Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/1/21

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope everyone is doing well down in Florida as we enter September. It’s going to be busy this week with World Cup qualifiers and then Orlando City and the Orlando Pride in action this weekend. Before we jump into today’s links from around the soccer world, lets all wish a happy birthday to former Orlando City player and head coach James O’Connor!
Orlando City Prepares for the Columbus Crew
The Lions will take on the Columbus Crew on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Exploria Stadium. Orlando is second in the Eastern Conference standings while Columbus sits in eighth. This will be the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season, with the Lions set to play in Columbus on Oct. 27. The Crew are coming off of a 3-2 win over FC Cincinnati that snapped a six-game losing streak. As for the Lions, they will be without Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and Ecuadorian midfielder Sebas Mendez as both players are in South America for World Cup qualifiers.
Just wrapped up at Orlando City training — didn’t see Pato or Andrés Perea, but Uri Rosell is back to training. Sebas and Pedro are both with their national teams ahead of WC qualifiers.
Mason Stajduhar was also working limited on the side rather than with the keepers unit.
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) August 31, 2021
Nani Reflects on His Time Playing With Ronaldo
With Cristiano Ronaldo back with Manchester United, Orlando City captain Nani discussed what it was like to have him as a teammate. Nani joined United in 2007 just as Ronaldo was proving himself to be one of the top players in the world. The two Portuguese teammates lived together and Nani pushed himself to improve while playing in Ronaldo’s shadow. When Ronaldo left the club in 2009, Nani stepped up to become one of the team’s more dangerous players on offense. Now in MLS, Nani is still scoring great goals and using years of experience to become a leader for the Lions.
“The experience of different challenges over the years at different clubs, you take a little bit from each experience you have in your career and put it all together. That’s what helps me lead the team,” Nani says.
“I have respect from the club and all my team-mates, and I feel at home. The responsibility I have is good for me to give me the motivation I need every single day to continue to work hard and improve and make sure I can help the players around me develop.”
Racing Louisville FC Fires Its Head Coach
Christy Holly had his contract terminated by Racing Louisville. The reasoning for Holly’s firing was not given in the club’s statement and the head of Soccer Holdings’ youth academy system, Mario Sanchez, will serve as the team’s interim head coach.
A statement from the club: pic.twitter.com/t9hoFpCBvt
— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) September 1, 2021
Holly’s firing is the latest in many coaching changes during this NWSL season. NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that Scott Parkinson will become its next head coach to replace Freya Coombe. Parkinson was an assistant coach for Utah Royals FC and the Chicago Red Stars and former NWSL player Beverly Goebel Yanez will join the club as an assistant coach as well.
Transfer Deadline Day Wraps Up
Europe’s transfer window closed in exciting fashion as clubs raced to finalize deals and add players. The biggest news was FC Barcelona loaning Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid for the rest of the La Liga season. There were reportedly discussions of swapping Griezmann for Atletico’s Joao Felix, but the Portuguese forward will remain in Madrid. Atletico also loaned midfielder Saul Niguez to Chelsea for the rest of the season.
Paris Saint-Germain rejected Real Madrid’s advances and decided not to sell forward Kylian Mbappe. It’s a bold move from the French club considering Mbappe could leave for free in the future, but PSG will preserve the trio of Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi for now. Real Madrid did manage to acquire one of the top young talents in Europe by signing 18-year-old midfielder Eduardo Camavinga from Rennes.
Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United from Juventus was finalized and his contract will last two years with an option for a third. With Jadon Sancho and Ronaldo now in Manchester, the club dealt winger Daniel James to Leeds United.
Americans on the Move
Europe’s biggest names weren’t the only players moving to new clubs in Europe as multiple Americans joined new teams as well. Forward Matthew Hoppe is leaving Schalke 04 to join RCD Mallorca in La Liga. Tottenham Hotspur loaned defender Cameron Carter-Vickers to Celtic FC in a move that will certainly help the 23-year-old receive some playing time.
The Philadelphia Union loaned Jack de Vries to Serie A’s Venezia FC and the 19-year-old will play for the Italian side’s U-19 squad. Chris Richards’ contract with Bayern Munich was extended through 2025 and the center back will go back on loan with Hoffenheim after a successful spell there last season. Erik Palmer-Brown was loaned out by Manchester City to Troyes in France’s Ligue 1 as well.
Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett turned down a deal that would’ve landed him with Benfica in Portugal. Instead, Bassett chose to stay with the Rapids for the time being as he wants to help his hometown club win silverware.
