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Lion Links: 5/26/20

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Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope everyone’s staying sane and keeping busy. Personally I find that a lot easier with the Bundesliga to look forward to every weekend, and with any luck Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League will be back before too much longer. There’s lots to discuss today so let’s jump right in.

NWSL Allows Small Group Training; Orlando Pride Train in Groups

Yesterday the NWSL allowed all teams to begin small group training, as long as teams were complying with state and local protocols when doing so. That’s not all though, and beginning Saturday, May 30, teams are allowed to begin full team training — provided that five days of small group training have been completed and training as a full team doesn’t violate state or local guidelines. Full team training is part of Phase 3 of the league’s “Return to Play Phased Protocol.” With one day of small sided training in the books and team training on the horizon, a return to competition continues to get closer for the NWSL, although an exact restart date has yet to be determined.

With teams cleared to begin doing so, the Orlando Pride hosted the team’s first small group training session yesterday. It was the first time players have been allowed to work together at the team’s training facility since March 13 and the players were happy to be back.

“It’s so nice being back,” Pride defender Erin Greening said. “I haven’t been back here for weeks, so it’s just nice being back with the team and obviously getting on the pitch.”

The additional challenge for the Pride is bringing back players who haven’t been staying in Orlando during the recent quarantine measures. That isn’t so hard for Emily Sonnett, who has been staying with family in Atlanta, but for Emily van Egmond, Alanna Kennedy, and Claire Emslie that will be a bit harder as they’re all out of the country.

Pedro Santos Tabs Nani in his Five-a-Side Squad

Obviously, Orlando City fans are impressed with captain Nani’s skills on a soccer field, but so are his peers. Pedro Santos picked Nani in his five-a-side team , becoming the second Columbus Crew player to do so. Artur selected the Portuguese star in his five-a-side team a few weeks back.

“He is very strong in one-on-ones, he plays well with both feet and you can never predict what he is going to do. That’s why he is a great player.”

MLS Hires Firm to Investigate Leaks to The Athletic

Don Garber sent a league-wide memo yesterday warning against leaking information to The Athletic, only for the memo to almost immediately be leaked to The Athletic.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber sent a memo to all league and club personnel Friday threatening employees with disciplinary action, including termination of employment and fines up to $1 million, for leaking information.

The Athletic has been crushing its reporting of Major League Soccer’s potential return — reportedly beginning with a tournament to be held here in Orlando. Evidently that news getting out early is not sitting well with some folks around the league.

Premier League Closer to Restart

The Premier League continues to move closer to restarting the season. There is a meeting set for Wednesday when new rules for returning to contact training will be voted on by clubs. Players and managers are currently able to review the new protocols before the vote occurs tomorrow. On Thursday, issues involving broadcasting and TV scheduling are reportedly likely to be resolved, further clearing the way for the restart of the English top flight. Several details involving quarantining anyone who tests positive still need to be ironed out, but provided Wednesday’s vote on training goes well, another obstacle will have been cleared.

English Women’s Season Over

Unfortunately, there is no such good news for the women’s game in England. It has been announced that the top two tiers of English women’s soccer have been declared over by the Football Association. One of the hurdles to completing the season was the cost of providing the necessary testing kits to test all the personnel necessary to play the remaining games. No decision has been made yet on deciding the league’s final standings. While Manchester City stood at the top of the table in the Super League when the season was called to a halt, Chelsea would actually be crowned champions if the league chose to use a points-per-game solution that several European men’s leagues have instituted. Chelsea also played one fewer match.

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That’ll do it for me today, y’all stay safe out there.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/30/25

Orlando City players called up, Orlando Pride sign Simone Jackson, USWNT gets ready to play China, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a brutal week, but we’ve made it through. Our reward is an exciting weekend of soccer to enjoy to close out the month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but it should still be a nice next few days. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Lions Called Up For International Duty

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was predictably called up for Peru’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Peru is ninth in the standings and will take on Colombia June 6 before hosting Ecuador on June 10.

Defender David Brekalo was called up by Slovenian for a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matches will help prepare Slovenia for World Cup qualifying this fall against Sweden, Switzerland, and Kosovo.

A few Young Lions are also heading to Europe for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. The U.S. will represent Concacaf at the U-18 tournament, and OCB players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were called up for it.

Orlando Pride Sign Simone Jackson

The Orlando Pride signed forward Simone Jackson to a contract through the 2028 season. Jackson played at the University of Southern California for four years, recording 22 goals and 13 assists in 75 games, and trained with the Pride during the preseason. Internationally, she’s represented the U.S. at various youth levels and scored a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 22-year-old gives Orlando some helpful depth up front and can develop her game learning from some of the best attackers in the sport as well.

USWNT Prepares For Friendly Against China

The United States Women’s National Team will take on China Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in the first of two friendlies during this international window. Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to join a young roster as the team builds a foundation before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Goalkeeper will continue to be a position to watch, as opportunity knocks for Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Mandy McGlynn, and Claudia Dickey to stake a claim as the team’s starter. Following this match, the USWNT will take on Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday before a pair of friendlies against Ireland later in June.

