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Lions Links: 3/31/19

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6 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers — but more importantly, happy match day! We’re set for an exciting one tonight with the Lions’ Nani and D.C.’s Wayne Rooney set to be on the same pitch again after spending several years as teammates within the famed halls of Old Trafford.

The match should be sold out (I assume it is), the press box will be be packed (I know this for sure), and the match will be televised nationally. If you’re headed down to Orlando City Stadium tonight, be sure to bring the noise and show your full support for the Lions as they fight what’s sure to be an uphill battle against one of the best teams in MLS. Also, be safe. I probably don’t need to add that last bit, because you folks are some of the finest in the league, but I still feel obliged to say it. I blame you, mom (love you!).

Let’s also wish Tesho Akindele a happy birthday, as he turns 28 today!

All right, enough with the small talk. Let’s hop right into your Sunday serving of Lion Links. Enjoy!

Orlando City B Starts the USL League One Season with a Loss

It’s a new era in Orlando, one where the respected OCB program is back and playing in the USL, kicking off the inaugural League One season last night at Montverde Academy. Unfortunately, the season didn’t quite get off to the start that everyone had hoped for, as the team lost its opening match to FC Tucson, 3-1. After going down a man to a red card in the first half, Koby Osei-Wusu was the man who notched the first goal of the season for OCB, as he neatly put one away in the 56th minute. OCB sees action next on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the MVA Athletic Complex vs Toronto FC II. The Young Lions will hope to improve upon their opening result. #TheFutureIsPurple

OCB Signs Nathan Simeon

Prior to last night’s match, OCB announced the club had signed defender Nathan Simeon and he was in the team’s starting XI. The young defender, born in Montreal, Canada, has been signed to an academy contract. The OCSC Developmental Academy brought the young Canadian down to Orlando last season, and the club saw enough in him to warrant another year’s worth of training and opportunity. Last season, Simeon started for the academy team nine times, with a total of 14 match appearances. Welcome back, Nathan! We’re looking forward to seeing more of you around here.

The Pride Crush USF in Preseason Action

With April 14 quickly approaching, the Orlando Pride have been tuning up with some preseason action. Yesterday offered the Pride the opportunity to face off against a strong University of South Florida women’s team, with the Pride running away with the win after netting an impressive six times in a 6-0 win.

The scoring began early…like, first minute early. Chioma Ubogagu netted a solo goal, and then an own goal suffered by the Bulls in the fourth minute put the Pride in control quickly. It only got better from there, as the Pride’s Rachel Hill netted a six-minute hat trick just after the break, and then Marta added another before the hour mark to put the Pride over the top.

It may only be preseason, and it may only be against a college program, but the convincing win is promising after a shaky start to the preseason matches. The team looked strong, and the result probably could have been worse had the Pride not taken their foot off the gas. Let’s just hope that these types of results translate to the upcoming season, because if they do, watch out NWSL stalwarts.

Rachel Hill Ready for Third NWSL Campaign

It took some time for Pride forward Rachel Hill to really settle in, but it appears that she’s finally found the confidence and reached the high level of play that she desires. With two NWSL seasons under her belt, Hill is now ready to plunge into her third, with the potential of increased playing time becoming more and more evident with some of the club’s marquee names set to be away on international duty.

“We’re obviously going to be missing a lot of players, so there are big shoes to fill and I think we’ll be able to do that as a team,”

Head Coach Marc Skinner had a one-on-one with Hill, and she believes it went quite well.

“It was really good,” she said. “He just shows that he really believes in you and wants the best for you, and he’ll do whatever it takes to reach your full potential, which is amazing. It’s like a breath of fresh air and it’s really nice to hear that.”

Personally, I can’t wait to see more of Hill this season. I have a good feeling that she’s set for a breakout year. She’s certainly one to keep an eye on come April 14.

Pride’s Alanna Kennedy Opens Up

My personal favorite Pride star, Alanna Kennedy, has provided insight into what it’s like to experience heartbreak at the international stage with Australia. After crashing out of the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2018 Asian Cup, the Matildas icon looks back at the gut-wrenching losses as learning experiences, noting that she believes that it’s only made her stronger.

“For me I think it was just a learning experience,” Kennedy told foxsports.com.au at Nike’s launch of the new Matildas national team collection. “I think it’s obviously a tough time to go through and at the time, (in) my world, it was the worst thing. But I look back on it now and I think it’s only made me stronger and those kinds of things happen. And obviously losing in the Asian Cup as well, in the final, they’re just moments that you don’t want to go through again so it drives you to be better and hopefully win the next time around.”

