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Lion Links: 4/10/22

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4 years ago

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Salutations on a beautiful Sunday morning, Mane Landers! A win always makes getting up the next day much better, and with an expected U.S. victory, it feels like the best Sunday morning in quite a while. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Extinguish the Fire

The Lions welcomed the Chicago Fire to Exploria Stadium on one of the nicest days in weeks, and managed to earn all three points in a 1-0 win. Orlando City’s pressing style of play did a very good job of getting into the attack and recovering the ball when lost. Chicago’s Brian Gutiérrez earned two yellow cards and was sent off in the 43rd minute, giving Orlando City a man advantage the remainder of the match. Ercan Kara scored his first goal in purple and the Lions got their first set piece goal in the 59th minute.

Check back for our player grades and five takeaways later today.

USWNT Wins Easily vs. Uzbekistan

The U.S. hosted Uzbekistan in Columbus for the first of two friendlies, defeating the visitors, 9-1. It took 26 minutes for Andi Sullivan to get the U.S. on the board, but the Yanks scored an additional three before the half with a goal from Mallory Pugh, and two from Sophia Smith. The team went on to score five more, with Smith completing the hat trick, and goals from Jaelin Howell, Catarina Macario, Ashley Hatch, and Ashley Sanchez. Uzbekistan’s Aziza Norboeva scored a consolation goal in the 70th minute. The two teams will meet Tuesday night at Subaru Park in Pennsylvania.

Results from Around MLS

Inter Miami CF finally won a match, defeating the New England Revolution, 3-2. Of course, this was a competition between the two last-place teams in the Eastern Conference. In Philadelphia, the Union benefited from an own goal by the Columbus Crew’s Eloy Room in the second minute. That was the extent of the scoring, as the Union won, 1-0. In the last of the early matches, CF Montréal completed a comeback win over the New York Red Bulls, 2-1, thanks to second-half goals from Rudy Camacho and Romell Quioto. In El Trafico, the LA Galaxy nearly blew a 2-0 lead before holding on in desperation for a 2-1 win. LAFC appeared to score the second of its goals deep in stoppage time through Latif Blessing but Chris Penso overturned it on video review. Toronto FC went to Rio Tinto and went down a man but returned home with a 2-2 draw. FC Dallas won 3-1 at home over the Colorado Rapids, while the Houston Dynamo won a wild, back-and-forth 4-3 match over San Jose. Nashville SC claimed a 2-1 road victory at Sporting Kansas City. In a Cascadia rivalry match, the Portland Timbers went on the road and defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2. The Caps missed a penalty in the match.

Around the EPL

It was a wild day in the English Premier League on Saturday starting with Everton defeating Manchester United, 1-0. The Toffees are trying to stay out of the relegation zone, and Manchester United is trying to climb back into the top four. Everton’s home win keeps it afloat, but Manchester United’s hopes for a top-four finish are fading.

It’s been a little over a month since Jesse Marsch took the reins at Leeds United, and on Saturday United took care of business , drubbing Watford 3-0 at Vicarage Road. Watford boss Roy Hodgson is also trying to avoid relegation. If he can’t turn Watford around, it will be the first time one of his clubs has dropped.

Chelsea might still be 10 points behind Liverpool and Manchester City, but the Blues decimated Southampton by a score of 6-0 on Saturday to shore up third place. Mason Mount and Timo Werner contributed two goals apiece, with Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz each with a goal of their own.

Arsenal’s very bad, not-good week culminated with a 2-1 loss to visiting Brighton & Hove Albion FC. Brighton’s first half goal from Leandro Trossard gave the Seagulls the lead and they never gave it up. Enock Mwepu put Brighton up by two and only a late goal from Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard kept the visitors from registering a clean sheet. The loss just made it tougher for the Gunners to break into the top four, and a Champions League spot.

Tottenham kept hold of fourth place with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa. An early goal from Son Heung-min put Spurs up in the third minute. Dejan Kulusevski added the second goal five minutes into the second half, and Son added two more for a hat trick on the day. Steven Gerrard will have plenty of film for his squad to study after this one.

Free Kicks

  • If you’re like me, you’ll be tuning in to watch what could be the match that decides whether Liverpool or Manchester City wins the EPL this season. The two titans meet with City sitting one point over the Reds in the standings. Here are three key battles between the sides to look for in the match.
  • If you’re looking for a gift idea for the soccer/Ted Lasso person in your life (or say your favorite Mane Land PawedCast co-host/senior columnist), you could do worse than these excellent candles.

  • Pato is just a good dude.

That will do it for today. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Watch TML later today for a recap on OCB’s trip to South Florida.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 22, 2026

By

Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

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  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

Free Kicks

  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

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: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

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That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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