Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/11/22

Published

3 years ago

June 11, 2022

Happy Saturday, Mane Landers. The lulls of summer have fully kicked in. It seems that as the days get longer and the nights get shorter that I just get more and more tired. I thought summer was supposed to be about rest and relaxation? Maybe I should have skipped the USMNT match last night to catch up on sleep. Who am I kidding — I never miss a match! Nevertheless, there is always work to be done and links to be collected. Here is your collection of today’s links from around the soccer world!

Mason Stajduhar Undergoes Successful Jaw Surgery

File this news under “couldn’t have come at a worse time.” With Pedro Gallese’s Peru scheduled to play for a World Cup berth on Monday, El Pulpo is unlikely to be back and ready to go in the net at New England on Wednesday. So, it’s a particularly bitter blow that backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar sustained a jaw injury in training that was severe enough to require surgery. The club reported in a late Friday afternoon news dump that the surgery was a success in a short press release.

Orlando City SC goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar has undergone successful surgery to repair a fracture of his lower mandible, which was sustained in training this week. The procedure was performed by Dr. Daniel Crofton, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with Orlando Health.

Stajduhar, who recently signed a new three-year contract with the Club, is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

With Stajduhar on the shelf and Gallese — at best — fighting fatigue and jet lag, it’s likely that Adam Grinwis will return to MLS action on Wednesday. Perhaps Gallese can arrive in time to back him up, otherwise, the best backup option might be Rodrigo Schlegel.

Halliday Makes U-20 USMNT Concacaf Championship Roster

U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Mikey Varas called up 20 players for the 2022 Concacaf Under-20 Championship. The squad features 17 players from MLS clubs, with Orlando City defender Michael Halliday making the roster. The United States will be playing in Group E and will be looking to win a third straight Concacaf title. The Concacaf U-20 Championship’s top three finishers in the four groups will advance to the Round of 16 and join four teams already qualified for the knockout round. Teams will then play a single-elimination tournament, with the four semifinalists qualifying for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the two finalists qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. The United States has not qualified for the Olympics since 2008.

Pride Seek Revenge at Chicago

When the Pride head to Chicago tomorrow, it is the Red Stars who will be the heavy favorite. Chicago enters the match unbeaten in five games dating back to the middle of May. Orlando, on the other hand, is coming off a 5-0 loss against Houston. Chicago beat Orlando earlier this season and has done so in three regular season games in a row going back to last October. There will be new management at the helm for this fixture though, as former Orlando City Lion Seb Hines will be standing in for Amanda Cromwell, who remains on administrative leave. The key match-up will be Chicago’s stingy defense at home. The team has kept seven clean sheets and only allowed seven goals in its last 12 home matches in all NWSL competitions.

USMNT Starts Nations League Strong

The USMNT earned its first win of the Concacaf Nations League Friday night, defeating Grenada 5-0 in Austin, TX. In a match where the United States was expected to score a slew of goals, it was never a question of “if” the USMNT would score, but “when.” Players like Luca de la Torre, Paul Arriola, and Jesús Ferreira shined in the first half as the team dominated possession. Ferreira made a strong case to be Head Coach Gregg Berhalter’s starting striker as he put his fourth international goal in the net right before half time. He went on to complete his hat trick by the 56th minute and finished with four goals on the night. The United States will head to Estadio Cuscatlán next to take on El Salvador Tuesday at 10 p.m.

Inaugural Soccer Champions Tour Coming to America

This summer, Las Vegas will see Real Madrid and Barcelona as the marquee match-up of the inaugural Soccer Champions Tour. The series of five exhibitions, set to run from July 22-30, will also include Italian Serie A club Juventus, alongside Liga MX sides Club America and Club Deportivo Guadalajara.

“Following several years without seeing some of these teams in the United States, we are thrilled to provide the opportunity for soccer fans in the U.S. to once again watch their favorite European and Mexican clubs play in person,” AEG senior vice president of soccer & business operations and business development Tom Braun said.

