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Lion Links: 7/19/20

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5 years ago

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Happy Sunday, everyone. Orlando City has one more Group A match-up on Monday and it’ll be the toughest one yet, as the Philadelphia Union have improved by leaps and bounds over the last season and a half. But it’s nice knowing that regardless of the outcome, the Lions are assured of advancing to the knockout stage.

Hopefully you’re staying safe and sane and neither of those things is easy these days. Let’s jump into the news of the day.

Orlando City’s Goalkeepers Put in the Work

The toughest and most visible position in soccer is goalkeeper and it’s also a position where sharpness matters. It’s difficult for goalkeepers to stay sharp during a pandemic or even during the first couple stages of workouts. Orlando’s keepers were able to do so, and that paid off big for Pedro Gallese last week against New York City FC. Originally credited with seven saves, one of NYCFC’s shots was changed to off target, so he finished with six, but several of them were of the game-saving variety. El Pulpo said the coaching staff put together a good plan for the team’s goalkeepers to follow.

“It was difficult,” Gallese said through a translator. “It was a difficult time. But I think what the coaches were sending us and the plan that they laid out and what we were trying to do during that time really prepared us well for this tournament.”

Orlando Weather Continues to Be a Talking Point

Nobody knows better than Orlando residents that the weather here is ludicrous. I used to live in South Florida and thought that was hot and humid but at least down there we generally had a breeze blowing in off the ocean to move the air around. Here it’s oppressive and the air is so heavy that sometimes you feel like you need to chew it. This is what Orlando City has to deal with every single day, every single season. But folks like Frand de Boer and Jozy Altidore have whined about the conditions of the 9 a.m. games in MLS is Back. Of course, the Lions have to play at noon or slightly later in the afternoon multiple times each summer. Even they know the Central Florida heat index is not something one can fully ever get used to.

Orlando City defender João Moutinho said it’s hard to ever fully adjust to the conditions of playing in Central Florida.

…

“This is now my third season and I can tell you that it’s still really hard for me to acclimate to this heat,” said Orlando City striker Chris Mueller, who has managed to score three goals during the tournament. “It’s really hard for whoever it might be. It’s no joke.”

MLS is Back Group F Results

In the 8 p.m. match Saturday, the Portland Timbers knocked off the Houston Dynamo, 2-1. Jeremy Ebobisse put the Timbers ahead at the break with a powerful shot just inside the far post. The Dynamo had two excellent opportunities to equalize before halftime on shots by Oscar Boniek Garcia and Alberth Elis but both sizzled just wide of the far post. Elis in particular had a sitter but could not put his shot on target. Diego Valeri doubled the lead just past the hour mark. Elis scored on a penalty to cut the lead in half but he was sent off shortly thereafter on a dubious call for a hand to the face and Portland hung on, clinching a spot in the knockout round after the late result.

Chicharito (calf) missed his first shot at El Trafico in the late Group F game Saturday, but it was predictably unpredictable, as usual, before LAFC won it, 6-2. An LAFC own goal opened the scoring, then the teams traded penalties by Diego Rossi and Cristian Pavon. Rossi leveled the game again in first-half stoppage time off the rebound of a save of a Bradley Wright-Phillips shot that Daniel Steres whiffed on clearing. In the second half, Pavon thought he’d restored the lead but he was a step offside, then Wright-Phillips gave LAFC its first lead just moments later. Rossi completed his hat trick with just under a quarter of an hour remaining and former Lion Mohamed El-Munir added an insurance goal a few minutes later and Rossi added a fourth at the death as the Galaxy defense is a mess.

Sky Blue FC, Chicago Red Stars Advance in NWSL Challenge Cup

The semifinals are set for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup after Saturday’s two quarterfinal matches both went to penalty shootouts without a single goal during normal time. Sky Blue FC joined the Portland Thorns and Houston Dash in the semis with a penalty shootout win after a scoreless draw with the Washington Spirit.  Kailen Sheridan stopped Bayley Feist in the fifth round as Sky Blue won the shootout, 4-3. Former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe stopped a Domi Richardson attempt but Sheridan’s save, along with a shot off the crossbar, sunk the Spirit.

The final participant to enter the semifinals was Chicago after the third penalty shootout in four Challenge Cup quarterfinal matches. The Red Stars and OL Reign went scoreless and Chicago won the ensuing penalty shootout, 4-3. Former Orlando Pride forward Rachel Hill was one of the successful penalty takers for the Red Stars.

