Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/10/22

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! How is the new year treating everyone? Is the new piece of exercise equipment a clothes hanger yet? Are you participating in “dry January?” How long did your resolutions last this year? Why am I asking you so many questions? I’m not sure, but feel free to answer below. Let’s get to the links.
Getting to Know César Araújo
There was a giant sigh of relief from the Orlando City faithful following the signing of César Araújo. After weeks of rumors connecting the Lions with other players, Araújo ended up as the club’s first signing of the off-season. But, who is César Araújo? The 20-year-old Uruguayan midfielder left Montevideo Wanderers FC in Uruguay’s top flight for the City Beautiful, and is the typical No. 6 the Lions need to bolster the defense following the departures of Uri Rosell and Raul Aguilera Jr. Orlando signed him as part of the relatively new MLS U22 Initiative and you can learn more about that here.
Meanwhile, the rumored Facundo Torres saga has gone on longer than Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The deal is reportedly reaching its conclusion though, so hopefully Orlando will officially sign him this week. We also have the MLS SuperDraft to look forward to tomorrow as the Lions will aim to bring more young talent to Orlando.
Orlando City Reportedly Interested in Allocation List
The Lions may be looking to take over the top spot in the MLS Allocation Order that Inter Miami CF acquired from Charlotte FC yesterday in exchange for young defender Christian Makoun.
Hearing Orlando City are interested in making a play for No. 1 spot in allocation order. Inter Miami acquired it today from Charlotte for Makoun (per @samstejskal)
Realistic names for MLS clubs on Allocation List: Pity Martinez, DeAndre Yedlin, Carlos Gruezo, Chris Durkin + more
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 9, 2022
There are some interesting names on the allocation list, including those mentioned above. While talented, the player the Lions are after would need to fill a need for the team as well. Ruan’s presence would complicate a move for DeAndre Yedlin while Mauricio Pereyra’s role in the midfield would force a player like Pity Martinez to play out wide. The player to keep an eye on on the list is former Lion Yoshimar Yotun, who was linked with a return to Orlando earlier in the off-season. The 31-year-old has enough versatility to play all over the pitch and could be an option at left back considering Emmanuel Mas’ departure and Joao Moutinho’s injury history.
Dike Makes the Grade
Although Daryl Dike’s permanent move to West Bromwich Albion is bittersweet for Orlando City supporters, the forward’s transfer is a win for all parties involved. Dike heads to England with a chance to reach the English Premier League, West Brom receives a talented striker to help its struggling offense, and Orlando City earns a hefty transfer fee to spend during the off-season. Of course, this means the Lions need to replace their top scorer and Head Coach Óscar Pareja knows this will be a challenge.
Spoke to @OrlandoCitySC head Oscar Pareja this evening about Daryl Dike. He said replacing Dike “won’t be easy” and the club is being patient in their search for a new center forward.
Interested to see what type of No. 9 Orlando sign — profile like Dike’s or a playmaking No.9?
— Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) January 9, 2022
Other MLS Transfer Reports Continue to Surface
Orlando City isn’t the only club signing and transferring players. Diego Valeri might be leaving the Portland Timbers according to reports that he will return to Lanus in Argentina. The 35-year-old has been in MLS since 2013 and helped the Timbers win MLS Cup in 2015. The curious part is that he is signed through 2022.
The LA Galaxy are reportedly targeting French club Montpellier’s captain, attacking midfielder Téji Savanier. Charlotte FC’s second-ever signing was Riley McGree. He may now be their first transfer outside of MLS. If the 23-year-old does transfer, it will reportedly be to Celtic FC in the Scottish Premier League where he will face off against former Lion Chris Mueller at Hibernian FC. Canadian goalkeeper Sebastian Breza will play for CF Montreal again after being loaned to the MLS club from Bologna FC 1909 for the 2022 season.
Free Kicks
- While many players around the world are on the move, Josef Martinez stated he wants to stay at Atlanta United for the rest of his career. Can you imagine a soccer player wanting to play on turf? Oh, well.
- Amnesty International is asking the four teams in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, (Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao) to wear purple armbands in solidarity over women’s rights and equality issues.
- Senegal had three more players test positive for COVID-19 prior to leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. That brings the nation’s total to six players testing positive.
- Everton’s match against Leicester City set for tomorrow was called off as the Foxes have 13 outfield players and one keeper out due to COVID.
- In the FA Cup, Liverpool and Tottenham advanced to the fourth round while Arsenal fell to Nottingham Forest. England’s biggest clubs will avoid each other in the fourth round, with Nottingham facing Leicester and Tottenham taking on Brighton and Hove Albion.
That will do it for today. Have a great Monday as we get this week started!
Lion Links
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.

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.
Free Kicks
- Concacaf suspended Jesse Marsch for an additional game for arguing with the referee in Canada’s Nations League match against the U.S. As a result, he’ll miss Canada’s first two matches of this summer’s Gold Cup.
- Check out the host city posters for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. I like the synergy of Mexico’s entries, but Boston’s poster featuring a giant lobster as a goalkeeper is my favorite by far.
- Cece Kizer and NJ/NY Gotham FC agreed to terminate her contract for the forward to pursue other opportunities.
- Defender Virgil Van Dijk signed a two-year deal with Liverpool, extending his stay until 2027. The 33-year-old has been at Liverpool since joining from Southampton in 2018.
- Neymar had to exit just 34 minutes into his return for Santos in Brazil due to a thigh injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Lion Links
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.

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.
Free Kicks
- 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.
- LA Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his equalizing free kick against the Houston Dynamo in his 400th league appearance.
- As part of the league’s annual Earth Day celebrations, MLS unveiled this year’s One Planet kit. This one is themed after carbon neutrality efforts and includes a tree ring design.
- Manchester City announced that Australian forward Mary Fowler tore her ACL in the team’s FA Cup semifinal loss to Manchester United.
- Here’s everything you need to know ahead of today’s second legs in the Europa League quarterfinals. With storylines ranging from goalkeeper Andre Onana’s possible redemption to Bodo/Glimt’s Cinderella run, it should be a fun day of soccer.
- Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee will miss the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links 4/16/25
Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

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.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped two spots in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings thanks to the 0-0 draw with the New York Red Bulls. Fortunately, they’re still above the Red Bulls for whatever that is worth.
- The Women’s UEFA Champions League is down to four clubs. Here is your preview for the semi-finals.
- Orlando City did not make the Week 8 Moments of the Matchday. That’s not really surprising given there weren’t really any “moments” to speak of in the match.
- New York Red Bulls midfielder Omar Valencia was fined by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violating the simulation-embellishment policy against Orlando City.
- French Ligue 1 clubs on Tuesday voted to break their television deal with DAZN. There is no stated plan for next season.
- USWNT and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps is heaps happy that her USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger have joined her in Europe.
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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