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Lion Links: 11/9/21

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3 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: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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3 days ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

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4 days ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

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  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

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 4/16/25

Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

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5 days ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.

All the Rankings

With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.

OCB Falls to Inter Miami II

Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.

Generation Adidas Cup Matchups

Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.

U.S. Eyes Gold Cup

We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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