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Lion Links: 9/24/22

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4 years ago

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Welcome to the weekend, Mane Landers. With an international break upon us, there is not much in the way of MLS action this weekend as only one match is on the schedule today. On the women’s side of domestic soccer, our Orlando Pride will be hosting the San Diego Wave tomorrow night at 7 p.m in their final home match of the season.

And in case you missed it, The Mane Land turned eight years old yesterday. It’s such a big milestone that I think it is worth noting twice. Congrats to everyone past and present who has been part of this awesome crew. Now, on to today’s links!

Jack Lynn Earns MLS NEXT Pro Honors

MLS NEXT Pro has announced the winners of its regular-season awards for its inaugural season of play. Orlando City forward Jack Lynn has been named to the league’s Best XI, which is comprised of the top players at each position, representing eight clubs in total. All awards were voted on by the head coaches and chief soccer officers at MLS NEXT Pro Clubs, as well as league broadcast and content teams.

Lynn was prolific in front of goal for Orlando City B this season — and has since been loaned to San Antonio FC for the remainder of the 2022 USL Championship season.

Orlando Pride Pepare for Final 2022 Home Match

The Orlando Pride have only two matches left on the schedule for this season. If you have yet to make it to a match, the club wraps up its home schedule Sunday night when the San Diego Wave come to Exploria Stadium. The Wave are currently in contention for a first-round bye in the playoffs if the results go their way. San Diego Head Coach Casey Stoney is not taking anything for granted though.

“We know we’ve got a tough away trip to Orlando,” said Stoney. “They’re a good side, they’ve given us problems before, so we will need to make sure we are at our very best.”

The last time the two teams met was on Aug. 13 at Torero Stadium when Orlando walked away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a penalty kick conversion in the 23rd minute by midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard. The Wave have since bounced back from that defeat by winning three out of the next four. Recently, the club has found success in forward Jaedyn Shaw, who the Pride will surely want to keep eyes on.

“Obviously, we are very lucky to have Jaedyn (Shaw) on our roster,” Stoney added. “Seventeen years old, extreme maturity for such a young age, never gets phased by anything, super talent. What she can do with the ball is frightening.”

USMNT Unimpressive in Japan Friendly

The USMNT left much to be desired as it fell 2-0 to Japan Friday morning. With only four shots and zero of those on target, the USMNT never looked like it would find a way back into the match. After a brutal first half in the usual 4-3-3 formation, Head Coach Gregg Berhalter stuck to a series of planned substitutions — including a quadruple change at halftime and a shift to a three-man defense with a 3-2-2-3 shape in possession after intermission.

“It was a really competitive match. I think we ended up hurting ourselves a little bit too much in the game with silly giveaways,” said Berhalter in a short interview with ESPN. “And we want a little more personality in the match. Give Japan a lot of credit: Good team, competitive team, they pressed well, but we can do better.

While the substitutions were pre-determined, they did not equate to goals or change much in the way of creating chances. The Japan back line remained largely untroubled and the United States finished the match with a mere 0.49 expected goals.

Christian Pulisic Held Out of USMNT Friendly

The USMNT was missing its captain in Christian Pulisic entering the friendly with Japan. However, Head Coach Gregg Berhalter doesn’t expect Pulisic to be out long term and is optimistic he will return for Tuesday’s final World Cup tune-up match in Spain against Saudi Arabia.

“He just took a knock in training and it’s precautionary,” Berhalter told noted pregame. “We spoke to the club, we got it checked and day-to-day. Hopefully he can take part on Tuesday.”

With Pulisic out, the USMNT started FC Dallas forward Jesus Ferreira in the No. 9 role alongside Brenden Aaronson from Leeds United and Giovanni Reyna from Borussia Dortmund in the attack. By missing one of its most key playmakers, there was clearly a void in the USMNT attacking third and link-up play — especially in the space normally occupied by Pulisic.

With the USMNT, Pulisic has 21 goals in 51 appearances since debuting back in 2016 as a 17-year-old. The captain memorably had a hat trick in a 5-1 World Cup qualifying rout of Panama last March, which secured qualification through the Concacaf Octagonal.

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That’s a wrap on today’s edition of Lion Links. I hope you all enjoy a restful weekend, complete your errands and chores, and can make it out to the home finale for the Orlando Pride. While this season has not been the best we have seen, the women still deserve our support. As always — Vamos Orlando!

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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.

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50 minutes ago

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May 20, 2026

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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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/19/26

Lions set for international duty, lessons from MLS matchday 14, Austin FC makes changes at the top, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 19, 2026

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Image of Marco Pasalic saluting the fans.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! It wasn’t a particularly successful weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but we don’t have time to dwell on the past. Orlando City is set for a big U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against Atlanta United tonight, and all three teams will be back in action over the weekend. We’ve got a whole host of things to talk about today, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Lions Called Up for International Duty

A busy summer break from MLS is almost upon us, and that means that the international call-ups are starting to roll in. Gustavo Caraballo will be joining Venezuela’s U-20 outfit as it gets ready for an upcoming youth tournament.

