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Lion Links: 11/9/21

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4 years ago

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Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an excellent weekend for Orlando City as the club booked its ticket to the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Lions will now have some time to recover and prepare before their first-round match against Nashville SC, with the United States Men’s National Team stepping into the spotlight for the latest round of World Cup qualifying kicking off on Friday against Mexico. There’s lots to talk about today, so let’s get into it.

MLS Playoff Schedule Set

The schedule for the MLS Cup playoffs has been set. Orlando City will take on Nashville SC at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. The Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls play on Nov. 20, followed by Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver later in the day. Nov. 24 features NYCFC vs. Atlanta and Portland vs. Minnesota, with Real Salt Lake taking on Seattle following Orlando’s game on the 23rd. The conference semifinals kick off on Thanksgiving Day, with the Colorado Rapids taking on the winner of Portland vs. Minnesota, and they finish on Nov. 30 with New England playing the winner of Atlanta vs. NYCFC. If Orlando beats Nashville, it will play the winner of New York vs. Philadelphia, and would host if the Red Bulls pull off the upset. It’s worth noting that New England and Colorado got a bit of a rough deal for winning their respective conferences. The Rapids especially have reason to feel hard done by, and it’ll be interesting to see what sort of crowd they can draw on Thanksgiving Day at 4:30 in the afternoon. If you want to reserve single match tickets for a potential conference semifinal match with the Red Bulls should they become available, the club has opened up a waitlist.

Lions Honored after Sunday’s Heroics

Several Orlando City players were recognized for the parts they played in the Lions’ Decision Day victory that propelled the team into the playoffs. First up, Pedro Gallese and Daryl Dike were included on the bench of the most recent edition of the MLS Team of the Week. Gallese made an absolutely massive first-half save to keep things level at 0-0, and was steady overall in recording a clean sheet. Dike, meanwhile, scored his 10th goal of the season to give Orlando a 2-0 advantage and put the game on ice. The striker made an intelligent run, had a good first touch to give himself a better angle, and applied a cool finish under the keeper.

In some of the most unsurprising news from the weekend, Sebas Mendez was nominated for the MLS Goal of the Week for his thunderous blast from outside the box which gave Orlando a 1-0 lead the Lions would never relinquish. Congrats to all three players on some well deserved recognition!

WSL Coming to CBS

The FA Women’s Super League is coming to CBS Sports next summer. Between CBS Sports and Paramount+, 57 matches will be shown during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. Most games will stream on Paramount+, but a select number will be shown on CBS Sports. The WSL season runs concurrent with that of the Premier League, from September to May, and the coverage will provide something easily accessible for fans of women’s soccer when the NWSL is not in season, although there will be a bit of overlap during the beginning and end of the WSL campaign. CBS Sports is now the dominant force in women’s soccer as it also has rights to the NWSL, UEFA and Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifiers and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Fire Announce Roster Decisions

The Chicago Fire are the first MLS team to announce end-of-season roster decisions, and there were some notable moves made. Some degree of roster turnover was to be expected after the Fire fired (haha) head coach Raphael Wicky midseason, but there are still some surprises on the list. The biggest name to not be returning is Designated Player Robert Beric, with Alvaro Medran and Luka Stojanović close behind him. Beric was signed ahead of the 2020 season with mixed results. After a good debut season in MLS, with 12 goals and an assist in 23 games, his 2021 nosedived as he tallied eight goals and three assists in 33 games. Stojanović actually had the same number of goals and one less assist in 27 games, which gives you an idea of the production, or lack thereof from Beric. While the Serbian was great in the attack for a midfielder he was apparently a bit difficult in the locker room and didn’t show much interest in defending. For a full breakdown of the moves, check out this piece from our friends over at Hot Time in Old Town.

