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Lion Links: 9/9/15

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Who else saw Willian knifing through the USMNT midfield and defense in their dreams last night?

Hopefully it wasn't just me.

We're a day closer to match day as Sporting Kansas City visits Orlando on Sunday, though.

Meet an Orlando City Player

If you have any grocery shopping to do today, hit a local Publix. Even if you just want to meet an Orlando City player today, hit a local Publix.

Four Orlando City players — Luke Boden, Harrison Heath, Tyler Turner and Lewis Neal — will be making appearances at four different Publix locations in the Orlando area.

No word on what the players will be doing at each location, but I personally would love to see Luke Boden bagging my groceries, or Lewis Neal walk a 90-year-old lady to her car and load the bags in. It will be a fun opportunity to see players out of their element in an atmosphere we so rarely see professional athletes in.

City Clueless on Cerén Diagnosis

Needless to say, fans weren’t thrilled to see Darwin Cerén go down with a knee injury and be carried off the field last Friday in El Salvador’s World Cup qualifying match.

Matters have progressively gotten worse, as it seems Orlando City is being left in the dark in regards to what is wrong with Cerén's knee.

"We are still uncertain as to Darwin’s status," (Orlando City coach Adrian) Heath said. "We have called several times but have not been able to get any clear information as yet. At this stage he wants to remain with his [international] teammates for their second game, so we probably won’t find out the full ramifications of his injury until we get him back and our doctors can look at him."

This is the very definition of something that is not awesome. Cerén has been one of the best and most consistent players for Orlando City this season, and has a terrific personal story to boot. The playoffs are appearing less and less likely each day, and if Cerén is out for any period of time, City fans can essentially scrap any hopes.

Tally on MLS Team of the Week

Orlando City has an innate proclivity at making average teams look good and good teams look great. As was such this past weekend, when Orlando City fell 3-0 to New England in a match that resulted in four Revs players making the MLS Team of the Week.

But hey, City fans can take solace in the fact that keeper Tally Hall made the team as well. Hall turned in a phenomenal performance and was the only thing that kept the match from being a six or seven-goal blowout.

Bloviating Columnist Thinks Kaká is Disloyal to Orlando City

In today's laugh of the day, an Orlando Sentinel reporter who, you know, doesn't cover soccer, decided to write about soccer and question Orlando City's Kaká and his loyalty to the club.

The best columnists in the country all have one common thread between them: they report for their columns. There was no reporting in this column from Schmitz. It has all the same merit as a man sitting in his mom's basement in his underwear drumming up controversial thoughts that would get page views, rather than hitting the pavement and doing any real reporting to help provide a column about Kaká and his busy schedule that people who truly know the game would appreciate.

Does Kaká have a busy schedule? Absolutely. He’s a bona fide superstar. They all do. Does he miss team events and games for PR events or international games? Absolutely. Many superstars also do that. In effect, Kaká is not being disloyal to Orlando City in doing so, but I would argue he is actually being more loyal. He misses events with the team to raise awareness for MLS and build that brand, which in return boosts Orlando City’s brand.

When it comes to Schmitz’s argument about Kaká missing games for international duty, he fails to raise the question to any other Lions players. He didn’t question Cyle Larin’s loyalty? Or Darwin Cerén’s, who got injured and may miss significant time? He didn’t question Michael Bradley, or Jermaine Jones, who left their MLS clubs to get beat up by Brazil.

The fact is, Schmitz is a basketball reporter, and basketball players don't have to miss regular season games to represent their country. All world basketball events are in the NBA off-season. This is not the case with soccer. Soccer players often are left with a choice of club or country — especially in MLS where there are not recognized international breaks — and often times they choose to represent their country. The fact that Kaká is doing so in what may be his last chance does not warrant such a column by a man who does not understand the inner workings of the game.

Brazil Takes the USMNT to the Woodshed

The U.S. Men's National Team took to the field at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday night and looked very much like Orlando City did a few days earlier playing on the same field. Brazil, despite bringing Neymar off the bench and not playing Kaká, the Seleção made it look easy in a 4-1 romp.

