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Lion Links: 11/17/18

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6 years ago

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Welcome to Saturday, everyone. It’s a short week for many of us in the United States, with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, so you could think of this as the beginning of a long weekend with some intermittent and annoying work tasks that still need to be performed.

It might be the off-season but soccer teams never sleep. Let’s get to the news of the day.

Orlando City, Wolfsburg Partner on Both Men’s and Women’s Side

The club has found a fourth overseas partner in the form of VfL Wolfsburg which has teams in both the Bundesliga and Frauen-Bundesliga. Both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride can exchange information freely with the German club on subjects such as player scouting, marketing, sales, etc. While it’s never a bad thing to have more partners, it would be nice to see more concrete collaboration on the player side with some of these partners at some point. What I mean by that is that if, for example, Wolfsburg finds itself with a crowded position group (say…striker or attacking midfield), perhaps a loan to Orlando to get someone some playing time could benefit both sides.

According to Wolfsburg Head of Corporate Development Felix Welling, the Bundesliga side is thinking along those same lines.

“The football side is the core of it, and I think it’s the main driver for an authentic partnership between the clubs,” Welling said. “We are longing to find the first steps for exchanging players from Orlando to Wolfsburg, because here in the U.S. you have a long offseason, and then we can help you with our infrastructure and training sessions in Germany. But also, we have a lot of talented players who are on the verge of going into the Bundesliga, but they need some development and some other things to see while they’re on their way to be professional players. We think the MLS, especially Orlando, both the men’s team and women’s team, have the best fundament for developing youth players who can make it in the Bundesliga afterward.”

Importantly, this is Orlando’s first partnership that involves the women’s team and the Pride can benefit from a VfL Wolfsburg side that has had a lot of success and has become a fixture in the UEFA Champions League.

Said Budalic: “The fact that our seasons overlap presents an opportunity for our women to go and train in Germany. So, this will help give opportunities for our women’s players to continue their development.”

It’s all just talk at this point, of course, but this seems the most promising of all of Orlando City’s partnerships so far.

OCB Signs Second Player for 2019

Just two days after signing the first player in OCB’s existence as a USL League One team — in the form of 17-year-old Jordan Bender — the Young Lions have added 15-year-old Luc Granitur. The youth national team forward is an Orlando City Development Academy product has four goals in six games with the club’s U-18/19 side this season.

“Luc is a unique talent and one who we feel has the proper mentality and ability to play for the first team in time,” OCB general manager Mike Potempa said. “Granitur will be the youngest signing on our roster at just 15 years old, but he is already showing he can handle the level as he is currently our top goal scorer and points leader for the U19s. Once again, it shows we believe in our Academy and we believe in opportunities for young players.”

If Granitur’s name sounds familiar, you may recall that we told you back in September about Granitur’s call-up to the U.S. youth national team camp and last month we linked to Luc being touted as an example of the academy’s successful beginnings at Montverde. I admit that I have yet to see Granitur on the field but I’m excited to see what he can do.

Christian Pulisic Headed to Chelsea?

According to the Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel, Borussia Dortmund and USMNT attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic looks to be making a move from the Bundesliga to EPL side Chelsea in the winter window. The London side will want to make this move quickly as it faces a potential transfer ban for rules violations. A move by Pulisic to Chelsea would be the highest profile USMNT player transfer in quite some time.

Jordan Pickford Uses Water Bottle as a ‘Cheat Sheet’ for Penalties

I’m not sure how widely spread this is, or if it’s even legal, but it’s a smart idea. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford wrote out on his water bottle which direction players typically take penalties in case the USMNT was awarded a spot kick on Thursday. Pickford apparently did the same against Colombia in the World Cup, helping him snuff out Carlos Bacca’s effort. He’s stopped three penalties in league play this season. My opinion on this is that if there’s no rule against it, go for it.

U-20 USMNT Advances to 2019 U-20 FIFA World Cup

Down the road in Bradenton, the U.S. U-20 men had no trouble dispatching Costa Rica last night, 4-0, clinching a spot in the 2019 U-20 FIFA World Cup. Alex Mendez, Ulysses Llanez, Juan Pablo Torres, and Ayo Akinola provided the fireworks for the Baby Nats against the toothless Ticos. Just take a look at this golazo by Mendez that got the U.S. started:

My goodness, what a strike. The U.S. will advance to the Concacaf Championship final against Mexico with either a draw or win against Honduras on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

Free Kicks

  • The NWSL has made some amendments to players’ eligibility for the college draft. Player registration for the draft opens Monday.
  • An unknown number of referees will protest the suspension of ref David McNamara — who got a three-week ban for forgetting his coin for the flip and having team captains play rock, paper, scissors instead — by also having the captains play rock, paper, scissors this weekend. Why not rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock?
  • The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined three players and added to Dynamo forward Ronaldo Pena’s suspension. Two of the fines were for entering the field of play. Remember how it was a suspension when Antonio Nocerino did it? I remember.
  • Don Garber said MLS and Liga MX are exploring the expansion of the Campeones Cup into a tournament. This is apparently more likely than MLS clubs competing in Copa Libertadores.
  • Those born on this date include astronaut Alan Shepard (1923), science fiction author Alan Dean Foster (1946), football’s Jack Tatum (1948), former Scorpions drummer Herman “Ze German” Rarebell (1949), former Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo (1950), Saturday Night Live alum Kevin Nealon (1953), football’s Warren Moon (1956), Manchester United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel (1963), baseball’s Gary Sheffield (1968), actor Owen Wilson (1968), actress Chloe Sevigny (1974), former Red Sox slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz (1975), and NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin (1980).

That’s all my time for this morning. I hope you enjoyed your daily dose of Lion Links. We’ll be back to do it all again tomorrow. Enjoy your weekend.

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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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1 day 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.

Free Kicks

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: 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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2 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.

Free Kicks

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

3 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.

Free Kicks

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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