PRO Admits Officiating Error

The Professional Referee Organization has issued a statement regarding an officiating…gaffe on the most important day of the MLS season so far. In the 90th minute, Real Salt Lake’s Justen Glad looked to have handled the ball in the penalty area, with the Sporting Kansas City players going mental appealing for a penalty kick to be awarded. None was forthcoming, and five minutes later Damir Kreilach won the game for RSL and sent the Utah-based side to the playoffs. PRO issued a statement acknowledging that a handball should have been called and a penalty kick awarded, placing the blame on the VAR who checked the play but did not recommend a video review to the referee. While the result only dropped SKC from second to third, an admission of error will be no consolation to the LA Galaxy, who got the result they needed against Minnesota United but did not make the playoffs due to RSL’s win.

Free Kicks

  • There was no such error when it came to the offside call on Rudy Camacho’s goal during Orlando’s match with Montreal.

  • Check out some top tier content from the Orlando City social media team.

  • It initially seemed like there was a little…leak regarding dates and times for two games of the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin was not particularly amused about the supposed start time for his team, or the way that he found out about it, and the dates were quickly removed from the MLS app. It’s interesting that when the official schedule dropped, the times had shifted.

That does it for me today. Y’all stay safe out there.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/29/26

Orlando City plays New England tonight, the Orlando Pride are recognized, USMNT news, and more.

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3 hours ago

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April 29, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day with Orlando City taking on the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup tonight. The fixture congestion is real as this is the third match for the Lions in just eight days. I’m sure that it will be fine since Orlando City doesn’t have any injury or depth issues…err…let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Open Cup Continues

Orlando City is in Rhode Island to take on the New England Revolution in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. As always, it will be interesting to see which regular starters play and which youngsters get the start, though the difference between those two is not as stark as in the past. The Lions also have a trip to play Inter Miami this weekend to consider. I don’t think it will happen, but I say go all in on the Open Cup and play Orlando City B against Miami.

Orlando Pride Earns Recognition

Zara Chavoshi is the Orlando Pride’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for 2026. Chavoshi’s chosen community partner is Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka. Each of the 16 NWSL teams are represented with a panel of judges, including Holiday, determining the winner. In other news, the Pride are still in the top three of SI.com’s NWSL power rankings. Shockingly — I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek — Barbra Banda didn’t make CBSsports.com’s NWSL Team of the Week despite scoring a brace.

Griezmann Continues Champions League Chase

Orlando City’s next Designated Player, Antoine Griezmann, has unfinished business with current club Atletico Madrid. Griezmann and Atletico face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals this afternoon. As much as I’m looking forward to Griezmann’s arrival in Orlando, I am also all for him winning hardware before he leaves Atletico.

USMNT News

The World Cup is just around the corner, and there are many players in MLS who will be representing their respective countries. Matt Turner is making an excellent case that he should be the first-choice keeper for the USMNT. Stepping outside of MLS, is Weston McKennie the player who the U.S. can least afford to lose heading into the World Cup? McKennie has been playing well this year for club and country. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has been in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, he can turn it around before the World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Rodrigo Schlegel visited Orlando City’s training this week. I’m not saying I want him to start, but a short-term contract for depth might be nice.

🚨 Jose Mourinho preferred candidate of Florentino Perez to become next Real Madrid head coach. Support not universal inside #RMFC but president driving process so 63yo strong contender. Time-sensitive ~€3m break clause in Benfica contract 🚨@theathleticfc.bsky.socialwww.nytimes.com/athletic/723…

— David Ornstein (@david-ornstein.bsky.social) 2026-04-28T11:49:11.588Z
  • Sometimes there’s a light of hope in the dark forest that we’re travelling through. Believe.

That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/28/26

Takeaways from MLS matchday 10, Americans in midweek action, Vancouver Whitecaps may be relocated, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 28, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda with the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B was the only one of the three sides to get a result. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us as Orlando City will be in action twice, the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, and OCB takes on Crown Legacy to round off the week on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, so let’s jump into the links.

MLS Matchday 10 Lessons

Matchday 10 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have done a very good job of reloading from the off-season losses of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. New faces Cheikh Sabaly and Bruno Caicedo have been finding their feet and both had goal involvements in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Matt Turner looks to be rediscovering some of his best form as he made nine saves in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. New York City FC’s Matt Freese has been the frontrunner to start in goal for the United States Men’s National Team at the World Cup this summer, but based on his league performances, Turner could make a late charge.

