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Lion Links: 6/28/21

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4 years ago

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! We are almost halfway through the calendar year, and what a season it’s been for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. If you had told me before the seasons started that both teams would be sitting where they are in the standings, I’d have bet against it, but here we are. I hope your weekend was as enjoyable as mine. Let’s get to the links!

Nani Nominated for Player of the Week After Win

If you’re like me, you’re still pumped from Orlando City’s comeback victory against Inter Miami. The Lions are currently riding a three-match winning streak, and there are plenty of reasons behind their success against Miami on the road. Nani made the biggest impact in that match, assisting on Chris Mueller’s first goal of the season to equalize and then scoring the game-winning goal himself. For the second straight time, Nani is nominated for MLS Player of the Week.

Did I mention Orlando’s three wins all happened within seven days? One player who gave his all in those three matches was midfielder Junior Urso. The Brazilian is embracing his time in Orlando and gave some insight on the people who inspire him, his tattoos, and why he is known as the Bear. Urso and the Lions have certainly earned a break before hosting the New York Red Bulls this Saturday. Until then, enjoy this highlight reel of the many goals scored by the Lions since the international break.

No Panic for the Pride

The Orlando Pride also had three matches in seven days. Unfortunately, the Pride weren’t able to get the win on the road against the Houston Dash. The defense was justifiably tired, and Houston jumped out to a quick two-goal lead. Given that this is the Pride’s first loss of the season, there’s no reason to panic. They are still at the top of the NWSL standings after the Portland Thorns fell 2-0 to the North Carolina Courage. Although Alex Morgan, Marta, Ali Riley, and Erin McLeod are all headed to Tokyo, this squad has better depth than in previous seasons to help weather the storm. Plus, in case you missed it, the Pride brought in English defender Amy Turner to boost the back line.

Young Lions Advance on Penalty Kicks

Orlando City’s U-17 squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the MLS NEXT Cup playoffs. In a match against Shattuck-St. Mary’s, neither side managed to break through and the game went to penalty kicks. The Lions were perfect from the spot and Orlando goalkeeper Isaac Delgado had a great save to book Orlando’s ticket in the next round. The Young Lions will now face the LA Galaxy in the quarterfinals tomorrow morning at 9:05 a.m. Congratulations to the Young Lions and good luck in the quarterfinals.

MLS Weekend Roundup

With Orlando winning on Friday and the Philadelphia Union only earning one point in a 3-3 draw against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, the Lions are alone in second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando is only two points behind the New England Revolution, which lost 2-1 against FC Dallas after a brace from Ricardo Pepi. The Lions have a game in hand over New England, though the two don’t play each other until Sept. 25. New England finally gave Orlando City an opening to make up ground in the standings.

As for how other Eastern Conference teams did this weekend, the Columbus Crew fought Austin FC to a scoreless draw, Atlanta United and the Red Bulls also had a 0-0 draw, Nashville SC scored in stoppage to salvage a point in a 1-1 result with CF Montreal, and New York City FC won 2-1 due to a late goal by Thiago Andrade against D.C. United.

The other big news was a racist comment allegedly made by an undisclosed Minnesota United player to Diego Chara of the Portland Timbers in their match on Saturday. According to the Professional Referee Organization, none of the match officials heard the comment. The head referee did include the alleged incident in his official match report and an investigation by MLS will be done. The Loons won the match 1-0.

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  • Orlando midfielder Sebas Mendez started for Ecuador in a 1-1 draw with Brazil to advance to the Copa America quarterfinals. Pedro Gallese earned his first clean sheet of the tournament in Peru’s 1-0 win over Venezuela to advance as well. While Ecuador will likely play Argentina in the quarterfinals, the bracket won’t be set in stone until after today’s matches.
  • Are you wondering how to watch your favorite Pride players in the Olympics? Here’s a primer, but know that you’re either going to be getting up pretty early or setting up your DVR.
  • Former Pride attacker Chioma Ubogagu was dismissed from Real Madrid for “indiscipline” after a culmination of behavior such as unauthorized absences.  
  • There’s a lot of grousing about VAR, but here’s a reminder of what it was like before goal line technology and video review were prevalent. Ghost goals, like the one England was denied in its match against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, seem to be a thing of the past.

That will do it to start the week. Have a great day and vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/30/25

Orlando City players called up, Orlando Pride sign Simone Jackson, USWNT gets ready to play China, and more.

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2 days ago

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May 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a brutal week, but we’ve made it through. Our reward is an exciting weekend of soccer to enjoy to close out the month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but it should still be a nice next few days. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Lions Called Up For International Duty

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was predictably called up for Peru’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Peru is ninth in the standings and will take on Colombia June 6 before hosting Ecuador on June 10.

Defender David Brekalo was called up by Slovenian for a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matches will help prepare Slovenia for World Cup qualifying this fall against Sweden, Switzerland, and Kosovo.

A few Young Lions are also heading to Europe for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. The U.S. will represent Concacaf at the U-18 tournament, and OCB players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were called up for it.

Orlando Pride Sign Simone Jackson

The Orlando Pride signed forward Simone Jackson to a contract through the 2028 season. Jackson played at the University of Southern California for four years, recording 22 goals and 13 assists in 75 games, and trained with the Pride during the preseason. Internationally, she’s represented the U.S. at various youth levels and scored a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 22-year-old gives Orlando some helpful depth up front and can develop her game learning from some of the best attackers in the sport as well.

USWNT Prepares For Friendly Against China

The United States Women’s National Team will take on China Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in the first of two friendlies during this international window. Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to join a young roster as the team builds a foundation before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Goalkeeper will continue to be a position to watch, as opportunity knocks for Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Mandy McGlynn, and Claudia Dickey to stake a claim as the team’s starter. Following this match, the USWNT will take on Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday before a pair of friendlies against Ireland later in June.

