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Lion Links: 5/14/19

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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: 5/1/25

Orlando Pride prepare for the Portland Thorns, Vancouver Whitecaps reach Concacaf Champions Cup final, Lorne Donaldson fired, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

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May 1, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to May, Mane Landers! The months are flying by and I’m all for it. I was able to get some belated spring cleaning done this week and have been flexing my interior decorating muscles a bit as well. My cat’s not a fan of all of the furniture being shuffled around, but I’m sure he’ll get used to it. Let’s get this month started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando Pride Prep for Portland

The Orlando Pride are back in action Saturday in a road match against the Portland Thorns. Orlando is coming off of a dramatic 3-2 win at home against Angel City FC, which featured the team’s stars and substitutes linking up to come back and win. As for Portland, the Thorns are unbeaten at home so far this season and have scored seven goals across their past two games. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on Orlando’s preparations for this match and how the Pride will need to maintain momentum against a young Portland team that’s finding its groove offensively.

Vancouver Whitecaps Seal Spot in Concacaf Champions Cup Final

The Vancouver Whitecaps went on the road and beat Inter Miami a second time, winning 3-1 to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup final. An early goal by Jordi Alba gave Miami life in the series, but Vancouver scored three unanswered goals in the second half to win 5-1 on aggregate. The star of the show was 23-year-old midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who provided assists on Vancouver’s first two goals before scoring one himself to put the nail in the coffin. The Whitecaps have had a brutal path to reach the final, taking down Monterrey and Pumas UNAM in the previous two rounds. In the final on June 1, they’ll face whichever Liga MX team comes out on top tonight between Tigres and Cruz Azul.

Chicago Stars Fire Lorne Donaldson

Lorne Donaldson’s time as the Chicago Stars’ head coach has come to a close, with the Stars firing him just six games into the season. The Stars have lost five of their six games this year, including a 6-0 defeat to the Orlando Pride to open the season. Donaldson joined the club in December of 2023 and helped the team squeeze into the playoffs in his first year as head coach. Assistant coach Masaki Hemmi will serve as interim head coach while the club hunts for a replacement.

Brian White Wins MLS Player of the Month

Scoring in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals capped off an impressive month for Vancouver forward Brian White, who was named MLS Player of the Month. The American had five goals in league games this April and became the first player in club history to score four times in one game when he did so against Austin FC on April 12. He’s been a major reason behind the club’s ascent to the top of the Western Conference this year. It will be interesting to see how his continued success this year factors into his role at the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer.

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  • In case you missed it, enjoy this full interview from Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there, as this heat isn’t playing around. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/30/25

The U.S. Open Cup approaches, the Pride are back on top, USMNT and USWNT news, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

April 30, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to the last Wednesday of April, Mane Landers. May promises to be a busy month for Orlando City. You will have as many matches as you want to watch over the next few weeks. I’m certainly not complaining, but we could use a little help here at The Mane Land if you’d like to join the staff. I promise you’ll enjoy it. For now, let’s get to the links.

The U.S. Open Cup Beckons

We’re only a week away from Orlando City’s match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies to start the Lions’ 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign. Of course, the Lions aren’t the only MLS squad entering the tournament in the Round of 32. Starting Tuesday, 16 MLS clubs join the competition, with Orlando City playing on Wednesday. While we’re waiting for the next Orlando City match, enjoy the sights and sounds from the victory over Atlanta United.

Pride Back on Top

The Orlando Pride back on top of the NWSL standings, though the Kansas City Current are technically listed No. 1 thanks to the alphabet. Of course, we all know that power rankings are actually more important than actual results. Fortunately, the Pride are top of the pops in the Goal.com power rankings and in the All For XI power rankings. Just so you know that sometimes the internet isn’t always accurate, Sports Illustrated kept the Pride in the No. 2 spot.

