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Lion Links: 12/25/20

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5 years ago

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Merry Christmas, Mane Landers. I hope today can bring you some happiness and joy during this challenging year. I will be working all day at Disney Springs but hope you all have a healthy and safe holiday weekend as we look forward to the New Year. We’ve got lots happening in the soccer landscape Today, so let’s get to the links.

Sonnett to Spirit Now Official

As first reported Wednesday, the Orlando Pride officially announced that the club has traded Emily Sonnett to the Washington Spirit. The Pride got back a treasure trove in return for the USWNT defender. The Pride received more than initially thought, including defensive midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard, who is a good NWSL receiver. Orlando also gets a 2021 first-round draft choice (No. 9 overall) and another first rounder in either 2022 or 2023 in addition to a whopping $140,000 in allocation money. While Sonnett would have helped the Pride, that’s quite a haul.

LA Galaxy Midfielder Cristian Pavon Set for Boca Juniors Return?

According to reports out of South America, Cristian Pavon will be returning to Argentina to play for Boca Juniors by the new year after the Galaxy were unable to reach an agreement to keep the attacking player in Los Angeles. Pavon’s future with the Galaxy was in question after his loan from Boca Juniors had expired. The Galaxy reportedly would’ve had to pay a $20 million buyout fee attached to his loan in order for him to return but the Galaxy were unwilling to pay. Pavon has been a standout contributor since arriving in 2019. In his first year, Pavon had three goals and eight assists and helped the Galaxy clinch a playoff berth. Despite the Galaxy struggling in 2020, Pavon still performed well, with 10 goals and seven assists in 22 appearances. His departure will leave a big void in the Galaxy’s attack and replacing his production will have to be a top priority for the front office.

FIFA Cancels 2021 U-20 and U-17 World Cups

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, FIFA has announced it has canceled both the 2021 U-17 and U-20 Men’s World Cups. The U-17 World Cup was originally slated to be held in Peru while the U-20 World Cup was to take place in Indonesia. FIFA released the following statement:

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for the hosting of international sporting events and to have a restrictive effect on international travel,” FIFA said in Thursday’s statement. ”FIFA has therefore regularly consulted the relevant stakeholders, including the host member associations as well as the confederations involved in both tournaments originally scheduled to take place in 2021.

“In doing so, it became clear that the global situation has failed to normalize to a sufficient level to address the challenges associated with hosting both tournaments, including the feasibility of the relevant qualification pathways.”

FIFA also announced that both Indonesia and Peru will remain as hosts for the tournaments in 2023.

Paris Saint-Germain Fires Manager Thomas Tuchel

PSG announced on Christmas Eve the club has dismissed manager Thomas Tuchel just four months after he led the club to the UEFA Champions League final, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in August. The club is reportedly expected to hire former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, who played with PSG for more than two seasons and is a former club captain. PSG had won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, won the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue, and claimed the Trophee des Champions twice. Tuchel had come under increasing pressure in recent weeks with the Ligue 1 champions currently sitting in third place. He reportedly had a fractious relationship with sporting director Leonardo and criticized PSG’s lack of moves during the last transfer window. Tuchel had a similar dismissal with Borussia Dortmund in May 2017 after criticizing the club hierarchy.

Soccer Films to Watch in the Off-Season

We’ve got Christmas Day NBA games today as well as a big NFL match-up in New Orleans this afternoon, but no soccer games stateside for awhile. Now that we’re in the MLS off-season and with the Concacaf Champions League all wrapped up, what shows or movies will you be catching up on? Since many of us will most likely be home during the holidays there are plenty of soccer documentaries to help get your soccer fix during the off-season. On the MLS website they put together a starting XI of soccer documentaries and they have some really good ones on their list. Some of the soccer films on the list I’ve watched personally are HBO’s documentary on the late Diego Maradona, Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story, and ESPN’s 30 for 30 film, The Two Escobars. They also have some classics on the list such as Bend It Like Beckham, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos, and Shaolin Soccer. What soccer films would you put in your starting XI? Let me know in the comments below.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City captain Nani helped some families with food and other essentials near his hometown in Portugal.

  • Despite being chilly this morning in Florida, for the Orlando Pride’s Ali Riley it’s nothing compared to Sweden.

  • Budweiser is celebrating Lionel Messi’s record-breaking 644th goal for Barcelona by sending bottles to every goalkeeper he has scored a goal on.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your holiday weekend, take care of yourselves, and I’ll see you next year.

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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

on

May 22, 2026

By

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.

Free Kicks

  • 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

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

on

May 21, 2026

By

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.

Free Kicks

  • 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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