Free Kicks
- Although the free tickets may be claimed by the time you’re reading this, tickets are discounted for the Pride’s match against the Houston Dash this Sunday. With the season entering its final stretch, now’s a great time to come out and support Ashlyn Harris and the rest of the Pride.
469 saves = 469 free tickets courtesy of @Ashlyn_Harris! 🎟️
Let's celebrate the @NWSL's All-Time Saves leader together this Sunday at the #SpaceRace as we host the @HoustonDash!
Your free ticket: https://t.co/pGOqrK0c6l pic.twitter.com/agCPnGNMCb
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 31, 2021
- Marta was called up for Brazil’s matches against Argentina later this month. She likely won’t miss any matches for the Pride as a result due to an international break, with the Pride facing OL Reign on the road on Sept. 26.
Riiiiing riiiiing! ☎️
Marta has been called up by the @SelecaoFeminina to face Argentina on September 18th & 21st! 👏🇧🇷 #AdAstra https://t.co/2nF3NJD6wR pic.twitter.com/Fg3OerkjS7
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 31, 2021
- After a 0-0 draw against Inter Miami this past weekend, Orlando City SC dropped one spot to seventh in the MLS power rankings.
- The United States Men’s National Team begins its World Cup qualifying campaign tomorrow night in El Salvador. Midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are determined to not only qualify for the World Cup, but also to show that the USMNT is the top team in Concacaf.
That will do it for me, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday and I’ll see you next time.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/25/25
Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!
Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match
The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.
Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira
Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.
“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”
Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt
Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.
MLS Transfer News Roundup
The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.
Free Kicks
- Enjoy this intriguing article that shines a light on how MLS team administrators manage the chaos of the transfer window. I would devour a television series following these kinds of crises throughout the season.
- St. Petersburg is exploring demolishing Al Lang Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to make room for an amphitheater. The proposed demolition would take place after 2028, so we’ll see if this comes to pass.
- Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City, ending a 13-year tenure there that will be remembered for winning the English Premier League title in 2016.
- Here’s everything you need to know before the second legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals on Sunday. Chelsea will take on Barcelona before Lyon and Arsenal square off, with both English clubs trailing after the first legs.
- Real Sociedad announced that Head Coach Imanol Alguacil will step down following this season. Alguacil was hired in December of 2018 and led the team to victory in the 2020 Copa del Rey.
- Manchester United will take part in the inaugural women’s seven-a-side tournament next month, joining Bayern Munich, Ajax, Benfica, and four other teams yet to be determined.
- NBA Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd has joined Everton’s ownership group. I too would be looking for anything to take my mind off of the Dallas Mavericks’ season.
- Former Pride players Sydney Leroux and Ali Riley announced a weekly podcast, with the first episode set for Monday.
That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/24/25
Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC
The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.
Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings
Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.
MLS Deadline Day Transfer News
The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.
The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.
Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad
The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.
In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.
Free Kicks
- German legend Thomas Muller, who is set to leave Bayern Munich this summer, reportedly rejected an offer from FC Cincinnati and Fiorentina.
- Philadelphia Union midfielder Quinn Sullivan won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his volleyed strike against Atlanta. Seeing Atlanta get scored on really makes the goal that much sweeter to watch.
- Marcus Rashford is reportedly aiming to join a Champions League team after this season. The 27-year-old is on loan with Aston Villa from Manchester United and should be an interesting name to keep an eye on this summer.
- Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace kept a few champagne bottles corked, as Liverpool would have won the league title if Arsenal lost. Liverpool now just needs a point when it faces Tottenham at home on Sunday.
- Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0, but it came at the cost of injuries to both David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga. The Spanish club may now have a crisis at left back ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/23/25
The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.
Bad Pride, Good Pride
It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.
The (OCSC) Academy Awards
Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.
Pochettino Prepares
The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.
MLS Transfer News
The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped a spot to No. 12 in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. Three 0-0 draws in a row will do that.
- Michael Buxbaum is suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for $100 million because the USWNT didn’t try to win the SheBelieves Cup. I wasn’t happy with the result either, but this is the definition of frivolous.
- Nani and Ali Krieger are both participating in The Soccer Tournament on seven-on-seven soccer teams. The matchups for the $1 million tournament have been set.
- Speaking of Krieger, she is settling in at her new gig at ESPN as an analyst for NWSL matches and co-host of “FutbolW.”
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.
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