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Lion Links: 8/27/20

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Happy Thursday, Lionesses and Lions, as ever I sincerely hope you overcame your hump day with ease. Orlando City made its return to the Exploria Stadium in front of a sparse, socially distanced, yet present crowd with a win against Nashville SC. Because of that, this hump day was much easier than the past weekend was for fans of Orlando soccer.

Along with the Orlando City win, there was also a great deal of news that occurred as well. With that, let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Cruises Past Nashville SC in Exploria Return

Orlando City managed it’s first win of the, well, as close to “regular” as it can be MLS season, beating Nashville SC, 3-1. The Lions played very well, dictating possession in the protagonistic way which Oscar Pareja prefers and the young Americans — Chris Mueller and Daryl Dike — were responsible for the three goals. Mueller forced in an equalizing header in the 21st minute and Dike scored the second and third, which saw the Lions across the line. Orlando City will be full of confidence going into the next game against Southern rivals, Atlanta United, away from home come Saturday.

Check back at TML later today for Dave Rohe’s five takeaways from the match and Michael Citro’s player grades and Man of the Match.

Weston McKennie is Reportedly Juventus Bound

Schalke and USMNT midfielder Weston Mckennie looks set to move to Juventus. The ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano reported the news and it appears as if the American midfielder is Turin bound. While some have reservations over the switch from the Bundesliga to Serie A, for the American and America as a whole, the move is one of gigantic proportions. I Bianconeri has won the Scudetto nine times running and it would be safe to bet on the side winning again next season as well. McKennie would be the first ever American to win the Serie A league title if Juventus bags the trophy again. 

It is reported that the side now managed by Andrea Pirlo will be bringing the 21-year-old in on loan for one-year and an €18 million Euro ($21 million) option to buy will be attached to the Texan Schalke midfielder.

Lionel Messi May be En Route to MLS

CBS Soccer has reported that Manchester City is weighing up an offer for superstar and face of Barcelona, Lionel Messi. The report states that Manchester City may sign the Argentine on a three-year deal that would then see Messi move to partner club, NYCFC, after the 36-month tenure in England comes to an end. Even at the ripe age of what will be 36, it would be a massive coup for MLS. However, with this link coming to light there is also still a great deal of clubs interested in Messi’s signature — Juventus, PSG, Manchester United, and basically everybody else as well, also seem to be interested in signing the 33-year-old who has been playing for Barcelona for 20 years. 

Olympique Lyon Feminin Reach Fifth Consecutive UEFA Women’s Cup Final

Captain Wendie Renard scored to book Olympique Lyon Feminin a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League final with a thunderous header, knocking out PSG. With Lyon on to the final, if the French side win, it will be it’s fifth consecutive UEFA Women’s cup title and seventh overall, which is the most out of any other side. Lyon is the favorite to win going into the trophy decider against Wolfsburg come Sunday. The previous final between the two sides in the final this season was during the 2017-2018 season. On that day Lyon emphatically prevailed by a margin of 4-1.

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  • An unnamed Orlando CIty player has returned an inconclusive COVID-19 test. The club mentioned a statement stating so and that the player was isolate from the rest of the squad while he awaits results from a second test. The anonymous individual was the only person who saw a test come back inconclusive. Those who didn’t appear on the team sheet last night include Antonio Carlos, Tesho Akindele, Joey DeZart, and David Loera, if you want to speculate (we don’t).
  • Orlando City supporters will be able to watch Lions’ loanee Santiago Patino at Cimarrones de Sonora on TUDN this season, starting today. Patino may not be settled in there yet, so he may not play against Cancun F.C. at 9:55 p.m., but it’ll be handy to watch him when he is ready to go.

  • FC Cincinnati has shown interest in English midfielder Marcus Maddison. The 26-year-old attacker is currently a free agent after his contract with Peterborough United expired after making 249 appearances with the club. He spent the last half of the season on loan at Hull City and only made seven appearances.
  • Yesterday was National Women’s Equality Day, and Pride supporters can enter to win a pair of tickets for the 2021 season. The link to enter remains available until Friday and the link can be found here.
  • The MLS Twitter page voiced it’s support for equality upon the horrifying Jacob Blake shooting. Aside than Orlando City’s match vs. Nashville, none of the other scheduled MLS games too place.


That’ll do, pig. That is all for today’s set of links. As always, I’ll catch you on the flip side.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

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That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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