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Lion Links: 1/12/22

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Hello, Mane Landers. I hope you’re doing well down in Florida. I’ve been busy applying for jobs in the Chicagoland area and I’m looking forward to my next challenge. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City left back Joao Moutinho as he turns 24 today!

Orlando City SC Makes Three MLS SuperDraft Picks

Orlando City had the 18th pick in each of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft’s three rounds. The Lions’ first-round selection was forward Jack Lynn from Notre Dame. Lynn scored 31 goals and had eight assists in his collegiate career and helped the Fighting Irish win an ACC Championship title in 2021. Head Coach Oscar Pareja gave Lynn a call after choosing him and the young forward is excited to get to work in Orlando.

The Lions selected defender Nathan Dossantos from Marshall in the second round. The center back won an NCAA championship in 2020 and helped the Thundering Herd earn nine clean sheets during his senior season. With their final pick, Orlando chose left-footed winger Nick Taylor out of UCF in the third round. Taylor played in 16 matches for the Knights in 2021, scoring three goals and adding nine assists. Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi shared his perspective on the team’s selections in this year’s draft.

“Yeah we’re very satisfied, we thought that it was a great draft considering we had number 18,” said Orlando City EVP of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi. “You don’t expect to have the guy that you wanted at that position, so considering that alone, we’re very happy with the draft. The guys have a chance to come in and show their talent, and right now we’re happy with the characteristics that we found in those guys.”

Orlando Pride Acquire Darian Jenkins from the Kansas City Current

The Orlando Pride acquired forward Darian Jenkins from the Kansas City Current in exchange for $75,000 in allocation money and the Pride’s natural second-round pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Jenkins started in 18 of her 22 appearances for Kansas City last year, scoring three goals. She has experience playing under Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell in college, tallying 29 goals and 12 assists across four years at UCLA. The 27-year-old will help fill the void in the attack after Alex Morgan and Jodie Taylor departed this off-season. Pride General Manager Ian Fleming gave some insight on the move for Jenkins.

“We are very proud to be able to welcome Darian to our club,” Orlando Pride General Manager Ian Fleming said in a press release. “We have followed Darian’s progress for some time and felt that this was the right moment and the right deal to be able to bring her to Orlando. It is a new and exciting era for the Pride and Darian’s qualities fit the vision we have for the future of our organization. We are pleased that she is going to be a part of it.”

How the Rest of the SuperDraft Shook Out

Charlotte FC made its first selection as an expansion club by picking Maryland Terrapins midfielder Ben Bender with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Bender was the first of five Generation Adidas players taken off the board with the first five picks. FC Cincinnati selected goalkeeper Roman Celentano out of Indiana with the second pick, FC Dallas chose Saint Louis forward Isaiah Parker third, the Houston Dynamo went with striker Thorleifur Ulfarsson out of Duke at No. 4, and Austin FC took defender Kipp Keller from Saint Louis with the fifth pick.

Parker and Keller were two of four Saint Louis players taken in the first round, with the Columbus Crew selecting goalkeeper Patrick Schulte with the 12th pick and forward Simon Becher chosen by the Vancouver Whitecaps with the 16th pick. Another notable selection came from the San Jose Earthquakes as they chose Burkinabé forward Ousseni Bouda from Stanford.

Pride Midfielder Will Feature in NWSL Series

The National Women’s Soccer League announced a new series called Game Changers that will put the spotlight on NWSL athletes’ lives off the pitch. The series will premiere on Thursday and will focus on topics such as the Black Women’s Player Collective, overcoming adversity, and small business. Orlando Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak will be featured as she’ll share details about returning to the field after retiring following the 2019 NWSL season to focus on her mental health. Former Pride player Jamia Fields will also speak about the clothing brand she launched since joining the Houston Dash. Chicago Red Stars defender Arin Wright, NJ/NY Gotham FC defender Imani Dorsey, and OL Reign midfielder Quinn will also be featured.

