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Lion Links: 8/30/19

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7 years ago

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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.

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  • 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.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/29/26

Orlando City plays New England tonight, the Orlando Pride are recognized, USMNT news, and more.

Published

19 hours ago

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April 29, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day with Orlando City taking on the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup tonight. The fixture congestion is real as this is the third match for the Lions in just eight days. I’m sure that it will be fine since Orlando City doesn’t have any injury or depth issues…err…let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Open Cup Continues

Orlando City is in Rhode Island to take on the New England Revolution in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. As always, it will be interesting to see which regular starters play and which youngsters get the start, though the difference between those two is not as stark as in the past. The Lions also have a trip to play Inter Miami this weekend to consider. I don’t think it will happen, but I say go all in on the Open Cup and play Orlando City B against Miami.

Orlando Pride Earns Recognition

Zara Chavoshi is the Orlando Pride’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for 2026. Chavoshi’s chosen community partner is Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka. Each of the 16 NWSL teams are represented with a panel of judges, including Holiday, determining the winner. In other news, the Pride are still in the top three of SI.com’s NWSL power rankings. Shockingly — I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek — Barbra Banda didn’t make CBSsports.com’s NWSL Team of the Week despite scoring a brace.

Griezmann Continues Champions League Chase

Orlando City’s next Designated Player, Antoine Griezmann, has unfinished business with current club Atletico Madrid. Griezmann and Atletico face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals this afternoon. As much as I’m looking forward to Griezmann’s arrival in Orlando, I am also all for him winning hardware before he leaves Atletico.

USMNT News

The World Cup is just around the corner, and there are many players in MLS who will be representing their respective countries. Matt Turner is making an excellent case that he should be the first-choice keeper for the USMNT. Stepping outside of MLS, is Weston McKennie the player who the U.S. can least afford to lose heading into the World Cup? McKennie has been playing well this year for club and country. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has been in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, he can turn it around before the World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Rodrigo Schlegel visited Orlando City’s training this week. I’m not saying I want him to start, but a short-term contract for depth might be nice.

🚨 Jose Mourinho preferred candidate of Florentino Perez to become next Real Madrid head coach. Support not universal inside #RMFC but president driving process so 63yo strong contender. Time-sensitive ~€3m break clause in Benfica contract 🚨@theathleticfc.bsky.socialwww.nytimes.com/athletic/723…

— David Ornstein (@david-ornstein.bsky.social) 2026-04-28T11:49:11.588Z
  • Sometimes there’s a light of hope in the dark forest that we’re travelling through. Believe.

That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/28/26

Takeaways from MLS matchday 10, Americans in midweek action, Vancouver Whitecaps may be relocated, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 28, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda with the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B was the only one of the three sides to get a result. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us as Orlando City will be in action twice, the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, and OCB takes on Crown Legacy to round off the week on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, so let’s jump into the links.

MLS Matchday 10 Lessons

Matchday 10 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have done a very good job of reloading from the off-season losses of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. New faces Cheikh Sabaly and Bruno Caicedo have been finding their feet and both had goal involvements in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Matt Turner looks to be rediscovering some of his best form as he made nine saves in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. New York City FC’s Matt Freese has been the frontrunner to start in goal for the United States Men’s National Team at the World Cup this summer, but based on his league performances, Turner could make a late charge.

Americans in Midweek Action

Plenty of Americans will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s have a look at the schedule. Things get started Wednesday, when Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC play Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Wednesday has Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid hosting Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for the first leg of a UEFA Conference League semifinal. The action wraps up on Friday when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Burnley in a Premier League tilt.

Relocation Possible for Vancouver Whitecaps

A special committee of MLS owners reportedly met earlier in April to discuss the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Specifically, Las Vegas is said to have been the primary relocation option discussed at the meeting. It’s been two decades since a team was relocated, as the last franchise to move were the San Jose Earthquakes, who went to Houston and became the Dynamo before being replaced with another San Jose expansion team two years later. Other cities said to be interested in landing a team include Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, with Phoenix reportedly one of the main candidates being considered for relocation alongside Vegas. In the meantime, the Whitecaps remain up for sale while the team tries to find an in-market stadium solution, as the team’s lease with BC Place expires at the end of the year.

High Profile Injuries Continue

The 2025-2026 European season has seen a number of high profile injuries, and that’s a trend that unfortunately continued over the weekend. Xavi Simons suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for a significant amount of time. Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappe has a left hamstring injury, and he could reportedly miss the May 10 Clasico match against Barcelona as well as the rest of the La Liga season. AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric fractured his left cheekbone in the team’s 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday and had surgery to repair the damage. His club season is over, but Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is confident that he will be healthy in time for the World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA will reportedly increase the number of times that yellow cards are wiped away at this summer’s World Cup.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/27/26

Lions and Pride lose, OCB draws Chicago Fire II, FA Cup semifinals recap, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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April 27, 2026

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Image of the OCB squad before the team's game March 8, 2026 vs. Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work and looking forward to covering some high school soccer and lacrosse this week. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who turned 22 Sunday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blow Late Lead in Defeat to D.C. United

Orlando City fell 3-2 to D.C. United Saturday at Audi Field. Jackson Hopkins scored the opener for D.C. United early in the first half. In the second half, Justin Ellis equalized for the Lions, and Tyrese Spicer added another goal to give Orlando a 2-1 lead. However, the Lions couldn’t hang on to the lead as D.C. United scored two late goals in six minutes to pull out a win at the death. It will be another busy week for the Lions with a road trip to New England to face the Revolution in a round-of-16 U.S. Open Cup match Wednesday, followed by another road match Saturday against Inter Miami at Nu Stadium.

Pride Fall to Racing Louisville on the Road

The Orlando Pride fell 3-2 to Racing Louisville FC Friday at Lynn Family Stadium, continuing their winless streak in Kentucky. Louisville struck first with a goal from Lauren Milliet to take a 1-0 lead, but Barbra Banda buried the equalizer for the Pride to level the match before halftime. However, Louisville scored two early second-half goals to take a 3-1 lead before Banda pulled one back to make it 3-2 late in stoppage time, but Louisville held on to pick up its first win of the season. With that result, the Orlando Pride’s four-match unbeaten streak came to an end. The Pride will look to bounce back Saturday, taking on the Washington Spirit at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 2-2 Draw vs. Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B came from behind to draw 2-2 against Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium Sunday. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime, but in the second half, OCB got a break as Chicago goalkeeper Owen Pratt scored an own goal to pull the Young Lions within one. Late in stoppage time, Nicolas Lasheras scored the equalizer for OCB. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-2 to earn a second point. OCB’s next match will be at home against Crown Legacy Sunday.

FA Cup Semifinals Recap

The FA Cup final is set after the semifinals concluded over the weekend at Wembley Stadium. On Saturday, after a scoreless first half, all the goals came in the second half as Finn Azaz scored the opener to give Southampton the lead, but Manchester City was able to overturn the deficit on goals from Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez to seal a 2-1 win against Southampton to advance to the FA Cup final for the fourth consecutive time. On Sunday, Enzo Fernandez’s lone goal in the first half was enough to pull Chelsea to a 1-0 win against Leeds United to book a spot in the final to face Manchester City. The FA Cup final will take place on May 16 at Wembley Stadium.

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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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