Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/19/22

Happy Monday, Mane Landers. Let’s just get right down to it. If you missed Sunday’s World Cup final, you missed what might be the greatest final in soccer for years to come. While I spent my past few days on vacation in Las Vegas, I’m glad I was able to get back in time to relax and witness history being made.
Aside from that, I have officially begun my holiday shopping. Hopefully you didn’t wait until the last minute like I did. It seems to be a weird tradition for me that I regret each year. But enough of that — let’s get to the links.
Argentina Wins the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup final was billed as more than just a match between Argentina and France. There were also storylines revolving around Paris Saint-Germain teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé facing off on the world’s biggest stage. The battle between the two teams was one for the ages and the two superstars did not disappoint. As soon as the ball was kicked, Messi set a FIFA record for the most all-time appearances in the men’s tournament, with 26. Argentina broke the deadlock first, as France’s Ousmane Dembele tripped Angel Di Maria in the box. Messi stepped up and buried his penalty, becoming the first men’s player to score in all four knockout rounds of the World Cup. In the 35th minute, Di Maria was unmarked in the box on a transition attack and doubled Argentina’s goal after a series of great passes.
OH MY WHAT A GOAL 😱
2-0 ARGENTINA 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/rBH0HSCyFJ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
Argentina continued to dominate most of the second half until the 80th minute, when Mbappé converted a penalty to cut the lead to 2-1. Minutes later, Mbappé scored my favorite goal of the tournament with a thunderous first-time volley.
MBAPPE ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😱
FRANCE TIES IT pic.twitter.com/qZLzNz3aow
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
With the game deadlocked at 2-2, France and Argentina headed to extra time — but the scoring was not over there. Both Messi and Mbappé found the net again to make the score 3-3 before a penalty shootout. In the end, it was Lionel Messi and Argentina who walked away as victors, winning the shootout, 4-2.
Kylian Mbappé Awarded Golden Boot
Despite falling in the final, Mbappé scored a hat trick to secure his place at the top of the Golden Boot race. Mbappé scored his sixth, seventh, and eighth goals of the tournament to win the award over Messi. He becomes just the second player to ever record a hat trick in a World Cup final, joining England’s Geoff Hurst from the 1966 World Cup.
Argentine players claimed many of the other awards handed out after the tournament. Messi received the Golden Ball, finishing ahead of Mbappe and Croatia’s Luka Modric. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was fantastic in goal for Argentina this tournament, particularly during penalty shootouts, and won the Golden Glove. Enzo Fernandez, a 21-year-old midfielder, played in all seven of Argentina’s matches and was named Young Player of the Tournament.
Croatia Wins Third-Place Match
Croatia edged Morocco in a close 2-1 victory on Saturday to claim a third-place finish in Qatar. Josko Gvardiol, one of the standout players of the tournament, scored a header only seven minutes into the match to give Croatia an early lead. But Morocco fired back in the ninth minute through a close-range header from defender Achraf Dari — his first international goal. Croatian winger Mislav Orsic netted a curled effort in the 42nd minute that proved to be the winner.
“This is bronze with a golden glow. We won a tough game,” said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic, who also led the nation of just 4 million people to their runners-up finish in Russia four years ago. This is a medal for the Croatian people… It’s really great that we won two medals in two tournaments, big congratulations to my players.”
MLS Player Thiago Almada Makes History
Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada became the first active MLS player to win a FIFA World Cup following a 2022 MLS season that also saw him named MLS Newcomer of the Year. While Almada was an unused substitute in the final, he still joined in the celebrations with his teammates as Argentina added a third World Cup trophy to its collection. The league-record signing from Vélez Sarsfield joins an exclusive group of players who have both played in MLS and claimed soccer’s ultimate prize.
Campeones del mundo 🇦🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/er0j6VMoFv
— Thiago Ezequiel Almada (@thiago_aImada23) December 18, 2022
Free Kicks
- Here’s a very early prediction and preview of what to expect from the 2026 World Cup.
- The United States, Mexico, and Canada are preparing to host the next World Cup in 2026 and here is a nice breakdown of the numbers involved with the tournament.
- Messi said he will not retire from international football after winning the World Cup.
- The Football Association has confirmed that Gareth Southgate will stay on as England’s manager through Euro 2024.
- Manchester United is unlikely to activate David de Gea’s contract extension and will instead look for a new goalkeeper when the 2022-23 season comes to a close.
- U.S. Soccer referees officiated the FIFA World Cup final for the first time in history.
Well, that puts a wrap on the World Cup. As we look forward to the next edition, I can’t wait to see what is in store for the USMNT. I hope you all have a great week and safe travels this holiday season. 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.

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.

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.

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.
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