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Lion Links: 11/15/17

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7 years ago

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A busy Tuesday has us going all over the place through the soccer ranks, from youth to professional to TV and beyond. So nothing fancy today, let’s get right to it!

Youth Shines in Last USMNT Match of 2017

The U.S. Men’s National Team played in its final match of the 2017 season, a 1-1 draw against No. 3 Portugal. Interim Head Coach Dave Sarachan went with a youth-driven lineup featuring first-timers Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.

McKennie, 19, from Schalke FC (Bundesliga), had a fantastic debut as he scored once — and nearly made it a brace — and was all over the field. Most impressive were his box-to-box efforts and his overall complete show of his game.

World Cup Misses Engage in Conversations for 2018 Event

NIT? Europa? HeBelieves Cup? Not that I’m a fan of any of these names, but it looks like the head of social media steam — along with the fact that giant after giant keeps falling — has these teams debating a second-rate international event in 2018.

With the likes of the USA, Italy, Ghana, Netherlands, Cameroon, Chile, Greece, China, and Ivory Coast not making it to Russia, U.S. Soccer and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) have begun early conversations to host such an event.

Not only do I love this because we would get to see these teams, but it’s a wildly huge advantage to still get our young national team players some experience against some of the best countries in the world in the absence of a World Cup. My fingers are definitely crossed.

Atlanta United and Memphis Join the USL Ranks

Atlanta United has officially ended its two-year partnership with the Charleston Battery and will own and operate its own USL team in 2018. The team will train out of the club’s Marietta headquarters, but no name has been given as of yet. They will play their home matches out of Coolray Field in Gwinnett County.

The USL also announced today that it has approved the franchise rights to an ownership group in Memphis. While no name of the group or club was decided, it is largely speculated that the Memphis Redbirds ownership group is at the forefront for this opportunity, which will join the league in 2019.

MLS Outlines its Top 10 Stories with No Sight of MNUTD

MLS came out Tuesday with its top 10 stories of 2017, and there’s a gaping hole roughly the size of Minnesota. That’s right, MLS’s 22nd team doesn’t find itself a place inside the story lines, but its expansion counterpart — Atlanta United — does. We often thought the league’s new darling has been ATL, but Minnesota United — a club that has brought in two of the largest league sponsors by name, in Allianz and Target — should be getting more love here.

If anything, most of these story lines don’t even happen in MLS or on the field, which does just feel like a miss all around for this article.

MLS Expansion Draft for LAFC Set; Other Off-Season Details

Set your clocks for Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. as LAFC starts to build out its roster with current MLS Players.

In case you’re not familiar with the guidelines, here you go:

“All 22 existing MLS clubs will be able to protect 11 players prior to the Expansion Draft; Generation adidas players and off-budget Homegrown Players are automatically exempt from selection and do not need to be protected. Only a single player can be drafted from any one club.

The complete list of players eligible for selection in the Expansion Draft will be released on Dec. 10 by 5:30 pm ET.”

Be on the lookout from us on players we feel should be protected in the coming weeks.

And in case you feel the need to keep watch over the rest of the off-season:

Orlando Professional Teams Visit Orlando Health

Orlando City and Pride players visited Orlando Health Tuesday to check out the new South Seminole Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. While I’m sure it’s very nice, I’m going to hope these are the only types of visits of this kind.

Nike Friendlies Kick Off This December

The official dates of the Nike Friendlies and U.S. Soccer Academy Showcase in Bradenton, FL have been released. If you want to catch up on some of the upcoming talent coming through the system, this is your chance.

The friendlies consist of men’s and women's U-17 teams competing in a round robin event. The U.S., Brazil, and England feature on both sides with the Netherlands and Finland rounding out, respectively, the men’s and women's fields.

Fox Sports Involved in FIFA Bribes?

Not much has come on this story as of yet, but Fox Sports is being implicated in FIFA bribing scandals, among a handful of other networks.

Buddy Dyer In for Orlando Hosting the World Cup

Looks like Orlando City and the Central Florida Sports Commission have the backing of the city’s government. While this should be expected, you’d be surprised how often there can be disconnects between the two. So it’s good to see everyone on board with what will be a tough fight amongst the remaining 32 cities.

Free Kicks

  • Florida Tropics SC player Lucas Montelares makes the MASL Team of the Week.

Have a great rest of the week, and to leave you with a bit of humor I give you this:

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/2/25

Orlando Pride players on International duty, NWSL power rankings, USWNT friendlies, and more.

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22 hours ago

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April 2, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. There is plenty of Orlando Pride news today, which is good considering we’re heading into an international break. That means we can look forward to some women’s international matches in addition to Orlando City’s next bout against the Philadelphia Union. Before we jump into today’s news, please join us in wishing Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo a happy 24th birthday. Let’s get to the links.

International Duty, Pride Edition

Four players from the Orlando Pride have been called up for international duty. Anna Moorhouse (England), Angelina (Brazil), Emily Sams (U.S.), and Zara Chavoshi (U.S. U-23 training camp) will all head to their respective national teams. Moorhouse’s England will compete in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, while Angelina and Sams will face off in a pair of friendlies between the USWNT and the Brazil Women’s National Team.

