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Lion Links: 3/16/21

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4 years ago

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Happy St. Patrick’s Eve, Mane Landers! I’m back a lot sooner than any of us expected, but since I’m here we might as well try to make the best of it. I don’t know how many of you have ordered the new Thick N Thin home kit, but mine arrived the other day, and I have to say that it looks even better in person. Let’s see what made the news today.

Lions Defeat Union

Orlando City won the club’s first 2021 preseason scrimmage 1-0 against the Philadelphia Union. Alexander Alvarado scored the lone goal of the match. While both teams played some of their younger players, the Union still fielded a pretty strong lineup. The match provided an opportunity for Óscar Pareja to evaluate his players, including the younger Lions. Orlando City will be back in action this Thursday in a closed door match against New York City FC.

Musah is Officially a Yank

Yunus Musah had the opportunity to play internationally for England, Ghana, Italy or the United States. As of yesterday, the 18-year-old multinational committed to compete for the U.S. Musah made two appearances in friendlies for the U.S. against Wales and Panama last November. The young midfielder currently plays for Valencia in La Liga. Musah’s decision to play for the U.S. adds another outstanding player to the USMNT, and makes him another piece in what could be a golden generation for U.S. Soccer. If this news alone isn’t enough to get you excited, take a look at this.

Pato’s Happy Decision

Orlando City supporters were very happy to hear that Alexandre Pato signed with the club, but it seems that Pato made that decision in order for he and his family to also find their own happiness.

“I received many opportunities to go to Europe again, to Asia and the Emirates. I said to my family, ‘No, I want to be more happy.’ I don’t know, maybe other places have very good football and nice people, but I said, ‘No, I want a new challenge’ but I need to find someplace nice for a family,” Pato said.

“I expected for the new step, for the new club to get my happiness back for myself. I want to just be happy. I am 31-years-old and I am still so young. My mentality is empowered. I understand what I need to do to enjoy my work. I need to work hard. You get some things important in your life, you need to work hard. So that’s my challenge when I accept to come to Orlando,” he added.

Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Approaches

This Thursday, the U-23 USMNT will take on Costa Rica to start Concacaf Olympic qualification. The U.S. is in Group A with Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. As I’m certain you are aware, Orlando City’s Andrés Perea and Benji Michel are on the roster for the competition. Since the under-23 rule was instituted, the U.S. has qualified in four out of seven attempts. Gregg Berhalter’s squad will try to make it five.

Free Kicks

  • Just a little preseason workout for Orlando City. I know it might not look too hard, but those professional athletes are moving very deliberately.

  • Folarin Balogun is a dual national who could still conceivably play for the USMNT. Most hadn’t given him much thought as he’s been playing with the English youth national teams for a while, but once Musah announced his intentions, Balogun put out this cryptic Tweet. What it means (if anything) is anyone’s guess at this point.

  • Soccer skill seems to run in Nani’s family. His younger cousin, Sidnei Tavares, is getting minutes and making waves at Leicester City. It won’t be long before some of the bigger clubs in Europe come knocking.
  • D.C. United’s Steve Birnbaum will be out for 2-3 months due to ankle surgery. D.C.’s captain was expected back sooner, but physicians determined that the additional operation was necessary.
  • Jose Gallegos from San Antonio FC of the USL is headed to a two-week trial with Bayern Munich. Gallegos was a finalist for the USL “Young Player of the Year” award, and now is a potential transfer for the Bavarian club.
  • I’m going to end today with a level of adorableness usually reserved for Baby Groot. It seems that Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger, and Ashlyn Harris got the kids together for a play date. Enjoy.

And if that wasn’t cute enough…

Have a great day!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/5/25

Orlando City rising, Ally Watt is staying, the Challenge Cup looms, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

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March 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! We’re almost completely back. Orlando City is playing matches, with the Orlando Pride and OCB slated to start their respective 2025 slates this weekend. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. So without further ado, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City on the Rise

It should come as no surprise to longtime readers that I find the idea of power rankings to be the junk food of sports journalism. Sometimes it’s fun to indulge, but ultimately it’s just empty calories. That being said, Orlando City rose six spots in MLSsoccer.com’s rankings this week. The site is also enamored with right back Alex Freeman, making him one of the big stories in MLS in Week 2. They might actually be right on that account.

Ally Watt is Staying

The Orlando Pride announced that the club exercised Ally Watt’s mutual option for the 2026 season. Watt played her part in the Pride’s historic 2024 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship run. Watt produced seven goal contributions last year. Now the attacker will look to increase that production as the club attempts to repeat the success of last season.

The Challenge Cup Approaches

It’s been 102 days since the Orlando Pride last lifted a trophy. Friday, the club will have a chance to do so again in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but this time it features a rematch of the NWSL Championship match between the Pride and the Washington Spirit. The format is supposed to be the Shield winner against the Championship winner, but since the Pride won both, the runner-up gets a shot.

NWSL Roster Moves

The NWSL’s new collective bargaining agreement has changed how the clubs in the league manage their rosters and acquire new talent. Big names like Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) are able to have agency in where they want to play when being traded. There were several big inner-league signings in the off-season, though not all saw a player move. One of the biggest was when the Orlando Pride gave Marta a contract extension. The landscape has changed for the league, and that’s not a bad thing.

Free Kicks

@houstondash.com forward Yuki Nagasato, 2011 World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, has announced her retirement from professional soccer.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-03T21:26:32.770Z

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/4/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, U.S. women announce friendlies against China, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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March 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! What a happy Tuesday it is, too, as Orlando City bounced back in a big way to earn its first victory of the season on Saturday. As if that wasn’t enough, the Lions will be back in action again on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will return to competitive action in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit on Friday, and OCB kicks off its season Sunday against Columbus. Before we get started, let’s wish Pride midfielder Ally Lemos a happy 21st birthday! We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get cracking.

