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Lion Links: 11/29/20

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4 years ago

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Happy Sunday and conference semifinal match day, everyone. The Lions and Revolution will meet this afternoon in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Please pregame accordingly, but do so responsibly.

It seems like this is at least the fourth in a series of “biggest game in club history” matches in 2020. While this has been an interminably long and difficult year, the Lions have been a bright spot thus far, and hopefully that can continue for at least another week. We’ll find out more about that this afternoon. For now, let’s get to the news of the day.

“Never Tell Me the Odds!”

The folks over at FiveThirtyEight give Orlando City only a 14% chance to win MLS Cup, with two Western Conference teams atop the predictions, at 23% apiece. One of those teams with the best odds, per FiveThirtyEight, is Sporting Kansas City — a team Orlando beat on its own home field on Sept. 23. That win took place without Antonio Carlos, and with Chris Mueller, Mauricio Pereyra, and Daryl Dike starting on the bench. The best odds given to an Eastern Conference team is 17% to the Columbus Crew — these odds came out before the Ohio club reported four six seven players positive with COVID-19. You might recall the Lions beat the Crew 2-1 just 25 days ago while a man down for the final 40 minutes, after Nani was sent off in the 52nd minute.

You might think, “Well, to have lower odds than two teams Orlando has already proven it can beat, despite overcoming some obstacles, FiveThirtyEight must really think highly of New England.” Actually, they gave the Revs just a 7% chance to win MLS Cup, so…I don’t know what to make of how they arrived at their conclusions. For my money, Seattle looks like the team to beat on either side of the bracket with its postseason experience and trio of stars all playing in top form at the right time.

Seltzer Predicts Orlando City Win — Is That Bad?

If you’re like me, you never trust the writers at MLSSoccer.com to say nice things about Orlando City. I mean, we’re not used to it after the last six years and I’ve come to mistrust it. So, it makes me extremely nervous that Greg Seltzer picked Orlando City in his conference semifinal MLS playoff predictions.

With the Revs playing their third game in 10 days, I reckon it will be Daryl Dike, Chris Mueller and Nani who spell the slim difference in this one. A 2-1 Orlando City triumph extends their magical season a little longer.

I don’t trust this. I don’t trust it at all. Is it a jinx? Is there such a thing as a jinx? I don’t know, honestly, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the folks who write for the MLS website to be jumping on the team purple bandwagon. It’s Orlando vs. everyone that feels more comfortable and, well, normal.

Pressing Questions Surrounding Orlando City vs. New England

In more normal coverage from the MLS website, Andrew Wiebe raises questions about today’s match. While the biggest one surrounds Orlando’s chances of moving on without Pedro Gallese and Ruan, Wiebe is curious to know whether Chris Mueller and Daryl Dike can rise to the occasion today. It’s a big moment for the two young players, and one that I contemplated on this week’s PawedCast. Neither Mueller nor Dike played like themselves last Saturday vs. New York City FC and it could be first-time MLS playoff jitters. With a match under their belts, will they shake off those jitters and perform against the Revs? On the other side of the ledger, Wiebe’s pressing question about New England is whether Adam Buksa and Gustavo Bou can benefit from the “Carles Gil effect.” We’re hoping, well, no.

Vanderbilt Goalkeeper Sarah Fuller Makes History

While Sarah Fuller is an outstanding soccer player, she made history in another sport on Saturday. Fuller became the first woman to appear in a Power 5 college football game as the placekicker for the Vanderbilt Commodores in a Southeastern Conference game against the Missouri Tigers. Vanderbilt’s special teams were decimated by COVID-19 positive tests, so coach Derek Mason reached out to the school’s soccer team for help. Fuller, who wore “Play Like A Girl” on the back of her helmet, entered the game officially at the start of the second half to handle the kickoff.

With what must have been an insane amount of nerves, and with her team trailing 21-0, she went out and did her job. Unfortunately, her team was so awful it couldn’t get into scoring position all day against a team that entered at 3-3 on the season, so she wasn’t able to attempt a scoring kick. Still, Fuller seemed upbeat after the game and had advice for young girls watching:

Free Kicks

  • Miggy sets the stage for today (and I’m always here for Anchorman clips.

