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Lion Links: 7/20/20

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6 years ago

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! I have to admit that my interest in the NWSL Challenge Cup lessened when the Pride made the decision not to attend. I was also skeptical of the Orlando Pride marketing team changing their Twitter account to a “stan” account.

For those that are not familiar with the term, a “stan” is a super fan. It’s a reference to the Eminem song by the same name, though that song is a bit darker in nature. As I said, I was skeptical, but then I saw the quality of the GIFs, and the push back from other clubs and their fans, as the Pride seemingly cursed every team they decided to back. Indeed the curse took down four out of four clubs over the weekend, including the tournament favorite North Carolina Courage. Frankly, it was some of the best stuff on Twitter and I urge you to go back and check out the drama. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Culture Shifts for Orlando City

The start of the Óscar Pareja era has been one of the most difficult a coach could imagine. Things seemed to be on the right path with the off-season training in Mexico, and even into the start of the regular season despite one draw and one loss. Then COVID-19 threw the world into chaos, and all of Pareja’s plans were out the window. To the credit of Pareja and his staff, they have adapted, improvised. and overcome the circumstances to have the players ready for the MLS is Back Tournament. This is the change in culture Pareja wants to instill in his players, and it seems to be working. The club talked about the confidence the coaches and players had going into the tournament, and it’s being backed up on the pitch. Now, Orlando City has the opportunity to win Group A with either a win or a draw.

Lions Make Team of the Week

A strong showing from Orlando City manifested in MLS Team of the Week honors for Chris Mueller and Pedro Gallese. Uri Rosell managed to make the MLS Team of the Week bench, and Óscar Pareja was also named Coach of the Week. Former Lion Richie Laryea, Mauricio Pineda, and Mensah were all named to the defense. Darlington Nagbe, Alejandro Pozuelo, and Brenden Aaronson joined Mueller in the midfield.  Diego Rossi, Jeremy Ebobisse, and Ayo Akinola rounded out the selections. It is nice to see some Lions make the squad.

Mueller Fueled by His Passion for Soccer

Speaking of Mueller, Orlando City supporters are very familiar with his attitude, drive, and tenacity. His performance so far in the MLS is Back Tournament has brought the attention of the rest of the league. Orlando City has played with a different mentality so far, and it is producing results on the pitch. As mentioned above, Pareja has a philosophy for how he wants this club to play and Mueller is the poster boy for that philosophy. Of course, Mueller is also doing it for his own reasons. Last season, he only started one of the last 12 matches, and saw limited time as a sub. His time on the bench motivated him to work even harder to get back in the starting lineup. That effort is paying off with goals, the respect of his teammates, and attention from the media.

MLS is Back Tournament Results

In the first match Sunday night, the Chicago Fire fell to the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0. Cristian Espinoza scored the first goal of the match in the 56th minute to give San Jose the lead. In the 82nd minute, the 37-year-old Chris Wondolowski entered the match and waited all of one minute before extending San Jose’s lead on a perfect header. With the victory, San Jose wins Group B, and moves on to the knockout rounds.

The late match featured the Seattle Sounders against the Vancouver Whitecaps, with the Sounders cruising to a 3-0 win. Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, and Raul Ruidiaz all found the back of the net as the Sounders secured a spot in the knockout round as well.

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  • Chelsea, Leicester City, and Manchester United are all vying for the last two remaining Champions League spots from the English Premier League. EPL Champions Liverpool and second place Manchester City are already locked in, but this week will have plenty of action to keep an eye on.
  • Goalkeepers have been the highlight of the NWSL Challenge Cup. In fact, the Budweiser woman of the match was awarded to each of the winning keepers in the quarterfinals.
  • La Liga finished its season on Sunday with Real Madrid as champions and Lionel Messi setting another record, this time for assists. While Messi will certainly be a prime candidate for the Ballon d’Or, it will be of little solace as Barcelona finished five points behind the champs.
  • FIFA announced the schedule for the 2022 Men’s World Cup.

That will do it for today. Check back for how to watch tonight’s Orlando City match against the Philadelphia Union. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 22, 2026

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Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

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  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

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Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

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  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

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That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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