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Lion Links: 12/5/21

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers! Rub those eyes, pour some coffee, and pull up to a heaping helping of Lion Links.

Report: Lions Linked to Uruguayan Winger Facundo Torres

Reports out of South America have linked Orlando City with a move for 21-year-old Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres of Peñarol. The young attacking player would fit the MLS Under-22 Initiative perfectly, as a developing player. If signed to that type of contract, it would take up one of Orlando City’s Designated Player slots. Torres has 10 appearances with the Uruguayan national team since getting his first cap in 2021, but has yet to score for La Celeste at the senior level. He has 10 goals in 49 games with Peñarol over the last two seasons — five each in 2020 and 2021. The Lions could use a dynamic winger after opting not to pick up the option on Nani’s contract and losing Chris Mueller to Scottish side Hibernian. The release fee per the linked story is a hefty one, at $20 million, although the story indicates Peñarol may be open to taking less — in the neighborhood of $14 million. Either way, it would represent a club record transfer for Orlando. We will continue to track this rumor, but it’s worth noting that Torres has also been linked with a possible move to LAFC, Brazil, and Europe.

Dike Not Invited to December USMNT Camp

Orlando City striker Daryl Dike was not called into the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 26-man December training camp by coach Gregg Berhalter in preparation for a Dec. 18 friendly in Los Angeles against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Athletic’s Sam Stesjkal reported ($) Berhalter left Dike out so he could rest after logging “nearly 3,300 minutes in 49 games in 2021, all while dealing with a series of different knocks.” According to Stesjkal, Berhalter told reporters on Friday:

“He’s had a long year. He’s beat up, he needs recovery and the most important thing at this time for Daryl is to get rest and recovery so that he can focus on coming back into January and building himself up again.”

Reported Pride Coaching Target Departs UCLA

The Equalizer’s Jeff Kassouf reported this week that the Orlando Pride intend to hire UCLA women’s soccer coach Amanda Cromwell as the club’s new head coach. UCLA announced on Friday that Cromwell is “departing for other opportunities.” The Pride have yet to publicly announce a hiring, the club’s postseason contract decisions, or any trades that might have been completed before Friday’s deadline, aside from sending Jodie Taylor to expansion side San Diego Wave FC.

Portland Wins Western Conference Final; Philadelphia Loses 11 Players for Today’s Eastern Final

Real Salt Lake’s Cinderella story came to a close with a 2-0 loss at Portland Saturday night. Felipe More scored five minutes into the game to put the Timbers ahead 1-0 early. Santiago Moreno added a goal in the 61st minute on a shot off the post that hit the back of goalkeeper David Ochoa and bounced in to make it 2-0. Portland will host MLS Cup regardless of who wins the Eastern Conference final.

The Philadelphia Union will be at a serious disadvantage in today’s MLS Eastern Conference final (ABC, 3 p.m.) because 11 of its players are listed as “out” due to the league’s Health and Safety protocols. Team captain Alejandro Bedoya, goalkeeper Andre Blake, attacker Sergio Santos, and the Union’s entire starting back line from its last match are among the 11 players who will miss the game due to quarantine. While NYCFC also will not be at full strength as 2021 MLS Golden Boot award winner Taty Castellanos sits out after receiving a red card in NYCFC’s semifinal win over New England on Tuesday night, the Pigeons are obviously in a much better position than the Union.


Free Kicks:

  • Former Lion Chris Mueller announced his arrival to Hibernian Friday on social media.

And his new club announced him to fans on Saturday.

  • Mexican wrestling meets Mexican soccer in this kit release. What do you think? I don’t want one but I do want to re-watch Nacho Libre now.


Keep your eyes peeled this week for confirmation (or not) of the report that the Pride are close to trading Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris to NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Have a great week, Mane Landers!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/12/25

Leagues Cup Schedule released, Sams and Moorhouse called up, Champions League results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s new home kit reveal day, so get ready to potentially spend some money. I may end up getting one regardless of how it looks. I’ve lost some weight, and while that is good, none of my jerseys fit anymore. I hope it’s a good one.

We want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Jhon Solis. Additionally, I want to wish my son Chris a very happy birthday. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Fixtures Revealed

The official Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One schedule dropped Tuesday, meaning we now know Orlando City’s first three matches of the competition. All three matches will be played at Inter&Co Stadium against Liga MX squads. The Lions will face Pumas UNAM in the first match on July 30, followed by Atlas FC on Aug. 2, and then Necaxa on Aug. 6. Phase One of the competition is effectively a group stage. If Orlando City can advance out of Phase One, the Lions will head to the knockout rounds.

Pride International Call Ups

The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse received call-ups for the USWNT and the England Women’s National Team, respectively. USWNT Coach Emma Hayes included Sams on her 23-player roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The U.S. will play matches against Japan, Australia, and Colombia.

