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Lion Links: 7/8/18

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7 years ago

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Howdy, Mane Landers, and happy Sunday. I hope the weekend has been treating you well. I’ve been on vacation (from my real job) since July 3 and it’s been refreshing to…let me cut the bullshit, it’s been awesome. I truly love my job and the people that I work with, but it’s always nice to take a few days off and relax a bit (when I say relax, I really mean sleep in. play soccer, and go to Orangetheory Fitness classes — which are excellent, but I digress).

I’m actually looking forward to heading back into the office on Tuesday: a place where there are true football fans aplenty…and all of our brackets fell apart early. I’m not sure where I stand at the moment compared to my opponents, but I have my $5 at the ready because a Brazil-Spain final sure ain’t happenin’ this go round.

Any who, here’s your Sunday helping of Lion Links. Enjoy!

Orlando City Travels to Los Angeles in James C’Connor’s Debut

It was a late one for supporters here in Orlando and on the East Coast as the Lions traveled across the Continental United States to face MLS newcomers Los Angeles FC with an 11 p.m. kickoff. James O’Connor’s first lineup in charge of the Lions was an interesting look that featured Josué Colmán on the left flank, Dom Dywer up top, and Chris Mueller on the right. It was an unfortunate debut for O’Connor, as his Lions side lost for a ninth straight league match, 4-1. Of course, VAR was back at it in disallowing a Dom Dwyer equalizer, ruling Justin Meram offside. There’s no doubt going to be a lot of upset supporters with what seems to be a trend in being on the wrong end of VAR rulings, but hey, this is Orlando.

Also be sure to keep an eye out later today for Guilherme Torres’ five takeaways and our bearded guy’s player grades and Man of the Match.

Orlando Pride Come Back Against the Washington Spirit, 2-1

The Pride welcomed the Spirit into Orlando City Stadium last night in an affair that saw the Pride trailing early as Ashley Hatch put the Spirit up with a 25th minute header. The energy was high from the Pride in response though, and they were determined to leave their stamp on the match. Sydney Leroux brought it level just before the break with a good turn and shot to the near post. Marta provided the comeback heroics. Brandon Turton has your in-depth match recap.

World Cup Update: Semifinals are Set

I’m starting this one by saying that this is personally, already, the greatest World Cup I’ve ever witnessed (my first was Japan/South Korea in 2002). Throughout this entire tournament, and even throughout qualifying for some of these sides, miracles have been seemingly in abundance. For Russia yesterday, the miracles finally ran dry. Through 120 minutes of heart racing play, close calls, and injuries, it was Croatia that emerged triumphantly as they beat Russia on penalties, 2-2 (3-4).

The other quarterfinal yesterday, England-Sweden, was an exhilarating affair that saw England’s Harry Maguire score his first international goal with a first-half header. Dele Alli also notched a header of his own in the second half, and England advances to a semifinal where a tired Croatia side (see above) will be waiting for them.

A World Cup with 48 Countries?

It’s hard to start thinking about the 2022 World Cup when we’re still in the magnificent throes of the current tournament, but Qatari organizers of the 2022 World Cup have stated that they’re open to conversations over altering the format of the tournament in order to host 48 teams, rather than the current number of 32. Qatar, which believes they could host the potential 48-team tournament alone, holds the ability to essentially veto the plan — as FIFA has ruled that the host country’s consent is a precondition to the expansion. The country is excited about the prospects, but also hold caution in the case that it won’t be beneficial to the hosts.

“If we feel that it’s not in favor of us or of football, we won’t go for it,” (Nasser) Al Khater said at the opening of a Qatari hospitality house in Moscow’s Gorky Park. “If the format of a 48-team World Cup is an exciting format, and it doesn’t follow the traditional type of format, yeah, why not? It might add an exciting new element. Maybe it’s a sudden death, one game sudden death and you’re out, and maybe it happens before the rest of the teams come,” Al Khater said.

While a sudden death scenario is unlikely, the talks are in the works. Personally, I don’t see it happening. Europe’s top leagues have pushed back against the idea of losing another weekend of fixtures in November to accommodate World Cup matches, so adding days to the existing format won’t work. Squeezing in those additional matches at this juncture, just four years out, seems impossible if not unwise. That being said, Al Khater has also acknowledged that all preparation for their hosting of the 2022 tournament has been focused on accommodating 32 teams, not 48.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Antonio Nocerino has officially joined Benevento Calcio, of Italy’s Serie B. Cheers and best of luck, Antonio!

  • The U-20 Women’s National Team beat Brazil, 2-1, in their final preparation match before the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and before head coach Jitka Klimkova selects her 21-player roster for next year’s tournament hosted by France. The team will be considered among the strongest contenders to take the Cup.
  • Looks like Mexico’s Hirving Lozano’s World Cup exploits were noticed by some of Europe’s elite, as Manchester United is set to offer up £35 million to PSV for his services. Though something tells me they’ll need to shell out a lot more than that, especially once other clubs voice their inevitable interest.

