Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/23/22

It’s a big match day, Mane Landers. Orlando City hosts the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union tonight at 7:30 p.m. A win does not seem out of the realm of possibility, as the Lions currently trail by only nine points on the table. However, the squad is going to need to put together one of their best team efforts across the board to do so. The fun does not stop there, as the rubber match between the Young Lions and Philly II will be played tomorrow at 7 p.m. as well. Let’s hope the first team can set the tone tonight and OCB can wrap it all up tomorrow. Now, it’s time for the links!
Orlando City Hosts Philadelphia Union
Orlando City took a short break from MLS play by adding in a friendly match against Arsenal on Wednesday. The club will be at home again tonight — this time against MLS side Philadelphia for the first meeting between the teams in league play in 2022. The two teams met earlier in the year in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 10, when Ercan Kara and Andrés Perea both found the back of the net.
Kara would love to score again against the Union and leads the Lions with eight goals in all competitions in 2022 — seven of which have come in league play. Facundo Torres follows closely behind with five and scored against Arsenal on Wednesday. The Lions will need to keep an eye on Dániel Gazdag, who leads the Union with nine goals this campaign, followed by Julián Carranza, with seven.
Young Lions Called Up
U-19 United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Marko Mitrović has called up 23 players for a training camp from July 25 to Aug. 2. Orlando City B will be offering up three of its players for the camp. Goalkeeper Dominic Pereira will be joining attackers Favian Loyola and Ethan Subachan on the plane to Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. This will be Pereira’s first appearance with the U-19s.
The players called to Carson are also age-eligible for the U-20 side, which just qualified for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia and the 2024 Olympics in Paris with its performance at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Honduras. The players born in 2005 are also age-eligible for the 2024-2025 U-20 World Cup cycle. Hopefully, the Young Lions can prove themselves worthy in this camp as they work towards inking their names on the U-20 World Cup roster.
OCB Keeper One to Watch
If you have yet to see Javier Otero feature for Orlando City B, you might also recognize his name from a couple of recent short-term contracts with the first team. He was recently signed to fill in as backup goalkeeper due to Orlando’s usual second- and third-string keepers being out with injury. While he has yet to play in a match for the senior Lions, he has been making a name for himself across MLS NEXT Pro. He has recently been listed as one of five MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers that MLS clubs should keep their eyes on.
Otero was named MLS NEXT Pro’s Goalkeeper of the Month for April. At only 19 years of age, Otero towers in goal as a man amongst boys at 6-foot-6. Across 12 matches this season, Otero has 70 saves while only conceding 24 goals. He boasts three clean sheets, a 74.5% save percentage, and 16 additional clearances.
Sebas Mendez Welcomed in LA
LAFC added Orlando City’s Sebas Mendez to the tem’s list of summer transfers Tuesday for $300,000 in guaranteed General Allocation Money, with another $450,000 in conditional GAM tied to the Ecuadorian international’s performance metrics with the Black & Gold.
Mendez has more than three years of MLS experience and more than 4,500 regular-season minutes with the Lions, He will be joining his countrymen, Jose Cifuentes and Diego Palacios, on the club level now as well. The three players will be chasing a Qatar 2022 World Cup spot with La Tri later this fall.
LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo described his newest addition as a versatile midfielder who can play multiple spots.
“He is physically very gifted and covers a lot of ground and is quite aggressive. His ball-winning abilities is something that we’re also looking for in players, and he brings that. On top of that, he’s technically proficient and has an eye for certain windows. So he fits very nicely into an 8 position for us, and in a pinch, he can play in a 6 position.”
It has yet to be seen if Orlando City will replace Mendez this transfer window or wait until the end of the season. Mendez has already integrated into his new club and could play as soon as LAFC’s visit to Sporting Kansas City tonight at 8:30 p.m.
Luis Gil Joins Union Omaha
Former Orlando City midfielder Luis Gil has joined USL League One side Union Omaha. In 2017, Gil joined Orlando City from Querétaro of Liga MX on loan and featured in 17 matches for the Lions. Orlando City went on to swap midfielders with the Colorado Rapids in the final hours of the MLS summer transfer window, when the Rapids received Gil and $100,000 of Targeted Allocation Money and Orlando claimed Dillon Powers.
At the international level, Gil only earned two caps with the USMNT senior team. However, at the youth international level, Gil accumulated over 50 appearances and 12 goals, and played in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the 2009 Concacaf U-17 Championship, the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the 2013 Concacaf U-20 Championship.
“Luis adds great quality and experience to our team,” Union Omaha Head Coach Jay Mims said. “He has played at the highest level in our country including at every level with the USMNT. Adding an experienced, quality player like Luis will have such a great impact on our team on and off the field for the second half of the season. We are excited to welcome Luis to the club and I know the players are eager to have another hard-working, humble person in the locker room.”