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

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/1/24

Orlando City plays Charlotte FC tonight, Orlando Pride get ready for the Seattle Reign, NWSL playoff scenarios, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to November, Mane Landers! It’s kind of crazy that there are only two months left of 2024, and I’m not looking forward to the holiday shopping frenzy. I checked on how my resolutions are doing for this year and am going to have to pick up the pace if I want to reach my reading goals. Let’s get this November started with today’s links!

Lions Takes On Charlotte FC Tonight

Orlando City has a chance to book its spot in the next round of the playoffs tonight when it faces off against Charlotte FC at 7:30 p.m. This will be Charlotte’s first playoff game at home since joining the league and it will likely be a loud environment for the Lions to deal with. Charlotte is without Designated Player Pep Biel due to his red card, but midfielders Kerwin Vargas and Patrick Agyemang are more than capable of making an impact. The Lions will have to remain at the top of their game to avoid the series being sent back to Orlando for Game 3 on Nov. 9.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Regular Season Finale

The Orlando Pride will aim to get back on track Saturday night when they take on the Seattle Reign at home in their final game of the regular season. After a pair of losses, a match against the Reign presents a good chance for the team to return to its winning ways after securing its first NWSL Shield. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the international break gives the team a decent chance to reset, as well as how playing at home should give the team a boost.

NWSL Playoff Race Nears Its End

While the Pride secured the top spot in the standings weeks ago, a majority of the league has plenty on the line this weekend. There are three teams in contention for the final two playoff spots, and there’s a three-team race for the second seed in the playoffs. The Portland Thorns can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a result tonight against Angel City FC, while Bay FC can clinch with a result tomorrow night against the Houston Dash. If either team loses, it opens the door for Racing Louisville to snatch a spot in the playoffs on Sunday against the San Diego Wave. After last year’s drama that included the Pride narrowly missing out on the playoffs, I’m glad things are already locked up for Orlando this year.

USWNT’s New Era Off to Strong Start

One of the biggest takeaways from the United States Women’s National Team’s trio of victories in the recent international window was how many new players took the field and impressed. Head Coach Emma Hayes utilized plenty of rotation across the three matches, and Pride defender Emily Sams was one of seven players who made their debut. Sams received a rating of 7 coming off the bench in the team’s win over Argentina, a match that showcased just how deep the U.S. player pool is. It’s been a fantastic past few months for Hayes, who leaned on innovation and experimentation with Chelsea and has the U.S. rebuilding while still staying on top.

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  • Forward Diana Ordonez won’t play in the Dash’s final game of the season after undergoing successful surgery earlier this week.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/31/24

Orlando City focused on Game 2, USWNT beats Argentina, U.S. loses in U-17 World Cup, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Halloween! I don’t have any plans for the holiday beyond annoying my cat by dressing him up like a wizard for some photos. Scary movies aren’t exactly my thing either, but I hope you all have a fun time celebrating regardless. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira!

Lions Stay Focused Ahead of Playoff Match

Orlando City will aim to close out its playoff series with Charlotte FC on Friday when the two sides square off in North Carolina. The Lions may be riding high after a solid 2-0 win at home to start its playoff campaign, but Head Coach Oscar Pareja has the team focused on finishing the job to advance to the next round. Pareja spoke about how Orlando’s ability to react and solve problems is a strength and helped the Lions win the first game of the series.

As for Charlotte, MLSsoccer.com‘s Joseph Lowery has it as one of the more likely clubs to turn things around and force a Game 3. Charlotte will have to keep Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda from running rampant if it wants that to happen. Orlando also won’t have to deal with Charlotte midfielder Pep Biel in Friday’s match, as the appeal for the Designated Player’s red card was rejected.

USWNT Shuts Out Argentina

The United States Women’s National Team closed out the international window with a 3-0 win over Argentina in Louisville. Naomi Girma got the scoring started in the 37th minute, nodding in an easy goal after some poor defending from Argentina for her first international goal. An own goal doubled the USWNT’s lead right before halftime, and then Girma secured her brace with another header in the second half. Goalkeeper Mandy Haught made her USWNT debut, making one save in the shutout. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams did not start this time around, with Head Coach Emma Hayes choosing Eva Gaetino to start alongside Girma in the center of the U.S. defense. However, Sams did enter the game in the second half, coming on in the 70th minute. The USWNT will play its final games of the year when it travels to take on England on Nov. 30 and the Netherlands on Dec. 3 in a pair of tough friendlies.

