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Lion Links: 3/16/22

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3 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? We’re officially halfway through the work week and the weekend can’t get here soon enough. I’m headed on vacation to Boston this weekend to enjoy lobster rolls and good company. Call me crazy, but I’m also looking forward to reading a book with some coffee at the airport since it’s been some time since I’ve gone on a trip. But for now, I’m excited to bring you these links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for the LA Galaxy

After a 2-1 loss at home to FC Cincinnati, Orlando City heads west to take on the LA Galaxy this Saturday. The Galaxy are also coming off of a defeat, falling 3-2 on the road to the Seattle Sounders. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Douglas Costa both scored in that match and are dangerous threats in the Galaxy’s attack alongside 19-year-old midfielder Efrain Alvarez.

It will be the first meeting between these two teams since 2019, when the Galaxy came to Exploria Stadium and left with all three points in a 1-0 victory. The last time the Lions played the Galaxy in Los Angeles was in 2018, when they fell 4-3 in a game that featured a hat trick from Zlatan Ibrahimović. This will be the first of two consecutive road trips out west for the Lions as they face the Portland Timbers on March 27.

Orlando Pride Announce Opening Day Roster

The Orlando Pride return to competitive action this weekend and the team announced its 26-player roster. While the team experienced significant turnover during the off-season, 16 players are returning from the 2021 season. Marta, Sydney Leroux, and Erin McLeod are a few of the notable players back with the Pride this season. There are 10 new players on the roster, including defender Megan Montefusco, forward Darian Jenkins, and recent draft picks such as Mikayla Cluff and Caitlin Cosme. Also, Carrie Lawrence, Kaylie Collins, Kerry Abello, and Parker Roberts are all on the Pride’s Supplemental Roster and their salaries won’t count against the team’s salary cap.

NWSL Challenge Cup Begins This Weekend

SBNation’s All For Xi gave a breakdown of what to expect in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The tournament kicks off this Friday as Racing Louisville hosts Kansas City before the Portland Thorns and OL Reign square off in Seattle. The Pride’s first game will be on Saturday in Exploria Stadium against the NWSL defending champion Washington Spirit. It’s a difficult group for the Pride as they will also have to play NJ/NY Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage during the tournament.

The Pride are in a rebuilding stage and placed last in CBS Sports’ first NWSL power rankings of the year. While Orlando isn’t expected to compete for the top spot in the group, the tournament will still be a great chance for Head Coach Amanda Cromwell to see the players in competitive matches before the regular season. Austin David provided an update on which players participated in the Pride’s training.

MLS Clubs Aim for Champions League Semifinals

New York City FC advanced to the Concacaf Champions League semifinals by the skin of its teeth after a 4-2 loss in Guatemala against Comunicaciones FC. NYCFC took a 2-1 lead after a goal from Talles Magno in the 51st minute and Ronny Deila made four substitutions soon after. Comunicaciones then rallied for three goals, but NYCFC ended up advancing on aggregate due to scoring more away goals. It will face the winner between the Seattle Sounders and Club Leon. While NYCFC’s place in the next round is secured, the result was a warning sign for the other MLS clubs remaining in the tournament.

The New England Revolution have a 3-0 lead over Pumas UNAM. If the Revs score just one goal on the road, then Pumas will have to score at least five to advance. But New England Head Coach Bruce Arena is expecting a different kind of match tonight in Mexico than in the first leg.

“Weather conditions, last game was snowing and probably 30 degrees in Foxborough,” Arena said. “Here, it’ll probably be 65 degrees at kickoff on a good field and probably a good crowd, entirely different from the scene we saw in Foxborough. Their tactics are going to change. They’re down three goals in the competition, so they’ll be very aggressive and certainly in attack mode.”

CF Montreal is the only MLS side to fall in the first leg of its quarterfinal, although a 1-0 loss on the road against Cruz Azul is far from terrible. The Canadian club faced a similar deficit in the previous round against Santos Laguna before winning 3-0 at home to reach the quarterfinals. Montreal will hope for a similar reversal in tonight’s match.