Denver’s NWSL Team Hires First General Manager

Denver’s NWSL team hired Curt Johnson to serve as the club’s first general manager. He will have the opportunity to build the team’s roster and staff from the ground up before the team takes the field as an expansion side in 2026. Johnson left the North Carolina Courage in December and was the chief soccer officer when the club dominated the league in 2018 and 2019. It looks like a solid hire in my opinion and I’m interested to see what kind of team he puts together in Denver.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/29/25

Orlando City loses rivalry game, MLS All-Star voting opens, Antonee Robinson undergoes knee surgery, and more.

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, Mane Landers. The bad news is that Orlando City lost last night. There’s not much good news, unless you count how I probably lost some weight pacing around my apartment for a few hours annoyed at how the game went. But today is a new day, and with it comes the fact that there’s no soccer to fret over. Before we dive in, please join us in wishing Orlando Pride Head Coach and former Lion Seb Hines a happy birthday! OK, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Falls in Atlanta

The Lions went on the road and lost 3-2 to Atlanta United in a frustrating result that snapped the team’s 12-game unbeaten streak in league play. A solid first half by the Lions was spoiled by a red card to Cesar Araujo late in the second, with Atlanta scoring twice while the Lions were a man down. Head Coach Oscar Pareja was sent off as well, and Orlando was deprived of a great chance to move up in the standings. Orlando will have to shake this off or use it as motivation as it gets set to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday. A much-needed break in the schedule is awaiting the Lions after that match following a busy May.

MLS All-Star Voting Begins

The voting for who will play in this year’s MLS All-Star Game is underway, and a few Lions may have a shot at being selected. Right back Alex Freeman’s case to be an All-Star is backed by statistics, as he’s done well creating chances for others and has three goals himself during his breakout season. Former MLS player Dax McCarty has Freeman on his list of players who deserve selection this year, along with midfielder Martin Ojeda. The 26-year-old Argentine’s eight goals so far are already twice as many goals as he had last season and he’s right up there with some of the league’s best playmakers. McCarty also gave honorable mentions to goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and winger Marco Pasalic. Voting will last through June 11 and the All-Star Game is set to take place on July 23 against Liga MX’s All-Stars in Austin.

Antonee Robinson Undergoes Surgery

Fulham announced that American left back Antonee Robinson underwent successful knee surgery and is expected to be ready for the English club’s next season. The 27-year-old started in 35 of Fulham’s 38 games this past season and did not take part in the Concacaf Nations League. He’ll miss out on this summer’s Gold Cup, but hopefully he has a smooth recovery and benefits from some time off the field before things start up again in Europe.

Chelsea Wins Europa Conference League

Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1 to win the Europa Conference League, becoming the first club to win all five of UEFA’s men’s club competitions. Real Betis scored first, but Chelsea mounted a comeback and scored four goals in the second half to win. Cole Palmer had a pair of assists to spark the turnaround and Enzo Fernandez had a goal and an assist. It’s a brutal end to Real Betis’ tournament as its wait for its first major trophy continues. The Spanish club is at least bound for the Europa League regardless after placing sixth in the La Liga standings.

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  • Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady was called up by the USMNT to replace Patrick Schulte, who is dealing with an oblique injury. Brady joins a crowded goalkeeping unit that includes Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, and Matt Freese.
  • Welcome to Wrexham was renewed for a fifth season, and only time will tell if another happy ending is in store for the Welsh club when it plays in the EFL Championship.

That’s all I have for you today. This month of ups and downs as an Orlando soccer fan is almost over and there’s some international soccer to obsess over on the horizon. Have a wonderful Thursday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/28/25

Orlando City set to face Atlanta, Banda and Sams recognized, USMNT news, and more.

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4 days ago

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May 28, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day against the rivals from Georgia. Lions against…a common clothing pattern? Needless to say, I’m always ready for a rivalry match, and tonight is no exception. Orlando City is in a good run of form, hopefully that holds true in Atlanta. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads North

Orlando City takes on rival Atlanta United tonight in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a place where a lot of people can watch soccer played on turf, making it a sub-standard venue. Just in case you are wondering, here is what the opposition feels Atlanta needs to do to win at home. The Lions climbed up to third in MLSsoccer.com’s Power Rankings following the win over the Portland Timbers. We will have your match preview later today, and you can follow The Mane Land Bluesky account for match updates.

Banda and Sams Recognized

A first-half hat trick from Barbra Banda was enough to earn her a spot on the NWSL Team of the Week at CBS.com. Emily Sams also made the Best XI. In fact, there is still time to vote for Banda for NWSL Player of the Week for the aforementioned hat trick performance. You know what to do.

Orlando Pride Power

The Orlando Pride victory over the Utah Royals wasn’t a marquee matchup, but it still garnered plenty of attention. As such, the Pride held onto the third spot in the All for XI Power Rankings. The club was also third in the Goal.com Power Rankings heading into the international break. You know what I think about power rankings, but I’ll accept recognition for my club when it is presented.

Freeman and the USMNT

It didn’t take long after Orlando City defender Alex Freeman received an undervalued offer from Serie A club Parma for the rumors to start up. Freeman’s services are reportedly wanted by teams being promoted to the English Premier League. Perhaps this is a good time for Luiz Muzzi to sign the young defender to a new contract?

Several Americans made waves in Europe, with excellent performances last season from Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Antonee Robinson, and others. Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final today at 3 p.m.

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That will do it for today. Make sure you check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match. Vamos Orlando!

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