We had one goal in four quarterfinal matches in the NWSL Challenge Cup, which is not great. Portland will face Houston and Chicago will take on Sky Blue Wednesday in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City vs. Philadelphia is one of three games that ESPN has added to the network’s MLS is Back Tournament coverage. You can now watch the Lions against the Union either on TUDN or ESPN.
  • If you ever thought to yourself, “you know, I’d really love to watch former Orlando City goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh cook,” now you can.
  • MLS reported zero new positive COVID-19 tests in the latest round of testing. More than 1,300 tests were administered to 1,100+ people. Clearly the bubble is safer than the rest of Florida.
  • USWNT and Utah Royals defender Kelley O’Hara is hosting the Just Women’s Sports Podcast. The first show will drop Tuesday and will feature Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan in her first interview since giving birth to daughter Charlie. For the record, The Mane Land PawedCast asked for Alex about nine weeks ago in preparation for our 200th episode. Maybe we were just too early.
  • Your obligatory Christian Pulisic link for the day.
  • Those born on this date include Lizzie Borden (1860), Queen guitarist Brian May (1947), late Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins (1952), actor/producer Anthony Edwards (1962), and Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch (1976).

That’s all my time this morning, folks. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend. Today’s MLS is Back matches include the Chicago Fire vs. San Jose Earthquakes at 8 p.m. and the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps at 10:30 p.m. The NWSL Challenge Cup is off until Wednesday.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/23/25

Pride fall to Racing Louisville, Seb Hines and Giles Barnes share insight on path to success in Orlando, USMNT defeats Haiti, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

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June 23, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working and catching up with friends over the past week. Before we get started, let’s wish a belated happy birthday to Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter, who turned 41 on Saturday. The Pride was the lone team in action over the weekend, while the Lions and OCB were off. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall at Racing Louisville

The Orlando Pride fell to Racing Louisville 2-0 Friday at Lynn Family Stadium. Arin Wright scored the opening goal in the first half, and former Pride midfielder Taylor Flint converted a penalty kick for Racing Louisville. The Pride struggled offensively and failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. Orlando’s struggles in Louisville continue, as the club is winless in five matches at Lynn Family Stadium. The Pride will be on a long break, and their next match will be Aug. 3, taking on the Utah Royals at Inter&Co Stadium.

Seb Hines, Giles Barnes Share Insight on Path to Success in Orlando

Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Assistant Coach Giles Barnes were featured in an interview in The Guardian. Both Hines and Barnes shared insight into their longtime friendship, which began with playing in English youth international camps, their different paths to playing in Major League Soccer, and how they became involved in coaching. Hines discussed his time as interim manager of the Pride in 2022 and how he brought in Barnes to help change the club’s culture. Hines and Barnes helped change the perception of the club and led the Pride to winning both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship last season.

USMNT Defeats Haiti to Win Group D in Gold Cup

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Haiti 2-1 Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, in their final match in the group stage of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The USMNT finished atop its group with three wins and nine points. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman made his third consecutive start and played 90 minutes.

Malik Tillman scored the opening goal 10 minutes into the match to give the USMNT the early lead. Haiti tied the match not long after Tillman’s goal. In the second half, Patrick Agyemang pulled the USMNT back in front. The USMNT advances to the quarterfinals as the group winner and will play its next match Sunday against the Group A runner-up which was the late game Sunday night and had yet to conclude as of this writing.

Club World Cup Weekend Recap

Another weekend of matches from the FIFA Club World Cup is in the books. On Friday, Benfica crushed Auckland City FC 6-0, while Flamengo beat Chelsea 3-1. LAFC was eliminated from advancing to the knockout round after a 1-0 defeat to ES Tunis. Bayern Munich edged Boca Juniors 2-1. On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3. Inter Milan needed a late stoppage-time winning goal from Valentin Carboni to edge Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1. Fluminense beat Ulsan HD 4-2, and River Plate and Monterrey ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, Juventus cruised to a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. Xabi Alonso secured his first win as manager of Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory against Pachuca. Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Hilal played to a scoreless draw, with Manchester City playing Al-Ain in the late match Sunday. Today’s matches feature Atletico Madrid facing Botafogo, the Seattle Sounders hosting Paris Saint-Germain, FC Porto vs. Al Ahly, and Inter Miami taking on Palmeiras.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos and forward Simone Jackson have been called-up to the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team. The U-23 camp will be led by Orlando Pride Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas.

