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Lion Links: 6/13/18

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8 years ago

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Less than 24 hours, people! That's right. We are less than 24 hours away from the greatest sporting event kicking off. Do not fight me on this. World Cup is my Christmas, New Year’s, and my birthday all rolled up into one month of amazing. I will be watching every match I can no matter who is playing.

Oh yeah, and it’s Orlando City match day.

So to keep you busy until tonight, we’re talking women’s national teams — first team and youth — while the Lions are finally getting healthy, Alex Morgan makes her film debut, and some FIFA news.

Orlando City Getting Healthy…Again

Yes, we are all a bit tired of writing about how we can’t wait for City to get healthy, and maybe we’ve finally hit that point where we don’t have to. It appears all City players —including Scott Sutter, Jonathan Spector, and Lamine Sané — were all training Tuesday in Montreal. That also includes Will Johnson who said he’s doing fine after his hamstring tightened up against Vancouver. As for whether or not we’ll see all of them tonight:

“They’re both in our thinking, in our consideration for starting, as well as available off the bench,” Lions coach Jason Kreis said about Spector and Dwyer. “We have to be mindful. We’re putting a lot into this game. We don’t want to handle it as if it’s the last game of the season, because it’s not. It is an important game, though, and we’ll see where we come out on those two players.” 

Getting Dwyer back fully will be huge as the Lions have averaged over two goals per game with him in the lineup. But Kreis is still trying to get his team to play focused for a full 90 minutes, and it hasn’t been easy.

“We need players to step forward. We need players to say enough is enough. I think that we are going to have to talk to individual players about their performance. We have to expect more, and we have to demand more. Again, it’s not to say everything is bad, because it’s not. There are a lot of positive things, but at the end of the day, we need that 10 percent.”

USWNT Beats China 2-1 in Second Friendly

The U.S. Women’s National Team swept its two-game series with China as the Yanks beat China 2-1 last night in Cleveland, OH. It was a tale of two halves with the U.S. dominating the first half but only netting one goal for its efforts. In the second half, China took much more control and pressed the U.S. into a tie at one point. It didn't last long as the U.S. found an interesting floating goal from inside the penalty area by Tobin Heath to secure the win.

Orlando Pride players Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris both got the call with Morgan taking the captain’s armband. Morgan had a rather quiet night and so did Harris until she made the save of the match on a great extension that saved the result for the U.S.

You won't have to wait too long for more USWNT as the squad will be back in action for the Tournament of Nations in late July. They also recently announced that they’ll play some late-summer friendlies against Chile in California in late August and early September.

U-17 Women Win Concacaf Championship over Mexico

Yesterday the U-17 Women’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-2 in Bradenton, FL to win the 2018 Concacaf Championship.

This is the fourth championship for the U-17s, and they earned a place in the U-17 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay this November.

The U.S. was also awarded a couple of additional awards for this Concacaf Championship.

Alex and Me Officially Released

Alex Morgan’s debut feature film Alex & Me is available today via digital distribution. It stars Morgan as herself alongside 13-year-old Siena Agudong (Nickelodeon’s Star Falls). Agudong plays Reagan Willis who has dreams of becoming a soccer player like Morgan, who shows up in the teenager’s bedroom after Reagan bumps her head.

“I wanted to eat, sleep, live, breathe soccer at that age, so making a movie like this for kids and teenagers was me thinking back to when I was a kid,” Morgan said.

I will definitely be checking this out as I agree it’s important that young players of all ages have some genuine films and people to look up to.

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I leave you with a bit of news that I am very proud of. Karina (KK) Leblanc has been named the head of Concacaf women’s football. I’ve had the distinct opportunity to work with KK in my time with Puma and I will tell you that this woman is amazing and will do great things — or rather, continue to — for an underrepresented part of the game. All the best to her in this opportunity.

That’s it! Have a great day and get ready to bunker down for the next month watching the World Cup. I know the U.S. didn't make it, but that doesn't mean you still can’t enjoy it!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 22, 2026

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Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

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  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

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Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

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  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

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: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

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That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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