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Lion Links: 11/25/17

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Happy Saturday, folks who read our website. I’m glad you survived the food and the relatives on Thursday, and the stores on Friday, and made it to the weekend. As mentioned in Lion Links yesterday, we’ve made it three years on SB Nation after starting as an independent WordPress blog and we are thankful to those who gave us the opportunity to be part of the SBN network as the site bringing you Orlando City news, opinion, and analysis. There was some competition for the spot and hopefully they’re (and you’re) happy with what we’ve been doing.

This, by the way, is the 1,151st story I’ve written for TML since we moved to SB Nation, so I’ve put a lot of words together for you folks over the last three years and I hope at least a few of those sentences were coherent.

Now back to your regularly scheduled Lion Links, already in progress.

Giles Barnes on Homelessness, Kaká, and More

Hugo Greenhalgh of Planet Football caught up with Giles Barnes and the former (and possibly returning?) Lion touched on a variety of subjects, including how he got the Giles Barnes Foundation up and going to fight homelessness — especially for children — as well as how he nearly didn’t answer the phone call that ended up bringing him to the U.S. to play. He had a few things to say about playing with Kaká — the man he replaced to make his Orlando City debut — and he even indicated his time in Orlando may not yet be done.

“Football’s a funny game,” he says. “Opportunities are always there, it’s about making the right choice now for me – I’m just keeping all my options open right now. Maybe I’m in Orlando, maybe I’m not, but it’s going to be a fun journey for sure.”

More Details on Orlando City Stadium’s “Tap and Go” System

It was a bit disappointing to me the other day when Orlando City announced its extended partnership with Ticketmaster. I saw several tweets about it being met with nothing but cynicism or snarky remarks by people who probably hadn’t read the story or possibly who didn’t fully grasp it. Alicia DelGallo from the Orlando Sentinel dove deeper into the news which is pretty interesting, actually.

The frustration of hand scanners should become a thing of the past, as the club prepares to roll out a system more like those used in some stores for credit cards or the one utilized by Disney annual pass holders. I have personally spoken to Orlando City Chief Revenue Officer Chris Gallagher about the system and can confirm DelGallo’s report that he’s really stoked about it.

Gallagher said the new “tap and go” technology can be compared to what stores now use for credit card payments or Disney’s entry system minus the fingerprint recognition.

“Think of a flat surface and a screen looking up, that’s where you tap and that screen will give you the green light or red light to go in,” Gallagher said. “We’ll probably program the screen to say, ‘Welcome to Orlando City’ or whatever it may be.”

The other end of the extended partnership that excites me is the Live Nation concert addition. It’ll be great to have more events in our new palace.

Alanna Kennedy Talks About Defending

For the Orlando Pride, Alanna Kennedy plays in the midfield, but for her native Australia she’s become a fixture on defense. Kennedy discussed her transition to defense on the Matildas’ website.

“When I was younger I was always a midfielder. That’s something that a lot of people don’t know about me.

“I naturally am a midfielder – I’m not actually a defender. It’s just something that happened,” she told [the site].

Kennedy and her Aussie mates will square off against China again on Sunday in Geelong in the second of two quick meetings. That set of matches affected another Pride player, as forward Rachel Hill started at center forward for Perth Glory last night, instead of on the wing, because Sam Kerr is with the Matildas. Hill scored, but Perth lost, 3-2, to Toni Pressley’s Canberra United.

San Jose Fills Head Coach Vacancy with Mikael Stahre

The Earthquakes have hired Swedish-born Mikael Stahre as head coach following their search to permanently replace Dominic Kinnear, who was fired in June. The club made the hiring official on Friday. Stahre is an interesting hire, as he’s got 11 years of experience but all of it has come in Sweden, Greece, and China. Most recently, Stahre was at Swedish top-flight side BK Hacken, where he led the team to a 14-6-10 record and a fourth-place finish in the league. He is the second Swedish manager in MLS history (Hans Backe, NYRB 2010-2012). I’m not sure this is exactly a hiring at the Tata Martino level but we’ll see how it works out for San Jose.

NASL Ship Continues to Sink

The latest rat to jump off the sinking NASL ship is FC Edmonton. The Canadian side announced yesterday that it is leaving the league and ceasing professional soccer operations. Word is that Edmonton is waiting on the Canadian Premier League to jump back into the pro soccer pool.

