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Lion Links: 3/13/21

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5 years ago

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Happy Saturday, everyone. It’s inching closer and closer to the 2021 MLS and NWSL season and our teams are gearing up for what will hopefully be a great year. The Pride are in action today against Florida State and, while we’re not going to be in Tallahassee to see it today, we eagerly await news that the team is scoring goals again. It should be interesting to see who plays today with another preseason friendly tomorrow against Flagler College.

Let’s get to the news of the day.

Orlando City Reportedly Turned Down $10 Million for Dike

This one goes out to the “but it’s not a $20 million buyout!” crowd. The BBC reported Friday that Orlando City had turned down a purchase bid of $10 million from a “big six” Premier League club for striker Daryl Dike, who is currently on loan with Barnsley FC. Further, Orlando Sentinel reporter Julia Poe reported that a source confirmed that the bid was made and that it included the same retention of 20% of the sell-on fee that was included in the purchase option in Dike’s loan to Barnsley. Poe’s story, as well as the BBC’s, both reiterated that the loan to Barnsley has a $20 million purchase price.

What this all means is that the club places a great deal of faith in Dike’s continued development and, so far, Luiz Muzzi has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to personnel decisions. The club wants Dike to stay in Orlando a while longer, continue to grow as a player, and then wish him well and sell him on to a European side for a large sum. A $10 million sale seems hard to turn down and I’m sure the club had to think long and hard before doing so. It would be — by far — a club record sale. So, to turn that down is an indicator of what Orlando City thinks Dike will become. Gifted strikers bring good financial returns and the Lions are betting on making bank on Dike down the road. Atlanta sold Miguel Almiron to a non-big six club for $21 million. Dike’s sale could bring in more than that if he keeps filling the goal.

The Duck Migrates to Orlando

Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato has arrived. Orlando City released comments from Pato and photos of ‘The Duck’ at Exploria Stadium, showing off his new purple ‘Thick N Thin’ No. 7 kit on Friday. Pato seems excited to be here and to play for Oscar Pareja.

“He’s like a father,” Pato said. “He loves you, but sometimes he knows [you] need a push. … I will give everything for him. From the first impression, he’s amazing.”

…

“I’m so empowered now,” Pato said. “My mentality is empowered. I understand what I need to do to enjoy my work. I need to work hard. You get some things important in your life, you need to work hard. So that’s my challenge when I accept[ed] to come to Orlando.”

Orlando Stepping Up as Soccer Destination

We’ve been saying for years that Orlando is the soccer capital of the south and we will continue to irrationally believe that until the sun explodes, but the soccer world really has made its home in Central Florida since the pandemic began.

At a time when sports events closed down, Orlando hosted a combined 94 matches at Exploria Stadium and ESPN Wide World of Sports — only nine of which were closed to fans.

The ability to host games helped to absorb a year of loss for a city dependent on tourism and potentially bolstered Orlando’s bid to become a World Cup host city in 2026.

“I think that in tough times like these, it could have exposed weaknesses and instead just the opposite happened,” Greater Orlando Sports CEO Jason Siegel said. “It showed our true character. I believe that’s the reason that our community was able to come together and start the process of recovering.”

Pulling off events like the MLS is Back Tournament, the Concacaf Champions League, the SheBelieves Cup, international friendlies, and MLS and NWSL Fall Series matches during such a crazy time can only improve Orlando’s chances of becoming a World Cup host city.

Ex-Lion Alex De John Signs with Atlanta United

Like many of you, I was surprised to see that former Orlando City defender Alex De John had signed with Atlanta United on Friday. After all, De John just signed with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds a month ago and seemed poised to get a lot of playing time in the USL Championship. It turns out that the Riverhounds are magnanimous folks who apparently just let their players walk away. Pittsburgh released De John from his contract so he could sign with the Five Stripes. Pittsburgh released a statement yesterday about it.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has released defender Alex De John from his contract with the club after De John was offered an opportunity to sign with Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United FC.

“We were excited to have Alex’s USL rights for the 2021 season, but we were very clear with him and his agent prior to signing that we would not stand in his way if an MLS opportunity presented itself,” Riverhounds Head Coach Bob Lilley said. “Although we are disappointed to lose his services, we wish Alex success moving forward with Atlanta.”

It’s unclear if the Riverhounds received anything for De John’s rights from Atlanta, but if they did not, they are now on our Arya Stark list of names for letting him go to Atlanta. This should only add some more spice to the growing rivalry.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City is among the MLS teams with the highest percentages of returning minutes played (88%) from a year ago, which is a sharp rise from the transition from 2019 to 2020, when the club returned below 75% of its minutes played.

  • Those born on this date include singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka (1941), open-wheel racer Lyn St. James (1947), actor William H. Macy (1950), singer and actress Charo (1951), U2 bassist Adam Clayton (1960), Annabeth Gish (1971), actor/rapper Common (1972), racer Marco Andretti (1987), and basketball’s Tristan Thompson (1991).

That’s all for me this morning. Enjoy your weekend as we get closer and closer to meaningful OCSC games in 2021.

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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

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.

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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

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: 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.

Free Kicks

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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