  • England’s motorways were absolutely deserted yesterday (likely for approximately an hour or two) due to a wide majority of the nation being stuck to television sets to watch their national team beat Sweden, 2-0, and advance to the hallowed semifinal.
  • Speaking of England and their national team, a vehicle company has commissioned professional artists to recreate scenes from the country’s Round of 16 win against Colombia…using the dirt that’s built up on their white vans. The vehicular masterpieces include depictions of Jordan Pickford’s essential penalty kick save in the shootout, Harry Kane in celebration, and the three lions crest with a second star; symbolizing the chance that England has in bringing the cup back home for just the second time in their storied history.
  • Brazilian talisman Neymar has stated that his country’s exit to Belgium in the Round of 16 was the “saddest moment” of his career.
  • Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is “proud” of his country’s heroes and deep run in the tournament, according to a spokesperson of the Kremlin (had to put that last part).
  • Young American and Manchester City prospect Erik Palmer-Brown has been loaned to Eredivisie side NAC Breda. The answer to the quiz question: Earnie Stewart, the soon-to-be USMNT general manager. He played for the club from 1996 to 2003.

  • The General Secretary of the Swiss Football Federation made comments recently that are very likely to spark debate. He believes that a player with dual citizenship should only be permitted to play for a country if they drop their second nationality. The reason? His fear that prospects could benefit from his country’s youth development programs only to bolt for other national teams when the time comes.

That’s about it for me today, folks. Enjoy these World Cup semifinals that are bound to live up to expectations; France-Belgium on Tuesday and Croatia-England on Wednesday, both kick off at 2 p.m. ET.

Have an excellent week, Mane Landers. Push through Monday, and then we’re all smooth sailing into next weekend’s third-place match on Saturday (10 a.m. ET), and then the World Cup final on Sunday (11 a.m. ET). I just don’t want it to end.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/13/25

Orlando City prepares for the Colorado Rapids, Concacaf W Champions Cup schedule released, USWNT tops FIFA rankings, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 13, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! We have some exciting soccer ahead of us over the next few days, starting with the Orlando Pride’s road game against Bay FC tonight at 10 p.m. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working and visiting family for Father’s Day. Let’s go ahead and get this Friday started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for the Colorado Rapids

The Lions are back in action on Saturday for a road match in high altitude against the Colorado Rapids. Orlando City is coming off a needed break in the schedule after losing two games in a row to close out a busy May. The Rapids have also lost their past two league games and will be without goalkeeper Zack Steffen due to injury. This will be the team’s first match against the Rapids since a 2-0 victory in Orlando back in 2023 and the first in Colorado since a 1-1 draw in 2022. Hopefully the Lions can get back on track with a win to kickstart another strong summer.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Schedule Revealed

The schedule was unveiled for the Concacaf W Champions Cup and we now know where the Pride will be playing this fall. Their campaign will begin at Inter&Co Stadium against Costa Rican club LD Alajuelense on Sept. 2. They’ll then hit the road for their next two matches, playing Chorrillo FC in Panama on Sept. 16 before facing Club America on Sept. 30. The Pride will close out their group play with a home game against Pachuca on Oct. 15. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semifinals, and the winner of the tournament will earn a spot in both the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. It’s going to make for some late-season fixture congestion for the Pride, but that’s the price of success and earning a spot in continental competitions.

USWNT Remains Atop FIFA Rankings

The United States Women’s National Team is still the best team in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings. The U.S. lost points overall in the time since the last rankings in March though, and the gap has narrowed between it and Spain and Germany. Brazil had a decent rise in the rankings, moving up four spots to fourth after beating Japan twice in recent friendlies. With notable international tournaments lined up for this summer, it will be interesting to see how much things shake up when the next rankings come out.

Michael Bradley Named New York Red Bulls II Head Coach

Former USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley was hired as head coach of the MLS NEXT Pro’s New York Red Bulls II. It’s the 37-year-old’s first professional head coaching job after spending time as an assistant coach under his father, Bob Bradley, at Stabaek in Norway. Bradley returns to where he began his professional playing career, as he was drafted by the MetroStars in 2004 at the age of 16.

“I couldn’t be more excited to come back to where my professional playing career began,” says Head Coach Michael Bradley. “This is a dream opportunity as a young coach. I’m looking forward to working everyday with this talented group of players, and I’ll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers. I’m thankful to the club for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links: 6/12/25

Reliving the Orlando Pride’s win, Orlando City B loses on the road, Jhon Solis Wins MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 12, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been enjoying a pretty good week so far and actually made pizza for the first time last night. It was burnt beyond belief in the end, but still edible, which is a huge win in my book. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links!