Free Kicks
- USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie spoke about his off-season, transfer rumors, and maintaining focus for Juventus.
- MLSsoccer.com’s Andrew Wiebe gave his thoughts on which MLS teams on the bubble will make the 2022 MLS Cup playoffs and why.
- New York City FC striker Valentin Castellanos is still training and in the squad for today’s match, despite being linked to a Girona transfer.
- Toronto FC Head Coach and Sporting Director Bob Bradley confirmed Friday that Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi will both mark their first minutes in MLS since the Italian international forwards joined this summer.
- New England Revolution Head Coach Bruce Arena will not rush striker Giacomo Vrioni into his debut.
- Minnesota United Head Coach Adrian Heath played it cool on his team’s win against Everton.
- The beach soccer version of the USMNT defeated Portugal, 6-5, with the side’s goalkeeper scoring the winner.
🚨 #USbeachMNT 🇺🇸 defeat 🇵🇹 – the 2015 / 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and 7X Mundialito champs!
⚽️ 1st: 2-2 (Antonio Chavez, Gabe Silveira)
⚽️ 2nd: 4-4 (Chris Albiston, Silveira)
⚽️ 3rd: Nico Perea, GK Chris Toth with the winner from 28 yards! #Mundialito2022 pic.twitter.com/KQh511Pu7w— U.S. Soccer Extended National Teams (@ussoccer_ENT) July 22, 2022
- Sweden scored a stoppage-time winner to beat Belgium in Euro 2022 quarterfinals.
- Eden Hazard is not thinking about a move to MLS for now as he vowed to prove himself at Real Madrid this season.
- Nacional fans have been wearing Luis Suarez masks in attempt to convince him to return to his homeland.
That’s all the links for today. You know what to do now. Pull on your purple jersey, start the pregame rituals, and head over to Exploria Stadium. Let’s get this weekend off to a great start. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/2/25
Orlando Pride players on International duty, NWSL power rankings, USWNT friendlies, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. There is plenty of Orlando Pride news today, which is good considering we’re heading into an international break. That means we can look forward to some women’s international matches in addition to Orlando City’s next bout against the Philadelphia Union. Before we jump into today’s news, please join us in wishing Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo a happy 24th birthday. Let’s get to the links.
International Duty, Pride Edition
Four players from the Orlando Pride have been called up for international duty. Anna Moorhouse (England), Angelina (Brazil), Emily Sams (U.S.), and Zara Chavoshi (U.S. U-23 training camp) will all head to their respective national teams. Moorhouse’s England will compete in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, while Angelina and Sams will face off in a pair of friendlies between the USWNT and the Brazil Women’s National Team.
Pride Still on Top
It seems that there are more outlets providing NWSL power rankings every week, but as long as they keep the Pride on top, I’ll keep letting you know about it. Given that the Pride are undefeated, with the most goals scored and the best goal differential, it isn’t surprising that the club is sitting atop the official standings along with these “highly scientific” power rankings. Goal.com, Sports Illustrated, and All For IX all rank the Pride in first place just above the Kansas City Current. I suppose even power rankings are occasionally correct.
Orlando’s Various World Cup Ties
You probably know that Orlando wasn’t selected to be one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As disappointing as that was, there’s still a chance that the city, and Orlando City SC’s training grounds at Osceola Heritage Park will host team training during the event. The top notch facilities, plus the relatively close proximity to host cities Miami and Atlanta, make Orlando a good option.
On a more positive note, Orlando was chosen as a host city for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Camping World Stadium will see Club León vs. CR Flamengo, and Juventus vs. Manchester City. The Group H runner-up vs. Group G winner match and one of the quarterfinal round matches will also be in Orlando. There’s plenty to see and do in the City Beautiful, including some great soccer.
USWNT Youth Movement
Sams won’t be the only younger player in Emma Hayes’ lineup for the friendlies against Brazil. Hayes wants to deepen the player pool, which means bringing in players with an average age of just over 25 years old, and the average number of appearances is less than 35. Hayes also believes this is a chance for the younger players who appeared in the loss to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup. The first of the two matches is this Saturday at 5 p.m., with the second coming up Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.
Free Kicks
- The NWSL is looking to expand its media rights deals to include Sunday nights beginning next year. It’s a growth league and a growth market, and I’m all for Sunday night matches.
- Power rankings have now made their way down to MLS NEXT Pro. Spoiler alert, Orlando City B comes in at fifth. Still, it’s nice to see a little love given to the development league. Maybe I should write a power rankings for the various power rankings.
- I’m always for more soccer, and we now know the USL Women’s Super League eight-team playoff dates and format.
- I know it can be hard to feel bad for people who make quite a bit money playing soccer, but I still side with them over the billionaire owners that pay them. Or don’t pay them in the case of Sheffield Wednesday’s owner, Dejphon Chansiri.
