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Lion Links: 7/19/21

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5 years ago

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! There is so much soccer right now that I’m not even sure when I’ll get any sleep. To be clear, I’m not complaining, as my motto is that more soccer is always a good thing. In other good news, I’ll be at Orlando City’s next match on Thursday, so come join me. Before we get started with today’s links, let’s also all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride forward Abi Kim!

Orlando Pride Fall in Portland

The Pride headed all the way across the country to try to keep pace in the NWSL standings, but fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns. The Pride were evidently suffering from travel sickness as they were very sloppy when passing and defending. The Thorns should have scored several goals in the first half, but Ashlyn Harris made some key saves, including yet another penalty kick save. Harris’ heroics were not enough as Sophia Smith scored in the 26th minute and then Marissa Everett doubled Portland’s later in the 58th. Marisa Viggiano scored a consolation goal in stoppage time for the Pride. Orlando will aim to snap its four-game winless streak when it hosts OL Reign this Saturday at 7 p.m. in Exploria Stadium.

Orlando City Continues to Adjust During the Summer

Orlando City’s 1-1 draw at Toronto FC stopped the team’s two-game losing skid, though it didn’t come easily. The Lions still have issues, but as players come back from injuries, the depth of the roster should help the club deal with any hiccups. Sebas Mendez’ injury will be one to keep an eye on, although Andres Perea did a good job playing a similar role in the midfield against Toronto. The fullback position has been of particular concern this season. Left back João Moutinho returned for the last match, but right back Ruan is still out with a dreaded lower body injury. As a result, Kyle Smith has played every minute of every match this season. Smith definitely put the work in against Toronto FC’s Yeferson Soteldo. As you can see, hard work pays off.

U.S. Defeats Canada to Win Group B

It only took 20 seconds for the United States Men’s National Team to score against Canada in its final Concacaf Gold Cup group match. Shaq Moore gave the USMNT an early lead after a great assist from Sebastian Lletget. It was a good thing the Yanks held on defensively since they were unable to find a second goal in the match. Orlando’s Daryl Dike started up top with Gyasi Zardes, but neither striker was able to find the back of the net. Dike also appeared to injure his shoulder late in the match, although the severity isn’t known yet. The 1-0 victory means the USMNT finished at the top of its group and will play either Jamaica or Costa Rica to start the knockout stage.

Mexico managed to win 1-0 against El Salvador and win its group, meaning the USMNT and Mexico can only face off in the Gold Cup final.

The Olympics Get Started This Week

Olympic soccer finally begins this week. It might be a year late, but you’re going to have to get up really early if you want to watch the United States Women’s National Team play Sweden this Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. EST. The two nations are very familiar with each other given this will be the ninth meeting between the two in world championship matches. The Pride’s Alex Morgan will be in Japan, and the striker says she has come back stronger and fitter following her pregnancy. I think her performances with the Pride have proven that to be true. Hopefully Morgan continues her good form in the Olympics. Matches will be available on NBC Sports, NBCOlympics.com, and the Peacock streaming service.

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  • Things aren’t going well over in Atlanta. Gabriel Heinze is out as head coach just days after he revealed Atlanta star Josef Martinez was training away from the team despite being fit to play. Atlanta hasn’t won in its last eight games, including a 1-0 loss at home to the New England Revolution this weekend.
  • Liga MX released its roster for next month’s MLS All-Star Game. The match will be played at LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium on Aug. 25 and will pit the best players in MLS against the best Liga MX has to offer.
  • Yet another young American is heading to Europe. Sporting Kansas City and USMNT midfielder Gianluca Busio is likely headed to Venezia FC in Serie A.

  • The Chicago Red Stars have set an NWSL record, as they forced five consecutive own goals in their last three matches. Chicago did finally score a goal of its own in a 3-1 win over OL Reign, but it was the Red Stars’ last goal of the match.

That’s all for today’s links. Vamos Orlando! Go USA!

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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

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May 22, 2026

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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

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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.

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  • 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

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May 20, 2026

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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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