With her past behind her, she’s now set her sights on the upcoming Women’s World Cup, even going as far to say that her country can take the cup home. She might be right, but only time will tell. Another aspect of her career that she opened up about was the prospect of playing in Europe one day.

“Definitely I’ve had thoughts of playing in Europe and … I think the opportunity could arise,” Kennedy said. “And I think it’s something that a few of us are going to have to think about in the future, in the coming couple of years and it’s only going to make us better as footballers. But at the moment I love playing in the W-League and I think it’s a discussion for later but it’s definitely something that I’ve thought (about).”

For now though, she seems happy to bounce back and forth between the NWSL and Australian W-League. To be honest, I just want to see her in the purple kit.

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All right folks, that’s about it for the day. Enjoy what’s destined to be an exciting affair between the Lions and D.C. United. Let’s hope that the Lions contain Rooney while setting Nani loose. The former Manchester United teammates will be the focal points of the broadcasting, and rightfully so. It should be a good one. Enjoy it, Mane Landers, and have an excellent week!

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Lion Links: 4/28/25

Lions defeat Atlanta United, Pride bounce back against Angel City FC, OCB falls to New York Red Bulls II, and more.

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6 hours ago

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April 28, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I will cover high school volleyball and soccer later this week. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B forward Thalles, who turns 20 today. Our beloved Lions finally won a match this month, the Pride bounced back with a win, and OCB lost over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Defeat Atlanta United at Home

Orlando City snapped its three-game winless streak and extended its unbeaten streak to seven games, beating rival Atlanta United 3-0 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Luis Muriel, Alex Freeman, and Marco Pasalic scored for the Lions. With Pasalic’s goal and assist in Saturday’s match against Atlanta, he added his name to the club record books by becoming the fourth player in club history to have seven goal contributions in his first 10 matches.

Orlando set a club record early in the match for the most consecutive shutout minutes. By the end of the match, Orlando had not conceded a goal in 436 minutes. The Lions’ last goal conceded was to Christian Ramirez in the 14th minute against the LA Galaxy last month. Orlando City will be on the road Saturday to take on the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field.

Pride Rally to Defeat Angel City FC at Home

The Orlando Pride completed the comeback, overcoming a 2-0 deficit late in the second half and defeating Angel City FC 3-2 Friday at Inter&Co Stadium. In the final 20 minutes, Marta and Barbra Banda scored to tie the match after Orlando trailed 2-0. Orlando also got an own goal in stoppage time from Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola and escaped with a win at home. The Pride bounced back after a defeat to the Washington Spirit the previous week. With the Kansas City Current losing to the North Carolina Courage over the weekend, the Pride are tied with the Current atop the NWSL table. After the match, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines shared his thoughts on his team’s resiliency to overturn a 2-0 deficit and fight back for the win at home.

The Pride will travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Thorns in their next match Saturday at Providence Park.

Orlando City B Falls at Home to New York Red Bulls II

Orlando City B started slowly and dug too deep a hole to climb out of on Sunday night in a 4-2 loss to New York Red Bulls II at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 early in the first half. Jhon Solis pulled one back for OCB before Red Bulls II added another goal to make it 3-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Justin Ellis scored to pull the Young Lions within one again before Ibrahim Kasule converted a penalty kick goal in stoppage time to seal the win against OCB. New York Red Bulls II moves to second in the Eastern Conference with 13 points, while Orlando City B has lost back-to-back matches and is in fifth with 11 points. OCB will be on the road Friday to take on Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium.

NWSL Announces Plans to Launch a Second Division Women’s League

The National Women’s Soccer League has submitted an application to the U.S. Soccer Federation to launch a second-division soccer league in 2026, the league announced on Friday. The plan for this new league is to focus on furthering player development and building a pipeline between the NWSL and the second division league, similar to Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT Pro. Eight clubs are reportedly set for the league’s inaugural season, including the Orlando Pride. Joining Orlando in committing to the league are Bay FC, the Kansas City Current, the North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Racing Louisville, the Seattle Reign, and the Washington Spirit. The Division 2 clubs would play in the same stadiums as their parent clubs. The season format would be a round robin, featuring 14 matches, home and away, and will include playoffs with two semifinals and a championship match.

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

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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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3 days 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.

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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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4 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.

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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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