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Lion Links: 5/11/22

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Hello, Mane Landers. I hope everyone is doing well after Orlando City’s win last night. I’m excited and hope the Lions can keep this run going in the U.S. Open Cup. There is plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Reaches the Open Cup Round of 16

Orlando City advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Union. Both teams had their chances in the first half but it was all square, 0-0, at halftime despite the Lions dominating possession. In the second half, Ercan Kara put the Lions in the lead in the 54th minute and Andres Perea scored an absolute rocket from distance just three minutes later. The Union were able to get one back when Stuart Findlay scored to make it 2-1 in the 77th minute. Late in stoppage time, Lions goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar made an excellent save at the death to prevent the equalizer for the Union and secure the win for the Lions. After the match, Stajduhar made another big move and proposed to his girlfriend, Tatiana, on the field.

Five Other Teams Advance in Open Cup

The Lions weren’t the only MLS club in action in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup as there were five other matches last night. The New York Red Bulls were able to shut out D.C. United on the road 3-0, although captain Aaron Long left the match early in the first half with an injury. Inter Miami won 3-1 against USL League One side South Georgia Tormenta FC in a match that featured both teams going down to 10 men in the 65th minute.

FC Dallas scored twice in the first half, but Sporting Kansas City rallied back with a goal from Nikola Vujnović in the 60th minute and an equalizer from Marinos Tzionis deep in stoppage time. SKC added two more goals in extra time to win 4-2 at home and advance to the next round. LAFC cruised to a 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers thanks to goals from Cristian Arango and Mamadou Fall.

In the match between USL Championship sides, Detroit City FC and Louisville City FC went to extra time but the match still finished 1-1 and had to be decided by penalty kicks. Louisville was victorious in the shootout to reach the next round. There will be 10 more Open Cup matches to watch on ESPN+ today, with the Houston Dynamo hosting San Antonio FC, Nashville SC taking on Atlanta United, and the Seattle Sounders facing the San Jose Earthquakes.

Orlando City Soccer School-Seminole Joins Elite 64

Orlando City Soccer School-Seminole will join the U.S. Youth Soccer National League Elite 64. The league will launch this fall and will feature six age groups for the top boys and girls clubs in the country to compete in a 10-month season. Orlando City Boys Technical Director Paul Shaw spoke about the benefits of the young players showcasing their talent on a national stage to develop for playing at the next level.

USMNT Players to Keep an Eye on This Summer

MLSSoccer.com’s Tom Bogert shared his insights on the United States Men’s National Team players who may be on the move this summer. RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson has many suitors, including English Premier League side Leeds United. However, Leeds is in a relegation fight and Aaronson may go elsewhere if the club ends up going down to the EFL Championship. Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has received attention from clubs in Europe as the 17-year-old continues to earn minutes in MLS.

Tyler Adams hasn’t secured his starting spot with RB Leipzig, only starting 12 of the club's 33 Bundesliga matches. Leipzig may opt for a younger player to fill his role and allow Adams to move on to another club. Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic have both had their ups and downs with FC Barcelona and Chelsea, respectively, this season and are also players to keep an eye on this summer.

Free Kicks

  • The latest MLS power rankings have been released. The Lions dropped four spots to 15th after their 4-1 loss to CF Montreal this past weekend.
  • The NWSL power rankings were unveiled as well after a second weekend of action. The Orlando Pride moved up to 10th after getting their first win of the season against Angel City FC.
  • UEFA has reached an agreement with its clubs and leagues on revisions for the expanded Champions League format. This will include increasing the number of group stage matches to eight starting in 2024.
  • FIFA and EA Sports were unable to reach an agreement on a new licensing deal and have ended their video game partnership. The popular video game series will be known as EA Sports FC starting in 2023.
  • LA Galaxy defender Jorge Villafaña, who has been dealing with a knee injury, was placed on the season-ending injury list and won’t play for the rest of this season.
  • Inter Milan has a chance at a trophy later today when it faces Juventus in the Coppa Italia final in Rome. You can check out the match at 3 p.m. on Paramount+.

