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Lion Links: 12/5/18

Published

6 years ago

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Good morning, Mane Landers, and happy hump day! It might be Orlando City’s off-season, but there has been tons of soccer news in the past few days. The even better news is that the Lions could be making player moves as early as Sunday, so if your week has been poor there is something to look forward to! And of course, the Portland Timbers play in a pretty important game on Saturday. 

Now for some links.

Camila Wins Bronze with Iranduba

Esporte Clube Iranduba da Amazônia played in the Copa Libertadores Femenina third-place match. Camila’s team beat Colo-Colo in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 draw. Camila took her penalty kick and easily found the back of the net to cap off her 2018 with a good Copa Libertadores Feminina result after opening it with a Copa America Femenina title.

Berhalter Plans to Make the U.S. an Attack Force

Gregg Berhalter had his first press conference yesterday as the boss of the Yanks. The ex-Columbus Crew head coach already has a plan in place for what his new USMNT will look like. He said that veteran players will be back with the squad and he wants to see the younger players learn and get better.

“The idea is that we are an attacking-based team,” said Berhalter. “The idea is, it’s a fluid style, the players are intent on breaking lines, playing through the opponent and creating goal-scoring opportunities.”

In more USMNT news, Berhalter’s first game will be on Jan. 27. The U.S. will take on Panama in Glendale, AZ.

Former Lions Searching for Work

A common trend this off-season has been that former Orlando City players have been let go by their current teams. The trend continued after the New York Red Bulls declined the contract option for Aurelien Collin, released Carlos Rivas, and Tommy Redding went out of contract. A key part in declining Collin’s contract option was likely his salary. The 32-year-old made $450,000 this year. Rivas also had a high salary — $444,996 — but unlike Collin, Rivas did not play for New York and was sent out on loan with Atlético Nacional.

Man City Not Allowed in Champions League?

It’s possible. Back in April, there were claims about Manchester City breaking UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. If City is found guilty of this, it would be banned from the Champions League.

The search is almost completed now. If Pep Guardiola’s side is found guilty, and finish in the top four — which they obviously will — a fifth English Premier League team will take Man City’s place. Perhaps this news will make Jose Mourinho happy that he can have a top-five finish and won't need that “miracle” anymore!

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  • The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup draw is just days away now. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

  • The U-17 U.S. Women’s National Team got knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage. How did this happen and why is it important?
  • Are you interested in watching the Copa Libertadores final? Well, you’re in luck because Telemundo is going to air it.
  • The Concacaf Champions League’s Round of 16 is set. Here is a full listing of all the games.
  • You can never have too many previews for the MLS Cup final, so here’s another one.
  • Opta released its MLS Best XI and there were shockingly no Orlando City players on it:

  • What is actually shocking, though, is the Mohamed El-Munir did make WhoScored’s best XI. The two lists differ quite a bit and only four players are on both.
  • Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s time in MLS looks to be over already.
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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/28/25

Orlando City set to face Atlanta, Banda and Sams recognized, USMNT news, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

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May 28, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day against the rivals from Georgia. Lions against…a common clothing pattern? Needless to say, I’m always ready for a rivalry match, and tonight is no exception. Orlando City is in a good run of form, hopefully that holds true in Atlanta. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads North

Orlando City takes on rival Atlanta United tonight in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a place where a lot of people can watch soccer played on turf, making it a sub-standard venue. Just in case you are wondering, here is what the opposition feels Atlanta needs to do to win at home. The Lions climbed up to third in MLSsoccer.com’s Power Rankings following the win over the Portland Timbers. We will have your match preview later today, and you can follow The Mane Land Bluesky account for match updates.

Banda and Sams Recognized

A first-half hat trick from Barbra Banda was enough to earn her a spot on the NWSL Team of the Week at CBS.com. Emily Sams also made the Best XI. In fact, there is still time to vote for Banda for NWSL Player of the Week for the aforementioned hat trick performance. You know what to do.

Orlando Pride Power

The Orlando Pride victory over the Utah Royals wasn’t a marquee matchup, but it still garnered plenty of attention. As such, the Pride held onto the third spot in the All for XI Power Rankings. The club was also third in the Goal.com Power Rankings heading into the international break. You know what I think about power rankings, but I’ll accept recognition for my club when it is presented.

Freeman and the USMNT

It didn’t take long after Orlando City defender Alex Freeman received an undervalued offer from Serie A club Parma for the rumors to start up. Freeman’s services are reportedly wanted by teams being promoted to the English Premier League. Perhaps this is a good time for Luiz Muzzi to sign the young defender to a new contract?

Several Americans made waves in Europe, with excellent performances last season from Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Antonee Robinson, and others. Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final today at 3 p.m.

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That will do it for today. Make sure you check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/27/25

Eduard Atuesta earns props, lessons from MLS matchday 15, World Cup prep continues, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 27, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. If you were lucky enough to have Memorial Day off, then I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday! If not, then I hope your week got started off on a good note. As has been the case for most of May, we’ll barely have time to catch our breath before another Orlando City game is upon us, as the Lions travel up to Georgia to take on Atlanta United on Wednesday. Let’s jump right into today’s links.

Eduard Atuesta Earns Recognition

Eduard Atuesta played a crucial role in his first game back from a neck injury, as he supplied the assist on Duncan McGuire’s game-winning goal against the Portland Timbers on Saturday. The Colombian slipped a beautiful ball behind the Timbers’ defense and McGuire made no mistake with his finish. That assist, combined with a defensive performance of three tackles and a clearance, earned him a spot on the bench of the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday. Nic Josey also named him the Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, so it’s nice to see him getting some wider recognition.

