We’re another day closer to what should be an awesome Saturday, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride in action. All three of Orlando’s soccer teams have been doing well lately, which is not something we can say too often. Hopefully that trend continues this weekend and beyond. Let’s get to today’s links!

Marco Pasalic Wins MLS Goal of the Matchday

An Orlando City player has won MLS Goal of the Matchday for the first time this season, with Marco Pasalic claiming the award for his strike against D.C. United. The goal was a real team effort from the Lions, as all three Designated Players linked up to get the ball up the field in a hurry for a counter. Pasalic did well to create space and then curl the ball into the back of the net from distance. His goal garnered 64.7% of the vote, beating out goals from Daniel Rios, David Martinez, and Deandre Kerr. In his first year as a Lion, the Croatian winger has already recorded four goals and an assist so far.

Pride’s Zara Chavoshi and Yolanda Thomas Join U.S. U-23 Camp

Orlando Pride defender Zara Chavoshi was called up for the first U-23 United States Women’s National Team training camp of the year, which will run alongside the senior team’s camp in California. The 22-year-old, who was signed by the Pride directly out of college after four years at Wake Forest, will develop her game at the camp alongside other promising young defenders like Savy King, Gisele Thompson, and Eva Gaetino. Orlando Pride Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas will also be in attendance as an assistant coach at the camp, and it’s great to see her get this opportunity.

Orlando City B Defeats Crown Legacy FC on the Road

Orlando City B won its first road match of the 2025 season, beating Crown Legacy FC 1-0 to extend its unbeaten run to three games (2-0-1). The Young Lions didn’t make things easy on themselves by not converting some solid opportunities to extend their lead, but they ultimately held on to secure all three points. Orlando is now tied at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with New York City FC II with eight points from three matches. OCB’s next match will be a road game against Chattanooga FC on April 5.

Say Hello to Boston Legacy FC

Boston’s NWSL team has rebranded itself as Boston Legacy FC, which is leagues better than BOS Nation FC. The team initially went with that anagram of Bostonian as its name back in October as part of a brand launch that also included a widely criticized marketing campaign involving the slogan “Too Many Balls.” While I’m not crazy about the name, the team deserves credit for not defaulting to something too generic after whiffing on its first swing. The Boston Legacy will take the field for the first time next year as the NWSL’s 16th team.

Free kicks

• Pride midfielder Angelina was called up by Brazil for its friendlies against the United States in California on April 5 and April 8.

• The Pride were well represented in CBS Sports‘ NWSL Team of the Week, with Anna Moorhouse, Rafaelle, Ally Watt, and Barbra Banda all receiving praise for the team’s 2-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC.
• From the third round on, every single match of the U.S. Open Cup will be streamed on Paramount+.
• Federal Finance, a development group based in Orlando, proposed plans for a soccer-specific stadium in Winter Garden.
• Bayern Munich winger Alphonso Davies will undergo surgery after tearing his ACL in Canada’s third-place victory over the U.S. in the Concacaf Nations League.
• Alessia Russo had a brace in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. It was just enough for Arsenal to advance on aggregate to the semifinals, where the Gunners will square off against a Lyon side that beat Bayern 4-1 thanks to two goals and an assist from Kadidiatou Diani.
• Despite a 2-1 win against North Korea earlier this week in World Cup qualifying, the United Arab Emirates fired Paul Bento as head coach.

That’s all I have for you this fine Thursday. I hope you all have a terrific day and rest of your week!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending the week reading and eating my way through a pork shoulder after making way too much of it in my slow cooker this weekend. It wasn’t as tender as I was shooting for, but it’ll take some time before I can take another crack at it. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Rises in MLS Power Rankings

The league’s latest power rankings are out and Orlando City has moved up two spots to 14th after its 4-1 victory over D.C. United. Orlando’s Designated Players are firing on all cylinders and no MLS team has scored more goals this year. The breakout of 20-year-old defender Alex Freeman, who was noted as one of the top young performers from this past weekend, is also worth recognition. The Lions have been in need of a young player to step up, and Freeman has done well so far. Orlando will be back in action on Saturday for a road match against an LA Galaxy side still searching for its first win of the season.

Emily Sams Called Up For USWNT Friendlies

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was one of 24 players called up by United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes for the training camp prior to friendlies against Brazil next month. Forward Trinity Rodman, who hasn’t played for the U.S. since the Olympics, is back in the mix after missing time due to injury. Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce are other interesting players to keep an eye on. The U.S. will take on Brazil April 5 at SoFi Stadium before a rematch on April 8 at PayPal Park.

OCB Plays Crown Legacy FC Tonight

The Young Lions are back in action tonight for a road match against Crown Legacy FC at 7 p.m. It’s OCB’s first away match of the season after a pair of solid results at Osceola Heritage Park to start the season. Orlando will take on a Crown Legacy team that’s only played one game so far this season, losing a shootout to New York City FC II after a 1-1 draw back on March 7. Following tonight’s match, OCB will get some time off before taking on Chattanooga FC in Tennessee on April 5.

