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Lion Links: 8/20/19

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7 years ago

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It was another tough weekend for Orlando soccer fans, with only one point claimed out of nine that were available to Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B. The silver lining is that the Lions are now tied on points with Montreal, which sits in the seventh and final playoff spot, but they’ll still need to keep getting results if they want to play in the postseason for the first time. There’s an absolute smorgasbord of news today, so let’s get cracking.

Pereyra Shows Potential in Orlando City Debut

Mauricio Pereyra made his Orlando City debut this past weekend at Minnesota, and while he still has some work to do to reach optimal fitness, the DP signing showed flashes of his immense potential in the second half of the 1-1 draw.

“I thought he did a good job at keeping the ball,” Orlando City coach James O’Connor said. “That’s what he’s good at. It’s gonna take him a little time to get used to the style of the play, but we’ve signed a good player in Mauricio.”

O’Connor has not rushed to throw Pereyra into the lineup since his arrival in The City Beautiful, and hopefully that patience will pay off as the Lions hit the stretch run toward what could be their first MLS postseason. Lions fans can only hope to see more of Pereyra as he acclimates to the heat and humidity of Orlando and sees more minutes.

Lion in MLS Team of the Week

Brian Rowe made the bench of the most recent MLS Team of the Week following his exploits in the draw with Minnesota. Chief among what he did were two excellent saves, both at close range, to deny almost certain goals. For the first save, he dived away to his right and got two strong fists to a sharp drive from Darwin Quintero, while on the the second he again dived to his right and got a hand on a goal-bound shot that he must have seen very late. Rowe was named The Mane Land’s Man of the Match by yours truly, and without his contributions the team wouldn’t have been in a position to even take one point out of their trip to St. Paul.

Morgan Makes Shortlist for The Best FIFA Women’s Player

The shortlist has been released for the rather awkwardly named The Best FIFA Women’s Player award, and it contains some familiar faces. Four Americans have made the shortlist, including the Orlando Pride’s own Alex Morgan. She’s not all though, with Julie Ertz, Megan Rapinoe, and Rose Lavelle also in contention to be named the best women’s soccer player in the world. Personally, my money is on Lavelle or Rapinoe, who both had excellent campaigns during the United States’ defense of its Women’s World Cup title over the summer.

St. Louis Expansion To Be Announced

It would seem that St. Louis will be announced shortly as the newest expansion team in Major League Soccer, with “a special announcement” set to be made by Don Garber in St. Louis this afternoon. He will also be joined by leadership from the #MLS4TheLou ownership group as well as the St. Louis mayor. Given all of those players in attendance and the location of the announcement, it seems a forgone conclusion that St. Louis will be the next city to get an MLS team, unless Garber has some sort of very unexpected prank planned. St. Louis will become MLS’ 28th team, with Inter Miami and Nashville SC set to begin play in 2020, while Austin will play as the 27th team starting in the 2021 campaign. 

MLS and Political Displays

MLS and politics have certainly been in the news lately, beginning with Alejandro Bedoya’s recent plea for congress to find a solution to stop gun violence. More recently, however, there is further news on the subject with the revelation that the Portland Timbers have banned the display of the Iron Front symbol on a banner or larger display at the stadium on game day. The front office released a statement on the banning of the symbol on banners and large displays and why it was done, while also speaking about the tricky question of what constitutes a political statement. If you want to read more about the juncture MLS finds itself at in regards to political statements on game day, you should check out this article over at Inside Hook.

Free Kicks

  • Here you can find a collection of solid quotes from Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner and various Pride players regarding the team’s loss over the weekend.
  • Wayne Rooney had words with the fourth official following D.C. United’s 1-0 loss to Vancouver on Saturday, and then took aim at the admittedly rather taxing MLS travel schedule.
  • The shortlist for the 2019 Puskas Award has been announced.
  • The Pride had a visitor at training.

  • Nani takes you behind the scenes at MLS All-Star Week.

  • Forward Madison FC has very strong game when it comes to promotion nights.

For your soccer viewing pleasure this week, the Pride play Chicago Red Stars tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET on the road before going to our nation’s capital to play the Washington Spirit on Saturday at the same aforementioned time. Orlando City will take on Atlanta at home on Friday at 8 p.m., and Orlando City B hits the road to take on Tucson on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Y’all stay safe out there.

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Lion Links

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

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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.

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  • 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.

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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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