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

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/20/24

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS season schedule announced, MLS mock drafts, MLS clubs making moves, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I finally have everything squared away after a week of hustling and bustling, meaning I can thankfully avoid the stores this weekend and just relax before next week’s chaos. I’m still trying to nail down what I’ll be cooking as my contribution for my family’s holiday dinner, but it should be fun trialing some options over the next few days. For now though, let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS Schedule Announced

MLS revealed the schedule for the 2025 season and Orlando City’s first game of the season will be at home against the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 22. Orlando has yet to start a season on the road since joining the league back in 2015. The Lions aren’t scheduled to play against expansion club San Diego FC this year, but they will play their first road game against St. Louis City on June 25. While a majority of Orlando’s games will be on Saturdays, they do have a pair of games on Sundays against Inter Miami, including a rivalry week showdown on May 18. Decision Day will be on Oct. 18, with the Lions on the road to take on Toronto FC to close out the regular season.

Predicting the 2025 MLS SuperDraft

The MLS SuperDraft is set to take place today and Top Drawer Soccer did a mock draft to predict how the first two rounds will go. Orlando City currently has the 27th pick in the first round and Top Drawer Soccer has them selecting defensive midfielder Jackson Castro out of Creighton. The pick makes enough sense to me, as Orlando lost some depth in its midfield following the 2024 season and Castro was Duncan McGuire’s teammate on a strong Creighton team a couple of years ago. The Lions were also predicted to take West Virginia winger Sergio Ors Navarro and Kentucky forward Logan Dorsey in the second round.

Travis Clark of MLSsoccer.com also did a mock draft of the first round, with Orlando taking Cornell winger Alioune Ka. Interestingly enough, both mock drafts have NCAA leading scorer Emil Jaaskelainen going in the first round after Orlando’s pick. I’m pretty excited to see how it all shakes out today and learn which players will become the latest Lions on the team.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The off-season is bringing plenty of change across the league as teams continue wheeling and dealing in preparation for the 2025 season. The New England Revolution made a splash by trading away up to $3.25 million in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Miami in exchange for attacker Leonardo Campana. The 24-year-old should give a needed boost to a New England team that only scored 37 goals this season. As for Miami, it now has an MLS-trade record fee of $2.5 million in guaranteed GAM and an open Designated Player spot at its disposal.

The LA Galaxy traded away 2024 MLS Cup MVP Gastón Brugman and a conditional $100,000 in GAM to Nashville SC in exchange for midfielder Sean Davis. Brugman will help Nashville fill the gap left by Anibal Godoy, who joined San Diego FC as a free agent. FC Dallas also added a free agent, signing defender Lalas Abubakar to a two-year deal.

GAM Amounts Revealed for Each MLS Club

MLS pulled back the curtain a bit and unveiled the amount of General Allocation Money that each team had as of Dec. 10. Orlando City’s total comes in at $3,990,312, which is a pretty hefty amount that can be used to improve the team. Atlanta United’s $6,503,478 is the most in the league, while the Houston Dynamo are at the other end of the spectrum with just $2,063,538. The Campana trade helps put these amounts into perspective, but there are many uses for GAM and it’s interesting to see where each club stands. It’s also just nice to get some transparency from the league about this and hopefully that trend continues in 2025.

Free Kicks

  • The National Independent Soccer Association will reportedly no longer be sanctioned by the United States Soccer Foundation next year, which would leave MLS NEXT Pro and USL League One as the third-division leagues in the U.S.
  • Tottenham beat Manchester United 4-3 to claim the final semifinal spot in the EFL Cup, with Son Heung-Min scoring directly from a corner kick. Tottenham will face off against Liverpool in the next round, with Newcastle and Arsenal squaring off in the other semifinal.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I wish you all a relaxing weekend and a very happy holidays!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/19/24

Preparing for the MLS SuperDraft, New York Red Bulls sign Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Tim Weah injured, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve knocked out all of my shopping except for one gift I’m still trying to procure. I have a lead on it though and high hopes that I can get a literal bow on it before traveling to visit my family next week. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Getting Ready for the MLS SuperDraft

The 2025 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Friday and the league released the list of 477 eligible players clubs can choose from. This year’s Generation Adidas class includes Cornell forward Alex Harris, North Carolina left back Tate Johnson, Wisconsin forward Dean Boltz, and UC Santa Barbara defensive midfielder Manu Duah. Those players likely won’t be on the board by the time Orlando City’s 27th overall pick rolls around, but the team has proven in the past it isn’t afraid to make a trade for a top prospect.