In addition, Marco Pasalic has been named to Croatia’s World Cup squad, so Orlando City will be represented on the biggest stage.

Congrats to both players!

Lessons from Matchday 14

Matchday 14 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so let’s take a look at what we learned from the weekend’s action. For one thing, despite a slightly slow start to the season by his high standards, Hany Mukhtar’s hat trick against LAFC proved that he should still be considered among the league’s elite. Marco Reus flashed his versatility in the LA Galaxy’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, as he played striker and got an assist on LA’s first goal. Finally, while its too early to say things are definitely turned around for Sporting Kansas City, back-to-back wins means that there’s at least something to get excited about, and that’s very welcome in a season that’s been difficult for the most part. The spine of Sporting’s midfield looked improved on Saturday, and having Dejan Jovelic up top is never going to hurt a team’s chances.

Austin FC Makes Personnel Changes

Austin FC followed in the footsteps of the Columbus Crew by announcing the firing of head coach Nico Estevez on Monday. Where Austin went a step further was by also firing sporting director Rodolfo Borrell. The team has begun searches for permanent appointments to both positions immediately, while naming Davy Arnaud as interim manager in what will be his second stint in that role with the club. Austin has endured a difficult start to the season and is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 3-6-5 and 14 points from 14 matches. The 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday seems to have been the final straw, and Austin will now be seeking its third permanent head coach since becoming an MLS club.

Americans in Midweek Action

Most major European seasons have already wrapped up or will be doing so shortly, but there’s still a number of Americans who will be competing during the working week. Things get started later today when Tyler Adams and Bournemouth play host to Manchester City in Premier League action. The stakes ratchet up considerably on Thursday when Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg play Paderborn in the first leg of the Bundesliga’s promotion/relegation tie. Things then finish up on Friday when Yunus Musah and Atalanta travel to take on Fiorentina in Serie A.

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That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/18/26

Lions draw Atlanta United, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey playing against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering high school playoff water polo and soccer. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Atlanta United

Orlando City drew Atlanta United 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Griffin Dorsey scored the opener for the Lions in the first half. Orlando was moments away from securing back-to-back wins. However, the Lions could not hold onto the lead, as Jay Fortune scored a late equalizer for Atlanta, and both teams ended up with a point. It will be a busy week for Orlando City, facing Atlanta United again Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup at home, followed by a road trip to take on FC Cincinnati Saturday at TQL Stadium.

Pride Fall to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride fell 3-1 in their first road match against Denver Summit FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. It’s the second consecutive match in a week the Pride have lost to a 2026 NWSL expansion team on the road, following a defeat to Boston Legacy FC on Tuesday. Orlando conceded the first goal and trailed 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, Janine Sonis scored a penalty kick goal to give Denver a 2-0 lead. Angelina was sent off with a red card before Barbra Banda pulled one back, but Sonis added her second goal immediately after the Pride scored to put away Denver’s first-ever home win. The Pride will look to bounce back on the road, taking on the San Diego Wave Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

OCB Concedes Late in 1-0 Road Loss to New England Revolution II

Orlando City B fell 1-0 to New England Revolution II on the road Sunday at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to score throughout the match, and it looked like the match was heading to a 0-0 draw and a shootout. However, Judah Siqueira scored a winner for New England in the dying moments of the match for the hosts. The result ends the Young Lions’ four-match points streak. OCB will return home to face Inter Miami II Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Americans Abroad

Auston Trusty played a full 90 minutes and helped Celtic overturn a 1-0 deficit to complete the comeback and defeat Hearts 3-1 to secure the club’s fifth straight Scottish Premiership title. Antonee Robinson scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chris Richards came off the bench and played 29 minutes for Crystal Palace in a 2-2 draw against Brentford but suffered an ankle injury toward the end of the match. Christian Pulisic made his return to AC Milan after being sidelined with a lower back injury and came off the bench in the second half in a 2-1 win against Genoa. Ricardo Pepi scored for PSV Eindhoven in a 5-1 win against FC Twente. George Bello and Sam Adeniran helped LASK capture its first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965, defeating Austria Vienna 3-0 and booking a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League playoff round.

Manchester City Defeats Chelsea to Win FA Cup

Manchester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium Saturday to win the English FA Cup. After a scoreless first half, Antoine Semenyo’s lone goal in the second half was enough to pull Manchester City to victory and keep the club’s domestic treble hopes alive. It’s Manchester City’s second FA Cup trophy in four years.

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  • Orlando City midfielder Gustavo Caraballo has been called up to the Venezuela U-20 Men’s National Team for the upcoming Maurice Revello Tournament in France.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner gave birth to her first child over the weekend.

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

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