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Lion Links: 3/1/21

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4 years ago

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! With the flip of a calendar page we are into March and that much closer to the start of the season. There are also the promises of warmer weather and St. Patrick’s Day on the way. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty good. It might be that I can see the season just around the corner. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Parts Ways with Suárez

Orlando City and Jonathan Suárez mutually agreed to terminate his contract with the club. Suárez and his brother were arrested on sexual battery charges last week, resulting in his suspension by Major League Soccer and now both Orlando and Suarez can proceed without distraction after the termination. Suárez will focus on the charges while the Lions now need to find another left back to fill in for João Moutinho as he recovers from injury.

Florida Ties Strengthen Orlando Pride

More than a third of the players on the Orlando Pride roster have ties to the greater Orlando area. Carrie Lawrence is from Orlando, captain Ashlyn Harris is from Cocoa Beach and Toni Pressley is from nearby Melbourne. If you include college experience, Konya Plummer played for the University of Central Florida, Jordyn Listro played for the University of South Florida, and Erika Tymrak and Meggie Dougherty Howard both played for the University of Florida. Marc Skinner detailed how a club’s and player’s connection to the community is very important.

“As a coach, I try to connect with what it means to be from Florida, what it means to play for Orlando, what it means to be from the city,” Skinner said. “If you don’t do that, you’re not really working for the people. I think it’s so important we put everything into loving where we are. Even through the trials and tribulations that we faced in the last two years, that love has never doused.”

USSF Annual General Meeting Elects New VP, Addresses Kneeling Policy

In a tightly contested vote, Bill Taylor was elected as the new vice president of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Former United States Men’s National Team great Cobi Jones won the first vote but failed to get the required majority to be elected.

Meanwhile, back in 2017, Megan Rapinoe made news by kneeling in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The USSF responded by passing a new policy that stated, “all persons representing a federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the federation is represented.” Now, the USSF repealed the policy with 71% of the council in favor of the repeal. Players may now kneel during the anthem, though many of the players no longer feel the need as they are working for equality behind the scenes.

The Gender Gap in Coaching Continues

Only 20% of the coaches in women’s soccer are actually women. While this is better than only a few years ago, the disparity is still glaring. The last few years have seen a meteoric rise in women’s soccer with the European leagues growing, and the NWSL approaching its 10th year. Despite that, there is still a minority of female coaches in the game. This might be due to women not having the opportunities to get the experience necessary to apply for head coaching positions. Hopefully, this is changing.

Free Kicks

  • Kamal Miller landed on a list of players that could break out in 2021. He was picked up by CF Montréal in a trade with Austin FC after being selected in the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft. I suppose we’ll see if he does better with Montréal.
  • Former Orlando City striker Stefano Pinho is on the move.

  • Florida is partnering with sports teams in the state, including Orlando City and the Pride, to help tackle children’s mental health issues.
  • It seems I’ll be spending some money soon as the jersey reveal is this Friday.

I know I’ve said it before, but this year is flying by compared to last year. Mind you, I’m not complaining. Here’s to a great March!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/6/25

Rafaelle and Grace Chanda cleared to play, Orlando City B signs two players, Women’s Club World Cup delayed to 2028, and more.

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13 hours ago

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March 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Congratulations, you’ve made it more than halfway through the week! Thursday tends to feel like an annoying speed bump before we reach the fun of the weekend, but hopefully today goes smoothly for you as we prepare for a busy next few days. Let’s get the day started off on the right foot with some links from around the soccer world!

Rafaelle and Grace Chanda Removed From Season-Ending Injury List

Orlando Pride players Rafaelle and Grace Chanda will both be available for selection for the NWSL Challenge Cup match against the Washington Spirit Friday after being removed from the Season-Ending Injury list. Chanda joined the club last summer but wasn’t able to take the field due to an injury sustained while on international duty with Zambia at the Olympics. Rafaelle also picked up a season-ending injury at last year’s Olympics with Brazil, missing out on the team’s historic playoff run. Both players have the talent to start for the Pride this season, but there shouldn’t be a rush to get them going from the start considering how good the Pride’s roster is this year.

