Good morning, everyone! It was nice to get a first look at the 2025 edition of Orlando City on Saturday, but the experience was sullied by an injury that we’ll speak more about shortly. Regardless, we continue to march towards the start of the season with a closed-door scrimmage against Forge FC up next on the docket today. We have a ton to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Wilder Cartagena Injury Reports

Wilder Cartagena exited Orlando City’s preseason game against Atletico Mineiro with a non-contact injury, naturally leading to fears about what the injury would be. While the club has not released a diagnosis at the time of writing, reports are emerging that the Peruvian midfielder suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon. There are some reports that go as far as saying that he will undergo surgery soon. If true, Cartagena could be sidelined for anywhere from a few months or up to a year, depending on the severity of the injury. We’ll keep you updated as more news becomes available.

Orlando City B Schedule Released

In much more pleasant news, the MLS NEXT Pro schedule was released, which means that we have OCB’s roadmap for the upcoming season. The Young Lions will get the season started at home on Sunday, March 9 against Columbus Crew 2 with a 7 p.m. kickoff. OCB closes the season at home against FC Cincinnati 2 on Decision Day, which will be on Sunday, Oct. 5. The team will play 14 home games, 13 away games, and one at the neutral site of IMG Academy in Bradenton. Most of the games will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with the rest appearing on mlsnextpro.com.

Americans in Champions League Action

The UEFA Champions League will have its final matchday of the league phase on Wednesday, and there are a lot of Americans who will be competing. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan can guarantee a place in the top eight of the standings with a win when they welcome Dinamo Zagreb to San Siro. Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, and Esmir Bajraktarević also have a lot to play for with PSV Eindhoven, as a loss or draw risks the club being overtaken and eliminated from the competition. Aside from Juventus, all other teams featuring Americans are placed anywhere from 14th-24th, so the stakes are high during this week’s action.

NWSL News Roundup

Monday was a busy day for the National Women’s Soccer League, so let’s get caught up. The Houston Dash acquired former Orlando Pride forward Messiah Bright in a trade with Angel City FC. The Dash sent $100,000 in inter-league transfer funds to Angel City in exchange, and that number could increase by up to $50,000 with incentives. The Chicago Stars noted that Mallory Swanson has not joined the team for the start of camp due to personal reasons. Jenna Nighswonger has reportedly been sold to Arsenal for a fee of $100,000.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City went old school to bring us a look at Monday morning’s training session.

• The Pride meanwhile, opted for a more traditional route.

• Congratulations are in order for the team of Baby Lions that became the PreMLS NAC Champions for the 2013 age group!

• Former Lion and cowboy hat enthusiast Benji Michel is training with Nashville SC.

• The Columbus Crew have transferred winger Marino Hinestroza to Atletico Nacional.
• Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim dropped an early frontrunner for quote of the year when he said he’d rather start his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than Marcus Rashford.

That’s all I’ve got for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy working and covering high school sports. Besides that, I was able to watch a few Premier League matches over the weekend. Let’s all wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina, who turned 25 on Sunday. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Defeats Atletico Mineiro in Penalties After Scoreless Draw

In its first preseason match of 2025, Orlando City edged past Atletico Mineiro 6-5 on penalties after a scoreless draw at Inter&Co Stadium in the FC Series. The Lions had to go through seven rounds of penalties to defeat Atletico Mineiro and clinch the Inter&Co Trophy. Both teams had chances throughout the match, but after 90 minutes of play, the game went to penalties. After being tied 5-5 after six rounds, Joran Gerbet scored in the seventh round andPedro Gallese saved Bruno Fuchs’s shot to win the shootout for the Lions. Orlando City will be in Mexico for camp for the next week and will face Forge FC. The Lions will take on Inter Miami in Tampa on Feb. 14 at Raymond James Stadium.

Lions Reportedly Shift Focus Away From Marco Pasalic

According to Tom Bogert, Orlando City is reportedly shifting their focus from Croatian winger Marco Pasalic to other transfer targets, as the 24-year-old is undecided about his future.

The Lions were reportedly in talks to sign Pasalic from HNK Rijeka last week, as they look to fill their open Designated Player spot following the record-breaking transfer of forward Facundo Torres to Palmeiras last month. The clock is ticking for the Lions to sign a new Designated Player, with Orlando’s season opener set for Feb. 22.

