Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/20/18

How is it going, Mane Landers? I hope you all are enjoying your week as summer closes and fall slowly approaches.
Without further ado, let’s get into the Lion Links for today.
James O’Connor Wants Supporters to Be Rewarded
The season has been rough for the Orlando City faithful and we all know that. James O’Connor has made it his personal mission to thank fans after every home match, and he wants those supporters to be rewarded. The Lions have kept a consistent amount of fans in the stadium, with the lowest recorded attendance being 22,337 against the Portland Timbers back on April 8.
“I think the biggest thing is that we will reward them. The best analogy I can give is that the club has gone through a period where we’re sick. Like anyone who is sick, you need to make them better. We understand what’s needed to make us better and we will do that, and we will give the supporters what they want, for sure.”
O’Connor came into arguably the hardest possible position, becoming the leader of a bottom-five team in the Eastern Conference in the middle of the season. The Lions play three more home games, with the Houston Dynamo coming to Orlando City Stadium this upcoming Saturday.
Dwyer, Kljestan and Johnson Approaching Milestones
Dom Dywer, Sacha Kljestan, and Will Johnson are all nearing career milestones as the end of the season approaches. To start with Dwyer, he is currently tied with Cyle Larin with 33 shots on goal during the season, so his next shot on target will set the club single-season record. Kljestan’s next assist will be the 91st of his long MLS career, and with that assist he will tie Cobi Jones for eighth in MLS history. Will Johnson’s next appearance for the Lions will be his 50th, which will make him the ninth player to pass that milestone with the club. As you watch Orlando City finish out the season, watch as these three players approach big milestones in their respective careers.
Pride’s Morgan, Harris Make USWNT Roster for Concacaf Championship
The USWNT announced its roster for the Concacaf Women’s Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2019 World Cup. The Orlando Pride’s Ashlyn Harris and Alex Morgan are both on the roster with regulars Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd featuring in the team as well. This roster went down three players from the pair of friendlies vs. Chile. A 20-player roster is also three fewer than would feature on the World Cup roster next year. The news about defender Tierna Davidson’s injury (see below), along with McCall Zerboni’s injury, could be factors in a small roster. The USWNT kicks off the tournament against Mexico on Oct. 4.
Tierna Davidson Out 10-12 Months with Injury
Tierna Davidson will be sidelined for about 10-12 months after fracturing her left ankle in her match with Stanford University on Sept. 9. The 20-year-old Stanford product (her birthday was yesterday) has earned 12 caps with the USWNT this year, all starts. She also leads the USWNT in minutes played this year, with 1,049. Davidson picked up her first goal for her country in the 3-0 win over Chile on Sept. 4. This news will mean Davidson’s chances of participating in the World Cup next year are in serious jeopardy, meaning the USWNT will continue qualification without the youngster on the back line.
Free Kicks
- Get to know Orlando City’s opponents for Saturday, the Houston Dynamo.
- The second day of group stage action in the UEFA Champions League offered some intrigue. Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off in his UCL debut for Juventus, but despite this the Italian superpower defeated Valencia, 2-0. Referee Felix Brych showed Ronaldo a straight red card and a possible suspension could be in his future. Meanwhile, the betting favorites, Manchester City, fell to French side Lyon, 2-1, creating an interesting scenario in Group F. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United came away with victories to finish off the day.
- Toronto FC fell 3-1 to Tigres in the inaugural Campeones Cup.
- FC Cincinnati broke ground on the club’s future training center, Mercy Health Training Center.
- Inter Miami CF released a video that portrays the process behind the design for the team crest.
From vision to reality. This is our team crest.
Go behind the design with the people that brought it to life.#InterMiamiCF #ThisIsMiami #MLS pic.twitter.com/SRtM3LiNP8
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 18, 2018
Thanks for reading today and have a wonderful Thursday and weekend everyone. Peace!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/18/25
Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!
Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents
Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals
Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.
The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.
Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus
Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.
Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion
Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.
There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.
Free Kicks
- Concacaf suspended Jesse Marsch for an additional game for arguing with the referee in Canada’s Nations League match against the U.S. As a result, he’ll miss Canada’s first two matches of this summer’s Gold Cup.
- Check out the host city posters for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. I like the synergy of Mexico’s entries, but Boston’s poster featuring a giant lobster as a goalkeeper is my favorite by far.
- Cece Kizer and NJ/NY Gotham FC agreed to terminate her contract for the forward to pursue other opportunities.
- Defender Virgil Van Dijk signed a two-year deal with Liverpool, extending his stay until 2027. The 33-year-old has been at Liverpool since joining from Southampton in 2018.
- Neymar had to exit just 34 minutes into his return for Santos in Brazil due to a thigh injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/17/25
Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!
Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract
Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm. Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.
Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit
The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.
Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton
Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.
Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set
The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.
Free Kicks
- Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
- The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.
- LA Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his equalizing free kick against the Houston Dynamo in his 400th league appearance.
- As part of the league’s annual Earth Day celebrations, MLS unveiled this year’s One Planet kit. This one is themed after carbon neutrality efforts and includes a tree ring design.
- Manchester City announced that Australian forward Mary Fowler tore her ACL in the team’s FA Cup semifinal loss to Manchester United.
- Here’s everything you need to know ahead of today’s second legs in the Europa League quarterfinals. With storylines ranging from goalkeeper Andre Onana’s possible redemption to Bodo/Glimt’s Cinderella run, it should be a fun day of soccer.
- Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee will miss the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links 4/16/25
Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.
All the Rankings
With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.
OCB Falls to Inter Miami II
Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.
Generation Adidas Cup Matchups
Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.
U.S. Eyes Gold Cup
We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped two spots in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings thanks to the 0-0 draw with the New York Red Bulls. Fortunately, they’re still above the Red Bulls for whatever that is worth.
- The Women’s UEFA Champions League is down to four clubs. Here is your preview for the semi-finals.
- Orlando City did not make the Week 8 Moments of the Matchday. That’s not really surprising given there weren’t really any “moments” to speak of in the match.
- New York Red Bulls midfielder Omar Valencia was fined by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violating the simulation-embellishment policy against Orlando City.
- French Ligue 1 clubs on Tuesday voted to break their television deal with DAZN. There is no stated plan for next season.
- USWNT and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps is heaps happy that her USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger have joined her in Europe.
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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