Takeaway From USMNT Defeats

After losing both Concacaf Nations League matches, there is plenty of concern surrounding the United States Men’s National Team as it prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fullback Joe Scally struggled in both matches, putting more of an emphasis on Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest being ready to roll next summer. Weston McKennie lost duels left and right and there are some real questions regarding where he fits in Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s system. There were bright spots as well though. Diego Luna and Patrick Agyemang likely boosted their stock after solid offensive efforts, and Tanner Tessmann was effective in his time on the field. Overall, the Yanks will have to be better in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Sacha Kljestan discussed some of the biggest surprises so far this year, including how Atlanta United and the LA Galaxy aren’t quite living up to expectations.
• Inter Miami added 20-year-old striker Allen Obando on loan through the 2025 season, with an option to buy. Obanda joins from Barcelona Sporting Club in Ecuador’s top flight, where he recorded four goals and three assists in 23 matches.
• American striker Folarin Balogun had a hat trick with AS Monaco’s reserve side in his first game of the year after missing time due to shoulder surgery.
• Nadia Nadim spoke on the importance of representing women without a voice when she takes part in Soccer Aid this year.
• The UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals wrap up this week and here’s everything you need to know. Today’s action includes Lyon facing off with Bayern Munich before Arsenal takes on Real Madrid.
• Iran secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup after a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan, with Inter Milan’s Mehdi Taremi scoring a brace. Australia inched closer to qualifying following its 2-0 win over China, while South Korea stumbled in a 1-1 draw at home to Jordan.
• Argentina also booked its ticket to next year’s World Cup, becoming the first South American nation to do so.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Go Young Lions!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a great weekend for Orlando soccer as the two teams that were in action each picked up wins for a six-point weekend. It was done in exciting fashion too, as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride combined to score six goals between them. With a little luck, we’ll get to enjoy some similar results this coming weekend. We’ve got a lot to discuss this morning though, so let’s talk through today’s links.

Lions’ Performances Earn Plaudits

Orlando City blew D.C. United away 4-1 on Saturday, and some of the key performers from the win have been rewarded with places in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Martin Ojeda and Alex Freeman are named to the starting XI while Luis Muriel slots in on the bench to ensure the squad has a decidedly purple tint. Ojeda tallied a goal and two assists in a Man of the Match performance, Freeman did his best to match him with a goal and an assist of his own, and Muriel made his own impact by scoring the opening goal and logging a secondary assist. Here’s hoping they keep up the good work!

Marco Pasalic Up for Weekly Honors

Marco Pasalic was the only goal scorer from Saturday’s win to not be included in the MLS Team of the Matchday, but instead he finds himself nominated for the MLS Goal of the Matchday. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you which strike I’m talking about, but in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last several days, the Croatian did this to score Orlando’s fourth goal of the win.

Between the fluid buildup and the beauty of the strike itself, if this doesn’t win Goal of the Week then we live in a world without justice. Make sure you go vote!

Pride’s Kylie Nadaner Earns Recognition

The Orlando Pride beat NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 on the road on Sunday, and center back Kylie Nadaner has been nominated for the NWSL Player of the Week due to her contributions in the match. Nadaner got the start at center back and helped the Pride keep a clean sheet — marking the first time the club has ever begun a season with back-to-back shutouts. While it wasn’t the Pride’s cleanest defensive performance, Nadaner and her fellow defenders mostly did a good job at preventing any truly dangerous chances, and in the end Orlando picked up three good points away from home.

U.S. Women Announce Three Matches

The United States Women’s National Team has announced three friendlies that will take place during the summer, with two occurring in June and the other in early July. The first two will be against Ireland in Colorado on June 26 and again against the Irish on June 29 in Cincinnati. The last match will be held on July 2 with an opponent and location for the game to be announced at a later date. It will be the first meeting between the U.S. and Ireland since April 2023, when the sides met in a pair of matches during the buildup to the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The USWNT won both of those matches and will try to replicate the feat in a few months.

Free Kicks

• Barba Banda had hateful language directed towards her during Sunday’s game, and the NWSL, Pride, and Gotham FC have all come out with strong responses.

• Luis Muriel has looked like a different player to start the 2025 season, and people are taking notice.
• It isn’t just Muriel either, as all three of Orlando City’s Designated Players are getting some much deserved love after opening the campaign strong.
• In a pretty surprising move for an organization that didn’t give him much in the way of firepower to work with, CF Montreal has fired head coach Laurent Courtois just five games into the season.
• Orlando City held fast at no. 19 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• Likewise, the Pride kept the no. 1 spot in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
• Gotham FC has acquired Brazilian international Geyse on loan from Manchester United for the rest of the season.

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