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Lion Links: 8/3/19

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Good morning, Mane Landers! Can you believe it’s already the first weekend of August? Another year — and Orlando City season — flying by. The Lions start the month at home tonight against Western Conference opponent FC Dallas. Just 30 minutes prior to that match, the Young Lions of Orlando City B will kick off at Cooley Law School Stadium against Lansing Ignite. But before you head downtown to Exploria Stadium, here are some links.

Mauricio Pereyra Brings Unpredictability to Offense

As an attacking midfielder, newest Lion Mauricio Pereyra is eager to create chances and add some bite to Orlando’s offense. The 29-year-old hasn’t played since late May and although that makes him a bit rusty, Orlando Head Coach hopes Pereyra can be an impact player when he does get rolling with the Lions.

“I think it’s trying to get something a little different,” O’Connor said. “For an opponent, if you don’t know what the player you’re playing against is going to do, I think it’s very hard to defend against. That’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for players who can do something a little bit differently and impact the game.”

Lions Look to Finally Score on Dallas

Orlando City is ready to turn All-Star momentum into excitement for fans for the rest of the season. The club has arguably the biggest match in the club’s history coming up on Tuesday when the Lions host Atlanta United in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal battle. It’s therefore pretty safe to assume that Head Coach James O’Connor will put forth a heavily rotated lineup for tonight’s FC Dallas game. Hopefully, the starting XI can still find the back of the net for Orlando City’s first goal against Dallas in the series between the two teams. The Mane Land’s Ben Miller chatted with Drew Epperley of the FC Dallas blog Big D Soccer for both our Intelligence Report and to answer three of Epperley’s questions about the Lions. Also, don’t forget that it’s Military Appreciation Night!

Orlando City Needs to Choose Internationals Wisely for Open Cup

In typical U.S. Soccer fashion, the rules for the Open Cup are weird and often unclear. Unfortunately, teams are only allowed to play five International players in the competition, so the Lions will have to carefully choose who to play in Tuesday’s big semifinal match. One of the club’s nine internationals, Robinho, isn’t eligible anyway since he previously featured in an Open Cup game for Columbus Crew SC. Cristian Higuita will likely still be out injured, and it’s unclear whether Mauricio Pereyra will have his paperwork in line early enough to play.

A fair assumption, given the importance of the match to Orlando City, would see Nani, Robin Jansson, and Lamine Sane as three of the all but guaranteed international players in O’Connor’s squad. That leaves Carlos Ascues, Sebas Mendez, and Ruan as the three men to fill the final two spots. My money’s on Ascues being the odd guy out, but O’Connor’s final decision is definitely one of huge importance.

New Orlando Pride Star Claire Emslie Answers Fan Questions

Scottish international and new Pride striker Claire Emslie took to Twitter for a question-and-answer session on Friday. She already loves The Wall, calling the supporters’ section “insane,” and has been “learning a lot” from teammate Marta. Orlando Pride player Bridget Callahan got in on the fun, asking Emslie if fellow Pride player Danica Evans or Callahan herself was Emslie’s favorite roommate. Check out the full thread here and make sure to get your tickets to see Emslie in person on Aug. 10.

First Female Ref for Major UEFA Men’s Game Announced

Stephanie Frappart, the French referee you may recognize from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between the United States and the Netherlands, has been chosen for the UEFA Super Cup match on Aug. 14. Champions League winners Liverpool FC will face off with Europa League champs Chelsea FC in the “showpiece” game. Frappart isn’t a stranger to setting the pace, as she was the first female referee for France’s Ligue 1 during the 2017/18 season. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated the following:

“I have said on many occasions that the potential for women’s football has no limits and I am delighted that Stephanie Frappart has been appointed to officiate at this year’s UEFA Super Cup… I hope the skill and devotion that Stephanie has shown throughout her career to reach this level will provide inspiration to millions of girls and women around Europe and show them there should be no barriers in order to reach one’s dream.”

In addition, Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neal will be assistant refs for the match. Congratulations to Frappart and her crew!

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  • Although Nani is ready to move on from the MLS All-Star Game, Orlando City SC released a great compilation video of what celebrating soccer for five days in The City Beautiful meant.

  • SunRail confirmed that there will be late service for Tuesday evening’s Open Cup match.

  • Nike has extended its partnership with the National Women’s Soccer League through the 2022 season, continuing the sporting good’s company exclusivity as the “worldwide partner for NWSL gear and apparel.”
  • The USWNT, minus superstars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe because of injury, will begin its World Cup victory tour tonight in Pasadena, CA, on the 20th anniversary of a historic match.

  • It seems that Manchester United has finally been able to convince Leicester City to let go of defender Harry Maguire.
  • Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is “bothered” by Liverpool FC’s gaffer Jurgen Klopp’s recent comments regarding Man City’s activity during the transfer window.
  • Newly promoted English Premier League side Sheffield United has broken its previous transfer record with the signing of forward Oli McBurnie from Swansea City.
  • I must introduce you all to Wigan Athletic’s mascot, Crusty the Pie.


Ya’ll know what to do now, get out to the stadium and get loud for your Lions! Go City!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

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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

Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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