  • U.S. midfielder Duane Holmes scored his first goal of the season for Derby County on Saturday. It turned out to be the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Wycombe.

  • The Columbus Crew have confirmed seven total players have tested positive for COVID-19, and while they aren’t going to name those players, there are seven names on the “not medically cleared to play” list.

  • Apparently tired of taking beatings at the hands of the USWNT, England is planning its own version of the SheBelieves Cup.

  • Those born on this date include novelists Louisa May Alcott (1832), C.S. Lewis (1898), and  Madeleine L’Engle (1918), sportscaster Vin Scully (1927), legendary blues musician John Mayall (1933), Montrose founder and guitarist Ronnie Montrose (1947), wrestling commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler (1949), Gary Shandling (1949), original Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau (1951), actor Jeff Fahey (1952), director Joel Coen of Coen Brothers fame (1954), Howie Mandel (1955), 1980 U.S. hockey gold medalist Neal Broten (1959), “Brat Pack” actor Andrew McCarthy (1962), Don Cheadle (1964), U.S. soccer legend Kasey Keller (1969), baseball’s Mariano Rivera (1969), Ryan Giggs (1973), recently deceased Chadwick Boseman (1976), Anna Faris (1976), and American football’s Russell Wilson (1988) and Stefon Diggs (1993).

That’s all for me this morning. I’ll be back throughout the day with full coverage of Orlando City vs. the New England Revolution. If you’re going to the match, please be safe and wear a mask.

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Lion Links: 2/21/25

Marco Pasalic’s soccer journey, MLS storylines to watch, USWNT shuts out Colombia, and much more.

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3 days ago

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February 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to the final day before the MLS season kicks off! I don’t know about you, but the off-season and preseason flew by for me. I’m ready to throw on some purple and cheer this weekend, even if I won’t have the pleasure of being there in person. Before we dive into today’s links though, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride forward Amanda Allen!

Marco Pasalic Prepares for First MLS Season

Many eyes will be on Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic this season after the club signed him as its latest Designated Player. The 24-year-old spoke on how a strong work ethic was instilled in him at a young age from his parents while growing up in Germany. He also talked about his injury while with Borussia Dortmund and the difficulties he faced both physically and mentally to overcome it. He’s now in the City Beautiful after playing for Rijeka in Croatia and the dual-national shared some insight about his decision to become a Lion.

“I think getting the chance to see a new league, to make the next step in my career, for me, it’s a better step to come here than to stay in Croatia. That’s my opinion,” he said. “I like it here a lot so far. It’s an honor when a club really wants you, and I wanted to come here, also. My decision didn’t take long, either. Maybe one day before I said yes. Now, I want to bring this league to another level, to bring this club joy and play good games.”

MLS Storylines Ahead of 2025 Season

The 2025 MLS season is finally upon us and there are already plenty of storylines to keep an eye on after an interesting off-season. For Orlando, it’s a simple inquiry into if the club’s new players can truly replace the players who won’t be on the field for the Lions this year. Facundo Torres is gone and Wilder Cartagena is out for the season, and only time will tell if Pasalic and Eduard Atuesta can fill those voids.

There are many questions all over the league I’m looking forward to getting answers to as well. How quickly can Bruce Arena turn things around with the San Jose Earthquakes? Will Atlanta United’s attack live up to the hype? What will the Philadelphia Union look like without Jim Curtin at the helm? Can the Chicago Fire reach the playoffs under Gregg Berhalter? I have the feeling it’s going to be a really great season for the league.

USWNT Wins Against Colombia

In its first game of this year’s SheBelieves Cup, the United States Women’s National Team beat Colombia 2-0 in Houston. The first goal for the USWNT was wonderfully crafted and sparked by a nice ball over the top by Lily Yohannes to Yazmeen Ryan, who found Catarina Macario in front of the net. It’s great to see Macario scoring again for the U.S. after she missed out on the Olympics due to injury. Ally Sentnor scored her first international goal by doubling the USWNT’s lead with a great strike from distance that you can check out below.

