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Lion Links: 7/16/21

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4 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? Thank gosh it’s Friday so we can start shifting gears from the work week to the weekend. I personally don’t have much planned this weekend, but it will be nice to relax and enjoy Orlando City and the Orlando Pride in action. The Olympics are also only a week away now, although the United States Women’s National Team will play before the opening ceremony as its first game is against Sweden on July 21. But for now, enjoy today’s links from around the soccer world.

Daryl Dike Scores Brace in U.S. Win Against Martinique

Orlando forward Daryl Dike scored twice in the United States Men’s National Team’s 5-1 win over Martinique in the Concacaf Gold Cup. In the 14th minute, Matthew Hoppe delivered a nice cross from the left side and Dike headed it in to give the U.S. an early lead.

Later, in the 23rd minute, Hoppe pounced on a loose ball in the box and made a nice backheel pass to a wide open Gianluca Busio, whose shot hit the crossbar. Dike got to the rebound first with his head and Martinique defender Samuel Camille couldn’t keep it out. There was some debate on if Dike would be credited with the goal, but it was ultimately decided to be an own goal. Regardless, Dike ended up getting his brace anyway in the 59th minute after a give-and-go with Cristian Roldan. While powering past defenders, Dike made three perfect touches on the ball to become the second-youngest USMNT player to score two goals in a Gold Cup game.

Center back Miles Robinson, forward Gyasi Zardes, and Nicholas Gioacchini scored the USMNT’s other three goals. Hoppe, Eryk Williamson, Roldan, and Gianluca Busio all earned their first assists with the USMNT as well. However, midfielder Kellyn Acosta conceded a penalty, which Martinique converted, and although the U.S. leveled Canada in goal difference, the Canadians still own the goals scored tiebreaker. The U.S. can only win the group with a win on Sunday but is through to the quarterfinals regardless.

Speaking of Canada, it secured its spot in the next round after winning 4-1 against Haiti. Former Lion Cyle Larin scored a brace and leads the tournament with three goals so far. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see a showdown between Dike and Larin.

In the quarterfinals, the U.S. and Canada will take on the top two teams from Group C. You can see those nations in action tonight at Exploria Stadium as Jamaica plays Guadeloupe at 6:30 p.m. and Costa Rica takes on Suriname at 8:30 p.m. The Mane Land will be out there providing coverage.

Orlando City Faces Toronto FC Tomorrow Night

For the first time since 2019, the Lions are headed to Canada for a game against Toronto FC tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. This is the third time the two sides meet this season, with Orlando winning both of the previous matches played at Exploria Stadium. Although the two teams are on opposite ends of the Eastern Conference standings, the Lions are on a two-game losing streak while Toronto is coming off of a big 3-2 win against the New England Revolution. Toronto is missing five players due to the Gold Cup, including forward Ayo Akinola and former Lion Richie Laryea. But the Canadian club will still have Designated Players Alejandro Pozuelo, Yeferson Soteldo, and Jozy Altidore available for tomorrow’s match.

Those players will certainly test an Orlando defense that has conceded five goals in its past two matches. The defense is focused on returning to the strong defensive play that Orlando started the season with.

“We need to work on it and try to just get back to the winning feeling,” center back Robin Jansson said. “It’s going back to the base of our way to play and keeping the team together and just starting from the ground and doing the basic stuff.”

Orlando will also benefit from the returns of defensive midfielder Sebas Mendez and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and fullbacks Joao Moutinho and Ruan could see some minutes tomorrow as well.

Orlando Pride Face the Portland Thorns This Sunday

The Lions aren’t the only ones taking a long-distance trip this weekend. The Pride will head west for a match-up against the Portland Thorns at 10:30 p.m. this Sunday night. Both teams are tied with the North Carolina Courage for first place in the NWSL standings so there is plenty to play for. The Pride came out on top in the most recent meeting between the two, winning 2-1 at Exploria Stadium. After starting the season with seven straight games without a loss, the Pride are winless in their last three and face a Thorns defense that has shut out its last two opponents. Like the Pride, the Thorns are without some of the better players due to the Olympics, as Crystal Dunn, Christine Sinclair, Lindsey Horan, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Adrianna Franch are all in Tokyo.

With Alex Morgan at the Olympics, the Pride’s other forwards will need to step up to take some of the load off of Sydney Leroux. Forward Jodie Taylor was signed by the Pride last week and discussed how she is settling in with the team.

Americans Are Becoming the Popular Kids

FC Dallas Homegrown Player Tanner Tessmann was signed by Serie A club Venezia FC. The 19-year-old midfielder is the latest young American player to head abroad as more European clubs look to the U.S. for potential talent. The Colorado Rapids are in the final stages of an agreement with Belgian club Royal Antwerp for left back Sam Vines, who is currently with the USMNT for the Gold Cup. D.C. United Homegrown Players Kevin Paredes and Moses Nyeman are reportedly generating some interest from Europe as well. In Orlando, Dike and Chris Mueller have both attracted attention from overseas this year. Gregg Berhalter weighed in on how a spotlight is starting to fall on young Americans in MLS.

