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Lion Links: 6/21/19

Published

7 years ago

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Let’s all take a collective breath, shall we? It’s our first day without a Women’s World Cup game since the tournament started and a great chance for us all to relax before a busy Saturday. Tomorrow, the Orlando Pride, Orlando City B, and the United States Men’s National Team will all be in action and the World Cup knockout stage will begin. But for now, let’s kick back and all enjoy some Lion Links to start our Friday off right.

Nani Named to All-Star Game

Orlando City midfielder and Portugal international Nani was selected to the 2019 MLS All-Star Game that will be held at Exploria Stadium on July 31. Part of the Fan XI, Nani garnered plenty of votes from around the league after a strong 2019 campaign so far. The 32-year-old leads Orlando City with eight goals and four assists this season and is a dark horse candidate for both MLS MVP and Newcomer of the Year. Nani becomes the fifth Lion to be named an All-Star and we will have to wait to see if another Lion joins him this year.

USWNT Wins Over Sweden, Faces Spain

Getting some revenge for the team’s loss in the 2016 Olympics, the United States Women’s National Team beat Sweden 2-0 in its final FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage match. Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan wore the captain’s armband before taking it off when she was subbed out after the first half, while Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris spent the match on the bench. Midfielder Lindsey Horan opened the scoring early in the third minute and an own goal after a Tobin Heath strike in the second half doomed Sweden as the U.S. cruised.

With the win, the U.S. won its group and will play Spain on June 24. It’s a little weird that the team with 18 goals scored and none conceded doesn’t earn a match with one of the third-place finishers, but that’s just the way this cookie was going to crumble.

World Cup Bracket Set in Stone

Pride defender Shelina Zadorsky played a full 90 minutes in Canada’s 2-1 loss at the hands of the Netherlands yesterday. The result placed Canada second in the group with a knockout match against Sweden looming on June 24.

As for the other Pride players, Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond will face off with Norway tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET. After a third-place finish in Group C, Marta and Camila will play on June 23 when Brazil takes on France in a heavyweight match where the winner may face the U.S. in the quarterfinals. Make sure to check out the knockout schedule and how the rest of the bracket shakes out.

USMNT Facing an Interesting Test

Although United States Men’s National Team midfielder Michael Bradley doesn’t think there’s much weight in a rematch with Trinidad and Tobago, it’s hard to imagine revenge isn’t on the mind of both players and fans when the Yanks face the Soca Warriors tomorrow night in the Gold Cup. A win for the USMNT would both clinch a berth into the quarterfinals and eliminate Trinidad and Tobago.

While the team is vastly different than the team that lost the qualifier back in 2017, that is part of why this match has the attention of many fans as it will be a good chance to see how this young team compares. The tension isn’t one-sided however, as former Orlando City midfielder Kevin Molino warns that the USMNT may be headed towards more disappointment.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride are still hunting for their first win of the season and will get their chance tomorrow at 7 p.m. when they take on Sky Blue FC on the road. It’s been a difficult season so far, but the Pride are ready.

  • Despite not playing in the USWNT’s match against Chile and not scoring against Sweden, Morgan remains the favorite to win the Golden Boot. However, Australia’s Sam Kerr is right there with her with five goals so far.
  • Speaking of Morgan, while it didn’t necessarily look like an injury, the American star was quickly subbed out after a hard foul. She isn’t expected to miss any time and the substitution was more of USWNT Head Coach Jill Ellis looking ahead.
  • Pride goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer featured on a podcast about playing in the NWSL. She and some teammates also stopped by the Orange County Animal Shelter to bring awareness of the benefits towards adopting your next pet.

  • The movement to have 2026 World Cup games played here in the Orlando area now has solid look.

  • The Philadelphia Union look all set to add forward Andrew Wooten to the team. Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders lose a forward as Will Bruin tore his ACL in training.
  • Maurizio Sarri has wasted no time at all to badmouth Chelsea as he takes over for Juventus.
  • We end our links with this game-winning goal from Cameroon that you may have missed. It may have been a solo effort in the dying moments of the game, but it was a team effort throughout the group stage as Cameroon advances to the knockout stage and will face England.

That’s going to be it from me, folks. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and stay hydrated out there.

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Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 22, 2026

By

Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

Free Kicks

  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

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Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

Free Kicks

  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

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: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

Free Kicks

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

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