Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/3/19
What’s up, Mane Landers? It’s another exciting weekend with all three of Orlando’s teams in action. Unlike last Saturday’s triple-header, this weekend’s games are spread out, with Orlando City B playing tonight, Orlando City tomorrow, and the Pride on Sunday. But before we can get to the action, we have to get through one last day of the work week. Luckily, I have some links to make the start of your day a little bit better.
Tesho Akindele Doing Well Off the Bench
Named as “probably the underrated player in MLS” by Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor, forward Tesho Akindele is performing well for the Lions so far. Whether it be as a starter or off the bench, the former MLS Rookie of the Year has a good understanding of the different attacking weapons the Lions have at their disposal. Akindele thrives in keeping opponents guessing and a strong work ethic and desire to improve make him a good fit for whatever plans O’Connor has for him in any given match.
Lions Look to Beat the Heat
It’s no secret that Orlando City struggles once May comes around. It was in May of last year that the Lions had an utter collapse, but O’Connor is focusing on his team and not the past.
“No interest in what’s happened here previously in May,” O’Connor said Wednesday morning. “Literally hasn’t even come into my mindset. We’re focused on Toronto. We feel as if the training this week has been really good. We had a great day yesterday. Great intensity. Yeah, my focus is getting ready for Toronto.”
It will be the first time O’Connor has coached this team in May and he praised his sports science and fitness staff as they prepare the team for the rising temperatures that are sure to come.
Pride Trio Make USWNT World Cup Roster
Three Orlando Pride players were called up to the United States Women’s National Team’s World Cup roster for this summer’s tournament. Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, and Ali Krieger will all be making the trip to France in June. While Morgan and Harris’ inclusion was to be expected, Krieger was a bit of a surprise although she had been called up to the team in recent months for friendlies. We will have to wait and see if Krieger earns her 100th cap, but for now we can be excited for her, Morgan, and Harris as they head to represent their country on the biggest stage.
MLS All-Star Opponent Confirmed
Atletico Madrid will be this year’s opponent for the MLS All-Star game on July 31 at Orlando City Stadium. It will be the first time that the 10-time La Liga champions will be in the the All-Star Game and they should prove a tough opponent for the best in MLS. It won’t be until later this summer that we learn who will represent MLS, but Andrew Wiebe of mlssoccer.com released who he believes will play in the mid-season classic. I don’t know about you, but the idea of Nani and Zlatan playing together already has me excited.
Orlando City B Returns Home Still Winless
The drought continues for Orlando City B as the Young Lions returned from Texas with no more points than when they left. Still without a win, OCB enters its sixth game of the season. Although the team has shown improvement throughout the course of the season, OCB has rarely looked like a team capable of dominating a match. The Young Lions look to change that tonight when they host Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Free Kicks
- While some argue that Krieger’s World Cup inclusion is a testament to USWNT Head Coach Jill Ellis mismanaging her fullbacks, Pride forward Sydney Leroux wasted no time in praising Krieger for toughing it out during the journey to this moment.
I know how hard everyone has worked but I’ve gotten to see @alikrieger for the past two years and we’ve gone through some absolute TIMES my friend. You have shown class through everything. The smiles, the tears, the hard times, the hard work and everything in between.
— Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) May 2, 2019
- Speaking of the USWNT roster, a ranking was done for how important each player is to the U.S. winning it all this summer. On a hot streak that has lasted over a year, Morgan is set to be one of the veteran players who will be counted on when the team faces adversity.
- American defender Omar Gonzalez may be returning to MLS, with Toronto FC as a reported destination. Toronto’s defense has been leaky this season and the 30-year-old would start soon, although surely not in time in for Toronto’s game with Orlando tomorrow at 4 p.m.
- Portland Timbers defender Bill Tuiloma won MLS Goal of the Week honors for his volley off of a corner in the the Timbers’ road win against Toronto.
…and there it is!