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams didn’t come off the bench, but the defense still did well to shut out Colombia. The USWNT’s next match will come on Sunday against an Australian team that got beaten 4-0 by Japan.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

After a rough week that included many Americans getting eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, attention now turns to a weekend filled with soccer. Former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will host Oxford United on Saturday, with Josh Sargent, Brenden Aaronson, and Ethan Horvath as other Americans to watch in the EFL Championship. In the English Premier League, Antonee Robinson and Fulham will take on Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace. The usual suspects like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams are also set to take the field. If looking for a game off the beaten path, Damion Downs could score his 10th goal of the season when Cologne faces Fortuna Dusseldorf on Sunday in Germany’s second division.

Luis Rubiales Guilty of Sexual Assault

Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso following the 2023 Women’s World Cup. As a result, he was ordered to pay more than $10,400 in fines and is prohibited from being within 200 meters of Hermoso and from communicating with her for a year. The prosecution had asked for a prison sentence of a year for sexual assault and a year-and-a-half for coercion, the latter of which he was acquitted of. FIFPRO issued a statement standing in solidarity with Hermoso and other victims of sexual assault, while also stating that the courts must send a stronger message in regards to the level of punishment.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City and the Orlando Pride announced a partnership with Jameson Irish Whiskey. I’ve actually never tried Jameson, as I’m a bit more of a tropical cocktail kind of guy when it comes to libations.
  • LAFC has a new Designated Player after signing Turkish winger Cengiz Under on loan from Fenerbahce through June 30, with an option to buy. He should add even more firepower to a potent LAFC attack that includes Olivier Giroud, Denis Bouanga, and Jeremy Ebobisse.
  • This year’s MLS Competition Guidelines include an interesting addition where only a team’s captain should approach the referee. If crowded by multiple players, the ref is to signal that to the players and only the captain can be within four meters of the referee, with intruding players being shown a yellow card.
  • Former Orlando City B forward Ates Diouf is joining Detroit City FC on loan from Lexington SC for the USL Championship season.
  • Former Orlando Pride midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard has signed with Calgary Wild FC of the Northern Super League.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a great Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/20/25

Marco Pasalic named an MLS newcomer to watch, Houston Dynamo sign Nico Lodeiro, USWNT takes on Colombia today, and more.

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4 days ago

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February 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? We’re only a few days away from the start of Orlando City’s 2025 season and I can’t wait. There’s also plenty of women’s soccer to enjoy thanks to the SheBelieves Cup. It’s a great time to be a soccer fan here in the U.S. Let’s dive right into today’s links!

Marco Pasalic Noted as MLS Newcomer to Watch

Orlando City signed Marco Pasalic as a Designated Player this off-season to help fill the void left by Facundo Torres, and he was noted as one of the top newcomers in the league for 2025. While I don’t think he’s expected to fully replace the goal contributions Torres provided, I’m hoping he can unlock defenses and am looking forward to seeing some overlapping runs between him and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson on the right wing.

The rest of the list has multiple players on Eastern Conference teams who could have Orlando fans reaching for the liquor cabinet this season, including Charlotte FC’s Wilfried Zaha, FC Cincinnati striker Kevin Denkey, and Atlanta United’s shiny new striker, Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Nico Lodeiro Signs With the Houston Dynamo

Midfielder Nico Lodeiro, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Orlando City earlier this week, has officially signed with the Houston Dynamo on a deal through 2025 with an option for 2026. This signing was reported leading up to his departure from Orlando, and he should be able to get some solid playing time with the Dynamo. Lodeiro had 11 assists with the Lions last season and is great from set piece situations, so he should be able to help a Houston team that made the playoffs last season but only scored 47 goals.

USWNT Takes On Colombia Today

The 2025 SheBelieves Cup kicks off today and the United States Women’s National Team will face off against Colombia at 8 p.m. in Houston. It will be the USWNT’s first match of the year and Head Coach Emma Hayes’ first time coaching the U.S. during the SheBelieves Cup. The team will be without star players like Trinity Rodman, Naomi Girma, and Sophia Wilson (née Smith) but still has plenty of talented players to get the job done. Colombia should present a solid challenge for the U.S., as it reached the quarterfinals of both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. After this match, the USWNT is set to take on Australia in Arizona on Sunday before closing out the tournament in San Diego on Wednesday against Japan.

