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Lion Links: 8/13/21

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4 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s Friday the 13th, so make sure to avoid broken mirrors and black cats today. I’m not usually superstitious, but Friday the 13th brings out some additional caution in me. I wish you the best of luck today and the rest of your weekend. For now, let’s get things started with some links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Loses Leagues Cup Match

The Lions’ first taste of an international tournament was a bitter one as they fell 1-0 to Santos Laguna in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Juan Otero was able to find space and fire a shot towards the bottom left corner that Mason Stajduhar couldn’t keep out, his attempted save sending the ball into the roof of the net. Orlando had its chances in the match, but was only able to put two of its 13 shots on target. It’s a frustrating result for Orlando, but there’s at least time to rest before hitting the road for a match against Nashville SC on Aug. 18.

The Orlando Pride Await Alex Morgan’s Return

Although the Olympics may be over, the Orlando Pride won’t have United States Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan available when they take on the Portland Thorns tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Exploria Stadium. Morgan picked up what looked to be an ankle injury in the last few minutes of the bronze medal match and plans to return to market on Aug. 18. Interim Head Coach Becky Burleigh will be able to come up with a timetable for recovery once she sees Morgan, but it may take some time until she’s able to play for the Pride. Burleigh is undefeated in two matches and is keeping track of what she sees in training that will help the Pride moving forward.

“It’s not always tactical things,” Burleigh said. “Sometimes it is, but it’s also some of the human-related issues that we see with our team — both positive and negative, but mostly positive — so that we can highlight those things. I think when you’re trying to create an identity, we want to try and remember those situations and go back and find them on the practice film and be able to highlight those to our team.”

Lions Will Feature in MLS Skills Challenge

Orlando City’s Nani and Pedro Gallese will both take part in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge on Aug. 24. Nani won the 2019 edition of the event alongside Chris Mueller and Sebas Mendez, hitting the crossbar at the last second (which was a good thing in that competition). He will be joined by the LA Galaxy’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, LAFC’s Carlos Vela, and other playmakers known for their accuracy from distance. New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner and Gallese will also be participating, although the extent of what they’ll be doing isn’t clear just yet.

The MLS squad will compete against Liga MX’s, which is headlined by French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac. Free kick specialist Rubens Sambueza and Balón de Oro 2021 winner Jonathan Rodríguez will also be competing, so it should be an exciting match-up for bragging rights.

Atlanta United Names Gonzalo Pineda as New Head Coach

After parting ways with Gabriel Heinze last month, Atlanta United named Gonzalo Pineda as its next head coach. Pineda played for 13 years and joins Atlanta in the middle of his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Seattle Sounders under Brian Schmetzer. He will be Atlanta’s first head coach with previous MLS experience and a change of pace compared to Heinze and Frank de Boer. Former Lion Rob Valentino will remain on Atlanta’s coaching staff and will serve as interim coach for Atlanta’s next two games, a pair of home matches against LAFC and Toronto FC.

USMNT Reaches Top Ten in Latest FIFA Rankings

The United States Men’s National Team rose 10 spots in the newest FIFA rankings to reach 10th, its highest ranking since 2006. Winning both the Concacaf Nations League and Concacaf Gold Cup certainly helped boost the Yanks in the rankings, although they sit just under ninth-place Mexico. Canada jumped 11 spots in the rankings, sliding into 59th overall to surpass Concacaf opponents Honduras (63rd) and El Salvador (64th). Belgium still holds the top spot in the rankings, followed by Brazil, France, England, and Italy for the top five spots.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion and MLS Rookie of the Year Dillon Powers was signed by Orange County SC in the USL Championship.
  • The Philadelphia Union lost 2-0 to Club America in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League semifinals. While not an ideal result for the lone MLS club remaining in the tournament, at least it took place in Mexico. The second leg will take place in Philadelphia on Sept. 15.
  • D.C. United added Argentine forward Ramon Abila off waivers. Abila is on loan from Boca Juniors and will help bolster United’s attack heading into the second half of the season.
  • Union midfielder Paxten Aaronson won MLS Goal of the Week for his strike against the New England Revolution. It was the 17-year-old’s MLS debut and he made quite the first impression, rocketing the ball into the top corner.
  • On top of Pineda’s appointment in Atlanta, the Sounders are also losing assistant coach Djimi Traore, who is heading to an unnamed European club.
  • Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is returning to Chelsea FC on a five-year deal. Needless to say, Chelsea is excited to have him back.

  • Austin Bold FC of the USL Championship is exploring options for its future due to a decrease in attendance now that Austin FC is playing in MLS. A move to the Fort Worth area may be in the cards following the 2021 season.

That will do it for me today. I hope you all have a nice Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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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.

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13 hours 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.

Free Kicks

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.

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2 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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Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

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