Here’s a nice position-by-position breakdown of some of the best players available on Friday. I personally think Orlando could use some depth at center back, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the team rolls the dice on a center forward given its track record. Unfortunately, we’ll have to follow along with each pick on the league’s website rather than a stream.

MLS Transfer Roundup

After falling in the MLS Cup final earlier this month, the New York Red Bulls have added some firepower by signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as a Designated Player. The 35-year-old heads to MLS after playing for Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Stoke City, and Schalke 04 over the past 10 years. The Red Bulls now have a fairly dangerous trio of Designated Players in Choupo-Moting, Emil Forsberg, and Dante Vanzeir.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution added midfielder Jackson Yueill as a free agent. The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract that includes options for 2028 and 2029. D.C. United traded away $150,000 in General Allocation Money to Nashville SC in exchange for defender Lukas MacNaughton. FC Dallas signed midfielder Ramiro Benetti, who has spent the past two seasons with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in Brazil. Veteran defender Nick Lima has returned to the San Jose Earthquakes, signing a two-year contract with the club.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The injuries continue to rack up for the Americans, as Tim Weah will miss some time after sustaining a thigh injury earlier this week in Juventus’ win over Cagliari. In better news for Americans plying their trade abroad, forward Ricardo Pepi scored twice in PSV Eindhoven’s 8-0 win against Koninklijke HFC in the KNVB Cup. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool are all reportedly interested in left back Antonee Robinson, who turned some heads with a pair of assists on Sunday.

EFL Cup Semifinals Nearly Set

The EFL Cup semifinals are setting up to be a heavyweight affair, with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle all advancing from the quarterfinals. The day belonged to Gabriel Jesus, who scored his first hat trick for Arsenal in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool extended its unbeaten streak to 20 games across all competitions after a 2-1 win over Southampton, while Newcastle United beat Brentford thanks to a brace from Sandro Tonali. The final semifinalist will come from today’s match between Manchester United and Tottenham, with the draw taking place afterwards.

Free Kicks

  • The NWSL Shield and Championship trophy paid a visit to WFTV’s studios, and it’s still a bit surreal that the Orlando Pride secured both pieces of silverware this season.

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: 12/18/24

Another report on the Facundo Torres transfer, Marta wins her own award, Becky Sauerbrunn retires, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. For those that celebrate Christmas, we’re only a week out, so I hope you’ve gotten your shopping done. If not, no judgement from me, just encouragement. I know you can do it! I think we can all do with a little more encouragement these days. For now, let’s get to the links.

Torres Deal Done?

WESH is reporting that the Facundo Torres to Palmeiras deal is done. As of this writing, there has been no confirmation from either club, but it is reasonable to think where there’s this much smoke, there’s fire. Torres may have scored his last goal in purple, and will leave as the club’s all-time leader in that category after three seasons. According to the report, Torres signed a five-year deal with the Brazilian club. We will provide updates as information becomes available.

Marta Wins Marta Award

In the most appropriate award selection in history, Marta has won the inaugural FIFA award for the best goal in women’s soccer, aptly named The FIFA Marta Award.

The award winning goal came in Brazil’s international friendly against Jamaica in June, as the Brazilian made a nice move to clear a defender and then sent in a long-range shot. Check it out.

Marta received the award at FIFA’s “The Best” Award ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

USWNT Legend Becky Sauerbrunn Retires

Former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn is retiring from professional soccer. The legendary defender has played in the NWSL in every year of it’s existence. She retires having won three championships, one NWSL Shield, multiple Women’s World Cups, and Olympic medals. Sauerbrunn is definitively one of the best to ever wear a U.S. jersey.

NWSL, MLS NEXT Pro Expand

The NWSL is entering into exclusive negotiations with a Denver-area group regarding the league’s next expansion franchise. Denver was picked above both Cincinnati and Cleveland. The expansion fee is in the $105-$120 million range.

MLS NEXT Pro is also adding another new team. Until a new name, logo, and brand are settled on, the team will be called West Michigan Soccer. The team will be the sixth independent club in MLS NEXT Pro. Orlando City B won’t have the opportunity to play the new team until 2027.

Free Kicks

  • Torres’ goal against Nashville made it into a compilation of volleyed goals from the MLS Twitter account.

That will do it for today. Keep checking in as our Orlando City and Orlando Pride Season in Review pieces continue. Vamos Orlando!

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