Free Kicks

  • No team fell further in this week’s MLS power rankings than Orlando City, which dropped eight spots to 19th.
  • Former Orlando Pride defender Ally Haran was named Canberra United’s Player of the Year.

  • The Columbus Crew are reportedly open to trading forward Gyasi Zardes. The Designated Player hasn’t started in any of the Crew’s three games this season.
  • Manchester United was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Benfica was able to hold on for a 1-0 win against Ajax to reach the quarterfinals.
  • United’s loss means Ronaldo will end a season without a club trophy for the first time since 2010. The Portuguese forward also became the player with the most minutes played in the Champions League.

That’s all I have for you today. Have a wonderful rest of your week and stay safe out there. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/6/25

Alex Freeman called up for Concacaf Gold Cup, Orlando Pride get ready for the Houston Dash, Orlando City B plays tonight, and more.

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3 days ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I’ll be spending this weekend celebrating my birthday by beating my friends at mini golf with no mercy but still hope to catch some soccer over the next few days. I’ve also been on a bit of a movie kick and plan on catching Wes Anderson’s new flick at some point soon. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Alex Freeman Called Up For Gold Cup

Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was officially called up by the United States Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. He’s the only Lion who will be at the tournament and is one of seven uncapped USMNT players on the roster. The 20-year-old could receive more playing time than expected, as right back Sergino Dest is not on the roster so that he can recover over the summer. Left back John Tolkin was added to replace Dest, so Freeman has a real shot at making a claim for the position this month. The U.S. will take on Turkey Saturday in the first of two friendlies before its first Gold Cup match against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15.

Orlando Pride Prepares to Host the Houston Dash

With the international break for women’s soccer over, the Orlando Pride return to action Saturday with a home game against the Houston Dash. It should be a great opportunity for the Pride to ease back into the swing of things against a Dash team that’s only scored 10 goals this season. Pride midfielder Ally Lemos spoke on the benefit of being able to rest heading into this match while maintaining a winning mindset from a 3-1 victory on May 23.

Anna Moorhouse Called Up For 2025 Euros

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was named to England’s final roster for the 2025 UEFA European Women’s Championship. She’s one of three goalkeepers on the squad following Mary Earp’s surprise retirement from international soccer, and she will likely compete with fellow uncapped player Khiara Keating for the backup position behind Hannah Hampton. Moorhouse has started in every game for the Pride this season and was an NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist for her record-breaking season last year. England’s Euro run will begin July 5 against France before other group matches against the Netherlands and Wales.

Orlando City B Takes On Huntsville City FC

The Young Lions are riding high after a 2-1 win over Chattanooga FC and will take that momentum into tonight’s road match against Huntsville City FC. Midfielder Noah Levis scored his first career goal in that home win, with Justin Hylton providing the assist in his OCB debut. Orlando’s offense has been hot and cold this season but has a variety of attacking talent that can create chances in different ways. The Young Lions have only won once on the road, but a win tonight would lift them to third in the Eastern Conference.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA Club World Cup action is coming to the City Beautiful this month and Orlando City legend Kaká spoke on how it’s nice for Orlando to host games.
  • San Diego Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall was named NWSL Coach of the Month. The Wave were undefeated in May, winning three of their four matches to climb to second in the league standings.
  • The NWSL will allow intraleague loans for all teams, with the players needing to consent to the move in order for it to happen. Denver and Boston’s expansion teams will have access to potentially over $1 million in Allocation Money starting on July 1 to build their rosters before the 2026 season.
  • Atletico Madrid is reportedly close to signing American midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis.
  • South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan all qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while China was eliminated from contention. Australia beat Japan 1-0 and will qualify so long as it doesn’t lose heavily to Saudi Arabia on June 10.
  • Spain beat France 5-4 in a wild game to reach the UEFA Nations League final against Portugal on Sunday. Lamine Yamal continues to take the world by storm, but a late rally by France nearly completed a comeback.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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4 days ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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

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