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Lion Links: 7/8/22

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope you are all doing well as we get all set for a weekend filled with soccer in Orlando. If you’re looking for a new show to watch, I highly recommend The Bear on Hulu. It’s hectic, intense, and has enough moments of triumph to make you want to watch it all over again. If you check it out, let me know what you think. But for now, let’s get to today’s links from around the soccer world.

Lions Get Ready for Inter Miami

Orlando City is set to take on Inter Miami Saturday night at Exploria Stadium as part of MLS’s Rivalry Week. While this is the first regular-season meeting between the two Eastern Conference teams this season, they faced off in the U.S. Open Cup in Orlando on May 25. In that match, Facundo Torres gave the Lions an equalizer in extra time and Orlando was able to win the penalty shootout following the 1-1 draw.

Torres, Ercan Kara, and Mauricio Pereyra have 27 goal contributions this season, the most of any group of Designated Players in MLS. Of course, take that with a grain of salt as they’ve also played more minutes than any other team’s Designated Players and not all teams have the full three slots filled. Still, it’s nice to see they can score together and four of Torres’ six assists this year come from goals by Kara. Pereyra is two assists away from setting a single-season club record and was a full participant in training Thursday, despite an injury scare Monday night against D.C. United.

Orlando Pride Host the Houston Dash Tonight

The Orlando Pride will welcome the Houston Dash to Exploria Stadium for a match tonight at 7 p.m. It’s been a rough season for the Pride as they sit in 11th, but they battled back for a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville in Daytona last weekend. Tonight’s match will be their first at Exploria Stadium since May and they are still on the hunt for their first home win of 2022. Meanwhile, the Dash are fifth in the standings and are coming off of a 2-1 loss at home to the Kansas City Current. The last time these two teams met was on June 3, when the Dash hosted the Pride and won 5-0. The Dash will be without several players due to international tournaments, but forward Ebony Salmon is now with the Dash after a trade from Louisville.

USWNT Qualifies for 2023 World Cup After Win

The United States Women’s National Team won 5-0 against Jamaica in the group stage of the Concacaf W Championship. With the result, along with Mexico’s 3-0 loss to Haiti, the USWNT booked its spot in the semifinals and qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Sophia Smith had a brace within the first 10 minutes to give the USWNT an early lead and goals in the second half put the game out of Jamaica’s reach. USWNT Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski opted for a different lineup than the first match, with former Pride player Alex Morgan on the bench. Speaking of former Pride forwards, Taylor Kornieck came off the bench in the second half for her first appearance of the tournament. The USWNT will take on Mexico on Monday in the final group stage match before the semifinals.

Sergio Santos May Be Headed to Ohio

Reports surfaced that a trade is in the works for Philadelphia Union forward Sergio Santos to head to FC Cincinnati in exchange for a windfall of General Allocation Money. The reported amount is a bit eye-watering, as $300,000 in GAM would be received up front with another $700,000 in GAM tied to incentives.

Santos would join a Cincy offense that is finding its footing thanks to Brenner, Brandon Vazquez, and Luciano Acosta. That much GAM would be hard for the Union to turn down for a player who has had to deal with injuries throughout his career.

MLS Debutants Add Intrigue to Rivalry Week

With the secondary transfer window now open, plenty of players will play their first games with their new teams during MLS Rivalry Week this weekend. Alejandro Pozuelo was officially traded from Toronto FC to Inter Miami and the former MLS MVP could make an immediate impact tomorrow against Orlando, so long as his visa is processed in time. El Trafico will take place tonight as LAFC hosts the LA Galaxy. Gareth Bale isn’t expected to play, but Italian center back Giorgio Chiellini may make his MLS debut. Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera is expected to play for the Houston Dynamo tomorrow night and FC Dallas Head Coach Nico Estevez spoke about how motivated his side is for the rivalry match.

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  • Angel City FC officially signed former Pride player Claire Emslie, who was selected in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft. Emslie joins plenty of other former Pride players as Sydney Leroux, Ali Riley, Jasmyne Spencer, and Dani Weatherholt are all with ACFC.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes transferred defender Francisco Calvo to Turkish club Konyaspor.
  • Nashville SC midfielder Sean Davis won MLS Goal of the Week for his curler from distance against the Portland Timbers.

  • Luca de la Torre could be the latest American midfielder on the move as he is reportedly set to join Celta Vigo. If this happens, he would join Sergino Dest, Yunus Musah, and Matthew Hoppe as Americans playing in La Liga.
  • Norway won 4-1 against Northern Ireland in the women’s European Championship. Ada Hegerberg had an assist but didn’t score, proving that the Norwegians won’t have to necessarily rely on her to provide all of the offense.
  • Alcohol won’t be available in the stadiums for this year’s World Cup in Qatar. However, alcohol will be served at restricted times outside of the stadiums for fans to enjoy.
  • We’ll end our links with this fantastic goal from Everaldo Stum over in Japan.


That’s all I have for you for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and rest of your weekend. Go 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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

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.

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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.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

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

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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.

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

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