- Barcelona is trying to bring the NFL to Spain. If successful, it might be the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes who make an appearance at Camp Nou. This will allow a bunch of Barcelona supporters the opportunity to ask if Taylor Swift will make an appearance.
- If you’re not watching the German Cup — and to be fair, I haven’t been either — you are missing some massive cupsets, including third-tier Arminia Bielefeld taking down Bundesliga champs Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 to advance to the German Cup final.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and OCB matches this weekend. Hopefully, you have two screens since the match start times overlap. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/1/25
Barbra Banda’s continued importance, Americans in midweek action, USWNT announces friendly, and more.

Good morning everyone! It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride both won, meaning that we got treated to a six-point weekend (OCB was off). As always we have plenty to talk through this morning, so let’s get into today’s links.
Barbra Banda Keeps Rolling in 2025
After a wildly successful debut season with the Orlando Pride in 2024, Barbra Banda has showed no signs of slowing down this year. A brace in the season opener meant that she picked up right where she left off last year, and the team has continued to be successful too. The Pride have made it three wins from three to start the 2025 season, and while Banda hasn’t scored since the opener, her blend of pace, power, dribbling, passing, and movement have continuously helped open things up for her teammates, and she drew a penalty that led to the Pride’s game-winning goal Saturday. She isn’t the Pride’s only offensive weapon, but the team clicks into a different gear when she’s at her best.
Americans in Midweek Action
There are a number of Americans who will be playing in games during the working week, and there are some very important clashes on hand. Things get going later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham visit Arsenal in Premier League play as the Cottagers are in hot pursuit of a coveted European place. Wednesday has Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace facing Southampton, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth take on Manchester City. Also on Wednesday, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will face Inter Milan in a Coppa Italia semifinal. Things finish up on Friday as Aidan Morris and Middlesborough travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.
USWNT Announces Canada Match
The United States Women’s National Team has announced another friendly taking place this summer, as the team will face Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C. The match will be the third that the USWNT will play during the window, following a pair of friendlies against Ireland in late June. The neighboring countries will meet at Audi Field with the match designated as the Allstate Continental Clasico, with this being the first time that the match will feature the USWNT. The U.S. faced Canada twice in 2024, with both matches ending in 2-2 draws and the USWNT emerging victorious in shootouts.
Concacaf Champions Cup Preview
The Concacaf Champions Cup returns this week, with the first legs of the four quarterfinal matches set to be played today and tomorrow. Things get started tonight with what should be an exciting match between Club America and Cruz Azul, with the crosstown rivals two of the winningest teams in the competition. Cruz Azul’s Angel Sepulveda leads the CCC’s golden boot race with four tallies. The late game sees the LA Galaxy taking on Tigres as the Galaxy will try to distract themselves from a difficult start to their MLS Cup title defense. Wednesday’s slate has the Vancouver Whitecaps taking on Pumas UNAM in Canada in what will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams. The late game will be an all-MLS affair as LAFC hosts Inter Miami in the first meeting between the two sides in CCC play.
Sporting Kansas City Fires Peter Vermes
The longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer is out of work, as Sporting Kansas City announced the firing of Peter Vermes on Monday morning. It’s an end of an era in Kansas City, as Vermes was the head coach since 2009, back when the team was still called the Kansas City Wizards, and he had been named the club’s technical director three years earlier in 2006. He guided the team to an MLS Cup win in 2013; claimed U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017; and helped the team be consistently competitive for a majority of his tenure. Despite all of that, SKC missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and was mired in the midst of a 13-game winless streak in all competitions that stretched back to Sept. 18 of last year. After being an assistant on Vermes’ staff, Kerry Zavagnin will take over as interim head coach.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City jumped eight places to no. 11 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- Meanwhile the Orlando Pride continue to hold sway at no. 1 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Germany great Thomas Muller has reportedly received offers from MLS teams.
- Tierna Davidson will not play in the USWNT’s upcoming games against Brazil due to a knee injury, with Gisele Thompson replacing her on the roster.
That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 3/31/25
Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road
On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.
Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home
The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.
NWSL Weekend Recap
The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.
FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap
The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
- Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
- Antoine Griezmann is reportedly staying at Atletico Madrid next season despite being linked to a potential move to join LAFC in MLS.
- RB Leipzig has fired manager Marco Rose, as the club is sixth in the Bundesliga table and has appointed Zsolt Low as interim manager until the end of the season.
- David Blitzer is reportedly close to selling his majority ownership stake in the Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake after owning both clubs since 2022.
- Sports Illustrated released its list of MLS Coaches on the hot seat after poor starts, mentioning Sporting Kansas City’s Peter Vermes, the LA Galaxy’s Greg Vanney, and the New England Revolution’s Caleb Porter.
- FIFA is reportedly considering having a one-game playoff between LAFC and Club America, with the winner replacing Club Leon in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
- That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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