“It seems like, from my experience in Europe, my experience in MLS,” said USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter in a Wednesday night media availability, “we’ve gotten to a point where there is critical mass. And what I mean by that is, we’ve had enough American players that have been successful overseas in Europe that now clubs are looking at the United States as a market.”

Free Kicks

  • Check out some footage of recently acquired left back Emmanuel Mas training with the squad.

That’s going to be all I have for you today. Make sure to stay safe and hydrated out there during this hot summer. Enjoy all of the soccer this weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/23/25

Orlando City signs Thomas Williams to new contract, Orlando Pride schedule revealed, USMNT wins against Costa Rica, and more.

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6 hours ago

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January 23, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

I hope you all are staying warm as we deal with cold weather across Florida. It’s at least been nice to break out some of my heavier blankets and forgotten hot cocoa packets I’ve had stored away. My cat has also been curling up next to me more, which is always a plus. Still, not shivering while waiting for my car to warm up would be great. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Thomas Williams Signs New Orlando City Contract

Orlando City center back Thomas Williams signed a new contract with the club that lasts through 2026, with an option for 2027 as well. Williams joined the club’s academy back in 2015 and became the youngest Homegrown Player in club history when he signed a first-team contract at 16 years old in 2021. The 20-year-old hasn’t featured much for the first team, and he’ll likely spend most of this year with Orlando City B for consistent playing time. Hopefully Williams can take a step forward in his development and provide the Lions some helpful depth at center back in the event of injuries.

Orlando Pride 2025 Season Schedule Unveiled

The NWSL announced its 2025 season schedule Wednesday, and the Orlando Pride will start their title defense season at home against the Chicago Red Stars on March 14. Their first road game will be the following weekend on March 23 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Decision Day returns to the schedule this year, with all 14 clubs in action on Nov. 2. The Pride will close out their regular season at home that day against the Seattle Reign, with the postseason set to begin on Nov. 7. There’s also a break in the schedule in July, with no regular-season games scheduled due to international tournaments like the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Copa America Femenina.

USMNT Shuts Out Costa Rica in Orlando

The United States Men’s National Team beat Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Wednesday night to stay perfect at the home of the Lions and Pride at 7-0-0. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen truly earned his clean sheet, coming up with some great saves to deny Costa Rica. It was also a solid attacking performance from the Yanks, and Patrick Agyemang put a bow on what’s been a great month for him with his second goal in as many games. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has some time to assess things before the USMNT plays Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 20

Keeping Up With MLS Transfer News

San Diego FC added another Designated Player ahead of its inaugural season, signing Danish winger Anders Dreyer from Anderlecht for a transfer fee reportedly near $5 million. He recorded 31 goals and 23 assists in 87 appearances across all competitions for Anderlecht and joins San Diego on a three-year deal. Charlotte FC officially added Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray. He’ll occupy a DP spot and the loan lasts through Jan. 16, 2026, with an option to extend it through June of that year as well.

LAFC made a trade with its rival to strengthen its midfield, acquiring Mark Delgado from the LA Galaxy in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money. The Portland Timbers signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk as an MLS U22 Initiative player, with FC Cincinnati receiving GAM for his discovery rights. Real Salt Lake, which signed Mason Stajduhar from Orlando City earlier this month, continued to make changes to its goalkeeping group. The club signed veteran goalkeeper Rafael Cabral as a free agent and transferred 19-year-old American Gavin Beavers to Brondby IF in Denmark.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

The penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase wrapped up this week. Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City 4-2 in the heavyweight matchup of the round, with all six goals coming in the second half. Joao Neves gave PSG the lead in the 78th minute before Goncalo Ramos put the game on ice in stoppage time. City now needs to win its final game against Club Brugge on Wednesday in order to advance.

Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 win against RB Salzburg to advance, with both Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. scoring braces. Celtic also booked its spot in the next round after a 1-0 win against Young Boys. Feyenoord pulled off an upset by winning 3-0 against Bayern Munich as well. Elsewhere in the tournament, AC Milan won 1-0 at home against Girona, Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0, and RB Leipzig did well in a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP.

Free Kicks

  • American goalkeeper Michelle Betos announced her retirement from professional soccer after a career that included winning the 2016 NWSL Shield with the Portland Thorns and the 2023 NWSL Championship with Gotham. Betos was also named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year with the Thorns in 2015.
  • Arsenal and Chelsea are among the multiple clubs reportedly keeping an eye on American forward Trinity Rodman, whose contract with the Washington Spirit ends after this year.
https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1882171400481542482

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a great Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 21, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

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

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