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Lion Links: 4/18/18

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7 years ago

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Happy Wednesday, all you fine people! Hopefully you've gotten some good sun in the last few days and enjoyed getting out of the house with some “cooler” weather before we all deal with the inevitable heat. I’m definitely looking forward to getting out on Saturday for what should be a perfect evening of soccer.

Today we’ve got updates from Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis on the team, Ashlyn Harris winning an award, many U.S. youth teams in action, and some international updates from the Aussie contingent.

City Getting Closer to Meeting Expectations; El-Munir Having Consistent Impact

A season is full of ebb and flow. A very slow start with a myriad of injuries and suspensions led to a lot of fans pointing fingers at Kreis for little to nothing in terms of results. Now with a nearly healthy squad, City has earned three straight victories and looks to carry on this winning streak this Saturday against San Jose.

It’s tough enough to get so many new team members all on the same path, let alone having to deal with roster issues, and Kreis knew this wouldn't be easy.

“It [was] a challenge and I’d say it’s still a little bit of a challenge,” Kreis told MLSsoccer.com. “At the beginning of preseason, we worked with the group we had, tried to make it very clear as to, ‘These are our principles of play and this is how we put those things out there and work toward those things,’ and then as players came back in they get folded into that as well.”

One of those new players that have been lucky enough to play every single minute has been defender Mohamed El-Munir. He's one of only four Lions to do so, and the only defender to play in each of the first six matches.

The 26-year-old Libyan international said he was away from the game for “five, six months” before coming to Orlando and was worried about sustaining an injury early on because of his absence from the pitch. He praised the coaching staff for ensuring training sessions steadily increased the fitness levels of the Lions.

He’s had his ups and down early due to the layoff but is working to become a consistent provider who leads the team in a variety of defensive categories.

“I can say I’m happy,” he said. “This is not the best performance I have, but every game, I’m taking step-by-step so I can get the performance I’m going to be happy with and everybody is going to be happy with.”

Alanna Kennedy Helps Lead Matildas to AFC Asian Cup Final

In international play, the Pride’s Australian contingent battled hard with the women of Thailand for a place in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Final. In a match that ended 2-2 with the Matildas winning the penalty shootout 3-2, Alanna Kennedy proved clutch with a late game-tying goal. The final is set for Saturday against Japan in what should be a tough match against the 11th-best team in the world, but a country that is well known for its quality. Fingers crossed for a great match and a healthy one for all the players as they look to rejoin their NWSL teams after the competition.

Ashlyn Harris Wins NWSL Save of the Week

Chalk up another NWSL Save of the Week win for Pride keeper Ashlyn Harris, something that is not unfamiliar to the high-flying captain.

U.S. Soccer U-17 Girls, U-16 Boys and Girls All Competing Next Week

After a successful cycle so far, the U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team has arrived at its first major international competition: the 2018 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship. Three World Cup bids and the confederation title are up for grabs in Managua, Nicaragua. As reigning champions, the U.S. will compete on April 20, 22, and 24 to see if it can repeat. All games will be streamed live on Go90. Fans can follow all of this month’s action on ussoccer.com, U.S. Soccer’s official Facebook, Twitter (@ussoccer_ynt), and Instagram (@ussoccer_ynt) accounts.

The U.S. U-16 Girls’ National Team will travel to Italy and Slovenia to participate in the third annual U-17 Women’s Torneo delle Nazioni, playing four matches from April 25-28. Last year at this tournament, the U.S. U-17 WNT tied Slovenia 1-1, defeated Mexico 4-0, and defeated England 2-0 to win the group before rolling past Italy in the championship game by a 6-0 score.

Finally, the U-16 Boys look to defend last year’s tournament victory at the upcoming Torneo delle Nazioni in Gradisca d’Isonzo, Italy, that runs from April 19-May 2.

Unfortunately, no Orlando City Development Academy players made any of the rosters.

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That’s all for today! Have a great Wednesday, and to leave you with a little bit of fun, Sam Mewis, Emily Sonnett, and Rose Lavelle have provided some quality laughs by making Lindsey Horan a movie superstar:

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 25, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

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3 days ago

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April 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

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That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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April 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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