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Lion Links: 5/14/19

Published

6 years ago

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Good morning, everyone. In what has recently become a very frustrating refrain for me to type, it was yet another tough weekend for Orlando soccer as Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B all recorded losses. Rather than dwelling on the less-than-stellar weekend that was, let’s jump right into today’s links.

Praise for Higuita

Cristian Higuita got his first minutes in quite a while during Sunday’s loss to Atlanta United, and by all accounts he was pretty impressive. During his time on the field he created a chance, passed at a 77.5% clip, and made a pair of tackles. His good performance was noticed by the man who handed him a role in the starting lineup, with Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor praising his composure on the ball, a sentiment that was echoed by teammate Will Johnson. For his part, Higuita spoke after the match about how JOC has asked him to be patient and keep working hard and how his consistency in training led to his well-taken opportunity to start the match.

Orlando Pride GM Discusses Roster, Salary Cap Situation

Jordan Culver of ProSoccerUSA.com talked to Pride General Manager Eric Ustruck about a number of topics, including how the club has been trying to add a player prior to the May 23 transfer deadline.

“I had the approval from her club to bring her over at the beginning of April, end of March,” Ustruck told Pro Soccer USA. “So now we’re nearing the middle of May, closing in to the end of the transfer window, so I’m starting to get a little bit nervous. But I still feel confident that we can get it over the line. It’s just a matter of language and working through the two federations, trying to get on the same page.”

Ustruck talked about how limited the Pride are in regard to the salary cap due to backloaded contracts of some of the team’s current players. It’s an enlightening read for any fan of the Pride.

Orlando Pride’s Australians Called Up for World Cup Duty

Australia coach Ante Milicic has named his World Cup squad and to no one’s surprise it includes Orlando Pride defender Alanna Kennedy and midfielder Emily van Egmond. For van Egmond it will be her third trip to the world’s largest soccer stage. Milicic also included three former Pride players — Laura Alleway, Steph Catley, and Lisa De Vanna — on his roster for the big tournament in France.

Orlando City B Waives Two Players

Orlando City B has parted ways with a pair of players. Forward Sebastian Joffre and midfielder Ignacio Cubeddu are both gone after mutual agreement with the USL League One side. Joffre appeared in three matches with OCB. Cubeddu was a Montverde product who had not appeared in a game for OCB this season.

MLS Launches TV Channel

Major League Soccer has launched its own television channel on streaming service Pluto TV. The channel will offer ’round-the-clock MLS content and, like Pluto TV itself, is free. Among other things, the channel will have highlights, classic matches, and original features as well as other existing MLS series. Pluto TV is the top free streaming service in the U.S. and the channel could be a very savvy move in getting the league’s product out to the young people who make up a large portion of streaming service users. It’s also the only professional sports league that currently has a channel on the service, so its certainly filling a niche.

A Potential Solution to Soccer’s Concussion Problem

The United Soccer League has presented a potential rule change to the International Football Association Board that would see the introduction of a “head injury substitution” into USL rules. The IFAB, which determines the laws of the game in soccer, will review the proposal, which would allow teams more time to examine a player who has suffered a potential head injury.

The current three-player substitution limit puts managers and particularly medical staff in a very uncomfortable position when a player receives a head injury, and countless incidents in recent years have called into question soccer’s handling of on-field concussions. A temporary substitute like the one the rule change is proposing would give teams all the time they needed to evaluate a player and ensure no danger is present before returning to the field, and as an athletic trainer who is very familiar with the pressure that comes with making a decision about an athlete’s health status during a game, I can’t tell you how much I support this. Hats off the the USL.

