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Lion Links: 4/14/18

Published

7 years ago

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Good morning Mane Landers! It’s great to go into the weekend with three points already in pocket. The Lions decided not to leave the goals until late in the game and, hey, it all worked out. It’s nice to see the team winning and it’s even nicer when those wins lead to people making really cool things on the internet like this:

Now for some links.

Lions Win Third Straight Match

Dom Dwyer and Chris Mueller scored the goals and Joe Bendik did Joe Bendik things to keep his first clean sheet since last year. Orlando City took down the Union, 2-0, and improved to 2-0-0 in Friday the 13th games. Road points are precious and so getting three of them at once is always a good thing, especially against the kinds of teams you’re battling against to make the playoffs. We’ve got you covered if you missed the match.

And don’t miss Sean Rollins’ five takeaways later this morning. By the way, credit where it’s due. Big thanks to the Philadelphia Union and Sons of Ben for this:

Pride Players Heading to the World Cup

Australia and Japan played to a 1-1 draw yesterday. The result means that Pride players Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond, as well as former Pride players Steph Catley, Laura Alleway, and Lisa De Vanna will be going to France for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Japan led the game by a goal until none other than Sam Kerr tied the game at one for the Matildas in the 86th minute. Van Egmond was part of the buildup to Kerr’s equalizer. The goal avoided an embarrassing situation for the Matildas, who would have had to battle in a winner-take-all game to qualify.

This is Japan’s eighth World Cup in a row and the country will look to make it to the finals for the third time in a row. Meanwhile, Australia is heading to its seventh World Cup in a row, and will hope to finally make it past the quarter finals. Korea Republic also played yesterday and beat down on Vietnam, 4-0.

While this is obviously great news for Japan and Australia, Orlando will certainly miss Kennedy and van Egmond. There are a total of 11 players from both teams that play in the NWSL.

Alex Morgan: “It’s Coming Together”

The Orlando Pride go up against the defending NWSL champions on Sunday and have to quickly get back into the groove of things. International breaks have disrupted training, as 10 players were out last week and five players are still missing — Alanna Kennedy, Marta, Monica, Poliana, and Emily van Egmond.

“It’s been pretty difficult, honestly, to get a good fluidity within the team,” Morgan said. “And just knowing that we’re going to get the Brazilians and Australians back soon but not soon enough, it’s really difficult because I feel like again this year we’re going to be playing a little bit of catch-up just with those first few games not really getting the results we wanted.

Even with all the players out, the team is coming together and slowly getting towards how Tom Sermanni wants the team to look. The Pride are looking to get their first win of the season this weekend. It might help out some, too, that the Thorns are without four players from international duty and another four due to injury, including Tobin Heath.

USMNT vs. Italy Announced

The United States Men’s National Team is set to play a friendly against the Italians on Nov. 20. The venue for the game has not been announced yet but it will most likely be on neutral ground. Both the Yanks and the Azzurri are in similar circumstances. After missing the World Cup, both countries parted ways with their head coaches and presidents. There is change in the air for both as well.

The U.S., which now ranks 24th in the world, has not announced when it will be hiring a new coach, but officials say it will happen after the World Cup. This could potentially mean that the Yanks think a coach that is currently coaching a team in the World Cup will replace Bruce Arena and take the reigns from interim coach Dave Sarachan. As for Italy, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini, and Antonio Conte are in the running to become the new coach next month.

Free Kicks

  • Marta and Monica started on the bench and Poliana got the start. Brazil thumped Bolivia, 7-0 in Copa America Femenina action on Friday.

  • NWSL pay is awful and many players have to work multiple jobs. Here’s what Laura Harvey and the Utah Royals are doing to try to change that.
  • D.C. United hosts the Columbus Crew this weekend and the venue is a little different than what is typical. They will play at the home field of Navy soccer, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
  • Usain Bolt on trial with Dortmund… again.
  • Mohamed Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win three Player of the Month awards in the same season.
  • The Champions League semifinals are set. Bayern Munich will play Real Madrid and Liverpool are up against Roma.
  • FC Cincinnati’s bid to become an MLS expansion team could take a vital step in making it a reality but the vote to approve a stadium might not pass.
  • And it might be safe to say this is the strangest public appearance that Kay Rawlins will make this year:

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/27/25

Eduard Atuesta earns props, lessons from MLS matchday 15, World Cup prep continues, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

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May 27, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. If you were lucky enough to have Memorial Day off, then I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday! If not, then I hope your week got started off on a good note. As has been the case for most of May, we’ll barely have time to catch our breath before another Orlando City game is upon us, as the Lions travel up to Georgia to take on Atlanta United on Wednesday. Let’s jump right into today’s links.

