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Lion Links: 6/21/21

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4 years ago

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! I love this time of the year. There is so much soccer between MLS, the NWSL, Euro 2020, and Copa America. You can practically turn on the television anytime of the day, and watch some soccer. Plus, we have an Orlando City match tomorrow night. What a time to be alive. Let’s get to the links.

The Orlando Pride Remain Undefeated

The Orlando Pride hosted NJ/NY Gotham FC in the friendly confines of Exploria Stadium and played to a 1-1 draw. Honestly, the Pride had plenty of missed chances throughout the match, including in the first half. That lack of finishing hurt the Pride when Caprice Dydasco scored for Gotham in the 45th minute to give the visitors the lead at the half. The Pride kept pressing, though it took almost the remainder of the match for the Pride to finally get an equalizer in the 90th minute off Courtney Petersen’s beautiful shot from the left side of the box. Despite Marta’s efforts to find the winning goal, Orlando had to be content with keeping its undefeated streak going with the draw at home.

Brandon Austin Discusses His First Start

The Lions’ win this weekend was the first time Orlando supporters saw goalkeeper Brandon Austin in action, but those in the Tottenham Hotspur organization are already familiar with his abilities. Despite the Lions conceding two goals against Toronto FC, it was a good performance from the backup keeper. On loan from Tottenham, Austin weighed in on his experience since joining the Lions.

“The team and everyone around the club have made me feel welcome since I’ve arrived here, so to now get this opportunity that I’ve worked hard for is really pleasing, especially again because we won the game and it was a really important three points.”

Austin will continue to get chances in goal while Pedro Gallese is with the Peruvian National Team at the Copa America.

El Pulpo Wins in the Copa America

Speaking of Gallese, he helped Peru win 2-1 over Colombia. Sergio Peña put Peru up in the 17th minute and Colombia scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute after Gallese fouled Miguel Borja in the box, earning a yellow card. On the subsequent penalty kick, Gallese chose the wrong direction and Colombia evened the score at 1-1. The craziness continued in the 64th minute when David Ospina couldn’t quite get to a ball in time to keep it off the line. The goal was determined to be an own goal from Colombian defender Yerry Mina and gave Peru the lead once more. Gallese redeemed himself later in the match with this save in the 69th minute to ensure Peru won and stayed alive in the tournament.

In the earlier match, Ecuador and Venezuela played to a 2-2 draw. Ecuador took the lead twice only for Venezuela to pull even each time. Ayrton Preciado scored the first of Ecuador’s goals in the 39th minute. In the second half, Edson Castillo put Venezuela on the board with his goal in the 51st minute, but Gonzalo Plata put Ecuador back on top 20 minutes later. It looked as though Ecuador would get the win, but Ronald Hernández slipped in behind the Venezuelan defense and deftly put a header into the back of the net in stoppage time. Orlando’s Sebas Mendez started in the midfield for Ecuador and played 67 minutes. Ecuador and Peru will square off in a crucial match Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Pride Players Stand Up For LGBTQ Youth

Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has led the team to support young transgender athletes. During the national anthem before Sunday’s match, players wore shirts stating “Protect Trans Children” over their jerseys in response to legislation earlier this month preventing transgender girls from participating in girls youth sports. Petersen spoke about the importance of the players using their platform to make a difference.

“Using our platform to create this voice is something that we focus on and that we have been focusing on,” Petersen said. “I think it’s really important that we continue to do that throughout the season because we have such a tremendous platform to bring awareness to these topics. It means so much to us.”

Euro 2020 Continues

Despite losing 1-0 to Italy, Wales advanced alongside its opponent thanks to a better goal differential than Switzerland. Italy won all three of its matches to top the group while Wales finished in second, Switzerland in third, and Turkey bringing up the rear. Switzerland had a dominant 3-1 win over Turkey, but its fate will depend on how the other third-place finishers in the tournament perform.

The competition continues today at noon with Ukraine taking on Austria in a fight for second place while the Netherlands play North Macedonia. At 3 p.m., Denmark will need a win against Russia if it wants a chance to advance while Finland will play Belgium.