MLS Clubs Begin Champions Cup Campaigns

The Concacaf Champions Cup is underway and there are many MLS sides aiming to start the tournament off on the right foot. The Seattle Sounders’ new signings from FC Dallas linked up for a goal just three minutes into their match with Guatemalan club Antigua GFC, with Jesus Ferreira teeing up Paul Arriola’s goal at the top of the box. Antigua equalized later in the first half, but the Sounders struck twice in the second half for a 3-1 victory. In Costa Rica, Real Salt Lake and Herediano battled to a scoreless draw. Lionel Messi scored the lone goal in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win against Sporting Kansas City in a bitter cold game that exemplifies why MLS should not switch to a winter schedule.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

Only 16 teams remain in the UEFA Champions League after the latest round of matches. Most of Wednesday’s drama was in PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 win over Juventus. American forward Tim Weah scored for Juventus, but PSV advanced thanks to a goal from defender Ryan Flamingo in extra time. In Spain, Kylian Mbappe had a hat trick in Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory against Manchester City, eliminating the English club from the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain booked its spot in the round of 16 in convincing fashion as well, with seven different players finding the back of the net in a 7-0 home win over Brest. After a 3-0 win in the first leg, a scoreless draw at home against Sporting CP was enough for Borussia Dortmund to advance to the next round too.

The draw for the round of 16 is on Friday and should deliver on some fun matchups. Either Barcelona or Liverpool will face PSG, with the other getting Benfica. We may also get Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen.

Free Kicks

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

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Lion Links: 2/19/25

Halliday and Lodeiro are out, Cartagena’s season is over, the SheBelieves Cup starts tomorrow, and more.

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5 days ago

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February 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! Orlando City continues to see more departures than arrivals to the roster with the season opener looming this weekend. Sure would be cool if the Lions added an experienced MLS striker this week. Alas, I feel it’s not in the cards. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

In better news, it’s Marta’s 39th birthday! Happy nirthday to the captain from all of us here at The Mane Land. Let’s get to the links.

Lions Say Goodbye to Halliday, Lodeiro

Both Michael Halliday and Nico Lodeiro have departed Orlando City. Halliday was traded to the Houston Dynamo for a first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. With Dagur Dan Thorhallsson starting at right back and Alex Freeman moving into the number two spot behind him, it made sense for Halliday to try to get minutes elsewhere.

Nico Lodeiro mutually agreed to terminate his contract with the club. Lodeiro’s departure will free up $800,000 salary for the club and allow Lodeiro to pursue more playing time at another club. According to Tom Bogert, that club may also be the Houston Dynamo. Given Lodeiro’s role off the bench for Orlando City, this is a move that makes sense for both the player and the club.

Cartagena Out for the Season

While the news was expected, Orlando City officially placed Wilder Cartagena on the Season-Ending Injury list. The midfielder suffered the injury in the preseason match against Atletico Mineiro. The surgery on his left Achilles tendon was successful, but he will still be out for the remainder of the season. Fortunately, the Lions brought in Eduard Atuesta to shore up the midfield. While Orlando City may even be better with Atuesta on the pitch, losing Cartagena still hurts the team depth.

Orlando City in the Top 10?

The off-season was not as long as usual, thanks to Orlando City’s run to the Eastern Conference final. Despite the shorter time frame, I had forgotten how useless, dumb, and yet fun power rankings can be. I’d warn you against spoilers, but these rankings mean absolutely nothing — especially before a match has been played — so I’ll just tell you that the Lions came in at number nine. However, I won’t spoil why they made the top 10, nor which Ft. Lauderdale based club is in the top spot.

SheBelieves Cup Starts Thursday

The USWNT plays its first match of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup Thursday at 8 p.m. The match will take place at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Unless you plan on traveling to Texas, you’ll have to watch it on TV or streaming. The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams is on the squad and will hopefully see some minutes for Emma Hayes.

Free Kicks

  • In the “isn’t that mildly interesting” category, Pete Mangione will appear for FC Cincinnati.

That will do it for today. Check back everyday as we get you ready for the season opener on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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