Lion Links
Lion Links: 3/1/20

Happy Sunday, Mane Landers and welcome back to the MLS regular season! Let’s skip the formalities and hop right in. We’ve got a lot of stuff to wade through today.
Orlando City and Real Salt Lake Share Points
In (my opinion) a rather uninspiring home opener against Real Salt Lake, the Lions failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities and drew with the Utah-based club, 0-0. There were some positives. Ruan’s pace was on full display as usual, Chris Mueller did well to create a few chances (though he failed to finish those created for him, too), and Pedro Gallese didn’t concede a goal. But boy, there were some obvious negatives — no goals scored by the boys in purple, Exploria Stadium didn’t fill in until after kickoff, and the lack of teeth in the middle of the park and the attacking third was painfully obvious. It’s only the first match of the season, and patience should be stressed, but this one was a rough watch in my eyes. Hopefully the Lions come home from Colorado next week with the full three points in hand.
- Michael Citro has your match recap.
- The view from the other side comes to us from RSL Soapbox.
Check out Dave Rohe’s five takeaways, Scott Carnevale’s player grades, and Carlos Romero’s photo gallery later today.
Other Results from Around the League
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the opening weekend of the 25th MLS season, Colorado beat D.C. United (2-1), the Montreal Impact gave Thierry Henry his first win as at the helm as they beat the New England Revolution (2-1), the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo drew (1-1), Toronto FC and the San Jose Earthquakes drew (2-2), FC Dallas beat the Philadelphia Union (2-0), and Atlanta United beat Nashville SC (2-1).
Today’s slate of matches includes Columbus hosting New York City FC, the Red Bulls hosting FC Cincinnati, the Chicago Fire travel to play the Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami plays Los Angeles FC in LA, and Portland hosts Minnesota United.
MLS Supporters: Week 1 Tifos
The Lions may have only taken a point from their season opener, but man, the Wall did a great job with their Wolf of Wall Street tifo. The same could be said of FC Dallas and their Baby Yoda/Mandalorian tifo, which also featured the MLS Cup. Elsewhere, as previously highlighted, in CCL, LAFC debuted a tifo of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi — a touching tribute to the California legend. I expect nothing less from MLS supporters, who, over the last few years, have shown just how much they care about the clubs they support. Major props, folks. Major props. No pun intended.
Chicharito Lukewarm in LA Debut
I mean, I have to be honest; I fully expected this one, and while I also expect Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to find the back of the net a few times this season, I also fully expect this to be more normal than abnormal. The El Tri star was frustrated throughout his first match with his new club, playing in front of a sold out crowd in Houston, and failed to make much of an impact on the match. He attempted two unsuccessful dribbles, didn’t register a shot on target, and was visibly upset throughout his first match. Keep an eye on this. You know, with the way the league has been covering this story, you won’t have an option. It seems to be all they care about.
Tarde frustrante para @CH14_ y el @LAGalaxy .
Poco servicio para el Mexicano, pero el equipo mostró mejor desempeño defensivo que el torneo anterior.
Eso dicho, punto como visitante. #LAGalaxy pic.twitter.com/o283IIG2Lu
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) February 29, 2020
Free Kicks
- Orlando City B took on UCF in some friendly action yesterday, with both sides walking away with two goals and invaluable experience.
We draw with the Orlando City B squad in an O-Town friendly 💪 #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/byq9AjSC9K
— UCF Men's Soccer (@UCF_MSoccer) February 29, 2020
- The Orlando SeaWolves return to action to take on the Turlock Cal Express today in Silver Spurs Arena. Maybe the SeaWolves will find their second win on the season (1-15)? Yikes.
- LAFC is set to become the most valuable club in MLS after just three seasons. Impressive and depressing, depending on your perspective.
- D.C. United may have found their cheap Wayne Rooney replacement, as they’ve officially announced the signing of Estonian forward Erik Sorga.
- Curious who scored the first goal of the 2020 MLS season? Look no further than D.C. United’s Russell Canouse, who managed to nod home a header from a corner kick. Why is this surprising? Canouse has scored only once in his previous 56 appearances for D.C. United.
- The New York Red Bulls have waived Rece Buckmaster, who once looked to be a promising young wingback for the club.