Bill Tuiloma is the winner of this week's #ATTGotW! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/7q59c7fUUX
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 2, 2019
- Former OCB goalkeeper Mark Ridgers has signed a new contract with Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC of Scotland.
BREAKING NEWS
ICTFC are delighted to announce that @MarkRidgers has signed a new contract until the end of the 2021/22 season.
More to follow later this afternoon… pic.twitter.com/k9PFB61Pea
— Official ICTFC (@ICTFC) May 2, 2019
- To those of you who stopped following once the MLS teams were eliminated, Monterrey FC ended up winning the Concacaf Champions League.
- In Europa League action, the first legs of the semifinals are in the books. Arsenal defeated Valencia, 3-1, while Chelsea was held to a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
- We end our links with a rather big announcement as Spain legend Xavi is officially retiring after 21 years playing.
That’s all from me. I hope all of you have a fantastic Friday and a great weekend. Make sure to stay hydrated as things heat up and temperatures climb.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/16/24
Orlando City draws with Inter Miami, Orlando City B loses in Ohio, Austin awarded 2025 MLS All-Star Game, and more.
I hope you’re all having a nice and easy start to your Thursday morning. Orlando City’s match Wednesday night could’ve gone worse, but could’ve gone better as well. As far as rivalry games go, it probably won’t be all too memorable, but I still hope you enjoyed yourself if you went to the game. Let’s dive into today’s links!
Orlando City Draws Inter Miami at Home
The Lions hosted rival Inter Miami and had to settle for a scoreless draw that featured solid chances for both sides. Orlando remains shorthanded defensively, but Pedro Gallese and the back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Wilder Cartagena, and David Brekalo did well to get a clean sheet against a Miami side that leads the league in goals by a wide margin. Familiar attacking struggles plagued the Lions though with many chances going unfinished. The Lions will now turn their attention to a trip across the country for a match with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Orlando City B Falls On the Road
After earning its first home win last week, Orlando City B was handed its first road defeat of the season in a 4-3 loss against Columbus Crew 2. OCB was without Yutaro Tsukada, who made his debut with the first team, but the team still did well generating chances on offense. The Young Lions took the lead on two different occasions in the match, but they ultimately couldn’t hold on for a result in a rollercoaster of a match. There’s plenty of time for Head Coach Manuel Goldberg to get his team ready for its next match, which is set to take place at Osceola County Stadium on May 26 against Huntsville City FC.
Orlando City Fined After Match in Philadelphia
Following Orlando City’s win over the Philadelphia Union, the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have been issued fines by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for the team violating the mass confrontation policy for the second time this season. The violation took place in the 86th minute at Philadelphia, when the Union were awarded their second penalty of the game. Gallese, Nicolas Lodeiro, Ivan Angulo, and Duncan McGuire were issued fines for their role in things as well.
Luis Muriel was also fined an undisclosed amount for embellishment during an incident with Damion Lowe in the 81st minute of the match. You can judge for yourself if the MLS Disciplinary Committee got it right, but what’s not up for debate is that the Lions got the job done on the road and survived an obscene amount of stoppage time.
Austin Will Host 2025 MLS All-Star Game
MLS announced that next year’s MLS All-Star Game will take place at Q2 Stadium in Austin. It will be the first time the event is held there and the first time Texas has hosted it since Houston had it back in 2010. The official date, along with what team the MLS All-Stars will play against, will be announced at a later time. Austin FC entered the league in 2021 and every game played at Q2 Stadium has sold out. There is a strong soccer community there, and I’m glad it will get a chance to show the league what it is all about. I also really like the graphic promoting the event and feel it captures Austin fairly well.
Free Kicks
- It’s been proposed that the first Women’s Club World Cup be held during January and February of 2026. Not many other details are known at this time, but I’m pretty excited regardless, especially with how the Orlando Pride have been playing.
- Juventus beat Atalanta 1-0 to lift the Italian Cup with Dusan Vlahovic scoring the game’s only goal. American midfielder Weston McKennie played every minute of the match, while Timothy Weah came off the bench late.