Naomi Girma Completes Record Transfer Move to Chelsea

United States Women’s National Team and former San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma has completed her transfer to Chelsea in a record-breaking deal. The transfer fee is reportedly agreed at $1.1 million, making her the first player to break the $1 million mark in women’s soccer. Girma signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Chelsea after three seasons with the Wave. She has 44 caps for the USWNT and was an integral part of the squad that won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. The Chicago Fire signed midfielder Rominigue Kouame on loan from La Liga 2 side Cadiz CF for the 2025 MLS season, with an option to purchase. The Fire also transferred midfielder Federico Navarro to Argentine first division side Club Atletico Rosario Central for an undisclosed transfer fee. FC Cincinnati is reportedly in negotiations to sign center back Gilberto Flores.

LAFC has agreed to transfer midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to Cruz Azul for a fee reportedly over $10 million. The New York Red Bulls have transferred forward Dante Vanzeir to KAA Gent in Belgium. The Red Bulls have also reportedly expressed interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur forward Timo Werner, who is on loan from Red Bull Leipzig.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Daryl Dike is close to full fitness and is back training as he looks set to return to action for West Brom. Dike has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles injury from last season that has kept him sidelined for almost a year.

• Christian Pulisic scored a penalty kick, while Yunus Musah added an assist for AC Milan in a 3-2 victory over Parma on Sunday.
• Josh Sargent scored twice in his first start for Norwich City in nearly three months as his side defeated Swansea City 5-1 on Saturday.
• Wolverhampton has reportedly expressed interest in signing Real Betis and USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso.

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

Happy Friday! It should be a pretty decent weekend with plenty of soccer to enjoy both in Orlando and abroad. Orlando City’s first preseason game is Saturday against Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium. While I won’t be in attendance, I’m looking forward to learning how they do. But for now, let’s jump into today’s links!

Cesar Araujo Will Reportedly Stay in Orlando

There have been rumors and reports swirling around regarding midfielder Cesar Araujo leaving Orlando City this off-season. However, the 23-year-old will reportedly stay in Orlando for the 2025 season according to Tom Bogert. Uruguayan club Nacional has reportedly been trying to sign Araujo while he has a year left on his contract.

It makes all the sense in the world for Orlando to want to keep Araujo in the center of its midfield for 2025. He’s been incredible since joining Orlando back in 2022 and has been integral to the club’s success in recent years. Clubs were always going to come knocking for Araujo’s talents, but I expect it would take a hefty offer for the Lions to let him go before his contract is up.

Takeaways From USMNT January Camp

While the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp usually isn’t too impactful, this year’s edition had some extra intrigue due to some standout performances across the two friendly wins. Zack Steffen had a statement game against Costa Rica, making a few sensational saves to secure a clean sheet. He needed a game like that to stay in the mix for the starting job after a rough season with the Colorado Rapids. Striker Patrick Agyemang played his first two USMNT games this month and scored in both, making the most of his opportunity. Diego Luna taking an elbow to the face and coming back out to assist on the team’s first goal against Costa Rica is also the kind of moment that could earn him more looks in the future.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS teams other than Orlando City continue to make moves ahead of the 2025 season. The exodus from FC Dallas rolls on, as Alan Velasco was officially transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina for a reported $12 million transfer fee. Dallas also traded center back Nkosi Tafari to LAFC in exchange for $300,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money and an international roster slot.

The Karol Swiderski era in Charlotte is over, as the club transferred him to Panathinaikos for a reported transfer fee of $2 million. Real Salt Lake added a young striker, signing 20-year-old Ariath Piol from MacArthur FC in Australia. Nashville SC signed American goalkeeper Brian Schwake from CD Castellon in Spain’s second division to provide more depth behind Joe Willis. Austin FC’s busy off-season continued by signing Zan Kolmanic to a new contract through 2026. The club is also reportedly closer to signing forward Myrto Uzuni for a club-record fee.

Europa League First Phase Nears Conclusion

Lazio is the only team to guarantee a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16 so far, doing so after a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad. English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur edged closer to securing a spot. A late winner from Bruno Fernandes gave United a 2-1 victory against Rangers, while Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-2 thanks to a brace from Heung-Min Son. The upset of the round belonged to Latvian club FK RFS, which took down Ajax in a 1-0 win at home. Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Midtjylland also picked up wins this week. This phase of the tournament will wrap up with 18 games on Thursday.

Free Kicks

• Bay FC bought out Deyna Castellanos’ contract, with the midfielder joining the Portland Thorns as a free agent soon after.
• After a vote approving funds to repair Al Lang Stadium, the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced that they will play there for their upcoming USL Championship season.

• Manchester City defender Kyle Walker will reportedly join AC Milan on loan for the remainder of the season, with an option for the Italian club to buy him after the loan.
• Barcelona extended defender Ronald Araujo’s contract to keep him at the club through 2031.
• Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke will be out for around six weeks due to a knee injury according to Ange Postecoglou.

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