Lions Earn Weekly Plaudits

A pair of Lions have been rewarded for their performances in Orlando City’s 4-2 triumph over Toronto FC with places in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Cesar Araujo finds himself in the starting lineup after notching a spectacular goal and assist, while Alex Freeman makes the bench after marking his first senior start with his first professional goal. Freeman also earned a shoutout as one of the standout Young Players of the Matchday. Both men turned in impressive performances during the win, with Sean Rollins grading Araujo a 7.5 out of 10 and naming him the Man of the Match, with Freeman close behind on a 7 out of 10. Congrats and keep up the good work!

U.S. Women Announce China Matches

The United States Women’s National Team has announced that it will play a pair of friendlies against China at the end of spring. The USWNT will play the Steel Roses on Saturday, May 31 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN, and then on Tuesday, June 3 at Energizer Park in St. Louis. While China is the team that the U.S. has played second most behind only Canada, it will be the first meeting between the two nations since the end of 2023. The St. Louis game will also have a pre-match celebration for Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced her retirement at the end of last year.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, with European cup action once again featured prominently. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will host Lille in the Round of 16 tomorrow, while Richy Ledezma and PSV Eindhoven will welcome Arsenal. Thursday sees Tanner Tessman and Lyon traveling to face Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis take on Vitória Guimarães in the UEFA Conference League. Things finish on Friday with the red-hot Josh Sargent and Norwich City hosting Oxford in Championship play, while Mark McKenzie and Toulouse face off against Moncao.

Women’s Club World Cup Could be Delayed

FIFA had intended on starting a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup in 2026, but that plan may be facing delays. While the tournament reportedly has plenty of support within FIFA and its various federations, there are said to be ongoing discussions about pushing the start date back a couple years to allow more time for preparations to be made. Initial plans called for the tournament to take place between January and February 2026, but that date is fast approaching and no concrete plans have been made. A possible solution could be holding a four-team mini-tournament in 2026, with the full 16-team version then debuting later down the road. Who knows, if the Orlando Pride can have a 2025 campaign similar to last year’s, maybe we’ll see them there.

Free Kicks

  • Forgive my language, but Eduard Atuesta positively ran his ass off on Saturday, covering 8.18 miles — the most of any MLS player on Matchday 2.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/3/25

Lions defeat Toronto FC, MLS weekend recap, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

March 3, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I got a break from covering high school sports, and I finally got to see Captain America: Brave New World and catch up on some shows. It was a fantastic weekend for our Lions to get their first win of the 2025 season. This weekend, we have the Lions, Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B are all in action. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Defeat Toronto FC for First Win of MLS Season

Orlando City bounced back from its opening day loss with a 4-2 win against Toronto FC on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium and secured its first win of the 2025 season. Cesar Araujo, Alex Freeman, Martin Ojeda, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson scored for the Lions. Toronto FC scored two late goals in the second half, but Orlando was in control at that point. The Lions scored six goals across their first two matches this season, the most scored in their first two games since the team joined Major League Soccer. Orlando City will have its first road test of the season on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, taking on New York City FC.

Orlando City Signs Three Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against Toronto FC, Orlando City announced that the club had signed midfielders Colin Guske and Gustavo Caraballo and defender Zakaria Taifi to short-term contracts. All three players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut, becoming the youngest player to ever get MLS minutes with OCSC. Taifi and Guske did not get into the game. Guske and Caraballo were signed to short-term contracts the previous week and were on the bench for the Lions’ opening day match against the Philadelphia Union but didn’t play.

MLS Weekend Recap

Week two is in the books after another exciting weekend of Major League Soccer action. Wilfried Zaha scored his first MLS goal and added an assist as Charlotte FC defeated Atlanta United 2-0. Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls won their matches with the Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC, respectively, by the same score. The Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, LAFC, and the Portland Timbers all won 1-0 matches over the New England Revolution, CF Montreal, New York City FC, and Austin FC, respectively. The Philadelphia Union cruised past FC Cincinnati 4-1, while the San Jose Earthquakes edged Sporting Kansas City 2-1. The Colorado Rapids had a 2-0 lead with Rafael Navarro scoring twice, but FC Dallas fought back in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Hugo Cuypers scored twice for the Chicago Fire, but D.C. United grabbed a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw, while San Diego FC and St. Louis City ended scoreless. On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1, while former Lion Nico Lodeiro scored his first goal for the Houston Dynamo, but Inter Miami won 4-1 on the road.

Americans Abroad

Two Americans squared off in the EFL Championship as former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom battled Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United. Aaronson played 72 minutes while Dike came off the bench late in the second half as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. In the FA Cup, Antonee Robinson and Fulham defeated Manchester United 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 16. Matt Turner started in goal, and Chris Richards recorded an assist as Crystal Palace defeated Millwall 3-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Fulham will face Crystal Palace in the quarterfinals on March 29. Ethan Horvath started in goal, but Cardiff City fell 2-0 to Aston Villa while, Tyler Adams’ Bournemouth side defeated Wolverhampton 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and will face Manchester City in the quarterfinals. Johnny Cardoso scored his first league goal in La Liga as Real Betis defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday. Naomi Girma made her debut for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Sunday but suffered an injury and came off the pitch in the second half in a 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride wrapped up their preseason over the weekend. The Pride will open their 2025 season against the Washington Spirit on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

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

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