Other matches will be played at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, and the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles. Let us know in the comments below which match-up you would have liked to have seen at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Free Kicks

Charlotte FC’s interim manager Christian Lattanzio is ready to step into a new era when the New York Red Bulls visit Bank of America Stadium this afternoon.
CF Montréal has elevated Sporting Director Olivier Renard to Vice President and Chief Sporting Officer.
The New York Red Bulls have named Jochen Schneider as their Head of Sport.
Liam Payne and Usain Bolt will be the captains of Soccer Aid 2022, trying to lead their star-studded teams to glory.
ESPN asked current and former MLS-based U.S. internationals who aren’t in camp with the USMNT a simple question: Who is the greatest USMNT player of all time?
Celtic completed the permanent signing of USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers from Tottenham Hotspur on a four-year contract.
FC Cincinnati striker Brandon Vazquez is “close” to working his way into the USMNT camp as the 2022 World Cup nears.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has closed its case regarding Ecuador and the potential ineligibility of Byron David Castillo Segura and his participation in eight qualifying matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Barcelona is prepared to let Frenkie de Jong leave this summer to Manchester United in an effort to help balance the books amid an ongoing financial crisis at the club but only for offers of at least $105 million.
Paris Saint-Germain is looking to make Zinedine Zidane its new manager and Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement. Reports from Zidane’s camp say the two parties are not close to an agreement yet.
Everyone has an opinion on what Lionel Messi’s next move should be. Here are five possible options.
Ever wonder what it is like to be a top young soccer player trying to make it as a professional? The eight-part series FC Bayern World Squad will follow the journeys of players from training through to the selection process and then playing against the junior team of FC Bayern, also known as Bayern Munich.
The18 lists American sports coaches it would like to see as soccer managers in this hilarious satire.

If you stayed up late last night to watch all of the USMNT match, I hope you have a relaxing Saturday to rest back up. Be sure to tune in later tonight and catch the Young Lions as they take on New England II. Vamos Orlando!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2025

Marcus Mitchell

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

Free Kicks

Enjoy this intriguing article that shines a light on how MLS team administrators manage the chaos of the transfer window. I would devour a television series following these kinds of crises throughout the season.
St. Petersburg is exploring demolishing Al Lang Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to make room for an amphitheater. The proposed demolition would take place after 2028, so we’ll see if this comes to pass.
Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City, ending a 13-year tenure there that will be remembered for winning the English Premier League title in 2016.
Here’s everything you need to know before the second legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals on Sunday. Chelsea will take on Barcelona before Lyon and Arsenal square off, with both English clubs trailing after the first legs.
Real Sociedad announced that Head Coach Imanol Alguacil will step down following this season. Alguacil was hired in December of 2018 and led the team to victory in the 2020 Copa del Rey.
Manchester United will take part in the inaugural women’s seven-a-side tournament next month, joining Bayern Munich, Ajax, Benfica, and four other teams yet to be determined.
NBA Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd has joined Everton’s ownership group. I too would be looking for anything to take my mind off of the Dallas Mavericks’ season.
Former Pride players Sydney Leroux and Ali Riley announced a weekly podcast, with the first episode set for Monday.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2025

Marcus Mitchell

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

Free Kicks

German legend Thomas Muller, who is set to leave Bayern Munich this summer, reportedly rejected an offer from FC Cincinnati and Fiorentina.
Philadelphia Union midfielder Quinn Sullivan won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his volleyed strike against Atlanta. Seeing Atlanta get scored on really makes the goal that much sweeter to watch.
Marcus Rashford is reportedly aiming to join a Champions League team after this season. The 27-year-old is on loan with Aston Villa from Manchester United and should be an interesting name to keep an eye on this summer.
Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace kept a few champagne bottles corked, as Liverpool would have won the league title if Arsenal lost. Liverpool now just needs a point when it faces Tottenham at home on Sunday.
Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0, but it came at the cost of injuries to both David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga. The Spanish club may now have a crisis at left back ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.

That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2025

David Rohe

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

Free Kicks

Orlando City dropped a spot to No. 12 in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. Three 0-0 draws in a row will do that.
Michael Buxbaum is suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for $100 million because the USWNT didn’t try to win the SheBelieves Cup. I wasn’t happy with the result either, but this is the definition of frivolous.
Nani and Ali Krieger are both participating in The Soccer Tournament on seven-on-seven soccer teams. The matchups for the $1 million tournament have been set.
Speaking of Krieger, she is settling in at her new gig at ESPN as an analyst for NWSL matches and co-host of “FutbolW.”

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.