Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great Fourth of July holiday weekend. I was busy working but tried to catch some soccer when I could. The senior Lions and OCB were both in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Come from Behind in 2-2 Draw at Charlotte FC

Orlando City overturned a 2-0 deficit and picked up a 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC Saturday at Bank of America Stadium. The Lions trailed 2-0 late in the second half, but Ramiro Enrique pulled one back for Orlando to make it 2-1. Marco Pasalic scored the equalizer to help Orlando secure a draw. The Lions are unbeaten in their last three matches on the road (2-0-1) but are winless in their last two consecutive matches (0-1-1). Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel assisted on both goals for the Lions, and Ojeda became the third player in club history to record 50 goal contributions.

Orlando City remains fifth in the Eastern Conference table with 34 points. The Lions will take on CF Montreal Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium but will be without Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson, who will serve suspensions for yellow card accumulation.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout vs. Crown Legacy FC after 2-2 Draw

Orlando City B drew 2-2 against Crown Legacy FC Sunday at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex. The Young Lions stuck first against the run of play on a goal from Justin Ellis to take a 1-0 lead. Orlando City B held onto the lead through halftime. In the second half, Crown Legacy FC scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. However, Ellis scored the equalizer on a late penalty kick to record his second goal of the match. After 90 minutes, MLS NEXT Pro draws go to penalties, and OCB won the extra point with a 3-1 shootout win. Carlos Mercado was instrumental, as the goalkeeper stopped Crown Legacy’s first three spot kicks. OCB will be back in action Sunday at Osceola County Stadium against Carolina Core FC.

USMNT Falls to Mexico in Gold Cup Final

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 2-1 to Mexico on Sunday in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final at NRG Stadium. Mexico won the Gold Cup for the 10th time and repeated as champions. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. The USMNT got off to a great start as a Chris Richards header gave the U.S. the early lead. Later in the first half, Raul Jimenez scored the equalizer for Mexico. In the second half, Edson Alvarez buried his header to pull Mexico ahead 2-1. The goal was initially called offside, but it was awarded after video review. The USMNT fell short of an eighth Gold Cup title but will now shift its focus to preparing for the 2025 FIFA World Cup next summer. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against South Korea on Sept. 4 and Japan on Sept. 9.

Club World Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The semifinals are set in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after four thrilling quarterfinal matches over the weekend. On Friday, Fluminense edged Al-Hilal 2-1 to move on to the semifinals. Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1 and booked a spot in the semifinals. Former Lion Facundo Torres started the match for Palmeiras and played 67 minutes. On Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Bayern Munich 2-0, scoring two late goals in the second half from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembélé to advance despite finishing the match with nine men. Real Madrid edged Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a thrilling match to advance. The semifinals kick off Tuesday afternoon as Fluminense faces Chelsea. On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain will take on Real Madrid as Kylian Mbappe faces his former club. The Club World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium Sunday.

Free Kicks

• On Saturday, France defeated England 2-1 in its opening match of the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench.

• Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda scored 58 seconds into the match for Zambia in the 2025 CAF Women’s African Cup of Nations against Morocco. Banda also notched an assist, but it wasn’t enough to win as the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda joined Banda in playing for Zambia.

• San Diego FC midfielder Alejandro Alvarado Jr. and defender Andres Reyes will miss the rest of the 2025 season. Both players will be placed on the season-ending injury list.
• Arsenal has completed the signing of midfielder Maritin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad after triggering his $67 million release clause.
• New York City FC has reportedly signed midfielder Nicolas Fernandez from La Liga side Elche on a Designated Player contract.

Former Chicago Fire and Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran has reportedly joined Fenerbahce on a one-year loan six months after joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was taken off the field in an ambulance just seconds before the end of stoppage time after taking a knee to the head by a Crew player as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

Happy Fourth of July! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend and am hoping to get some needed rest over the next few days. There’s also a local brewery in my neck of the woods that sells canned cocktails that taste like the red, white, and blue popsicles that look like rockets [Ed. note: we think he means Bomb Pops], so I’m hoping to snag some of those to celebrate. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Readies for Charlotte FC

The Lions are back in action on Saturday night for a road game against Charlotte FC in one of the more enticing games in the league this weekend. Orlando fell 2-1 at home to FC Cincinnati on Saturday, while Charlotte heads into this game on a three-game losing streak. However, all three of those losses were on the road, and Charlotte boasts one of the better home records in the league. Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how the Lions will need to neutralize Charlotte and create chances in order to maintain distance between the two clubs in the Eastern Conference.

USMNT and Mexico Will Clash in Gold Cup Final

For the ninth time in the tournament’s history, the United States Men’s National Team and Mexico will square off in the Concacaf Gold Cup final. These two nations have won 17 of the past 18 Gold Cups and the U.S. beat Mexico 1-0 with a goal in extra time the last time they clashed in the final in 2021. It’s been a gauntlet for both teams to reach this point, and the U.S. has proven its mettle with a roster missing many of its usual stars. The final will take place on Sunday in Houston and should be an exciting match between the confederation’s best.

Diogo Jota Dies in Car Accident

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain. Jota’s passing comes less than a month after his marriage to Rute Cardoso and he is survived by three children. The sports world mourned the loss, with clubs, managers, teammates, prime ministers, and fans showing an outpouring of support. There was also a moment of silence before the Women’s European Championship match between Spain and Portugal, and players wore black armbands during the match.