USMNT Concerns and Commendations

Various people in the U.S. soccer community are calling out the USMNT players for lacking the desire, drive, or passion to be successful. Former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez is the latest, though not only one to do so. At the same time, players like Christian Pulisic and Josh Sargent are making a difference at their European clubs. Pulisic is likely to sign a contract extension with AC Milan that will include a hefty pay bump. Sargent was named to the EFL Championship Team of the Season after scoring 15 goals for Norwich City. Alexi Lalas has suggested Mauricio Pochettino bring in Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. If Pochettino is looking for “characters” for his squad, perhaps he should give Orlando City’s Alex Freeman a look?

USWNT Players Thriving

USWNT players are making an impact on both sides of the pond as they wait for their next match against China at the end of May. Emily Fox’s Arsenal squad advanced past Lindsey Heaps’ Olympique Lyon Sunday in the second leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals. It’s not all bad news for Heaps, who was named to the Women’s French Premiere Ligue Awards Team of the Season. Meanwhile, Lily Yohannes continues her growth after becoming the youngest starter in group-stage history of the UEFA women’s Champions League late last year for her club, Ajax.

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That will do it for today. Check back with us as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/29/25

Lions earn weekly plaudits, Barbra Banda up for Goal of the Week, Orlando City announces affiliation agreement, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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April 29, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning everyone! It was a pretty good weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as two out of the three picked up victories to collect six out of the nine points available. In the process, Orlando City stretched its undefeated streak to seven games and the Orlando Pride got back to winning ways. There’s no time to rest on our laurels though, as Orlando City B returns to action on Friday. We’ve got plenty of things to talk through this morning, so let’s jump into the links.

Two Lions Garner Weekly Recognition

Marco Pasalic and Alex Freeman both played important roles in Orlando City’s 3-0 win over Atlanta United on Saturday, and they’ve each been rewarded with a place on the bench in the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday. Freeman scored his third goal of the season while Pasalic scored a goal and provided the assist for Freeman’s strike, and the Croatian was also David Rohe’s pick for the Man of the Match. The good vibes don’t stop there though, because Pasalic’s fantastic strike from distance was also named the Energy Moment of the Matchday, which I admittedly wasn’t aware was an actual thing until this week. Not to be outdone, Freeman got some props as one of the standout young players from the matchday, which is far from the first time he’s gotten some love in that particular category. Keep up the good work guys!

Barbra Banda Up for Goal of the Week

Continuing the trend of Orlando players earning praise for their performances over the weekend, Barbra Banda has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. She scored the Orlando’s Pride’s 76th-minute equalizer that drew the team level with Angel City FC after going into halftime down 2-0. Carson Pickett did a great job saving the ball before it went out of bounds, and then whipped a dangerous cross into the box. Banda did the rest, getting halfway around her defender and contorting her head low to meet the ball and send it into the upper corner off the post. It was the sort of outstanding finishing that we’ve come to know and love from Banda, and here’s hoping we’ll see plenty more of it.

Orlando City Announces Affiliation Agreement

Orlando City announced on Monday that it has begun an affiliation agreement with Black Knight Football Club that will focus on “player development, scouting operations, executive collaboration, and commercial opportunities across both organizations.” This is technically a multi-club partnership, as BKFC has a number of different clubs in its network, including Bournemouth, FC Lorient, and Hibernian. BKFC is a partnership that was formed in 2022 when Bill Foley and Cannae Holdings purchased Bournemouth. Representatives from both Orlando City and Black Knight were enthusiastic when talking about the opportunities that the partnership will provide players and staff members from both sides, so it’ll be very interesting to keep an eye out for if/how it affects the on-field product.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and cup competitions are a big point of focus. Things start on Wednesday with Barcelona taking on Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League, as youngster Diego Kochen will likely be on the bench for the Spaniards. Also on Wednesday, Brian White and the Vancouver Whitecaps will try to knock off Inter Miami in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie. Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis hosting Fiorentina in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League semifinals. Things then wrap up on Friday with Gianluca Busio and Fiorentina traveling to play Torino in Serie A.

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That’s all I have for today. Vamos Orlando!

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