USL Championship side San Antonio FC has signed former Orlando City defender Abdi Salim to a 25-day contract.

San Diego Wave winger Maria Sanchez has reportedly reach an agreement to return to her former club, Tigres of Liga MX Femenil, on a four-year contract.

Paul Pogba is reportedly set to return to playing soccer and has signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links: 6/20/25

Orlando Pride take on Racing Louisville FC tonight, Orlando Pride players called up by Zambia, USMNT beats Saudi Arabia, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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June 20, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! June continues to fly by as we enjoy the buffet of soccer here in the U.S. this month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but I am hoping to get some reading done after being gifted some books for my birthday. But enough about me, let’s jump right into today’s links!

Orlando Pride Face Racing Louisville Tonight

The Orlando Pride are on the road tonight for a match against Racing Louisville FC at 8 p.m. in the final game before a league break until August. Going into the break with four straight wins would be nice for the Pride, but they’ve struggled at Lynn Family Stadium over the years. Louisville enters this match following a 4-2 loss to the league-leading Kansas City Current and has scored eight goals over the past three games. Orlando’s defense has been phenomenal this year, conceding just eight goals this season and only one during this win streak. Midfielder Cori Dyke spoke on how the team is finding its groove and shutting out opponents.

Zambia Calls Up Orlando Pride Trio

Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda, and Prisca Chilufya were all called up for Zambia’s CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations roster ahead of this summer’s tournament. Banda has eight goals this season with the Pride and had four goals at last year’s Olympics, including a hat trick against Australia. The Copper Queens claimed third place in the 2022 edition of this tournament, and they’ll need to be at their best to win this summer against tough opponents like South Africa and Nigeria. Zambia’s tournament campaign will kick off on July 5 against the host nation, Morocco.

USMNT Beats Saudi Arabia to Qualify for Quarterfinals

The United States Men’s National Team won 1-0 against Saudi Arabia to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup. After a scoreless first half, the Yanks broke through in the 63rd minute thanks to a free kick. Sebastian Berhalter served the ball on a silver platter to Chris Richards, who buried it for the crucial goal. The defense did well to secure its second shutout of the tournament, with Orlando City’s Alex Freeman starting at right back yet again. The USMNT will play Haiti on Sunday and should be able to win the group for a smoother path in the knockout stage.

FIFA Club World Cup Roundup

An MLS club finally won a game during this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, with Inter Miami beating Porto 2-1 in Atlanta. Lionel Messi scored the winner from a free kick to complete the comeback after conceding an early goal. The Seattle Sounders had a rougher day, falling 3-1 to Atletico Madrid, with Pablo Barrios scoring a brace. Former Lion Facundo Torres started for Palmeiras in the Brazilian club’s 2-0 win over Egypt’s Al Ahly.

Today’s action features more soccer at Inter&Co Stadium, with Benfica and Auckland City squaring off in the City Beautiful. Our Michael Citro will be on hand to report on it. Elsewhere in the U.S., Chelsea will take on Flamengo, LAFC will face ES Tunis, and Bayern Munich will play Boca Juniors.

Free Kicks

  • Canada Head Coach Jesse Marsch, who is already serving a suspension for misconduct during the Nations League, is under investigation by Concacaf for incidents during this Gold Cup. Reports detail that Marsch disregarded regulations and used offensive language toward match officials.
  • Kylian Mbappe was discharged from the hospital after suffering from a case of gastroenteritis. It’s unclear if or when he’ll play for Real Madrid during the Club World Cup.
  • Carlos Cuesta was hired as Parma’s next head coach after five years with Arsenal as an assistant coach. The 29-year-old becomes the second-youngest coach in Serie A history.
  • Manchester City was fined over $1 million by the English Premier League for repeated delays regarding kickoff times.

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

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Lion Links: 6/19/25

Alex Freeman details his soccer journey, Orlando Pride players called up, Orlando City’s U-19 team advances to semifinals, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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June 19, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Happy Juneteenth, Mane Landers! I hope everyone has a nice holiday as we commemorate the anniversary of the end of slavery in the U.S. There’s plenty of soccer going on, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the Club World Cup and Gold Cup here and there when not working. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Alex Freeman Details His Path to Pro Soccer

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman has been getting plenty of buzz during this breakout year, but an interview with Goal gave some great insight into how he reached this point. He made the bold decision to head to Orlando at 16 years old to chase his dream, and he detailed some of the difficulties of that move that may get overlooked as his career blooms.