Free Kicks

  • The MLS website has put together some deals you might be interested in with their 2017 gift guide. And don’t forget our 15% off sale goes on through Monday using code SBNCYBER15.
  • Monday is Contract Decision Day in Major League Soccer and a lot of teams have some decisions to make. Orlando City is one of four teams to have already made its decisions.
  • This will warm Taylor Twellman’s heart: a study was commissioned to research whether soccer players are at risk for degenerative brain disease. Initial results of the study should be available in two to three years.
  • The NWSL put together a video of the best header goals of 2017 and Orlando Pride midfielder Alanna Kennedy has a couple beauties included.
  • Among those born on this date are hockey’s Eddie Shore (1902), Joe DiMaggio (1914), Ricardo Montalban (1920), Joe Gibbs (1940), John Larroquette (1947), Bucky Dent (1951), Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery (1959), John F. Kennedy Jr. (1960), Chip Kelly (1963), football’s Bernie Kosar (1963) and Cris Carter (1965), Christina Applegate (1971), Donovan McNabb (1976), and Xabi Alonso (1981).

That’s all the time I’ve got for you today. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/20/24

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS season schedule announced, MLS mock drafts, MLS clubs making moves, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I finally have everything squared away after a week of hustling and bustling, meaning I can thankfully avoid the stores this weekend and just relax before next week’s chaos. I’m still trying to nail down what I’ll be cooking as my contribution for my family’s holiday dinner, but it should be fun trialing some options over the next few days. For now though, let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS Schedule Announced

MLS revealed the schedule for the 2025 season and Orlando City’s first game of the season will be at home against the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 22. Orlando has yet to start a season on the road since joining the league back in 2015. The Lions aren’t scheduled to play against expansion club San Diego FC this year, but they will play their first road game against St. Louis City on June 25. While a majority of Orlando’s games will be on Saturdays, they do have a pair of games on Sundays against Inter Miami, including a rivalry week showdown on May 18. Decision Day will be on Oct. 18, with the Lions on the road to take on Toronto FC to close out the regular season.

Predicting the 2025 MLS SuperDraft

The MLS SuperDraft is set to take place today and Top Drawer Soccer did a mock draft to predict how the first two rounds will go. Orlando City currently has the 27th pick in the first round and Top Drawer Soccer has them selecting defensive midfielder Jackson Castro out of Creighton. The pick makes enough sense to me, as Orlando lost some depth in its midfield following the 2024 season and Castro was Duncan McGuire’s teammate on a strong Creighton team a couple of years ago. The Lions were also predicted to take West Virginia winger Sergio Ors Navarro and Kentucky forward Logan Dorsey in the second round.

Travis Clark of MLSsoccer.com also did a mock draft of the first round, with Orlando taking Cornell winger Alioune Ka. Interestingly enough, both mock drafts have NCAA leading scorer Emil Jaaskelainen going in the first round after Orlando’s pick. I’m pretty excited to see how it all shakes out today and learn which players will become the latest Lions on the team.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The off-season is bringing plenty of change across the league as teams continue wheeling and dealing in preparation for the 2025 season. The New England Revolution made a splash by trading away up to $3.25 million in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Miami in exchange for attacker Leonardo Campana. The 24-year-old should give a needed boost to a New England team that only scored 37 goals this season. As for Miami, it now has an MLS-trade record fee of $2.5 million in guaranteed GAM and an open Designated Player spot at its disposal.

The LA Galaxy traded away 2024 MLS Cup MVP Gastón Brugman and a conditional $100,000 in GAM to Nashville SC in exchange for midfielder Sean Davis. Brugman will help Nashville fill the gap left by Anibal Godoy, who joined San Diego FC as a free agent. FC Dallas also added a free agent, signing defender Lalas Abubakar to a two-year deal.

GAM Amounts Revealed for Each MLS Club

MLS pulled back the curtain a bit and unveiled the amount of General Allocation Money that each team had as of Dec. 10. Orlando City’s total comes in at $3,990,312, which is a pretty hefty amount that can be used to improve the team. Atlanta United’s $6,503,478 is the most in the league, while the Houston Dynamo are at the other end of the spectrum with just $2,063,538. The Campana trade helps put these amounts into perspective, but there are many uses for GAM and it’s interesting to see where each club stands. It’s also just nice to get some transparency from the league about this and hopefully that trend continues in 2025.

Free Kicks

  • The National Independent Soccer Association will reportedly no longer be sanctioned by the United States Soccer Foundation next year, which would leave MLS NEXT Pro and USL League One as the third-division leagues in the U.S.
  • Tottenham beat Manchester United 4-3 to claim the final semifinal spot in the EFL Cup, with Son Heung-Min scoring directly from a corner kick. Tottenham will face off against Liverpool in the next round, with Newcastle and Arsenal squaring off in the other semifinal.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I wish you all a relaxing weekend and a very happy holidays!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/19/24

Preparing for the MLS SuperDraft, New York Red Bulls sign Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Tim Weah injured, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve knocked out all of my shopping except for one gift I’m still trying to procure. I have a lead on it though and high hopes that I can get a literal bow on it before traveling to visit my family next week. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Getting Ready for the MLS SuperDraft

The 2025 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Friday and the league released the list of 477 eligible players clubs can choose from. This year’s Generation Adidas class includes Cornell forward Alex Harris, North Carolina left back Tate Johnson, Wisconsin forward Dean Boltz, and UC Santa Barbara defensive midfielder Manu Duah. Those players likely won’t be on the board by the time Orlando City’s 27th overall pick rolls around, but the team has proven in the past it isn’t afraid to make a trade for a top prospect.

