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Lion Links: 10/6/22

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3 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? If you watched last night’s game, it’s probably a rough morning. All we can do is take a breath, shake it off, and get excited about Orlando’s home game on Sunday. I’ve been pretty busy this week, so I’m glad it’s already Thursday at least. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Crushed in Fort Lauderdale

The Lions went on the road and had a rough time in a crucial game against Inter Miami. The Herons struck early and Orlando fell 4-1 in a loss that included a rotated line-up, poor defending, and a lack of scoring chances. What’s worse is that center back Antonio Carlos picked up a yellow card and won’t be able to play in Orlando’s game on Sunday against the Columbus Crew.

The good news is that Orlando still controls its own destiny. A win over the Crew at Exploria Stadium on Sunday would book Orlando a ticket to the postseason. However, a draw won’t be enough unless FC Cincinnati falls to D.C. United. The objective is at least clear for the Lions on Sunday: win.

Orlando City and Orlando Pride Hire Executives

New faces are joining Orlando City SC’s front office as Kelly Hyne was hired as senior vice president of brand alliances and Chris Kamke will be chief strategy officer. Hyne has over two decades of experience with the Ladies Professional Golf Association and will be tasked with adding new partners to the club’s network. Kamke will lead Orlando’s efforts to expand and increase the number of projects to generate revenue and he brings a wealth of experience from his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning to the club.

“A little over a year ago when the Wilf Family purchased our clubs, they immediately made a commitment to building a world-class organization, on and off the pitch. In order to do that we need to recruit, develop, and retain world-class talent,” said Jarrod Dillon, president of business operations for Orlando City and Orlando Pride. “In adding two industry respected leaders in Chris Kamke and Kelly Hyne, as well as a number of recent promotions and new position investments, we have taken massive steps in assembling a world-class executive team and front office.”

England Will Be a Tough Test for the USWNT

The United States Women’s National Team is in Europe this week for a pair of friendlies. The first will take place tomorrow as the USWNT faces England, which is currently ranked fourth in FIFA’s world rankings. Since Sarina Wiegman’s appointment as manager in August of 2020, England has been undefeated across 24 matches and won the Euros this past summer. The Houston Dash’s Ebony Salmon is the lone NWSL player on England’s 24-player roster and could spearhead an offense that also features Beth Mead, Fran Kirby, and Lauren Hemp. England also boasts a formidable back line with defenders such as Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, and Rachel Daly. In the midfield, Manchester City’s Keira Walsh is the straw that stirs the drink for the Lionesses and the USWNT will have to find a way to disrupt the momentum she can build.

Fallout From Abuse Investigation Continues

The Portland Timbers and Thorns announced that they have relieved President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub of their duties for both clubs following the findings of an investigation into systemic abuse in women’s soccer. You’ll need to get past the paywall for the full details, but The Athletic tweeted that Wilkinson signed a contract extension earlier this year that included morals clauses.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Red Stars board of directors is reportedly voting owner Arnim Whisler out as chairman.

Former Orlando City head coach and current Racing Louisville FC president James O’Connor released a statement in response to the club’s decision to hire Christy Holly, who has sexual assault allegations against him. The investigation also found that Sky Blue executive Mary Smoot was shocked that O’Connor told the media he received a “glowing review” of Holly from Sky Blue’s ownership. At the USL Championship match between Louisville City and Detroit City, fans held a silent protest.

Stars Shine in the Champions League

Some of the biggest names in Europe made an impact in the latest Champions League matches. Erling Haaland netted a brace as Manchester City cruised to a 5-0 win at home over Copenhagen. Angel Di Maria had a trio of assists in Juventus’ 3-1 win over Maccabi Haifa. After goals from Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in the first half, Real Madrid held on for a 2-1 win against Shakhtar Donetsk. Lionel Messi gave Paris Saint-Germain a lead, but Benfica salvaged a 1-1 draw. Christopher Nkunku had a goal in the first half and Andre Silva scored twice in the second to lift RB Leipzig to a 3-1 win over Celtic. Christian Pulisic stayed on the bench as Chelsea won 3-0 against Sergino Dest and AC Milan.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and the Orlando City Foundation are teaming up with Special Olympics Florida to support its Race for Inclusion event.

  • Charlotte FC’s playoff push came to an end despite a valiant effort to claw back from two goals down for a 2-2 draw against the Crew. The game also features a Goal of the Year candidate. Lucas Zelarayan is a notorious free kick specialist, but this is a bit ridiculous.

Ukraine was added to Spain and Portugal’s joint bid to host the World Cup in 2030. While it’s not clear how many games would be played in Ukraine, the distance between matches there and in the Iberian peninsula wouldn’t be too different from the distances in the 2026 World Cup in North America.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

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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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1 day ago

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April 25, 2025

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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.

Free Kicks

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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2 days ago

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April 24, 2025

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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.

Free Kicks

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.

Published

3 days ago

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April 23, 2025

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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.

Free Kicks

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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