“I remember my 16th birthday, it was the first birthday I ever spent without my family,” Freeman says. “It was the day after I moved to Orlando. I’ve never really talked about this, but, at first, it really took a toll on me. At 16, you really just want your family around for those important moments, and I felt like I was balancing so much without my family being there with me. I did so much of this in Orlando without my family. It’s hard for people to comprehend that.”

Freeman also talked about the pace of his development within Orlando’s organization, along with what it was like to play against Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz in his recent international debut. There are also some great quotes from Oscar Pareja and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino worth checking out.

Orlando Pride Players Called Up by USWNT

Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up for the United States Women’s National Team’s training camp roster ahead of friendlies against Ireland and Canada later this June. Both players were on the USWNT roster for recent friendlies, with Abello making her international debut on June 3 against Jamaica. The only player outside the NWSL who was called up for this roster is Naomi Girma. Rose Lavelle was called up for the first time this year, and 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune is also back in the fold. Jordyn Bugg, Lilly Reale, Izzy Rodriguez, and Sam Meza were all called up for the first time, as Head Coach Emma Hayes continues to grow the player pool.

Orlando City Makes MLS NEXT Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-19 team continues to impress this year and advanced to the semifinals of this year’s MLS NEXT Cup. Forward Justin Ellis was named Player of the Day for scoring twice in a 3-3 draw against Toronto FC, with Orlando coming out on top in the ensuing penalty shootout.

The U-19 team is the last Orlando academy team still playing across the tournament’s age groups. It will take on Cedar Stars Academy in the semifinals on Friday with a spot in Sunday’s final on the line. Enjoy watching the youngsters celebrate clinching a spot in the next round.

Upcoming NWSL Action Before League Break

We have another weekend of NWSL soccer to look forward to before the league pauses until August due to various international tournaments. The Pride will look to make it four straight wins when they face Racing Louisville FC on the road Friday night. Louisville has allowed 22 goals this season, so hopefully Barbra Banda and the rest of Orlando’s offense can get things going after close wins in the past two games.

Elsewhere in the league, I think Saturday’s match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and Bay FC will be an interesting showdown. Gotham forward Esther González leads the league with nine goals this season, but it’s ultimately a close Golden Boot race at this point. Sunday’s match between the San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit pits two of the league’s top four teams against each other, making it a great way to close out the weekend before the break.

USMNT Takes On Saudi Arabia Tonight

The Yanks are back in action tonight for a Concacaf Gold Cup group game against Saudi Arabia, the guest nation of this year’s tournament. After a 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, the U.S. can claim the top spot in the group and all but guarantee a place in the next round with a win over Saudi Arabia. There are still some question marks regarding who will rise to the occasion in the midfield and at forward, but the USMNT has the talent to get the job done tonight at Q2 Stadium in Austin. The U.S. will then close out group play on Sunday against Haiti in Arlington, TX.

Free Kicks

  • Sams, Banda, Anna Moorhouse, and Cori Dyke were all named to CBS Sports‘ NWSL Team of the Week after the Pride’s 1-0 win over Bay FC.
  • Joao Klauss won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his lethal strike on the volley from a tight angle. The goal equalized things in stoppage time against the LA Galaxy and completed Klauss’ hat trick in the 3-3 draw.
  • USWNT and Portland Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg has officially retired from professional soccer. She won two NWSL Shields, two NWSL Championships, and the 2015 Women’s World Cup, while also making an impact off the field speaking up for equality.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes have begun the process of selling a controlling interest in the club.
  • Xabi Alonso’s tenure as Real Madrid’s new manager began with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal at the Club World Cup. Federico Valverde had a chance to win it in stoppage time from the penalty stop, but Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou came up with the critical save.
  • Chris Wilder and Sheffield United have parted ways less than a month after the club fell 2-1 to Sunderland in the playoff final for promotion to the English Premier League. Ruben Selles, who was dismissed as Hull City’s manager last month, was named as Wilder’s replacement.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Juneteenth and rest of your week!

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