Eduard Atuesta Earns Recognition

Eduard Atuesta played a crucial role in his first game back from a neck injury, as he supplied the assist on Duncan McGuire’s game-winning goal against the Portland Timbers on Saturday. The Colombian slipped a beautiful ball behind the Timbers’ defense and McGuire made no mistake with his finish. That assist, combined with a defensive performance of three tackles and a clearance, earned him a spot on the bench of the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday. Nic Josey also named him the Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, so it’s nice to see him getting some wider recognition.

MLS Matchday 15 Lessons

Major League Soccer’s 15th matchday had a ton going on, and there were plenty of things to be taken away from the action. Nashville SC continued its bounce-back from a rough 2024 season with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC, as the team stretched its unbeaten run in MLS play to six matches. The Vancouver Whitecaps also kept things rolling with a 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake, and they look pretty well prepared for their Concacaf Champions Cup final against Cruz Azul on Sunday. Finally, some of the guys who got the call for the United States Men’s National Team this month had great showings, with Patrick Agyemang and Brian White each scoring braces, and Diego Luna getting a goal as well.

Host Cities Continue World Cup Preparations

The 2026 World Cup will be here before we know it, and that means that cities which will be hosting games are continuing to make their preparations. Host sites with established public transit options like Metlife Stadium have a leg up, while Kansas City is implementing special buses to get fans from the city to the stadium, while also constructing a tram to help ferry people back and forth. Other stadiums have had to make changes to their fields, whether it’s been removing seating in order to widen the pitch, or adding natural grass to a turf surface and letting it grow in naturally over the course of a year and a half. Other changes will happen much closer to the tournament, like existing stadium branding being covered up or replaced and constructing fan zones for spectators to watch games outside the stadium itself. It’s a huge undertaking, and the work won’t stop until balls are being kicked next summer.

Man in Custody after Hitting Spectators at Liverpool Title Parade

Over two dozen people were injured on Monday evening when a car drove into fans at Liverpool’s trophy parade. A reported 27 people were taken to the hospital, and two were said to have “sustained serious injuries.” A man believed to be the driver of the car was taken into custody by the police after the incident, and the police force has urged the public to not make speculations about the nature and intent of the incident. The police have also said that they are not treating the incident as an act of terrorism and are continuing to investigate.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic has been called up to the Croatian Men’s National Team for June.
  • Parma has reportedly put in a lowball offer for Alex Freeman.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/26/25

Lions and Pride win, OCB falls to Atlanta United 2, European soccer weekend recap, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 26, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Memorial Day, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend. I’ve stayed busy working and checked out the Post Malone concert at Wrigley Field. Our Lions and the Pride picked up wins, while OCB lost to Atlanta United 2 over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Portland Timbers at Home

Orlando City defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Duncan McGuire scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to seal the win and extend Orlando’s unbeaten streak to 12 matches. That streak ties the club record set in 2020, and the Lions have still never lost to the Timbers at home.

The Lions jumped to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with 27 points. Orlando City will be on the road for its next match on Wednesday to face rival Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Banda’s Hat Trick Leads Pride Over Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride defeated the Utah Royals 3-1 Friday at America First Field in Sandy, UT behind Barbra Banda’s first-half hat trick. In addition to being the first in club history, Banda’s hat trick was the fastest in NWSL history, as she scored her three goals in 38 minutes. It was also the first NWSL hat trick on the road in which all three goals were scored in the first half. Friday’s win was the first time Orlando has scored more than one goal since April 25 against Angel City FC. The Pride snapped a three-match winless streak and moved to second in the NWSL table with 19 points. The Pride will be off this weekend for the international break, and their next match is scheduled for June 7 against the Houston Dash at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Routed by Atlanta United 2

In perhaps the club’s worst performance of the season, OCB fell 3-0 to Atlanta United 2 at Osceola Heritage Park on Sunday in a rare “home road match.” The match was originally scheduled for Friday at Fifth Third Stadium in Georgia but was rescheduled to Sunday due to the stadium not being available. Kickoff for the match was delayed about an hour because of inclement weather, and the match was played behind close doors. Atlanta United 2 took advantage of two of OCB’s numerous mistakes to go up 2-0 in the first half and added another in the second half in a match that could have been far worse than the scoreline indicated.