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  • Orlando defender Rodrigo Schlegel’s father passed away last week and the defender has been with his family. The rest of Orlando City’s players and coaches dedicated the win over Toronto FC to Schlegel.
  • On the road against Atlanta United, the Philadelphia Union completed a huge comeback with two goals in the final 10 minutes for a 2-2 draw. The Union’s equalizer was a stunner from defender Jakob Glesnes at long range.
  • French striker Antoine Griezmann has his eyes set on joining MLS once his contract with FC Barcelona is up in 2024.
  • Only vaccinated fans will be able to attend the 2022 World Cup according to Qatar’s prime minister.
  • Ligue 1 may be in serious financial trouble due to issues involving its broadcast rights. The league worked out a deal for Amazon to become its primary broadcasting partner. However, that deal upset Canal Plus, which still has the rights to two matches per week. To be fair, Amazon received a better deal than Canal Plus, so it’s no surprise it is a little miffed. Canal Plus is threatening not to broadcast the matches, nor pay for them, which would be a huge financial liability for Ligue 1.

That will do it for me. Stay tuned for our coverage of the Lions’ match Tuesday night against the San Jose Earthquakes. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/6/25

Alex Freeman called up for Concacaf Gold Cup, Orlando Pride get ready for the Houston Dash, Orlando City B plays tonight, and more.

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23 hours ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I’ll be spending this weekend celebrating my birthday by beating my friends at mini golf with no mercy but still hope to catch some soccer over the next few days. I’ve also been on a bit of a movie kick and plan on catching Wes Anderson’s new flick at some point soon. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Alex Freeman Called Up For Gold Cup

Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was officially called up by the United States Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. He’s the only Lion who will be at the tournament and is one of seven uncapped USMNT players on the roster. The 20-year-old could receive more playing time than expected, as right back Sergino Dest is not on the roster so that he can recover over the summer. Left back John Tolkin was added to replace Dest, so Freeman has a real shot at making a claim for the position this month. The U.S. will take on Turkey Saturday in the first of two friendlies before its first Gold Cup match against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15.

Orlando Pride Prepares to Host the Houston Dash

With the international break for women’s soccer over, the Orlando Pride return to action Saturday with a home game against the Houston Dash. It should be a great opportunity for the Pride to ease back into the swing of things against a Dash team that’s only scored 10 goals this season. Pride midfielder Ally Lemos spoke on the benefit of being able to rest heading into this match while maintaining a winning mindset from a 3-1 victory on May 23.

Anna Moorhouse Called Up For 2025 Euros

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was named to England’s final roster for the 2025 UEFA European Women’s Championship. She’s one of three goalkeepers on the squad following Mary Earp’s surprise retirement from international soccer, and she will likely compete with fellow uncapped player Khiara Keating for the backup position behind Hannah Hampton. Moorhouse has started in every game for the Pride this season and was an NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist for her record-breaking season last year. England’s Euro run will begin July 5 against France before other group matches against the Netherlands and Wales.

Orlando City B Takes On Huntsville City FC

The Young Lions are riding high after a 2-1 win over Chattanooga FC and will take that momentum into tonight’s road match against Huntsville City FC. Midfielder Noah Levis scored his first career goal in that home win, with Justin Hylton providing the assist in his OCB debut. Orlando’s offense has been hot and cold this season but has a variety of attacking talent that can create chances in different ways. The Young Lions have only won once on the road, but a win tonight would lift them to third in the Eastern Conference.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA Club World Cup action is coming to the City Beautiful this month and Orlando City legend Kaká spoke on how it’s nice for Orlando to host games.
  • San Diego Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall was named NWSL Coach of the Month. The Wave were undefeated in May, winning three of their four matches to climb to second in the league standings.
  • The NWSL will allow intraleague loans for all teams, with the players needing to consent to the move in order for it to happen. Denver and Boston’s expansion teams will have access to potentially over $1 million in Allocation Money starting on July 1 to build their rosters before the 2026 season.
  • Atletico Madrid is reportedly close to signing American midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis.
  • South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan all qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while China was eliminated from contention. Australia beat Japan 1-0 and will qualify so long as it doesn’t lose heavily to Saudi Arabia on June 10.
  • Spain beat France 5-4 in a wild game to reach the UEFA Nations League final against Portugal on Sunday. Lamine Yamal continues to take the world by storm, but a late rally by France nearly completed a comeback.

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

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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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: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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

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