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Lion Links: 9/8/18

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6 years ago

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Happy double match day, everyone! The Pride will conclude their season following their noon visit to Sky Blue FC and the Lions will be without Yoshimar Yotún (international duty) and two others when they visit Sporting Kansas City at 8:30. We’ll have full coverage of both matches for you and it’s sure to be a busy day for me.

Let’s get to the links while they’re hot.

USMNT Drops Friendly to Brazil, 2-0

A young USMNT took the pitch in New Jersey last night against world power Brazil and didn’t do too poorly, all things considered. Roberto Firmino scored early and Neymar added a second from the penalty spot after a flop was bought by the referee in a 2-0 Brazil win. There were only a few moments of danger from Brazil against a U.S. side that did well to keep its shape and defend as a team. Matt Miazga lost Firmino on the first goal but otherwise played a solid game, as did central defense partner John Brooks. The U.S. had chances, particularly on set pieces, but lacked sharpness in front of net. The Yanks will be back in action Tuesday night against Mexico.

Lions Looking Toward 2019

Although he said the team hasn’t written off 2018 just yet, James O’Connor said Orlando City is laying the ground work for next season. It’s been an awful season for the club after a promising couple of months to start the year, and a coaching change has not been able to shock the team out of its losing ways and back toward the playoffs. But to O’Connor’s credit, the team continues to work hard to try to turn things around.

“For us, we’ve been very intentional about I would say building the foundation for next year,” said O’Connor. “There’s a lot that’s actually going on that we’re probably not going to see the reward for till next year. There’s so much behind the scenes that we’re doing that I think that’s very important for next year. But equally, we still want to make sure that we try and win every game that we possibly can.”

Maybe the club hasn’t written off 2018 just yet but with one win in the last 17 games, it sure seems like 2018 has written the Lions off.

Dwyer, Rosell Ready for KC Return

Orlando City’s Dom Dwyer and Uri Rosell will return to the home of their initial MLS team tonight when the Lions take on the Sporks at Children’s Mercy Park.

“It’s important for us to get some points right now,” Dwyer said. “Of course, I’m excited to go back to Kansas, it will be a very fun atmosphere and, obviously, it’s a place I’m very familiar with. Yeah, I’m just very excited. I’m looking for to it.

“I think, for us, it’s more of an exciting time. You see a few familiar faces, kind of enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy the moment. Then, obviously, we have to play a game, so it’ll fun.”

USMNT Announces Peru Friendly, Steals Yoshi for Seattle Game

The U.S. Men’s National Team added an Oct. 16 friendly against Peru in East Hartford, CT, The announcement yesterday almost certainly means Yotún will miss Orlando City’s Oct. 17 home game against the Seattle Sounders to play with his national team. The U.S. is 3-2-1 all-time against Peru. The big question is whether the United States will have a new coach by the time the Yanks face La Blanquirroja. It would be really cool if Peru doesn’t call Yoshi up for this one, but you know it’ll happen.

Former Lion Joins Rowdies’ Coaching Staff

Ex-Orlando City striker Martin Paterson is returning to his last North American club as an assistant coach. Paterson, 31, played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2017 and now will help guide the USL side from the coach’s box. Before the 2015 season, then-OCSC gaffer Adrian Heath was excited about getting the former Stoke City, Burnley, and Huddersfield Town forward on the pitch and in a preseason friendly against FC Dallas he looked to have tremendous chemistry with Kaká. But a hamstring injury derailed Paterson’s debut as a Lion and his incredibly disappointing stint came to an end shortly after he and defender Sean St. Ledger missed a team flight home from New York City. The Rowdies wisely kept Orlando City’s name out of the story on their team website.

Free Kicks

  • Former USL Lion Kevin Ellis has signed with D.C. United after parting ways with Chicago.
  • USWNT coach Jill Ellis says video review should be used at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This is not surprising after Christen Press wrongly had a penalty goal disallowed a few days ago and Carli Lloyd appeared to score off the crossbar but it wasn’t seen.
  • AS Roma unveiled its new women’s team to the public.
  • The NWSL semifinals will be nationally broadcast on Lifetime and ESPN2. The final will air on Lifetime.
  • In a surprising move, Jermaine Jones announced his retirement. The surprising part was I assumed he had already pretty much retired.
  • Those born on this date include funny men Sid Caesar (1922) and Peter Sellers (1925), late Cars bassist/singer Benjamin Orr (1947), ex-Til Tuesday singer Aimee Mann (1960), Ray Wilson (the vocalist who briefly replaced Phil Collins in Genesis — 1968), Martin Freeman (1971), Pink (1979), FOX soccer studio host Kate Abdo (1981), Jonathan Taylor Thomas (1981), and Villareal/Colombia striker Carlos Bacca (1986).

That’ll do it for me today. Be sure to check back at The Mane Land throughout the day for full coverage of Pride-Sky Blue and OCSC-SKC. And good luck to Amro Tarek and Mohamed El-Munir in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches today with Egypt (against Niger) and Libya (against South Africa), respectively.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

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4 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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1 day ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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