Jürgen Klinsmann rolled out a 4-2-3-1 with a center back pairing that had not played together previously and Alejandro Bedoya in the central midfield, and the U.S. was overrun from the start. Willian ran through the midfield like a hot knife through butter to set up Hulk's opening goal, before Neymar finished a penalty past Brad Guzan after entering at half time. The Brazilians were just having a kick around at that point, and Rafinha and Neymar were seemingly toying with U.S. defenders before scoring goals three and four.

Danny Williams salvaged a little pride with a right-footed rip into the top of goal just before the final whistle, but it was a bad night from start to finish. Time to boycott Gillette Stadium for good.

Have a great Wednesday, Lions.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/13/25

Orlando City unveils 2025 primary kit, Orlando Pride sign two players to short-term contracts, FC Dallas signs Luciano Acosta, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a fairly busy week for me, but it’s at least made the week fly by as we get another day closer to the return of Orlando soccer. In the meantime, I’m knocking out some more books for my reading goal this year and have a bachelor party of all things to attend this Valentine’s Day weekend. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Meet Orlando City’s Perfect Storm Kit

We now know the new primary jersey Orlando City will wear for the 2025 season, as the club revealed the “Perfect Storm” kit. The most notable feature is that each jersey will have a unique design of the purple storm pattern meant to reflect Central Florida weather. It also features Orlando’s area code on the back of the neck arranged to look like a lightning bolt, which is a nice touch. Ultimately, I think I like the previous The Wall kit a bit more, but I do like the colors and how easily you can tell the difference between each jersey. It’s available now online and you can also head to Inter&Co Stadium to pick it up in person.

Orlando Pride Sign Two Non-Roster Invitees

The Orlando Pride signed midfielder Aryssa Mahrt and goalkeeper DeAira Jackson to short-term contracts ahead of the 2025 season. Both were non-roster invitees at Orlando’s preseason camp this year and fill a couple of active roster spots for the time being. Mahrt joins the Pride after recording 21 goals and 15 assists across 62 matches at the University of Wisconsin, leading the Badgers with 10 goals last year. As for Jackson, she had nine shutouts last year with Grand Canyon University and was named 2024 WAC Goalkeeper of the Year. She had a total of 16 clean sheets during her two seasons at Grand Canyon, breaking the school record.

Luciano Acosta Heads to FC Dallas

Midfielder Luciano Acosta was officially traded by FC Cincinnati to FC Dallas in exchange for just $5 million and up to another $1 million if performance-based metrics are reached. Cincinnati will also retain a percentage if Acosta is traded within MLS for cash in the future. The 30-year-old is one of the best playmakers in the league and had 14 goals and 19 assists last season. He now joins a Dallas team that missed the playoffs last year and bid farewell to Jesus Ferreira, Alan Velasco, and Paul Arriola in the time since.

As for Cincinnati, it will reportedly replace Acosta with Portland Timbers star Evander for $12 million, along with add-ons. Evander’s 19 assists last season was tied with Acosta for the league’s most, and he had a whopping 15 goals as well. The dominos continue to fall from there, as the Timbers are reportedly close to signing David da Costa from RC Lens for a $6 million transfer fee. Gosh, if only Orlando City had a major sale this winter so that it could get in on this kind of spending as well.

More MLS 2025 Kits Revealed

Orlando City isn’t the only club showcasing its new kit this week, as several clubs across the league shared new looks. My favorite of the bunch belongs to Portland, which celebrated its 50th anniversary with a green and gold design using a tree ring pattern to literally show the club’s age. I also like the Columbus Crew’s oozing “Goosebumps” kit designed by Columbus native R.L. Stine that has a slime pattern when under UV light.

The New England Revolution’s new secondary kit looks nice but feels like something plucked from Nigeria’s cutting room floor. LAFC’s 2025 kit is as blindingly white and gold as expected, and FC Dallas’ lacks red for something called “The Inferno” kit, apart from a hellish version of its badge that I do like. While the shades of pink in Inter Miami’s new primary reminds me of someone mixing red into a load of white laundry, my least favorite kit so far belongs to the Philadelphia Union. The yellow meant to represent electricity just isn’t bold enough in my opinion. I’ve seen some people say it looks like streaks of urine in snow and it’s difficult to see anything else after that.