MLS Matchday 15 Lessons

Major League Soccer’s 15th matchday had a ton going on, and there were plenty of things to be taken away from the action. Nashville SC continued its bounce-back from a rough 2024 season with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC, as the team stretched its unbeaten run in MLS play to six matches. The Vancouver Whitecaps also kept things rolling with a 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake, and they look pretty well prepared for their Concacaf Champions Cup final against Cruz Azul on Sunday. Finally, some of the guys who got the call for the United States Men’s National Team this month had great showings, with Patrick Agyemang and Brian White each scoring braces, and Diego Luna getting a goal as well.

Host Cities Continue World Cup Preparations

The 2026 World Cup will be here before we know it, and that means that cities which will be hosting games are continuing to make their preparations. Host sites with established public transit options like Metlife Stadium have a leg up, while Kansas City is implementing special buses to get fans from the city to the stadium, while also constructing a tram to help ferry people back and forth. Other stadiums have had to make changes to their fields, whether it’s been removing seating in order to widen the pitch, or adding natural grass to a turf surface and letting it grow in naturally over the course of a year and a half. Other changes will happen much closer to the tournament, like existing stadium branding being covered up or replaced and constructing fan zones for spectators to watch games outside the stadium itself. It’s a huge undertaking, and the work won’t stop until balls are being kicked next summer.

Man in Custody after Hitting Spectators at Liverpool Title Parade

Over two dozen people were injured on Monday evening when a car drove into fans at Liverpool’s trophy parade. A reported 27 people were taken to the hospital, and two were said to have “sustained serious injuries.” A man believed to be the driver of the car was taken into custody by the police after the incident, and the police force has urged the public to not make speculations about the nature and intent of the incident. The police have also said that they are not treating the incident as an act of terrorism and are continuing to investigate.

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  • Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic has been called up to the Croatian Men’s National Team for June.
  • Parma has reportedly put in a lowball offer for Alex Freeman.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/26/25

Lions and Pride win, OCB falls to Atlanta United 2, European soccer weekend recap, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 26, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Memorial Day, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend. I’ve stayed busy working and checked out the Post Malone concert at Wrigley Field. Our Lions and the Pride picked up wins, while OCB lost to Atlanta United 2 over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Portland Timbers at Home

Orlando City defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Duncan McGuire scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to seal the win and extend Orlando’s unbeaten streak to 12 matches. That streak ties the club record set in 2020, and the Lions have still never lost to the Timbers at home.

The Lions jumped to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with 27 points. Orlando City will be on the road for its next match on Wednesday to face rival Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Banda’s Hat Trick Leads Pride Over Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride defeated the Utah Royals 3-1 Friday at America First Field in Sandy, UT behind Barbra Banda’s first-half hat trick. In addition to being the first in club history, Banda’s hat trick was the fastest in NWSL history, as she scored her three goals in 38 minutes. It was also the first NWSL hat trick on the road in which all three goals were scored in the first half. Friday’s win was the first time Orlando has scored more than one goal since April 25 against Angel City FC. The Pride snapped a three-match winless streak and moved to second in the NWSL table with 19 points. The Pride will be off this weekend for the international break, and their next match is scheduled for June 7 against the Houston Dash at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Routed by Atlanta United 2

In perhaps the club’s worst performance of the season, OCB fell 3-0 to Atlanta United 2 at Osceola Heritage Park on Sunday in a rare “home road match.” The match was originally scheduled for Friday at Fifth Third Stadium in Georgia but was rescheduled to Sunday due to the stadium not being available. Kickoff for the match was delayed about an hour because of inclement weather, and the match was played behind close doors. Atlanta United 2 took advantage of two of OCB’s numerous mistakes to go up 2-0 in the first half and added another in the second half in a match that could have been far worse than the scoreline indicated.

European Soccer Weekend Recap

There was plenty of drama over in Europe as many leagues wrapped up the 2024-2025 season. In the Premier League, all that was left to decide was which clubs would qualify for the UEFA Champions League alongside Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City beat Fulham 2-0, Chelsea defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0, and Newcastle lost to Everton 1-0 but still secured the last Champions League spot alongside Manchester City and Chelsea on the final day. Aston Villa fell to Manchester United 2-0 amid controversy and joined Nottingham Forest as the two sides to miss out on the UEFA Champions League.

In Serie A, Napoli took care of business at home, beating Cagliari 2-0. Napoli edged Inter Milan by one point to clinch the scudetto for the second time in three years. In the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, Arsenal defeated Barcelona 1-0 to secure the club’s first European title since 2007 and end Barcelona’s run for a fourth title in five years. Finally, in the EFL Championship playoff final, Sunderland edged Sheffield United 2-1 with a winner from Tom Wilson in stoppage time and earned promotion to the Premier League next season after eight years in the second division.

Free Kicks

  • MLS 360 analyst Dax McCarty praised Orlando City defender Alex Freeman for getting his first international call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team 27-man roster. He also mentioned he could be a dark horse pick to make the 2026 World Cup squad.
  • Esther Gonzalez scored the lone goal for NJ/NY Gotham FC to defeat Tigres 1-0 Saturday and win the first edition of the Concacaf W Champions Cup. Gotham FC has qualified for the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup and the 2028 Women’s Club World Cup.
  • The LA Galaxy and San Diego FC released a statement condemning the violence between supporters from both clubs after fights broke out after the match at Snapdragon Stadium Saturday.
  • Kevin De Bruyne played his final match for Manchester City on Sunday and is now a free agent. He has reportedly turned down a move to join the Chicago Fire in MLS and will hold talks to join Serie A champions Napoli.
  • Erik ten Hag is reportedly set to join Bayer Leverkusen as its next manager, replacing the departing Xabi Alonso.

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

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