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Lion Links: 3/30/22

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3 years ago

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Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Let’s wish Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse a happy birthday today! There is plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.

Lions Get Ready for LAFC

Orlando City will welcome the top team in the Western Conference to Exploria Stadium this Saturday as LAFC comes to town for the first time since the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020. The Lions and LAFC faced off in the quarterfinals of that competition, with Joao Moutinho scoring a late equalizer and Orlando winning the penalty shootout. LAFC has undergone plenty of change since then, as Bob Bradley now coaches in Toronto. Steve Cherundolo is at the helm now and American midfielder Kellyn Acosta is a player to keep an eye on after joining LAFC this off-season. LAFC is undefeated this season after four matches, with its last win coming on March 20 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Miguel Gallardo and Evan Weston analyzed this week’s match-up and the players who can make an impact.

Orlando Pride Take on NJ/NY Gotham FC Tonight

The Orlando Pride will host NJ/NY Gotham FC tonight at Exploria Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup. The Pride enter tonight’s match sitting in third place in the East division while Gotham FC sits below them in fourth. Both clubs have one point from two matches. The Pride will be without their captain, Marta, after she was injured in the Pride’s 1-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage this past weekend. She will undergo surgery and the Brazilian national team stated it was an ACL injury.

It’s not great news for a Pride team that has yet to score in the tournament. The offense will lean on Sydney Leroux and Darian Jenkins to create scoring opportunities and Head Coach Amanda Cromwell spoke about the team’s struggles to score.

“We’ve just got to be better on the ball,” Cromwell told reporters this week. “We’re trying to help them with breaking the lines, building out of the back, and just being a little more composed in possession. Knocking a few [goals] in would be helpful.”

Tonight’s match will see former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and defender Ali Krieger return to Exploria Stadium. Harris was crucial for Gotham FC as she made nine saves in its last match against the Washington Spirit to secure a 1-1 draw. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Erin McLeod has produced seven saves over the course of two matches. Though the Pride have yet to score in the Challenge Cup, the defense has been a bright spot for the club as the only conceded goal came from a penalty kick.

USMNT Looks to Clinch a World Cup Spot

The U.S. Men’s National Team will wrap up its World Cup qualifying campaign tonight when it travels to face Costa Rica. As long as the U.S. doesn’t lose to Costa Rica by six or more goals, it will qualify directly to the World Cup in Qatar later this year. SBNation’s Stars and Stripes FC discussed some keys to watch for in tonight’s finale. One thing to keep an eye on is Head Coach Gregg Berhalter’s tactics as he may try to set up the Yanks defensively to avoid leaking goals. Berhalter will likely manage the mileage using squad rotation as the USMNT will have some heavy legs with this being its third match in seven days. It will also be interesting to see who will start as the team’s striker. We’ve seen both Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Ferreira up top in this window so either of them could get another shot down in Costa Rica or Berhalter may elect to go with someone else with fresher legs.

More Nations Qualify for World Cup

Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and Peru took care of business at home in a 2-0 win against Paraguay to qualify for the intercontinental playoff in June. Gianluca Lapadula scored early on and former Lion Yoshimar Yotun doubled Peru’s lead in the 42nd minute. The win eliminated Chile and Colombia from contention and Peru will face the winner between the United Arab Emirates and Australia with a spot in the World Cup on the line.

In Europe, Portugal punched its ticket to Qatar after beating North Macedonia 2-0 thanks to a brace from Bruno Fernandes. Poland scored twice in the second half to secure its spot in the World Cup as it shut out Sweden 2-0.

There was plenty of drama in a penalty shootout between Egypt and Senegal as Mohamed Salah missed his penalty kick while fellow Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane converted his to send Senegal to the World Cup. Ghana also qualified as it edged out Nigeria on away goals after Thomas Partey scored early in the match. Despite Nigeria getting an equalizer from William Troost-Ekong’s penalty kick, Ghana was able to hang on for the 1-1 draw and qualify after missing out on the World Cup in Russia in 2018. Cameroon mounted a comeback in extra time to beat Algeria, Morocco cruised past the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a 4-1 win, and a scoreless draw was enough for Tunisia to get past Mali.

USWNT Announces Roster for Friendlies

United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski named his 23-player roster for the upcoming friendlies on April 9 and 12 against Uzbekistan. Olympique Lyonnais midfielders Catarina Macario and Lindsey Horan are the only players on the roster who don’t play in the NWSL. A few other notable players on the roster are Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch, and Samantha Mewis. Unfortunately, Kansas City Current forward Lynn Williams won’t be joining the team as she suffered a season-ending leg injury and Chicago Red Stars defender Tierna Davidson tore her ACL. The team will first play Uzbekistan on April 9 in Columbus and then the two teams will face off again in Chester, PA on April 12.

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

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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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2 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.

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  • 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: 6/5/25

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

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3 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: 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

4 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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