Noah Levis and Noham Abdellaoui Join OCB

Orlando City B signed another pair of players, adding midfielder Noah Levis and defender Noham Abdellaoui to the roster. Both players were signed to MLS NEXT Pro contracts through 2025 with an option for 2026. Levis has developed his game across Europe and appeared in 25 games for Mikkelin Palloilijat in Finland’s second division last year. The 18-year-old has also played for Finland’s national team at the youth levels. Abdellaoui is an Algerian center back who has also played in Europe, featuring for the youth teams of clubs like Saint-Etienne, U.S. Lecce, and Genoa CFC. Like Levis, the 20-year-old played for his national team’s youth squads. I’m excited to see how some of these new faces OCB brought in mesh with the returning players this season. OCB’s season gets started on Sunday when it hosts Columbus Crew 2.

Women’s Club World Cup Delayed to 2028

FIFA announced that the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup that was set to kick off in 2026 has instead been delayed to 2028 and will be every four years after that. It will feature 16 teams, with five European teams and two each from Concacaf, CONMEBOL, CAF, and AFC able to earn guaranteed entry. The other spots will be claimed through play-in games. We’ll still get an international club competition next year though, with FIFA also announcing the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup. That will be a six-team tournament and the winners of the UEFA Champions League, Concacaf Champions League, and Copa Libertadores will claim a spot in the semifinals. The Women’s Champions Cup will be annual, except for years when the Women’s Club World Cup takes place.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Roundup

The round of 16 is underway in the UEFA Champions League and every match on Wednesday was a shutout. Liverpool’s only shot on target was the winner in a 1-0 road victory against Paris Saint-Germain, with substitute Harvey Elliott scoring in the 87th minute. Goalkeeper Allisson Becker played out of his mind, making nine saves to help his team take a lead back to Anfield for the second leg. In a matchup between German giants, Harry Kane had a brace in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. However, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer may not play in the second leg after injuring himself while celebrating a goal.

Barcelona was reduced to 10 men in the first half against Benfica, but great saves by Wojciech Szczęsny and a goal from Raphinha were enough for a 1-0 win in Lisbon. Inter Milan beat Feyenoord 2-0, with goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther saving a penalty kick to secure his team’s eighth clean sheet this tournament.

Free Kicks

  • The Purple Pride 5k is officially back and will take place on May 17. The race will begin at 8 a.m. on Glenn Lane and finish inside Inter&Co Stadium. Each runner will get a shirt, a medal, and a ticket to an Orlando City and Orlando Pride game.
  • FC Dallas added Brazilian midfielder Kaick as an MLS U22 Initiative Player, signing him to a contract through 2028, with an option for 2029. The 19-year-old joins from Gremio in Brazil’s top flight and Dallas reportedly paid the fourth-highest transfer fee in club history to sign him.
  • Congratulations to United States Women’s National Team and Portland Thorns star Sophia Wilson, who announced that she is pregnant with her first child.
  • TNT Sports will broadcast 24 of the 63 FIFA Club World Cup games this summer. FIFA also announced that the prize money will be $1 billion for this year’s revamped tournament that features 32 clubs from around the world.
  • Check out the finalists for the People’s Puskas Award, an award created by tech company Veo to crown the best goal scored by an amateur or grassroots player. There are some great acrobatic strikes in the mix, but the free kick knuckleball by Ardi Canolli had me hitting replay over and over.
  • Speaking of great goals, Tigres midfielder Jacqueline Ovalle may have already scored the best one of 2025 with a move she calls “the shrimp.”

That’s all I have for you for today’s links. Make sure to stay hydrated out there and have a wonderful Thursday!

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Lion Links: 3/5/25

Orlando City rising, Ally Watt is staying, the Challenge Cup looms, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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March 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! We’re almost completely back. Orlando City is playing matches, with the Orlando Pride and OCB slated to start their respective 2025 slates this weekend. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. So without further ado, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City on the Rise

It should come as no surprise to longtime readers that I find the idea of power rankings to be the junk food of sports journalism. Sometimes it’s fun to indulge, but ultimately it’s just empty calories. That being said, Orlando City rose six spots in MLSsoccer.com’s rankings this week. The site is also enamored with right back Alex Freeman, making him one of the big stories in MLS in Week 2. They might actually be right on that account.