Moorhouse was selected by Lioness coach Sarina Wiegman for the UEFA Women’s Nations League. England’s first two matches are against Portugal on Feb. 21 and against Spain on Feb. 26. After that, the competition continues in April.

MLS Transfer Round Up

With Orlando City finally signing some new players, other MLS clubs continue to make moves in the off-season. Former Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso signed with the Houston Dynamo through 2025 with an option for 2026. Houston is the Bear’s third MLS club.

French second-division side Amiens SC is in a selling mood. The club sent defender Osaze Urhoghide to FC Dallas. Minnesota United FC signed midfielder Owen Gene from Amiens SC to an MLS U22 Initiative contract.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union signed Homegrown forward Eddy Davis III, and D.C. United signed midfielder Brandon Servania. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Daniel to a contract extension, and Nashville SC signed midfielder Matthew Corcoran from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC.

Champions League Results

UEFA Champions League continued Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain getting things going with a 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembélé scored a brace in the match to cement the victory. Borussia Dortmund also managed a 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon. All three goals came in the second half, including Serhou Guirassy’s 10th in the competition to equal Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid scored two goals to come from behind and defeat Manchester City 3-2. Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Weston McKennie got things going for Juventus in its 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the new kit. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

Free Kicks


That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/10/25

Orlando City falls to CF Montreal in preseason scrimmage, latest OCSC transfer rumblings, MLS transfer roundup, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Under Armour has been keeping me busy, and I’ve been covering some high school basketball. We are less than two weeks away from the 2025 MLS season kicking off, with the Lions’ home opener on Feb. 22 against the Philadelphia Union. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. Before we do, we want to thank subscriber Dave Shine for upgrading to a Designated Player support level. We appreciate all of our supporters, and to see if one of our three levels of support is right for you, please visit our Buy Me a Coffee page.

Orlando City Falls to CF Montreal in Preseason Scrimmage

Orlando City suffered a preseason loss on Saturday, falling 2-1 to CF Montreal in a 120-minute friendly scrimmage at Inter&Co Stadium. The match remained scoreless after 90 minutes of play, and the two clubs played an extra 30-minute session. CF Montreal took a 2-0 lead before Nico Lodeiro scored a late free-kick goal for the Lions to make it 2-1. The Lions’ next preseason match will be Tuesday against USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in a closed-door scrimmage. Orlando will conclude its preseason friendly schedule on Friday in Tampa against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium.

Latest Orlando City Transfer Reports

The Lions have been busy as we get close to their home opener in 12 days. Midfielder Eduard Atuesta reportedly had his medical exam with Orlando City on Friday, but nothing is official until it’s official. Atuesta reportedly terminated his contract with Palmeiras two years before it expired, and the Brazilian club will keep 20% of any future sale as Orlando works towards finalizing the deal.

Meanwhile, the Lions have also reportedly submitted a transfer bid to Bolivian club Always Ready midfielder Moises Paniagua. Per the source post from Twitter, the bid was lower than the club is expecting for Paniagua.

Lastly, defender Noham Abdellaoui of Serie A side Genoa has reportedly signed a one-year contract to join Orlando City. This seems like more of a move the club would make to stock OCB than the first team, but we’ll wait to see if it becomes official.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. CF Montreal added a pair of defenders, signing former Lion Luca Petrasso through the 2025 season with options for 2026 and 2027. He played against Orlando City on Saturday. Montreal also signed defender Brandan Craig through the 2025 season with options for 2026, 2027, and 2028. New York Red Bulls forward Lewis Morgan has reached an agreement on a new contract, extending his deal through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028. The Chicago Fire have signed defender Omar Gonzalez on a contract for the 2025 season with a club option for 2026.

Keeping Up With Americans Abroad

We had another busy weekend featuring Americans in action in Europe. Norwich City forward Josh Sargent continues his stellar form as he scored in his third consecutive match in a 1-1 draw against Derby County on Saturday. Sargent has scored four goals in his last three appearances for the EFL Championship side. Christian Pulisic came off the bench for AC Milan in the second half and notched two assists as AC Milan defeated Empoli 2-0 and moved to seventh in the Serie A table. Cardiff City goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made three clutch saves in an FA Cup match against Stoke City. One was in the penalty shootout as Cardiff City defeated Stoke City 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw and move on to the Round of 16.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena tweeted that he recently had surgery at the end of January. We here at The Mane Land wish Wilder a speedy recovery.
  • Former Lion Alexandre Pato visited his former teammates during preseason training last week.
  • Orlando City announced its theme night calendar for the 2025 season, featuring wrestling night, pride in our city night, and a video game night.
  • Plymouth Argyle defeated Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday to knock out the Reds in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
  • After multiple delays, the popular mobile game Football Manager 25 has been canceled just weeks before its March release. Sports Interactive issued the following statement on social media.

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

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