Sights and Sounds From the Orlando Pride’s Victory

The Orlando Pride beat the Houston Dash 1-0 at home in dramatic fashion and the club has released a video highlighting the action. Substitute Cori Dyke scored the winning goal deep in stoppage time to give the Pride all three points and second place in the league standings. The video includes Dyke being tossed in the air afterwards in celebration, as well as a pretty good pep talk from Marta. Let’s hope the Pride can win a bit more comfortably when they travel across the country to face Bay FC on Friday night.

Orlando City B Falls to Carolina Core FC

The Young Lions are returning to Orlando empty handed after a 1-0 loss to Carolina Core FC in North Carolina. A goal by Carolina right before halftime proved to be the difference, as OCB struggled to get much going offensively and couldn’t conjure some of the late magic it’s shown in recent matches. Ultimately, it’s a disappointing result after impressive wins over both Chattanooga FC and Huntsville City FC earlier this month. The Young Lions have a bit of a break to reset before trying to get back on track at home against Toronto FC II on June 25.

Jhon Solis Wins Goal of the Matchweek

OCB midfielder Jhon Solis won MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek for his strike in the club’s 3-2 road win over Huntsville on June 6. He curled a free kick towards goal with enough power behind it to beat the keeper and equalize things in the 84th minute. Solis also provided the assist from a corner kick on OCB’s first goal, so hopefully he can continue to make opponents pay in those instances this season.

Getting Ready for the Concacaf Gold Cup

The Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off this weekend and plenty of pressure is on the U.S. after a pair of losses in the friendlies leading into this tournament. The team is without many of its usual starters, and Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will have to figure things out in a group against Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and Trinidad & Tobago. As for other things to watch out for in this Gold Cup, I’m interested to see how Canada fares in its group and if Miguel Herrera’s Costa Rican team can make some noise against Mexico. Panama’s group could end up as the most enticing though, as it features fellow dark horse Jamaica and a pair of underdogs in Guadeloupe and Guatemala.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to the unbearable part of summer here in Florida. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links: 6/11/25

Orlando City B plays tonight, the Orlando Pride want to enter the break strong, USMNT pounded by Switzerland, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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June 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Hopefully, you decided to put your mental and emotional health first last night and skipped watching the USMNT match. I, unfortunately, did not. I’m going to take Ted Lasso’s advice to be a goldfish and move on. I think a great way to do that is to share today’s links with you, but not before we wish Orlando Pride forward Grace Chanda a happy birthday.

Pride Looking to Enter the Break on a High Note

The Orlando Pride are sitting in second place in the NWSL standings. The club is also sitting second in the SI.com power rankings and the goal.com power rankings. For some reason, All For XI has the team at number three in their power rankings, but nobody is perfect. Now, the Pride are looking to head into the NWSL break on a high note in their upcoming two road games. Next up is Bay FC on Friday night.

OCB Visits Carolina Core Tonight

Orlando City B is in action tonight against Carolina Core FC at Truist Point Stadium in North Carolina. The Young Lions look to continue their recent success following two late winners against Chattanooga and Huntsville City. The midweek matchup should mean that Manuel Goldberg will have everyone available for the match, except those who played for the U-18 USMNT in the 2025 UEFA Friendship Cup. We will have match coverage for you both here and on BlueSky.

USMNT Crumbles vs. Swiss

If you turned off the USMNT versus Switzerland match at halftime (or before), I don’t blame you. The Swiss scored four goals in a devastating first half for the USMNT. I’m not saying it happened because Orlando City’s Alex Freeman did not get the start, but I’m not, not saying it either. Things got nominally better in the second half, considering the U.S. did not give up any more goals, but the 4-0 final score was still very, very bad. It was not what fans were hoping to see in the send-off match heading into the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Club World Cup Struggles

I’m not certain if you know that the FIFA Club World Cup starts this weekend, including matches in Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium in the coming weeks. What I do know is that across the various venues the response can best be described as…meh.

Fans are getting offers of literal free tickets to the Sounders-Botafogo game and TM has reduced prices by about 20% since yesterday.

— Jeremiah Oshan (@jeremiah.sounderatheart.com) 2025-06-10T21:50:13.404Z

If you weren’t interested in going because the price was too high, you might want to check again. There are several former MLS players in the competition, including former Orlando City attacker Facundo Torres with Palmerias, though he won’t be playing in Orlando. There are several good matchups, including Manchester City versus Juventus at Camping World Stadium.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were members of the U-18 United States Men’s National Team that won the 2025 UEFA Friendship Cup in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday. The U.S. and Portugal drew 1-1 in the final before heading to penalties, where the Yanks won 3-2. Unfortunately, Guske had his attempt from the spot saved in the shootout, but his teammates bailed him out.

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

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