Club World Cup Quarterfinals Kick Off Today

The Club World Cup returns today with a pair of quarterfinal matchups, including a showdown between Fluminense and Al-Hilal in Orlando at 3 p.m. The expanded format for this year’s tournament has been a major boon for the Brazilian teams, as all four made the round of 16 and Fluminense and Palmeiras received $13 million for making the quarterfinals. Former Lion Facundo Torres and Palmeiras will take on Chelsea at 9 p.m. and Estevao Willian will be the player to watch, as it could be his last game with Palmeiras before he joins Chelsea following the tournament.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Gaston Gonzalez is headed to Club Atletico Sarmiento on loan from Defensa y Justicia in Argentina’s top flight.

• San Diego FC players Alejandro Alvarado Jr. and Andres Reyes will miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to injury.
• Derby County and Charlotte FC have reportedly reached an agreement over the transfer of American forward Patrick Agyemang.

• Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey signed with Pumas UNAM in Liga MX. The Lions will host Pumas on July 30 in their first match of this year’s Leagues Cup.
• Spain kicked off its 2025 Euros campaign with a 5-0 win over Portugal that included four goals in the first half. Italy also won its first game, beating Belgium 1-0 thanks to a goal from Arianna Caruso.

That’s all I have for you today, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a weird week for me so far, as it’s felt simultaneously like it’s flying by and taking forever for the weekend to get here. All of the soccer has been nice at least, and I’ve been able to get some reading and painting done when not swamped. But enough about me, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando Pride Loan Multiple Players Out

The Orlando Pride loaned out five players for the rest of the 2025 season, with four of them joining USL Super League teams. Forward Amanda Allen, who was loaned to Lexington SC last year and injured her shoulder in December, is headed to her home country of Canada to join Halifax Tides FC in the Northern Super League. As for the players headed to the USL Super League, right back Brianna Martinez will join Carolina Ascent FC, goalkeeper Kat Asman and forward Mariana Larroquette were loaned to Lexington, and Aryssa Mahrt was sent to Spokane Zephyr FC. These loans should provide solid opportunities for minutes for these players, so hopefully they can make some noise with their respective teams.

Orlando City Academy Players Make All-Star Team

The rosters for the 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star Game are out and Orlando City B midfielders Gustavo Caraballo and Dylan Judelson were both selected for the event. The East All-Stars will be coached by Orlando City SC Academy Director Javier Carrillo, who also coached Orlando’s U-18 team to victory in the Generation Adidas Cup this year. Caraballo was named MVP of that tournament’s U-18 age group and scored 16 goals over the course of the MLS NEXT season. Judelson appeared in 32 games for Orlando this season and could factor into Canada’s U-17 World Cup plans come November. The MLS NEXT All-Star Game will take place on July 21 and can be viewed on the MLS YouTube channel.

USMNT Takes Down Guatemala in Gold Cup

The United States Men’s National Team secured a spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup final after winning 2-1 against Guatemala in St. Louis. The Yanks got off to a hot start thanks to Diego Luna’s brace in the first 15 minutes of the match. The offense wasn’t able to extend the lead beyond that though, and a late goal by Olger Escobar made the match a bit more tense the U.S. would have liked. Regardless, the U.S. got the job done in the end and will play in Sunday’s final in Houston.

USWNT Breezes Past Canada in Friendly

The United States Women’s National Team beat Canada in convincing fashion, shutting out its northern rival 3-0 in a friendly. Sam Coffey and Claire Hutton scored in the first half to give the USWNT a nice lead, and Yazmeen Ryan came off the bench to put the nail in the coffin with a late goal. The defense did well to claim its third clean sheet of this series of summer friendlies. Emily Sams didn’t make an appearance for the U.S., and Zara Chavoshi didn’t come off the bench for Canada either.

NWSL Announces Layout For 2026 Schedule

The 2026 NWSL regular season will kick off on March 13 and finish on Nov. 1 according to the league’s announced framework for next year’s action. Although there will be 16 teams next year, the playoff format remains the same and the top eight teams in the standings will qualify, with the 2026 NWSL Championship set for Nov. 21. There will once again be a balanced schedule, with each team playing 30 matches over the course of 27 weeks. The league will also notably be on break for a majority of June due to the FIFA World Cup, citing expectations to accommodate stadium demands in markets where World Cup games will take place

Free Kicks

• Boston Legacy FC signed American midfielder Annie Karich as its first player ahead of its inaugural season next year. Karich spent the past two seasons with SC Freiburg in Germany and joins Boston as a free agent.
• San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer was named MLS Player of the Month after recording three goals and six assists in June. He leads the league with 23 goal contributions this season and is a major reason behind San Diego’s rise to the top of the Western Conference standings.
• Atlanta United bolstered its defense by signing Albanian center back Enea Mihaj to a contract through 2028. The 26-year-old joins as a free agent after spending the past three seasons with FC Famalicao in Portugal top flight.
• The 2025 Women’s European Championship kicked off in Switzerland, with Finland beating Iceland 1-0 in the first match of the tournament. Switzerland struck first against Norway, but Ada Hegerberg scored an equalizer and an own goal by Swiss defender Julia Stierli gave Norway the 2-1 win.
• It seems the Concacaf co-hosts for next year’s World Cup will be able to serve suspensions in friendlies rather than missing out on the World Cup.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!