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Lion Links: 1/19/23

Published

2 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? I don’t know about you, but I’m itching to get back to Exploria Stadium and can’t wait for the NWSL and MLS seasons to get started. I plan on attending a few more matches this year and am looking forward to the jersey reveals as mine are getting a bit old. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Caitlin Cosme! The Pride drafted Cosme in the 2022 NWSL Draft, but she didn’t play last season due to injury. Hopefully she bounces back in a strong way this year.

Jake Mulraney Transferred to Irish Club

Orlando City transferred winger Jake Mulraney to St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland’s top flight. The terms of the transfer were not disclosed. Mulraney joined the Lions in a trade with Atlanta in May of last year, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact in Orlando. With Gaston Gonzalez, Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Shak Mohammed all as options for Orlando on the wing, along with Facundo Torres locked in as a starter, it makes plenty of sense for Orlando to make this move. As for Mulraney, he now gets to be closer to his family in Ireland and he spoke about why he chose St. Patrick’s Athletic over other options. We wish him the best with his new club!

Darian Jenkins Hangs Up Her Cleats

Orlando Pride forward Darian Jenkins announced her retirement from professional soccer after six years in the NWSL. Drafted by the North Carolina Courage in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, Jenkins ends her career with 11 goals across 83 NWSL games. She joined the Pride via a trade with the Kansas City Current in January of last year and was still under contract through the 2023 season. Jenkins contributed four goals and a pair of assists across all competitions while in Orlando. The Pride aren’t lacking options up top, although Jenkins’ speed and versatility may be missed at times in 2023. The club also drafted forwards Messiah Bright and Kristen Scott earlier this month, so it will be interesting to see if either player can fill the void left by Jenkins should they sign with the Pride.

Getting to Know Luca Petrasso

As part of a new series for fans to learn more about what Orlando City players are like off the field, left back Luca Petrasso fielded some questions regarding his move from Toronto to Orlando this off-season and more. The 22-year-old is settling in and praised both the weather and Orlando City’s coaching staff as he gets ready for the 2023 season.

Luca Petrasso: Everything’s been good. I’m excited, obviously a different kind of adventure for me because I’ve been at home for a long time – I was at Toronto FC for 10 years, so, it’s a little bit new to me. But I’m enjoying it. Some good people, a great coaching staff, the weather is amazing – you can’t get much better than that, so I’m excited.

Petrasso has already been to Disney World in the time since his trade to Orlando and he’s exploring the various coffee shops in the city. Training seems to be going well for the left back, although he did bemoan the lack of an espresso machine at the training facility.

Roster Announced for USMNT Training Camp

With training camp taking place in California this month, 24 players were called up for the United States Men’s National Team. With European leagues continuing throughout this month, this camp presents a great opportunity for many Americans. This is the first call-up to a USMNT training camp for 11 players, including dual-national forwards Brandon Vazquez and Alejandro Zendejas. The goalkeepers are also a position group to keep an eye on. Chelsea’s Gabriel Slonina could make his USMNT debut later this month. FC Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano was also called up, with veteran goalkeeper Sean Johnson there as well. Paul Arriola, Walker Zimmerman, and Kellyn Acosta are a few of the other veteran MLS players called up. Anthony Hudson will lead the training camp and the U.S. will host Serbia and Colombia in friendlies on Jan. 25 and 28, respectively.

Free Kicks

  • FC Dallas signed midfielder Paxton Pomykal to a new contract through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027 as well. Pomykal, who was also called up to the USMNT camp, started in 30 games for Dallas last season and contributed five assists.
  • In a move that’s been reported throughout the month, Josef Martinez officially won’t return to Atlanta United for the 2023 season, having signed with Inter Miami on Wednesday.
  • In preseason action, the Vancouver Whitecaps fell 2-0 to Hamburger SV. Vancouver goalkeeper Thomas Hasal came up with a few good saves, but Hamburg’s Robert Glatzel scored a brace.
  • American center back Chris Richards started in his first Premier League game. The 22-year-old played every minute as Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Manchester United.
  • Justin Che, a 19-year-old defender from Texas, was promoted to Hoffenheim’s first team. Hoffenheim’s next match will be this Saturday against Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin.
  • Leeds United won its first competitive match since Nov. 5, beating Cardiff City 5-2 in the FA Cup’s third round. The offense was firing on all cylinders for Leeds and Jesse Marsch will need that to continue when his side hosts Brentford on Sunday.
  • Atletico Madrid, Valencia, and Sevilla all advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey. Today’s action features Villarreal hosting Real Madrid and FC Barcelona traveling to play against AD Ceuta. The draw for the quarterfinal will take place tomorrow.
  • Inter dominated AC Milan 3-0 to lift the Supercoppa Italiana for the second-straight year.

That’s all I have for you today. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as this Floridian winter rolls on. Have a great Thursday and rest of your week.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

19 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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January 20, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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