Americans in Midweek Action

Plenty of Americans will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s have a look at the schedule. Things get started Wednesday, when Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC play Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Wednesday has Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid hosting Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for the first leg of a UEFA Conference League semifinal. The action wraps up on Friday when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Burnley in a Premier League tilt.

Relocation Possible for Vancouver Whitecaps

A special committee of MLS owners reportedly met earlier in April to discuss the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Specifically, Las Vegas is said to have been the primary relocation option discussed at the meeting. It’s been two decades since a team was relocated, as the last franchise to move were the San Jose Earthquakes, who went to Houston and became the Dynamo before being replaced with another San Jose expansion team two years later. Other cities said to be interested in landing a team include Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, with Phoenix reportedly one of the main candidates being considered for relocation alongside Vegas. In the meantime, the Whitecaps remain up for sale while the team tries to find an in-market stadium solution, as the team’s lease with BC Place expires at the end of the year.

High Profile Injuries Continue

The 2025-2026 European season has seen a number of high profile injuries, and that’s a trend that unfortunately continued over the weekend. Xavi Simons suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for a significant amount of time. Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappe has a left hamstring injury, and he could reportedly miss the May 10 Clasico match against Barcelona as well as the rest of the La Liga season. AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric fractured his left cheekbone in the team’s 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday and had surgery to repair the damage. His club season is over, but Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is confident that he will be healthy in time for the World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA will reportedly increase the number of times that yellow cards are wiped away at this summer’s World Cup.

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

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Lion Links: 4/27/26

Lions and Pride lose, OCB draws Chicago Fire II, FA Cup semifinals recap, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 27, 2026

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Image of the OCB squad before the team's game March 8, 2026 vs. Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work and looking forward to covering some high school soccer and lacrosse this week. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who turned 22 Sunday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blow Late Lead in Defeat to D.C. United

Orlando City fell 3-2 to D.C. United Saturday at Audi Field. Jackson Hopkins scored the opener for D.C. United early in the first half. In the second half, Justin Ellis equalized for the Lions, and Tyrese Spicer added another goal to give Orlando a 2-1 lead. However, the Lions couldn’t hang on to the lead as D.C. United scored two late goals in six minutes to pull out a win at the death. It will be another busy week for the Lions with a road trip to New England to face the Revolution in a round-of-16 U.S. Open Cup match Wednesday, followed by another road match Saturday against Inter Miami at Nu Stadium.

Pride Fall to Racing Louisville on the Road

The Orlando Pride fell 3-2 to Racing Louisville FC Friday at Lynn Family Stadium, continuing their winless streak in Kentucky. Louisville struck first with a goal from Lauren Milliet to take a 1-0 lead, but Barbra Banda buried the equalizer for the Pride to level the match before halftime. However, Louisville scored two early second-half goals to take a 3-1 lead before Banda pulled one back to make it 3-2 late in stoppage time, but Louisville held on to pick up its first win of the season. With that result, the Orlando Pride’s four-match unbeaten streak came to an end. The Pride will look to bounce back Saturday, taking on the Washington Spirit at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 2-2 Draw vs. Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B came from behind to draw 2-2 against Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium Sunday. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime, but in the second half, OCB got a break as Chicago goalkeeper Owen Pratt scored an own goal to pull the Young Lions within one. Late in stoppage time, Nicolas Lasheras scored the equalizer for OCB. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-2 to earn a second point. OCB’s next match will be at home against Crown Legacy Sunday.

FA Cup Semifinals Recap

The FA Cup final is set after the semifinals concluded over the weekend at Wembley Stadium. On Saturday, after a scoreless first half, all the goals came in the second half as Finn Azaz scored the opener to give Southampton the lead, but Manchester City was able to overturn the deficit on goals from Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez to seal a 2-1 win against Southampton to advance to the FA Cup final for the fourth consecutive time. On Sunday, Enzo Fernandez’s lone goal in the first half was enough to pull Chelsea to a 1-0 win against Leeds United to book a spot in the final to face Manchester City. The FA Cup final will take place on May 16 at Wembley Stadium.

Free Kicks

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

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