Pride Still on Top

It seems that there are more outlets providing NWSL power rankings every week, but as long as they keep the Pride on top, I’ll keep letting you know about it. Given that the Pride are undefeated, with the most goals scored and the best goal differential, it isn’t surprising that the club is sitting atop the official standings along with these “highly scientific” power rankings. Goal.com, Sports Illustrated, and All For IX all rank the Pride in first place just above the Kansas City Current. I suppose even power rankings are occasionally correct.

Orlando’s Various World Cup Ties

You probably know that Orlando wasn’t selected to be one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As disappointing as that was, there’s still a chance that the city, and Orlando City SC’s training grounds at Osceola Heritage Park will host team training during the event. The top notch facilities, plus the relatively close proximity to host cities Miami and Atlanta, make Orlando a good option.

On a more positive note, Orlando was chosen as a host city for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Camping World Stadium will see Club León vs. CR Flamengo, and Juventus vs. Manchester City. The Group H runner-up vs. Group G winner match and one of the quarterfinal round matches will also be in Orlando. There’s plenty to see and do in the City Beautiful, including some great soccer.

USWNT Youth Movement

Sams won’t be the only younger player in Emma Hayes’ lineup for the friendlies against Brazil. Hayes wants to deepen the player pool, which means bringing in players with an average age of just over 25 years old, and the average number of appearances is less than 35. Hayes also believes this is a chance for the younger players who appeared in the loss to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup. The first of the two matches is this Saturday at 5 p.m., with the second coming up Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and OCB matches this weekend. Hopefully, you have two screens since the match start times overlap. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/1/25

Barbra Banda’s continued importance, Americans in midweek action, USWNT announces friendly, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 1, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning everyone! It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride both won, meaning that we got treated to a six-point weekend (OCB was off). As always we have plenty to talk through this morning, so let’s get into today’s links.

Barbra Banda Keeps Rolling in 2025

After a wildly successful debut season with the Orlando Pride in 2024, Barbra Banda has showed no signs of slowing down this year. A brace in the season opener meant that she picked up right where she left off last year, and the team has continued to be successful too. The Pride have made it three wins from three to start the 2025 season, and while Banda hasn’t scored since the opener, her blend of pace, power, dribbling, passing, and movement have continuously helped open things up for her teammates, and she drew a penalty that led to the Pride’s game-winning goal Saturday. She isn’t the Pride’s only offensive weapon, but the team clicks into a different gear when she’s at her best.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing in games during the working week, and there are some very important clashes on hand. Things get going later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham visit Arsenal in Premier League play as the Cottagers are in hot pursuit of a coveted European place. Wednesday has Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace facing Southampton, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth take on Manchester City. Also on Wednesday, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will face Inter Milan in a Coppa Italia semifinal. Things finish up on Friday as Aidan Morris and Middlesborough travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.

USWNT Announces Canada Match

The United States Women’s National Team has announced another friendly taking place this summer, as the team will face Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C. The match will be the third that the USWNT will play during the window, following a pair of friendlies against Ireland in late June. The neighboring countries will meet at Audi Field with the match designated as the Allstate Continental Clasico, with this being the first time that the match will feature the USWNT. The U.S. faced Canada twice in 2024, with both matches ending in 2-2 draws and the USWNT emerging victorious in shootouts.

Concacaf Champions Cup Preview

The Concacaf Champions Cup returns this week, with the first legs of the four quarterfinal matches set to be played today and tomorrow. Things get started tonight with what should be an exciting match between Club America and Cruz Azul, with the crosstown rivals two of the winningest teams in the competition. Cruz Azul’s Angel Sepulveda leads the CCC’s golden boot race with four tallies. The late game sees the LA Galaxy taking on Tigres as the Galaxy will try to distract themselves from a difficult start to their MLS Cup title defense. Wednesday’s slate has the Vancouver Whitecaps taking on Pumas UNAM in Canada in what will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams. The late game will be an all-MLS affair as LAFC hosts Inter Miami in the first meeting between the two sides in CCC play.

Sporting Kansas City Fires Peter Vermes

The longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer is out of work, as Sporting Kansas City announced the firing of Peter Vermes on Monday morning. It’s an end of an era in Kansas City, as Vermes was the head coach since 2009, back when the team was still called the Kansas City Wizards, and he had been named the club’s technical director three years earlier in 2006. He guided the team to an MLS Cup win in 2013; claimed U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017; and helped the team be consistently competitive for a majority of his tenure. Despite all of that, SKC missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and was mired in the midst of a 13-game winless streak in all competitions that stretched back to Sept. 18 of last year. After being an assistant on Vermes’ staff, Kerry Zavagnin will take over as interim head coach.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/31/25

Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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March 31, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road

On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.

NWSL Weekend Recap

The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
  • Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
  • That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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