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Lion Links: 7/21/21

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4 years ago

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Hello, Mane Landers. I hope you all are doing well down in Florida. It’s been busy up here for me in Chicago and I haven’t had much time to check out much Gold Cup action beyond watching the U.S. win against Canada on Sunday. Let’s all wish a happy birthday to Anthony Pulis, the former head coach of Orlando City B and a player for Orlando City during the team’s USL days. Now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Stunned in Olympic Opener

The United States Women’s National Team had a nightmare start to its Olympic campaign, falling 3-0 to Sweden. Sweden’s first goal came in the 25th minute after a header from Stina Blackstenius, who wreaked havoc on the USWNT defense all game long. The Orlando Pride’s Alex Morgan started for the USWNT, but was subbed off at halftime. USWNT Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s changes at halftime didn’t change the flow of the game much though as Blackstenius scored again in the 54th minute. Lina Hurtig put the nail in the coffin in the 72nd minute as the USWNT was beaten for the first time since January of 2019. With the USWNT’s 44-match unbeaten streak over, Andonovski’s squad will need to rebound when it plays New Zealand on Saturday at 7:30 a.m.

Brazil had a much better start in Tokyo. Marta became the first player to score in five consecutive Olympic Games, netting a brace in Brazil’s 5-0 win over China. Her first goal got the scoring started in the ninth minute after she pounced on a loose ball in the box. Marta earned her brace in the 74th minute, chasing down a poor clearance to then swivel while shooting and bury the ball in the back of the net.

The Pride’s Ali Riley is also in action today for New Zealand in a tough match-up against Australia.

Manchester United Reportedly Targeting Marc Skinner

Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner and the front office are reportedly in talks with Manchester United regarding the English club’s vacant manager position. The Women’s Super League season begins on Sept. 3 while the National Women’s Soccer League regular season won’t end until the end of October. If Skinner were to leave the Pride for United before the WSL season starts, the Pride would have to finish the season with an interim coach while making their playoff push. Last September, the Pride exercised Skinner’s contract through 2021 after two seasons filled with struggles due to injuries, international absences, and the pandemic. This year, the Pride started the season with a seven-game unbeaten run, but have since cooled off, with three losses and a draw from the past four games.

Concacaf Gold Cup Group Stage Wraps Up

After a lengthy weather delay at Exploria Stadium, Costa Rica and Jamaica battled for the top spot in the Gold Cup’s Group C. After a scoreless first half that included many chances from Jamaica, it was Costa Rica that broke through with a header from Bryan Ruiz in the 53rd minute. Despite a red card to goalkeeper Leonel Moreira in the 72nd minute, Costa Rica held on to win 1-0. The result means the United States Men’s National Team will play Jamaica this Sunday at 9:30 p.m. in Arlington. On the other side of the bracket, Costa Rica will take on Canada. In the other Group C match, Suriname ended its tournament run with its first Gold Cup victory after winning 2-1 against Guadeloupe.

Qatar won 2-0 against Honduras to claim the top spot in Group D and will now take on El Salvador in the knockout stage while Honduras will face Mexico. In the later match at Exploria Stadium, Panama cruised to a 3-1 win over Grenada for third in the group.

Arsenal Pulls Out of Florida Cup

Arsenal canceled its preseason tour to the United States due to a rise of COVID-19 cases within the club. Arsenal was expected to play in the Florida Cup in Orlando this weekend alongside Everton, Inter Milan and Millonarios. Inter Milan and Arsenal were supposed to get the tournament started on July 25, with Everton and Millonarios playing later that night. It has not been determined yet if Arsenal will be replaced with another team on such short notice.

U.S. Open Cup is Officially Canceled for Second Straight Year

The U.S. Soccer Federation officially canceled the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after originally postponing the tournament back in April. A 24-team 2021 Open Cup was considered, but the USSF is instead turning its attention to planning the tournament’s return in 2022. Next year’s edition will feature more teams than ever before and some MLS clubs will start playing as soon as the third round. U.S. Open Cup Commissioner Paul Marstaller expressed his thoughts on improvements for the tournament in 2022.

“After calling off the 2021 edition of the Open Cup due to the remnant effects of COVID-19, we’re excited that we can put next year’s match dates on everyone’s calendar so early,” said Open Cup Commissioner Paul Marstaller. “The 2022 tournament will be the first in memory when all the top players will be available for selection for every round as none of the games involving Division I Major League Soccer or Division II USL Championship clubs will be played during an international call-up period, a necessary feature for building a credible national championship.”

It has not yet been decided how the 2022 Concacaf Champions League berth that would have been awarded to the 2021 Open Cup winner will be distributed. That is expected to be addressed in the coming weeks by U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors.

Free Kicks

  • The Pride have done well to increase their social media growth during 2021.

  • Check out this video from U.S. Soccer to learn more about Daryl Dike and Reggie Cannon through some interesting debate topics.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday, stay safe, and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

3 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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1 day ago

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January 21, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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