Denver’s NWSL Team Hires First General Manager

Denver’s NWSL team hired Curt Johnson to serve as the club’s first general manager. He will have the opportunity to build the team’s roster and staff from the ground up before the team takes the field as an expansion side in 2026. Johnson left the North Carolina Courage in December and was the chief soccer officer when the club dominated the league in 2018 and 2019. It looks like a solid hire in my opinion and I’m interested to see what kind of team he puts together in Denver.

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That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/29/25

Orlando City loses rivalry game, MLS All-Star voting opens, Antonee Robinson undergoes knee surgery, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, Mane Landers. The bad news is that Orlando City lost last night. There’s not much good news, unless you count how I probably lost some weight pacing around my apartment for a few hours annoyed at how the game went. But today is a new day, and with it comes the fact that there’s no soccer to fret over. Before we dive in, please join us in wishing Orlando Pride Head Coach and former Lion Seb Hines a happy birthday! OK, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Falls in Atlanta

The Lions went on the road and lost 3-2 to Atlanta United in a frustrating result that snapped the team’s 12-game unbeaten streak in league play. A solid first half by the Lions was spoiled by a red card to Cesar Araujo late in the second, with Atlanta scoring twice while the Lions were a man down. Head Coach Oscar Pareja was sent off as well, and Orlando was deprived of a great chance to move up in the standings. Orlando will have to shake this off or use it as motivation as it gets set to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday. A much-needed break in the schedule is awaiting the Lions after that match following a busy May.

MLS All-Star Voting Begins

The voting for who will play in this year’s MLS All-Star Game is underway, and a few Lions may have a shot at being selected. Right back Alex Freeman’s case to be an All-Star is backed by statistics, as he’s done well creating chances for others and has three goals himself during his breakout season. Former MLS player Dax McCarty has Freeman on his list of players who deserve selection this year, along with midfielder Martin Ojeda. The 26-year-old Argentine’s eight goals so far are already twice as many goals as he had last season and he’s right up there with some of the league’s best playmakers. McCarty also gave honorable mentions to goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and winger Marco Pasalic. Voting will last through June 11 and the All-Star Game is set to take place on July 23 against Liga MX’s All-Stars in Austin.

Antonee Robinson Undergoes Surgery

Fulham announced that American left back Antonee Robinson underwent successful knee surgery and is expected to be ready for the English club’s next season. The 27-year-old started in 35 of Fulham’s 38 games this past season and did not take part in the Concacaf Nations League. He’ll miss out on this summer’s Gold Cup, but hopefully he has a smooth recovery and benefits from some time off the field before things start up again in Europe.

Chelsea Wins Europa Conference League

Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1 to win the Europa Conference League, becoming the first club to win all five of UEFA’s men’s club competitions. Real Betis scored first, but Chelsea mounted a comeback and scored four goals in the second half to win. Cole Palmer had a pair of assists to spark the turnaround and Enzo Fernandez had a goal and an assist. It’s a brutal end to Real Betis’ tournament as its wait for its first major trophy continues. The Spanish club is at least bound for the Europa League regardless after placing sixth in the La Liga standings.

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  • Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady was called up by the USMNT to replace Patrick Schulte, who is dealing with an oblique injury. Brady joins a crowded goalkeeping unit that includes Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, and Matt Freese.
  • Welcome to Wrexham was renewed for a fifth season, and only time will tell if another happy ending is in store for the Welsh club when it plays in the EFL Championship.

That’s all I have for you today. This month of ups and downs as an Orlando soccer fan is almost over and there’s some international soccer to obsess over on the horizon. Have a wonderful Thursday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/28/25

Orlando City set to face Atlanta, Banda and Sams recognized, USMNT news, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day against the rivals from Georgia. Lions against…a common clothing pattern? Needless to say, I’m always ready for a rivalry match, and tonight is no exception. Orlando City is in a good run of form, hopefully that holds true in Atlanta. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads North

Orlando City takes on rival Atlanta United tonight in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a place where a lot of people can watch soccer played on turf, making it a sub-standard venue. Just in case you are wondering, here is what the opposition feels Atlanta needs to do to win at home. The Lions climbed up to third in MLSsoccer.com’s Power Rankings following the win over the Portland Timbers. We will have your match preview later today, and you can follow The Mane Land Bluesky account for match updates.

Banda and Sams Recognized

A first-half hat trick from Barbra Banda was enough to earn her a spot on the NWSL Team of the Week at CBS.com. Emily Sams also made the Best XI. In fact, there is still time to vote for Banda for NWSL Player of the Week for the aforementioned hat trick performance. You know what to do.

Orlando Pride Power

The Orlando Pride victory over the Utah Royals wasn’t a marquee matchup, but it still garnered plenty of attention. As such, the Pride held onto the third spot in the All for XI Power Rankings. The club was also third in the Goal.com Power Rankings heading into the international break. You know what I think about power rankings, but I’ll accept recognition for my club when it is presented.

Freeman and the USMNT

It didn’t take long after Orlando City defender Alex Freeman received an undervalued offer from Serie A club Parma for the rumors to start up. Freeman’s services are reportedly wanted by teams being promoted to the English Premier League. Perhaps this is a good time for Luiz Muzzi to sign the young defender to a new contract?

Several Americans made waves in Europe, with excellent performances last season from Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Antonee Robinson, and others. Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final today at 3 p.m.

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That will do it for today. Make sure you check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match. Vamos Orlando!

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