played on the same type of surface. So, of COURSE that means Mexican and American venues are going to have to make sure they’ve got artificial turf to match the Canadian standard! Yes! I can’t wait to hear droning international-feed commentators moaning about how brutal the turf temperature is at Azteca Stadium during an afternoon game in July.

The goal that gave the Canadian women's national team a 1-o win in Sweden Thursday was a perfect example of the three-pronged attempt that coach John Herdman will have at his disposal over the next few years.

As a member of the Canadian national side, he’s played on this country’s soil many times. But Saturday’s home opener against the Jacksonville Armada will mark the first time he’s been part of a professional club match played in his home and native land. His family is making the trip from Victoria to Edmonton to take in the game.