Possible UCL Ban for Man City

Newly minted repeat Premier League Champions Manchester City could potentially be facing a one-year UEFA Champions League ban due to investigations into allegations over the club misleading a financial fair play probe. UEFA investigators are reportedly seeking the ban for the Manchester club, with a decision to be made by the head of the investigatory panel. It’s important to distinguish that the ban would be for misleading the investigators who probed into potential financial wrongdoing by Man City, rather than for actual financial wrongdoing, which the club has quite stringently denied. Additionally, even if a ban were to be handed down, City would almost certainly appeal it, meaning that the chances of a ban for the upcoming 2019-2020 UCL verge on ludicrous.

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  • Ex-Orlando Pride player Christine Nairn has become the first international to win the Westfield W-League’s Julie Dolan Medal, given to the best player in the league.

  • Grasshopper Club Zurich were relegated from the Swiss Super League over the weekend and fans didn’t take it well, threatening to rush the field if not given players’ shirts and socks during the game that sealed the team’s relegation. This summarily resulted in the match being called off with the team down 4-0, the second time this year a Grasshopper game was called off.

That’ll be all for me today. Don’t forget that Orlando City is on a short week and takes on the Seattle Sounders at 10:30 p.m. ET tomorrow. Y’all stay safe out there.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/25

Orlando City ousted from U.S. Open Cup, OCB’s Justin Ellis named Player of the Matchweek, Tottenham wins Europa League, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

on

May 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well, that could have gone better. It’s understandable to feel a bit deflated after Wednesday night’s game, especially after so many positive Orlando City results as of late. The good news though is that we’re another day closer to a holiday weekend that should include some good times or at least rest and relaxation. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Eliminated from U.S. Open Cup

The Lions lost 3-2 at home to Nashville SC in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16, ending the team’s run in the tournament. Orlando struck first in a rollercoaster of a match, and Ramiro Enrique pulled the Lions level after they fell behind, but rookie Wyatt Meyer scored the winner for the visitors. The loss snapped Orlando’s 12-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and Orlando looked like a team that played five other matches already this month. Orlando will need to shake off this loss as it prepares to host the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Justin Ellis Named MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek

Orlando City B midfielder Justin Ellis was selected as MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek for his role in the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami II. Ellis, who turned 18 years old last week, assisted on both of OCB’s first two goals before scoring from the penalty spot himself. It’s been quite the year so far for Ellis, as he also scored six goals in the Generation Adidas Cup to help Orlando win the U-18 title in April. The Young Lions are back in action Friday with a road match against rival Atlanta United 2.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 Results

Comebacks were a theme throughout the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16. Minnesota United took the lead, gave it up, and ultimately advanced thanks to defender Anthony Markanich scoring two late goals to beat St. Louis City 3-2 at Allianz Arena. Markanich was traded from St. Louis to Minnesota last year, adding a little salt in the wound for the visitors. D.C. United and Charlotte FC battled in a back-and-forth match that ended up with D.C. winning the penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw. The match between the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas also went the distance, with the Red Bulls winning the shootout. The Philadelphia Union won 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to eliminate the last team from outside MLS. The draw for the quarterfinals will take place this morning.

Tottenham Hotspur Wins Europa League Final

Tottenham prevailed in this year’s Europa league final, winning 1-0 against Manchester United in Spain. Brennan Johnson’s goal was enough for Tottenham to end its 17-year wait for a major trophy. It was a bit of an underwhelming finish to what was a fairly exciting knockout stage, and this was United’s only loss in this year’s tournament. Tottenham has now qualified for next season’s Champions League despite currently being 17th in the English Premier League standings.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/25

The U.S. Open Cup journey resumes tonight, Javier Otero signs a new contract, Pride’s Sams and Abello called up, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 21, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day with Orlando City hosting Nashville SC tonight in Inter&Co Stadium. I hope you are able to make it out to support the club, since I will have to watch it on television. If you listen to The Mane Land PawedCast you know how much I want Orlando City to focus on the U.S. Open Cup — even at the expense of the Leagues Cup. For now, let’s get to the links.

Nashville is Next

As I mentioned above, the Lions take on Nashville SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match tonight. Orlando City is riding a 12-match unbeaten streak through all competitions and has scored 14 goals in the past four games going back to its 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions will look to continue their goal scoring ways to advance to the quarterfinals.