- American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers also helped his club secure some silverware with Celtic beating Kilmarnock 5-0 to clinch the Scottish Premiership title.
- Former New York City FC head coach Dome Torrent was appointed as the new head coach of San Luis in Liga MX. Orlando City is set to host San Luis on Aug. 4 as part of the Leagues Cup group stage.
- Everett Palache was named as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team and he will prepare the team for the 2024 Deaf Pan American Games in Brazil this November.
- A hat trick by Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico Madrid a 3-0 win over Getafe and a spot in next year’s Champions League.
- Pep Lijnders, who has been an assistant coach with Liverpool since 2018, will be RB Salzburg’s manager after signing a three-year contract with the Austrian club.
- We end our links with a special guest at the match between the Union and NYCFC, as a raccoon was the latest visitor to run rampant at Subaru Park.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/15/24
Tropic Thunder is tonight, OCB plays away today, Americans playing abroad, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday Mane Landers. The next installment of the Tropic Thunder rivalry between the good guys (Orlando City) and the bad guys (Inter Miami) is tonight. I hope you can make it out to the match since there will probably be a bunch of Lionel Messi fans there and more purple in the stands is needed. To get ready for the match, you can listen to the latest edition of The Mane Land PawedCast, and check out our match preview later today . For now, let’s get to the links.
Lions Host Tropic Thunder Tonight
I don’t know why others insist on calling matches between Orlando City and Inter Miami the “Florida Derby.” Our name for the match — Tropic Thunder — is just so much better. Regardless, the Lions host the Herons tonight at Inter&Co Stadium looking to avenge the 5-0 loss from earlier in the season. The spotlight might be on Miami, but the pressure is on Orlando City. The Lions surprised me with their win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Let’s hope the club can keep the momentum going.
Miami May Be Without Messi Today
While I never want anyone to get seriously injured, I’m not sorry to hear that there is a chance Messi will be unavailable for tonight’s match. It seems that Miami’s magician picked up a minor knee injury in the match against CF Montreal on Saturday. Say what you want, but he is a competitor and could still take the field tonight. Hopefully, he remembers the welcome Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena gave him when he joined the league and decides it’s not worth aggravating the knee.
OCB Back in Action On the Road
The senior squad isn’t the only team playing today as Orlando City B is in Ohio to take on Columbus Crew II at Lower.com Field. You’ll need to take a long lunch to watch this one because kickoff is set for noon. There will be plenty to watch since the two clubs are only separated by one point in the standings, with OCB sitting in sixth place (3-2-3, 13 points) and Crew II in eighth place (3-3-2, 12 points).
Keeping Up With Americans Abroad
Most of us know that Christian Pulisic had a great season with AC Milan after moving to the Serie A club from Chelsea. What I did not know is that Pulisic is the first AC Milan midfielder to score more than 10 goals in a season since former Orlando City star Kaká did it when he was there.
Things are not as bright for Giovanni Reyna at Nottingham Forest. He hasn’t played a ton of minutes for the Premier League side and hasn’t done much when he has played. It was a loan without a purchase option, but Forest is reportedly not interested in making an offer for him regardless.
Free Kicks
- Let’s all give a big congratulations to Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira. He was accepted into the third edition of the FIFA Diploma in Club Management.
- We believe once a Lion, always a Lion, but I didn’t know MLS thought the same thing. Richie Laryea getting the biggest suspension is on brand for anyone related to Orlando City.
- MLSsoccer.com decided that the Lions should be 22nd in its latest power rankings after a road win against the Philadelphia Union. Power rankings are dumb.
- Olivier Giroud has officially signed with LAFC, where he will join former France teammate Hugo Lloris. Perhaps some current Orlando City players could convince their international teammates to come to the City Beautiful. I’m just saying, Facundo Torres plays with Darwin Núñez.
