Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/9/20

Good morning, Mane Landers! I hope the day finds you all well. Let’s go right ahead and jump into some links.
Daryl Dike Picks up an Injury
They’ve only had him a week and I really need to know how does one go about injuring Daryl Dike? I was very much looking forward to the young Lion playing tonight for the USMNT, but according to The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, Dike picked up a slight injury during camp and won’t be available. So, there’s that.
Daryl Dike picked up a slight injury in camp and won't be available tomorrow night, Berhalter says. #USMNT #OrlandoCitySC
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) December 8, 2020
Don Garber Addresses the State of the League
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber gave his annual league update yesterday. Like most of the world, the MLS suffered financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The league sustained an almost $1 billion loss and recently laid off 20% of the front office staff. The league did get creative though, pulling off the successful MLS is Back Tournament in the bubble here in Orlando before sending teams back to their home markets to finish out the season.
“Actually the impact of all this is probably deeper than what we expected, and that is concerning to us,” Don Garber said. “But our owners have been understanding this impact from the very beginning. We are concerned about what this will look like leading into 2021, and are working as I’m sure everybody can imagine on figuring out how we could manage through that. I am very very hopeful that 2021 will be way better than 2020, because I don’t think any business could sustain the kind of impact that we sustained in 2020 for two years in a row.”
Other items of note: the league is still focusing on a March 2021 start, finances will continue to be a persistent issue as MLS works to cut costs so as not to rely on outside funding, and the Real Salt Lake sale hasn’t progressed, but the league has no plans to move the club.
BPC Wins MLS Humanitarian of the Year Award
Black Players for Change (BPC) have been named the 2020 MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year. The organization is made up of more than 170 players, coaches, and MLS staff, and aims to advance the attention on human rights inequalities from protests to programs, partnerships and policies that address systemic racism. In recognition of their efforts this year, MLS WORKS will donate $5,000 to the organization to help advance its efforts.
BPC has had a significant impact since being announced on Juneteenth 2020. BPC organized and led a peaceful demonstration for racial equality and human rights before the opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament, worked with adidas to develop the #MLSisBlack Solidarity Top, with proceeds going to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, announced plans to build 12 mini-pitches, and led the charge on civic engagement in this year’s elections.
Emily Sonnett Reportedly Considering Offers Abroad
USWNT and Orlando Pride defender Emily Sonnett reportedly has multiple teams in England and Germany interested in securing her services. The Athletic’s Meg Linehan said two teams have made official offers and the defender is considering her options. The Orlando Pride acquired Sonnett in January of this year when they traded the No. 1 NWSL College Draft pick to the Portland Thorns in exchange for Sonnett and and the rights to Caitlin Foord.
Heard via a European source that Emily Sonnett has some interested teams in Europe — in England and Germany.
Her agent confirmed to me that two teams have made offers, and Sonnett is currently evaluating her options. #NWSL #USWNT
— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) December 8, 2020
USMNT’s Zack Steffen on First Champions League Start
U.S. goalkeeper Zack Steffen spoke about starting in the Champions League with Manchester City in the team’s final Champions League group stage match against Marseille.
“We are already through, which is kind of nice to have in the back of your mind. But we want to go out there, we are playing at home, and we want to get a win, get a shutout. For me, I want to display my skills and kind of show everybody what I can do and prove to myself I’m here for a reason. I am looking at it just like it’s another game and to go out there and have fun,” Steffen told CBS Sports.
When asked in which areas he’d like to improve, Steffen shared he’s not fully satisfied in any aspect of his game and would like to improve in all areas.
Free Kicks
- Win an Alex Morgan signed jersey.
.@VW presenting partner of @ussoccer is giving away official training tops signed by Alex Morgan for #FanWeek2020!
RT for your chance to win! 15 winners will be selected. Rules » https://t.co/7ismK41rC2 pic.twitter.com/MNjS1YFZj8
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) December 8, 2020
- USMNT players abroad continue making history.