Ally Watt is Staying

The Orlando Pride announced that the club exercised Ally Watt’s mutual option for the 2026 season. Watt played her part in the Pride’s historic 2024 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship run. Watt produced seven goal contributions last year. Now the attacker will look to increase that production as the club attempts to repeat the success of last season.

The Challenge Cup Approaches

It’s been 102 days since the Orlando Pride last lifted a trophy. Friday, the club will have a chance to do so again in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but this time it features a rematch of the NWSL Championship match between the Pride and the Washington Spirit. The format is supposed to be the Shield winner against the Championship winner, but since the Pride won both, the runner-up gets a shot.

NWSL Roster Moves

The NWSL’s new collective bargaining agreement has changed how the clubs in the league manage their rosters and acquire new talent. Big names like Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) are able to have agency in where they want to play when being traded. There were several big inner-league signings in the off-season, though not all saw a player move. One of the biggest was when the Orlando Pride gave Marta a contract extension. The landscape has changed for the league, and that’s not a bad thing.

Free Kicks

@houstondash.com forward Yuki Nagasato, 2011 World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, has announced her retirement from professional soccer.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-03T21:26:32.770Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for all the matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 3/4/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, U.S. women announce friendlies against China, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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March 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! What a happy Tuesday it is, too, as Orlando City bounced back in a big way to earn its first victory of the season on Saturday. As if that wasn’t enough, the Lions will be back in action again on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will return to competitive action in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit on Friday, and OCB kicks off its season Sunday against Columbus. Before we get started, let’s wish Pride midfielder Ally Lemos a happy 21st birthday! We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get cracking.

Lions Earn Weekly Plaudits

A pair of Lions have been rewarded for their performances in Orlando City’s 4-2 triumph over Toronto FC with places in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Cesar Araujo finds himself in the starting lineup after notching a spectacular goal and assist, while Alex Freeman makes the bench after marking his first senior start with his first professional goal. Freeman also earned a shoutout as one of the standout Young Players of the Matchday. Both men turned in impressive performances during the win, with Sean Rollins grading Araujo a 7.5 out of 10 and naming him the Man of the Match, with Freeman close behind on a 7 out of 10. Congrats and keep up the good work!

U.S. Women Announce China Matches

The United States Women’s National Team has announced that it will play a pair of friendlies against China at the end of spring. The USWNT will play the Steel Roses on Saturday, May 31 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN, and then on Tuesday, June 3 at Energizer Park in St. Louis. While China is the team that the U.S. has played second most behind only Canada, it will be the first meeting between the two nations since the end of 2023. The St. Louis game will also have a pre-match celebration for Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced her retirement at the end of last year.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, with European cup action once again featured prominently. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will host Lille in the Round of 16 tomorrow, while Richy Ledezma and PSV Eindhoven will welcome Arsenal. Thursday sees Tanner Tessman and Lyon traveling to face Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis take on Vitória Guimarães in the UEFA Conference League. Things finish on Friday with the red-hot Josh Sargent and Norwich City hosting Oxford in Championship play, while Mark McKenzie and Toulouse face off against Moncao.

Women’s Club World Cup Could be Delayed

FIFA had intended on starting a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup in 2026, but that plan may be facing delays. While the tournament reportedly has plenty of support within FIFA and its various federations, there are said to be ongoing discussions about pushing the start date back a couple years to allow more time for preparations to be made. Initial plans called for the tournament to take place between January and February 2026, but that date is fast approaching and no concrete plans have been made. A possible solution could be holding a four-team mini-tournament in 2026, with the full 16-team version then debuting later down the road. Who knows, if the Orlando Pride can have a 2025 campaign similar to last year’s, maybe we’ll see them there.

Free Kicks

  • Forgive my language, but Eduard Atuesta positively ran his ass off on Saturday, covering 8.18 miles — the most of any MLS player on Matchday 2.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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