- Wrexham AFC’s men’s and women’s squads are coming to America for the “Wrex Coast Tour” this summer. It’s the women’s team’s first trip to the U.S. Of course, if you want to see either of the teams, you will need to travel to the West Coast to do so.
That will do it for today. Let’s hope that the Lions can get a second win in a row. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/14/24
Orlando City players earn recognition, Luis Muriel up for Goal of the Week, Blackburn still wants Duncan McGuire, and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Orlando’s teams were firing on all cylinders this weekend, as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride combined to take all six points on offer. Orlando City beat the Philadelphia Union on the road by a score of 3-2, while Adriana’s penalty kick saw the Pride safely to a 1-0 win over Bay FC. As usual, we have a lot to discuss today, so let’s get after it.
Three Lions Earn Recognition After Win
A trio of Lions have been recognized for their efforts in Saturday’s win, as Luis Muriel is in the starting lineup of the MLS Team of the Matchday, with Nico Lodeiro and Pedro Gallese on the bench. Muriel led the way for Orlando on the scoresheet with a brace, while also doing some creative work in addition to the scoring. Lodeiro assisted on all three Orlando City goals, as he turned in an outstanding performance in the midfield. Gallese made two big saves from open play, and stonewalled what would have been an equalizer by Daniel Gazdag from the spot to preserve all three points for Orlando City. Here’s hoping the good performances continue.
Luis Muriel Up for Weekly Honors
The recognition didn’t stop with the Team of the Matchday for Muriel though. The Colombian striker was also nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday, although the award ultimately went to Christian Benteke. While he missed out on Player of the Matchday honors, it’s hard to argue with Benteke’s hat trick that saw D.C. United beat Atlanta United 3-2, and I’m sure Muriel will take Orlando’s victory over personal honors any day of the week. Muriel also received a nomination for MLS Goal of the Week. Which goal he was nominated for should come as little surprise, with his thunderous left-footed strike to open his Orlando City account getting the nod.
Blackburn Rovers Still After Duncan McGuire
It seems that Blackburn is still interested in Duncan McGuire, as the English team is said to be sending someone stateside to scout him this week. If Orlando City has its way, that interest won’t matter, as the club has reportedly offered him a new contract (paywall) with improved terms from the last one offered to the young striker. It’ll be interesting to see how things play out after a move to England collapsed so spectacularly during the January window. If McGuire keeps scoring at the rate he has so far this season then he’ll presumably have bigger fish than Blackburn chasing his services.
Jesse Marsch Takes Canada Job
Jesse Marsch has been named the new manager of the Canadian Men’s National Team. Out of a coaching job since his time managing Leeds United ended back in 2023, Marsch will take over for John Herdman, who left the post last summer to take the reins at Toronto FC. Marsch’s appointment could add an extra level of intrigue to games between Canada and the United States Men’s National Team, as Marsch has been critical of Gregg Berhalter at times. While he will be in charge of Canada for this summer’s Copa America, the USMNT and Canada find themselves on the opposite side of the bracket, and the only way they will meet is in either the final or the third-place game.
Americans in Midweek Action
Speaking of the USMNT, a number of American players will be in action this week, so make sure you have everything noted on your calendar. On Wednesday, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic will win the Scottish league if they beat or draw with Killie, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus square off against Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final. Thursday sees Josh Sargent and Norwich City take on Leeds United in the second leg of the Championship playoff semifinals, while Friday will see Daryl Dike’s West Brom play the second leg of its semifinal against Southampton, although Dike will miss out through injury.
Free Kicks
- Oscar Pareja says Robin Jansson’s injury isn’t as bad as initially feared, but didn’t elaborate much more beyond that.
- In an interesting decision, ESPN has the Orlando Pride at third in its NWSL power rankings, although CBS Sports managed to do slightly better, and has the Pride in second.
- Meanwhile, Orlando City is up to 18th in ESPN‘s MLS power rankings.
- Former Lion Nani is a free agent after a year playing in Turkey.
That’s all I have for today. Vamos Orlando!
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