European Soccer Weekend Recap

There was plenty of drama over in Europe as many leagues wrapped up the 2024-2025 season. In the Premier League, all that was left to decide was which clubs would qualify for the UEFA Champions League alongside Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City beat Fulham 2-0, Chelsea defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0, and Newcastle lost to Everton 1-0 but still secured the last Champions League spot alongside Manchester City and Chelsea on the final day. Aston Villa fell to Manchester United 2-0 amid controversy and joined Nottingham Forest as the two sides to miss out on the UEFA Champions League.

In Serie A, Napoli took care of business at home, beating Cagliari 2-0. Napoli edged Inter Milan by one point to clinch the scudetto for the second time in three years. In the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, Arsenal defeated Barcelona 1-0 to secure the club’s first European title since 2007 and end Barcelona’s run for a fourth title in five years. Finally, in the EFL Championship playoff final, Sunderland edged Sheffield United 2-1 with a winner from Tom Wilson in stoppage time and earned promotion to the Premier League next season after eight years in the second division.

Free Kicks

  • MLS 360 analyst Dax McCarty praised Orlando City defender Alex Freeman for getting his first international call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team 27-man roster. He also mentioned he could be a dark horse pick to make the 2026 World Cup squad.
  • Esther Gonzalez scored the lone goal for NJ/NY Gotham FC to defeat Tigres 1-0 Saturday and win the first edition of the Concacaf W Champions Cup. Gotham FC has qualified for the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup and the 2028 Women’s Club World Cup.
  • The LA Galaxy and San Diego FC released a statement condemning the violence between supporters from both clubs after fights broke out after the match at Snapdragon Stadium Saturday.
  • Kevin De Bruyne played his final match for Manchester City on Sunday and is now a free agent. He has reportedly turned down a move to join the Chicago Fire in MLS and will hold talks to join Serie A champions Napoli.
  • Erik ten Hag is reportedly set to join Bayer Leverkusen as its next manager, replacing the departing Xabi Alonso.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/23/25

Tonight’s OCB match moved to Sunday, Alex Freeman makes USMNT roster, FanDuel Sports Network will stream Orlando Pride games, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 23, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! A long weekend is ahead of us and there is plenty of Orlando soccer to enjoy as well. I’ll be celebrating my nephew’s first birthday this weekend, so it should be a nice next couple of days visiting family. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

OCB Match Moved to Sunday in Kissimmee

As a heads up, Orlando City B is no longer playing today. OCB’s match against Atlanta United 2 was originally scheduled for tonight in Atlanta, but it was instead postponed to 7 p.m. Sunday and relocated to Osceola Heritage Park rather than Fifth Third Stadium in Georgia. Stadium availability was cited as the reason for the change, and the match will be played behind closed doors, although it will still be streamed live. The Young Lions are coming off of a 3-0 win over Inter Miami II and will face an Atlanta team that has drawn its last four games.

Alex Freeman Makes USMNT Training Camp Roster

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was named to the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp roster ahead of friendlies next month against Turkey and Switzerland. The 20-year-old is one of five uncapped players on the roster and one of 16 MLS players. He’ll likely be behind Sergino Dest on the depth chart, but Joe Scally was not called up for this window. There are many notable players absent, opening the door for players like Freeman across multiple positions to stake their claim to participate in this summer’s Gold Cup and the World Cup next year.

FanDuel Sports Network Will Stream Select Pride Games

The Orlando Pride will have eight of its remaining games streamed on FanDuel Sports Network, including tonight’s road game against the Utah Royals. The regional network, which used to be called Bally Sports before rebranding, is available on various providers throughout Florida and there is an app for streaming as well. Personally, I find this as just another cog in a messy machine of NWSL coverage options, but I imagine this is handy for those out there who are already accustomed to using the network to watch other Floridian pro sports teams.

Winter Garden Lands USL League One Team

Another pro soccer team is coming to Central Florida, as the United Soccer League announced its intent to bring a USL League One team to the area. Central Florida Pro Soccer’s ownership group has plans for a development in Winter Garden that would include a 5,000-seat multi-purpose soccer stadium. The plans also include recreational fields, a hotel, parks, and a walking trail. The group will gather input from the community in the coming months to help determine the team’s colors, badge, and name.

Free Kicks

  • Kansas City Current defender Alana Cook was placed on the season-ending injury list due to a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus sustained in the club’s match against the Orlando Pride.
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC and Tigres will square off in the Concacaf W Champions Cup final on Saturday. The winner will earn a spot in the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup and the 2028 Women’s Club World Cup.
  • Luka Modric penned a farewell to Real Madrid fans as his time with the club has come to an end. I don’t know where his next stop will be, but I sure hope it’s not with a team the Lions still have to face this year.

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

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