Here’s a nice position-by-position breakdown of some of the best players available on Friday. I personally think Orlando could use some depth at center back, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the team rolls the dice on a center forward given its track record. Unfortunately, we’ll have to follow along with each pick on the league’s website rather than a stream.

MLS Transfer Roundup

After falling in the MLS Cup final earlier this month, the New York Red Bulls have added some firepower by signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as a Designated Player. The 35-year-old heads to MLS after playing for Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Stoke City, and Schalke 04 over the past 10 years. The Red Bulls now have a fairly dangerous trio of Designated Players in Choupo-Moting, Emil Forsberg, and Dante Vanzeir.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution added midfielder Jackson Yueill as a free agent. The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract that includes options for 2028 and 2029. D.C. United traded away $150,000 in General Allocation Money to Nashville SC in exchange for defender Lukas MacNaughton. FC Dallas signed midfielder Ramiro Benetti, who has spent the past two seasons with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in Brazil. Veteran defender Nick Lima has returned to the San Jose Earthquakes, signing a two-year contract with the club.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The injuries continue to rack up for the Americans, as Tim Weah will miss some time after sustaining a thigh injury earlier this week in Juventus’ win over Cagliari. In better news for Americans plying their trade abroad, forward Ricardo Pepi scored twice in PSV Eindhoven’s 8-0 win against Koninklijke HFC in the KNVB Cup. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool are all reportedly interested in left back Antonee Robinson, who turned some heads with a pair of assists on Sunday.

EFL Cup Semifinals Nearly Set

The EFL Cup semifinals are setting up to be a heavyweight affair, with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle all advancing from the quarterfinals. The day belonged to Gabriel Jesus, who scored his first hat trick for Arsenal in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool extended its unbeaten streak to 20 games across all competitions after a 2-1 win over Southampton, while Newcastle United beat Brentford thanks to a brace from Sandro Tonali. The final semifinalist will come from today’s match between Manchester United and Tottenham, with the draw taking place afterwards.

Free Kicks

  • The NWSL Shield and Championship trophy paid a visit to WFTV’s studios, and it’s still a bit surreal that the Orlando Pride secured both pieces of silverware this season.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/18/24

Another report on the Facundo Torres transfer, Marta wins her own award, Becky Sauerbrunn retires, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. For those that celebrate Christmas, we’re only a week out, so I hope you’ve gotten your shopping done. If not, no judgement from me, just encouragement. I know you can do it! I think we can all do with a little more encouragement these days. For now, let’s get to the links.

Torres Deal Done?

WESH is reporting that the Facundo Torres to Palmeiras deal is done. As of this writing, there has been no confirmation from either club, but it is reasonable to think where there’s this much smoke, there’s fire. Torres may have scored his last goal in purple, and will leave as the club’s all-time leader in that category after three seasons. According to the report, Torres signed a five-year deal with the Brazilian club. We will provide updates as information becomes available.

Marta Wins Marta Award

In the most appropriate award selection in history, Marta has won the inaugural FIFA award for the best goal in women’s soccer, aptly named The FIFA Marta Award.

The award winning goal came in Brazil’s international friendly against Jamaica in June, as the Brazilian made a nice move to clear a defender and then sent in a long-range shot. Check it out.

Marta received the award at FIFA’s “The Best” Award ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

USWNT Legend Becky Sauerbrunn Retires

Former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn is retiring from professional soccer. The legendary defender has played in the NWSL in every year of it’s existence. She retires having won three championships, one NWSL Shield, multiple Women’s World Cups, and Olympic medals. Sauerbrunn is definitively one of the best to ever wear a U.S. jersey.

NWSL, MLS NEXT Pro Expand

The NWSL is entering into exclusive negotiations with a Denver-area group regarding the league’s next expansion franchise. Denver was picked above both Cincinnati and Cleveland. The expansion fee is in the $105-$120 million range.

MLS NEXT Pro is also adding another new team. Until a new name, logo, and brand are settled on, the team will be called West Michigan Soccer. The team will be the sixth independent club in MLS NEXT Pro. Orlando City B won’t have the opportunity to play the new team until 2027.

Free Kicks

  • Torres’ goal against Nashville made it into a compilation of volleyed goals from the MLS Twitter account.

That will do it for today. Keep checking in as our Orlando City and Orlando Pride Season in Review pieces continue. Vamos Orlando!

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