Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/30/19

Published

7 years ago

on

How’s it going, Mane Landers? As we start to say farewell to the summer, it looks like we’re about to say hello to a whole bunch of rain. With a hurricane on the way, make sure to stock up on all of the essentials like gas and bottled water. I’m sure you all know the drill but keep an eye out for your neighbors too. Jot down their contact info and try to help out those who may have a hard time boarding windows or heading out to the store. Storms are never fun but they have a habit of bringing the best out of communities. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Match Rescheduled

With Hurricane Dorian expected to dump buckets starting late this holiday weekend, the Orlando Pride’s match with the Washington that was scheduled for tomorrow was postponed and rescheduled for Oct. 5. The game will still be held at Exploria Stadium and fans can exchange tickets for another Pride home game if the new date doesn’t work for their schedule. The move has little impact on the Pride with the playoffs well out of reach, although it does give the Spirit a huge break before their next match on Sept. 14.

Chioma Ubogagu Waived By Pride

The Orlando Pride waived forward Chioma Ubogagu in the first of what will will likely be many moves between now and the 2020 season as Head Coach Marc Skinner restructures the team and prepares for next year. The move comes as a shock as Ubogagu played well in Skinner’s system with other starters missing, tallying four goals and two assists in 17 appearances this season. The 26-year-old finishes her Pride career third in appearances (57) and goals (12), and thanked the club for her years in Orlando.

Although her destination isn’t certain, a move to Europe is likely with Real Madrid’s women’s team rumored as a landing spot. Wherever she decides to take her talents, we wish her the absolute best of luck in the future.

Santiago Patino Prepared to Step Up

One of the things Orlando City has not gotten enough credit for this year has been the performance of its younger players. Rookie defender Kamal Miller has started in 11 games this year and Homegrown Player Benji Michel has been a regular fixture in the offense this month. However, rookie forward Santiago Patino, who was selected third overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, hasn’t found his way onto the field since July 21.

That is likely to change in the coming games, with Orlando a bit shorthanded for its match with Los Angeles FC on Sept. 7. It hasn’t been a bad year for Patino by any means, with a pair of goals on the road for Orlando and his first call-up to the Colombian U-23 National Team. With chances to shine on the horizon, the 22-year-old is ready to help the team with the playoff push.

“Right now, I’m just focused on what’s next,” Patiño said. “Today, I’m just focused on having a good training, working my body hard and getting ready for our game. I take it day by day and I know good things will come with time.”

Marta Will Receive a Global Honor

Pride midfielder and global superstar Marta will receive one of the greatest awards in sports: the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. To say Marta deserves the award would be an understatement as the 33-year-old has exemplified a lifetime of rising above adversity and doing exemplary work both on and off the field. Presented by the Women’s Sports Foundation, Marta will accept the award on Oct. 16 in New York City for the 40th Annual Salute to Women in Sports.

USWNT Rewards Huge Crowd with Four Goals

In front of a record crowd of nearly 50,000, the United States Women’s National Team dominated Portugal, 4-0 in Philadelphia. Part of the team’s Victory Tour after its World Cup victory this summer, the USWNT wasted no time showing why it is the world’s best. It took Tobin Heath four minutes to score the first goal of the match and Morgan Brian, Carli Lloyd, and Allie Long all added goals of their own.

Pride players Alex Morgan (concussion) and Ali Krieger (family emergency) were both away from the team while Ashlyn Harris sat on the bench with Adrianna Franch getting the start in goal.

Champions League Hopefuls Learn Their Fates

The UEFA Champions League is back and the 32 teams are officially drawn into their groups with action ready to begin next month. Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea all have relatively easy journeys ahead while the toughest group features FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan.

Chelsea’s group also features some familiar faces if you follow American soccer with Christian Pulisic, Lille’s Tim Weah, and Ajax’s Sergino Dest all in action. The players aren’t the only Americans to keep an eye out for though; FC Salzburg Head Coach Jesse Marsch will become the first American to coach in the Champions League.

Free Kicks

  • It seems like Marta picked up an injury in her last match. Hopefully it is isn’t anything too serious and she will be able to play in the Pride’s road match with Reign FC on Sept. 7.

  • Orlando’s playoff hopes are still alive, but dwindling. Thankfully, the Lions have the ninth-easiest strength of schedule for their remaining games as the matches ease up after the next few weeks.
  • As for tomorrow’s clash with the San Jose Earthquakes, it looks like San Jose Head Coach Matias Almeyda won’t be in attendance.

That will do it from me for today’s links. I wish you all the best of luck in your hurricane preparations and please be safe out there this weekend and next week.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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.

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!

Continue Reading

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!

Continue Reading

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!

Continue Reading

Trending