- Bayern Munich beat the brakes off of Hoffenheim yesterday, 6-0, but that didn’t stop both sides from participating in a bit of a protest of their own, as some Bayern supporters displayed a banner that attacked Hoffenheim’s owner, Dietmar Hopp. The match was temporarily suspended several times in the process.
Don't see this every day…
Bayern and Hoffenheim played keepy-uppy for the final 10 minutes in protest of the Bayern fans who interrupted the game with hateful banners directed at Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp pic.twitter.com/hOODJnWvqf
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 29, 2020
All right folks, that’s it from me today. I’ll be off playing a match in the Central Florida Soccer League. Our club won 3-0 last weekend, so hopefully we can build off of that momentum and find another win today. Have a great rest of your Sunday and an excellent week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/2/25
Orlando Pride players on International duty, NWSL power rankings, USWNT friendlies, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. There is plenty of Orlando Pride news today, which is good considering we’re heading into an international break. That means we can look forward to some women’s international matches in addition to Orlando City’s next bout against the Philadelphia Union. Before we jump into today’s news, please join us in wishing Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo a happy 24th birthday. Let’s get to the links.
International Duty, Pride Edition
Four players from the Orlando Pride have been called up for international duty. Anna Moorhouse (England), Angelina (Brazil), Emily Sams (U.S.), and Zara Chavoshi (U.S. U-23 training camp) will all head to their respective national teams. Moorhouse’s England will compete in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, while Angelina and Sams will face off in a pair of friendlies between the USWNT and the Brazil Women’s National Team.
Pride Still on Top
It seems that there are more outlets providing NWSL power rankings every week, but as long as they keep the Pride on top, I’ll keep letting you know about it. Given that the Pride are undefeated, with the most goals scored and the best goal differential, it isn’t surprising that the club is sitting atop the official standings along with these “highly scientific” power rankings. Goal.com, Sports Illustrated, and All For IX all rank the Pride in first place just above the Kansas City Current. I suppose even power rankings are occasionally correct.
Orlando’s Various World Cup Ties
You probably know that Orlando wasn’t selected to be one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As disappointing as that was, there’s still a chance that the city, and Orlando City SC’s training grounds at Osceola Heritage Park will host team training during the event. The top notch facilities, plus the relatively close proximity to host cities Miami and Atlanta, make Orlando a good option.
On a more positive note, Orlando was chosen as a host city for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Camping World Stadium will see Club León vs. CR Flamengo, and Juventus vs. Manchester City. The Group H runner-up vs. Group G winner match and one of the quarterfinal round matches will also be in Orlando. There’s plenty to see and do in the City Beautiful, including some great soccer.
USWNT Youth Movement
Sams won’t be the only younger player in Emma Hayes’ lineup for the friendlies against Brazil. Hayes wants to deepen the player pool, which means bringing in players with an average age of just over 25 years old, and the average number of appearances is less than 35. Hayes also believes this is a chance for the younger players who appeared in the loss to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup. The first of the two matches is this Saturday at 5 p.m., with the second coming up Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.
Free Kicks
- The NWSL is looking to expand its media rights deals to include Sunday nights beginning next year. It’s a growth league and a growth market, and I’m all for Sunday night matches.
- Power rankings have now made their way down to MLS NEXT Pro. Spoiler alert, Orlando City B comes in at fifth. Still, it’s nice to see a little love given to the development league. Maybe I should write a power rankings for the various power rankings.
- I’m always for more soccer, and we now know the USL Women’s Super League eight-team playoff dates and format.
- I know it can be hard to feel bad for people who make quite a bit money playing soccer, but I still side with them over the billionaire owners that pay them. Or don’t pay them in the case of Sheffield Wednesday’s owner, Dejphon Chansiri.
- Barcelona is trying to bring the NFL to Spain. If successful, it might be the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes who make an appearance at Camp Nou. This will allow a bunch of Barcelona supporters the opportunity to ask if Taylor Swift will make an appearance.
- If you’re not watching the German Cup — and to be fair, I haven’t been either — you are missing some massive cupsets, including third-tier Arminia Bielefeld taking down Bundesliga champs Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 to advance to the German Cup final.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and OCB matches this weekend. Hopefully, you have two screens since the match start times overlap. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/1/25
Barbra Banda’s continued importance, Americans in midweek action, USWNT announces friendly, and more.