Gio Reyna subs in for Dortmund, making him the third U.S. international to play all six group games in a UCL season:
2020 🇺🇸 Gio Reyna
2016 🇺🇸 Christian Pulisic
2012 🇺🇸 Michael Parkhurst— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) December 8, 2020
- Speaking of Americans abroad, here’s Weston McKennie’s goal for Juventus against Barcelona:
McKennie WHAT A GOAL 🔥🔥 #UCL #BarcaJuvepic.twitter.com/C1rmmJimzo
— Juve Canal (@juvecanal2) December 8, 2020
- The Houston Dynamo have transferred Mauro Manotas to Club Tijuana. Tom Bogert has some background on the deal.
- What were you doing when you turned 16?
1 – Aged 16 years and 18 days @BlackYellow’s Yousouffa #Moukoko becomes the youngest player to ever appear in the @ChampionsLeague – Moukoko beats Celestine Babayaro’s old record by 67 days. Prospect. #UCL #ZenitBVB pic.twitter.com/F6KCL5dbdY
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 8, 2020
- Women’s sports are at the top of the social media engagement list.
The top 2 leagues with highest engagement rates on Twitter in 2020?
When @alexisohanian tweeted "Check the receipts in a decade." It inspired @scottbecher (WinWin) & the @Zoomph team to check the data, more #SportsBiz insights below. https://t.co/UXqCStipVZ
— Amir Zonozi (@Zonozi) December 8, 2020
- The Guardian has kicked off its 100 Best Female Footballers in the World list, releasing numbers 100-71 for 2020.
- PSG walked off the pitch yesterday in solidarity with Basaksehir after a 4th official allegedly made racist comments toward Istanbul staff. A thorough investigation is underway.
- Mara Gomez makes history as the first transgender woman to play soccer in Argentina.
That’s going to do it for me this morning, everyone. Be sure to tune in to the USMNT vs. El Salvador tonight to see if Chris Mueller gets his first cap. Have a great day and stay safe!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/23/25
The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.
Bad Pride, Good Pride
It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.
The (OCSC) Academy Awards
Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.
Pochettino Prepares
The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.
MLS Transfer News
The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped a spot to No. 12 in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. Three 0-0 draws in a row will do that.
- Michael Buxbaum is suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for $100 million because the USWNT didn’t try to win the SheBelieves Cup. I wasn’t happy with the result either, but this is the definition of frivolous.
- Nani and Ali Krieger are both participating in The Soccer Tournament on seven-on-seven soccer teams. The matchups for the $1 million tournament have been set.
- Speaking of Krieger, she is settling in at her new gig at ESPN as an analyst for NWSL matches and co-host of “FutbolW.”
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/22/25
Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.
Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition
Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!
Americans in Midweek Action
A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.
English Promotion Update
Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.
Transfer Rumor Roundup
Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped three spots to no. 15 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- The Orlando Pride dropped all the way to no. 3 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Monday’s four scheduled Serie A matches were postponed following the announcement of Pope Francis’ death, with the games set to be played Wednesday instead.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/21/25
Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road
Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.
Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.
Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals
Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.
Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts
Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.
Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home
The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.
Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship
The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.
On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.
On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.
The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Youth Soccer Network announced the integration of the Orlando Pride into its network and plans to launch 11 Orlando Pride soccer schools across Central Florida.
- Inter Miami has acquired an international roster spot from the Portland Timbers for the 2025 season in exchange for $270,000 in General Allocation Money.
- David Blitzer and Ryan Smith’s Smith Entertainment Group have reached an agreement to sell the Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake to former Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and Miller Sports & Entertainment for $600 million.
- LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo announced over the weekend that he will step down from his role with the club at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
- The San Jose Earthquakes have reached an agreement to acquire left back DeJuan Jones from the Columbus Crew; however, the deal still needs to be finalized.
- Leicester City became the second club to be relegated from the Premier League this season after a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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