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Lion Links: 8/21/19

Published

7 years ago

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Howdy, Mane Landers. I typically serve up links on Sundays, but today I’ll be your chef du jour. A good friend of mine from college is in town for a big fight (he’s an MMA fighter), and I’m going to show my support and then catch up with him afterward. It should be interesting to say the least, but in the best way possible. Anyway, let’s hop to these Wednesday links, shall we?

Bon appétit!

Welcome to the Majors, St. Louis!

It’s finally official. Don Garber announced yesterday that St. Louis earned the right to enter MLS play come 2022. The announcement follows months of speculation as to which city would be awarded the designation. St. Louis’ ownership group will consist of Carolyn Kindle Betz, the Taylor family, and Jim Kavanaugh — meaning that the club becomes the first team in MLS history to be majority owned by a woman, and one of very few in professional sports. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know the ramifications of how this will affect Saint Louis FC — a team with ties to Orlando City — but the outlook is bleak, at best. But hey, congratulations to St. Louis. There’s only one clause to this award: You’re not allowed to make the MLS playoffs before Orlando City.

U.S. Soccer and Gender Discrimination

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last year, you’re likely well versed on the battle between the U.S. Soccer Federation and the back-to-back World Cup-winning U.S. Women’s National Team. Well, we have a significant development — they’ll be taking their war to the courts, with the two parties set to go to trial on May 5, 2020. In case you were wondering, that’s a mere two and a half months away from the 2020 Summer Olympics, which begin on July 24. The U.S. Soccer Federation has pushed back against the idea of equal pay, declaring that the women’s team has been adequately compensated. This is a sticky one, so I’m going to reserve any judgment until it’s all said and done. There’s too much information that I’m not privy to. Unfortunately, I see both sides of this argument, but empathize with only one. I’m sure you can deduce where I stand on the topic.

Toxic Soil: A Miami Tale

As one of my colleagues aptly put it, “I still don’t believe this club is happening yet.” Hurdle after hurdle, road block after road block, and now, well, toxic soil, has been hindering the development process of incoming MLS club Inter Miami CF, owned by David Beckham. They’ve done a solid job of branding, marketing, and even potentially acquiring a world class talent in Edinson Cavani, but the club just can’t catch a break when it comes to building its new grounds. The latest? The soil where the club is going to build its stadium has a high level of lead, arsenic, and barium — toxins that cause cancer (among countless other ailments). Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez announced he was closing the area until further notice for additional analysis of environmental test results. I know they’re going to quickly become a rival of the Lions, so part of me just wants to sit back and giggle at this whole ordeal. The other part of me feels bad. Oh well, they’ll figure it out or something.

Christian Pulisic…as a Red Devil?

Not as long as his father has something to say about it. Pulisic, now with Chelsea, had many options at his disposal before departing Dortmund in Germany for London. Manchester United, apparently, was one of them, but it was never truly on the table. Robin Walker, a former coach of Pulisic, was close with the young phenom’s family.

“He wouldn’t go to Manchester United because of Jose Mourinho,” Walker said. “His father couldn’t stand Mourinho, because he didn’t promote young players. It was at that point I asked: ‘What about London? That’s where it’s at.’ I was trying to sell the city. His agent agreed, saying: ‘When you make these decisions, it’s all about investment and property.’ I was delighted that he did sign [for Chelsea].”

Of course, this is all now history, as Pulisic’s move was sealed months ago (when Mourinho was still at the helm of United), but it’s an interesting thought to imagine a world where the Red Devils captured the young American’s signature. What’s interesting to me, however, is the timing of this revelation. Why is Pulisic’s former coach saying these things publicly? Why mount even more pressure on Pulisic’s shoulders? I just hope young Christian continues to shine for the Blues and then brings that shine on over to the U.S. Men’s National Team. Time will tell.

Free Kicks

  • Good news for Brazilian Pride icon Marta, as the new head coach of the Brazil Women’s National Team, Pia Sundhage, has given her a call-up. Kudos, Marta! I mean, is anyone surprised though?
  • Former Pride defender Lotta Okvist has signed with Manchester United Women. Okvist never played a match with the Pride, so it will be interesting to see how she does in Manchester.

  • Have you heard of Den McSkimming? I sure hadn’t until I came across this insightful piece detailing his exploits as the “only American reporter at the 1950 World Cup.”
  • Speaking of the World Cup, Carli Lloyd may have herself a career in the NFL once she’s finished with the NWSL.

  • Lastly, I really shouldn’t have to say this, but there’s absolutely no place in the beautiful game for racism. The heckling (that’s way too generous of an adjective) aimed at Manchester United’s Paul Pogba pertaining to his race was disgusting and vile.

All right folks, that’s it for today. Enjoy the match on the evening — hopefully the Pride will make us proud. Yikes, that was a bad dad joke. I’m out. Have a good one!

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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

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.

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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

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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