Good morning everyone! It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride both won, meaning that we got treated to a six-point weekend (OCB was off). As always we have plenty to talk through this morning, so let’s get into today’s links.
Barbra Banda Keeps Rolling in 2025
After a wildly successful debut season with the Orlando Pride in 2024, Barbra Banda has showed no signs of slowing down this year. A brace in the season opener meant that she picked up right where she left off last year, and the team has continued to be successful too. The Pride have made it three wins from three to start the 2025 season, and while Banda hasn’t scored since the opener, her blend of pace, power, dribbling, passing, and movement have continuously helped open things up for her teammates, and she drew a penalty that led to the Pride’s game-winning goal Saturday. She isn’t the Pride’s only offensive weapon, but the team clicks into a different gear when she’s at her best.
Americans in Midweek Action
There are a number of Americans who will be playing in games during the working week, and there are some very important clashes on hand. Things get going later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham visit Arsenal in Premier League play as the Cottagers are in hot pursuit of a coveted European place. Wednesday has Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace facing Southampton, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth take on Manchester City. Also on Wednesday, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will face Inter Milan in a Coppa Italia semifinal. Things finish up on Friday as Aidan Morris and Middlesborough travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.
USWNT Announces Canada Match
The United States Women’s National Team has announced another friendly taking place this summer, as the team will face Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C. The match will be the third that the USWNT will play during the window, following a pair of friendlies against Ireland in late June. The neighboring countries will meet at Audi Field with the match designated as the Allstate Continental Clasico, with this being the first time that the match will feature the USWNT. The U.S. faced Canada twice in 2024, with both matches ending in 2-2 draws and the USWNT emerging victorious in shootouts.
Concacaf Champions Cup Preview
The Concacaf Champions Cup returns this week, with the first legs of the four quarterfinal matches set to be played today and tomorrow. Things get started tonight with what should be an exciting match between Club America and Cruz Azul, with the crosstown rivals two of the winningest teams in the competition. Cruz Azul’s Angel Sepulveda leads the CCC’s golden boot race with four tallies. The late game sees the LA Galaxy taking on Tigres as the Galaxy will try to distract themselves from a difficult start to their MLS Cup title defense. Wednesday’s slate has the Vancouver Whitecaps taking on Pumas UNAM in Canada in what will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams. The late game will be an all-MLS affair as LAFC hosts Inter Miami in the first meeting between the two sides in CCC play.
Sporting Kansas City Fires Peter Vermes
The longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer is out of work, as Sporting Kansas City announced the firing of Peter Vermes on Monday morning. It’s an end of an era in Kansas City, as Vermes was the head coach since 2009, back when the team was still called the Kansas City Wizards, and he had been named the club’s technical director three years earlier in 2006. He guided the team to an MLS Cup win in 2013; claimed U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017; and helped the team be consistently competitive for a majority of his tenure. Despite all of that, SKC missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and was mired in the midst of a 13-game winless streak in all competitions that stretched back to Sept. 18 of last year. After being an assistant on Vermes’ staff, Kerry Zavagnin will take over as interim head coach.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City jumped eight places to no. 11 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- Meanwhile the Orlando Pride continue to hold sway at no. 1 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Germany great Thomas Muller has reportedly received offers from MLS teams.
- Tierna Davidson will not play in the USWNT’s upcoming games against Brazil due to a knee injury, with Gisele Thompson replacing her on the roster.
That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 3/31/25
Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road
On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.
Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home
The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.
NWSL Weekend Recap
The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.
FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap
The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
- Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
- Antoine Griezmann is reportedly staying at Atletico Madrid next season despite being linked to a potential move to join LAFC in MLS.
- RB Leipzig has fired manager Marco Rose, as the club is sixth in the Bundesliga table and has appointed Zsolt Low as interim manager until the end of the season.
- David Blitzer is reportedly close to selling his majority ownership stake in the Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake after owning both clubs since 2022.
- Sports Illustrated released its list of MLS Coaches on the hot seat after poor starts, mentioning Sporting Kansas City’s Peter Vermes, the LA Galaxy’s Greg Vanney, and the New England Revolution’s Caleb Porter.
- FIFA is reportedly considering having a one-game playoff between LAFC and Club America, with the winner replacing Club Leon in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
- That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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