Free Kicks

  • Retired defensive midfielders Dax McCarty and Osvaldo Alonso are two of the five new faces joining the MLS Season Pass broadcasting team for 2025. Former Lion Miguel Gallardo will remain part of the Spanish language coverage as an analyst.
  • The LA Galaxy officially acquired Christian Ramirez from the Crew in exchange for up to $500,000 in General Allocation Money. The 33-year-old has scored eight goals in the past two seasons.
  • Christian Pulisic stated he’s focused on his play on the field amid reports that AC Milan is nearing a contract extension with him through 2028 that would include a hefty pay raise.
  • In the UEFA Champions League, Club Brugge beat Atalanta 2-1, thanks to a penalty kick in stoppage time; Benfica won 1-0 against Monaco; Bayern Munich beat Celtic 2-1; and Feyenoord managed to win 1-0 over AC Milan in the rain in Rotterdam.
  • Here’s what to watch for in today’s slate of Europa League action. The first leg between Porto and Roma should be a close affair in Portugal, while Galatasaray will be without suspended forward Victor Osimhen when it takes on AZ Alkmaar.
  • Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom revealed that alcohol will not be sold at the 2034 World Cup, including at hotels.
  • The final Merseyside derby match at Goodison Park was a memorable one for the home fans, as Everton’s James Tarkowski scored a late equalizer to draw 2-2 against Liverpool. After the final whistle, four people were sent off, including Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
  • The U-17 USMNT took care of St. Kitts & Nevis 7-0 and has now outscored its opposition 29-0 through two matches. The Baby Nats will face Cuba Saturday. The U.S. would win the group with a draw or better.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/12/25

Leagues Cup Schedule released, Sams and Moorhouse called up, Champions League results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s new home kit reveal day, so get ready to potentially spend some money. I may end up getting one regardless of how it looks. I’ve lost some weight, and while that is good, none of my jerseys fit anymore. I hope it’s a good one.

We want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Jhon Solis. Additionally, I want to wish my son Chris a very happy birthday. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Fixtures Revealed

The official Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One schedule dropped Tuesday, meaning we now know Orlando City’s first three matches of the competition. All three matches will be played at Inter&Co Stadium against Liga MX squads. The Lions will face Pumas UNAM in the first match on July 30, followed by Atlas FC on Aug. 2, and then Necaxa on Aug. 6. Phase One of the competition is effectively a group stage. If Orlando City can advance out of Phase One, the Lions will head to the knockout rounds.

Pride International Call Ups

The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse received call-ups for the USWNT and the England Women’s National Team, respectively. USWNT Coach Emma Hayes included Sams on her 23-player roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The U.S. will play matches against Japan, Australia, and Colombia.

Moorhouse was selected by Lioness coach Sarina Wiegman for the UEFA Women’s Nations League. England’s first two matches are against Portugal on Feb. 21 and against Spain on Feb. 26. After that, the competition continues in April.

MLS Transfer Round Up

With Orlando City finally signing some new players, other MLS clubs continue to make moves in the off-season. Former Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso signed with the Houston Dynamo through 2025 with an option for 2026. Houston is the Bear’s third MLS club.

French second-division side Amiens SC is in a selling mood. The club sent defender Osaze Urhoghide to FC Dallas. Minnesota United FC signed midfielder Owen Gene from Amiens SC to an MLS U22 Initiative contract.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union signed Homegrown forward Eddy Davis III, and D.C. United signed midfielder Brandon Servania. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Daniel to a contract extension, and Nashville SC signed midfielder Matthew Corcoran from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC.

Champions League Results

UEFA Champions League continued Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain getting things going with a 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembélé scored a brace in the match to cement the victory. Borussia Dortmund also managed a 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon. All three goals came in the second half, including Serhou Guirassy’s 10th in the competition to equal Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid scored two goals to come from behind and defeat Manchester City 3-2. Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Weston McKennie got things going for Juventus in its 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal.

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That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the new kit. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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