Javier Otero Has a New Contract

Orlando City signed goalkeeper Javier Otero to a new contract through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. Otero joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017, moving his way up to Orlando City B and, eventually, the first team. The signing secures Orlando City’s backup keeper for the immediate future.

Pride USWNT Call-Ups

Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to the USWNT training camp. This is Abello’s first call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. Sams and Abello make up two of Emma Hayes’ 24-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against China and Jamaica. Other notable players include Naomi Girma, Lynn Biyendolo, and Lo’eau LaBonta.

FIRST USWNT CALL UP FOR BELLO 🗣️

— Orlando Pride (@orlpride.com) 2025-05-20T15:06:37.081Z

USMNT Gold Cup News

Mauricio Pochettino has yet to name the final 26-player list for the Gold Cup. He has even put out there that he may give playing time to a goalkeeper other than Matt Turner. Pochettino sees the Gold Cup as a great opportunity for the team to bond during the last competition before the World Cup. Prior to the Gold Cup, the team has friendlies with Türkiye and Switzerland.

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  • The Kansas City Current may have defeated the Pride last match, but they paid dearly for it.
  • In sad news, former Sporting Kansas City player Gadi Kinda passed away. Kinda had been dealing with “a complex medical battle.”
  • In the “I’m not at all surprised” category, Lionel Messi was not fined by the league for any of his antics during or after the loss to Orlando City, including his criticism of officials, which is usually an automatic fine.

That will do it for today. Check back for our pre-match and post-match coverage tonight. You can also follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/20/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, preliminary Gold Cup rosters released, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Life always feels a little brighter after your team wins a soccer game, even more so when it’s against a hated rival, so I hope you’ve had as good a start to your week as I have. We have no time to rest on our laurels though, because Orlando City is straight back into action tomorrow with a U.S. Open Cup match at home against Nashville SC. Let’s get into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

Several Orlando City players are getting some deserved plaudits following the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami on Sunday. Pedro Gallese has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday, while Joran Gerbet is on the bench and Oscar Pareja is the coach of the side. Gallese made four saves while keeping a clean sheet and also assisted Luis Muriel on the first goal of the game. Gerbet did an excellent job of helping to minimize the impact of Lionel Messi, while Oscar Pareja was the man who who masterminded it all. Alex Freeman got some love as one of the standout young players of the matchday, and also had a nice piece written about him in The Athletic (paywall). All the Lions are deserving of their praise, and here’s hoping this isn’t the last time we see them getting some love.

Freeman Named to USMNT Preliminary Gold Cup Roster

The preliminary rosters have been announced for the 16 teams set to participate in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. Most of the usual suspects are present for the United States Men’s National Team, with the exceptions of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna, whose teams are participating in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Of note for Orlando City fans is Alex Freeman’s inclusion on the preliminary roster. That being said, this early list contains 60 names and will need to be cut down to 26 by June 4. With Sergino Dest and Joe Scally both on the 60-man list, Freeman is probably an outside shot to be included, but you never know.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing matches during the working week, so make sure you have everything marked down on your calendar. Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their penultimate Premier League game later today, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth do the same against Manchester City. Wednesday has Jordan Pefok and Reims visiting Metz in a playoff to decide which team will play in Ligue 1 next season. Alex Zendejas and Club America take on Toluca in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final on Thursday, and Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Valencia in La Liga play on Friday.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be upon us before we know it, so let’s take a look at what the transfer rumor mill is saying these days. Manchester United is said to be on the verge of signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and has reportedly agreed to terms on a deal. Man City has reportedly ended its interest in signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and has instead turned the club’s attention to Barcelona’s Dani Olmo. Finally, Rodrygo is reportedly considering leaving Real Madrid in the summer, with some outlets saying that he “has one foot out of Real Madrid”.

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That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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