U.S. Falls in U-17 World Cup Semifinal

The U-17 USWNT lost 1-0 to North Korea in the U-17 World Cup semifinals. After a scoreless first half, Ro Un-hyang scored a great goal to give North Korea the win. The U.S. struggled to get much going on offense and didn’t get a single shot on target in the match. There’s still a chance the U.S. can leave the Dominican Republic with silverware, as it will play for third place against either England or Spain on Sunday.

UEFA Invests in Women’s Soccer

In an effort to grow women’s soccer in Europe, UEFA has pledged $1.08 billion towards all levels of the sport over the next six years. Part of the organization’s goals is to double the number of fully professional national leagues and increase the number of professional players. The plan also includes developing more ways for girls and women to play, coach, and referee, starting at the grassroots level. Although this is a hefty amount of money devoted towards women’s soccer, there’s still plenty of work to do in regards to ensuring women can make a living from soccer.

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  • The City Beautiful is looking good in celebration of both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride being in the postseason this year.
  • MLS Save of the Year went to FC Dallas’s Maarten Paes for his double save to deny Gabriel Pec from the penalty spot. I still prefer Pedro Gallese’s acrobatic double save that was nominated, but this was still nice work from Paes.
  • FC Cincinnati’s Luca Orellano won MLS Goal of the Year for his strike from 79.81 yards out to beat CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois on Aug. 31.
  • Weston McKennie scored his first goal of the Serie A season by getting his head on the end of a nice cross from fellow American Tim Weah, who later scored the equalizer in Juventus’ 2-2 draw with Parma.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/30/24

Orlando City prepares for Charlotte (again), the Pride ready for playoffs, Ballon d’Or issues, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I hope you have your costume ready for tomorrow, and the candy ready for the kiddos. In addition to Halloween, it’s a big week for the club as Orlando City prepares for playoff match number two, and the Pride finish the regular season. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Ready for Charlotte, Part Deux

Orlando City is heading into the second match against Charlotte FC riding the good vibes of a 2-0 victory in the first match. Facundo Torres and company executed Oscar Pareja’s game plan to perfection and will look to do so again this Friday. The second match will pose a bigger challenge as this will be the North Carolina-based club’s first-ever home playoff match. The crowd will be big and loud in this must-win match for the home team.

Pride Await Playoff Opponent

We’ve known for weeks that the Orlando Pride will be the number one seed in the NWSL playoffs. What we don’t know is which team the Pride will be playing. If the standings remain the same after this weekend, it will be Bay FC. The other two possibilities are the Portland Thorns or the Chicago Red Stars.

Orlando’s Gone But Not Forgotten

There have been many professionals who have played for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride over the years. While they may no longer wear purple, we still like to keep track of their comings and goings. For example, former Orlando Pride forward Sydney Leroux has signed a new three-year contract that will see her end her career at Angel City FC. Likewise, former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Erin McLeod, has signed with Canadian Northern Super League side Halifax Tides FC.

In not-so-great news, former Orlando City striker Daryl Dike, has to endure yet another setback on his way back from injury for West Bromwich Albion. Dike suffered a mild hamstring issue in training with the first team. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.

The Ballon d’Or Problem

The Orlando Pride’s Marta was seemingly quite upset with Vinícius Júnior not getting the Ballon d’Or this year. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but given Marta’s accomplishments, her opinion carries more weight than many others.

Of course that isn’t the only criticism being leveled at the award. The women’s side of the award has been treated with disdain and marginalized consistently over the years. This year was no exception. Given that the award ceremony took place during the women’s international break. Many nominees and winners for the various awards, including USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes, were unable to attend. Given how fast the women’s game is growing, it’s time for those giving out the accolades to treat the women equally.

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That will do it for today. I hope everyone has fun and stays safe tomorrow for Halloween. Also, remember to check back as we get you ready for the upcoming Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches. Vamos Orlando!

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