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Lion Links: 1/30/23

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers. Orlando City continues its preseason, and the Orlando Pride begin their preseason today. The MLS and NWSL seasons are another day closer and it won’t be long until we’re all back in Exploria Stadium. It’s an exciting time to be an Orlando soccer fan. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Sign Carly Nelson

After the departure of Erin McLeod, the Orlando Pride signed former Kansas City goalkeeper Carly Nelson to a two-year contract. Nelson joins Anna Moorhouse and Kaylie Collins as Orlando’s goalkeepers, and they will compete for the starting position this season. Nelson comes to the Pride following a stint with FC Nordsjælland in Denmark’s top division. The Pride’s preseason camp starts today and Nelson greeted her new team.

Hello Orlando! When I tell you it is an honor to be here, I mean it. 💜 https://t.co/B1XM3ONkvo

— Carly Nelson (@thereal_icarly) January 29, 2023

Weston McKennie Set to Join Leeds

The American invasion of Leeds United may continue as USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie is reportedly the latest to head to the West Yorkshire club.

Weston McKennie to Leeds, here we go! Understand Leeds will pay €1.2m loan fee — deal will include buy option clause for €33m plus add ons 🚨⚪️🇺🇸 #LUFC

Leeds president Radrizzani unlocked the deal with Juventus in the night.

McKennie has agreed personal terms with Leeds. pic.twitter.com/mY1g6Fuql0

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 28, 2023

According to Fabrizio Romano, the loan carries a $1.4 million fee and Leeds has the option to buy McKennie for just under $36 million. McKennie would join fellow Americans Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson under Head Coach Jesse Marsch. This could be a good move for the American midfielder given he hasn’t made much of an impact with Juventus this season.

Wrexham Draws, Liverpool Loses in FA Cup Action

Ryan Reynolds was on hand at Racecourse Ground as Wrexham AFC hosted EFL Championship club Sheffield United FC in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. The Red Dragons took the lead twice in the 3-3 draw after Sheffield scored the first goal in the second minute. Unfortunately for the Wrexham faithful, Sheffield’s John Egan scored the equalizer in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. The two clubs will replay the match at Sheffield’s Bramall Lane.

Liverpool’s troubles continued as the club was knocked out of the FA Cup in a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion less than a year after winning the competition. Kaoru Mitoma’s goal in stoppage time was the difference for Brighton to advance to the fifth round.

EFL Championship side Stoke City defeated League Two side Stevenage 3-1 in its fourth match-up. The Potters got an early goal in the third minute, but Stevenage equalized in the 70th minute. Stoke City took the lead again three minutes later and put the match away on an 80th-minute penalty kick.

Cyle Larin Scores Winner in La Liga Debut

Former Orlando City forward Cyle Larin made his La Liga debut for Real Valladolid CF, coming off the bench in the 76th minute. In the 90th minute, Larin scored his first goal for his new club, giving Valladolid a 1-0 win at home over Valencia CF. I imagine such goals are the reason Valladolid brought Larin to town last week. The victory moved Valladolid out of the relegation zone and it will face Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Free Kicks

  • Icelandic midfielder Dagur Dan Thorhallsson is in the City Beautiful according to his Instagram. The 22-year-old was linked with a move to Orlando City last week.
  • In an interview with CNN regarding Wrexham, Rob McElhenney commented on how America does not have a tournament like the FA Cup. Of course, there is already a U.S. tournament that pits lower-division clubs against bigger clubs, as evidenced by Orlando beating USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup final.

To whom it may concern,

We do have a tournament like this

We’ve had it for 109 years

It’s called the @opencup

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) January 28, 2023

  • The USMNT drew Colombia 0-0 Saturday night in a friendly. It wasn’t what the result many wanted, but Paxten Aaronson and John Tolkin both made their USMNT debuts. January camps are never the best with several top players still in Europe, so keep that in mind.
  • American defender Kevin Paredes scored his first goal for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.

19-year-old Wolfsburg and USMNT defender Kevin Paredes scores his first Bundesliga goal! 👏 pic.twitter.com/RwdxjMWgdJ

— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) January 28, 2023

  • Forward Dante Vanzeir from Belgian club Union SG is reportedly headed to the New York Red Bulls this season. The Red Bulls transferred Patryk Klimala to Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva, opening up a Designated Player spot.

The New York Red Bulls are signing Belgian forward Dante Vanzeir from Union SG for $5.3m + add-ons, their third key addition at center forward this winter after Elias Manoel and Cory Burke.

Klimala exit was long assumed. Took a while, but almost there as he heads to Israel. https://t.co/53kb1y8cj0

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 29, 2023

  • Arsenal is reportedly trying to bring in midfielder Moises Caicedo once again.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal submitted new bid for Moises Caicedo. Understand it’s worth £70m packag add-ons included. ⚪️🔴🇪🇨 #AFC

Brighton don’t want to sell the player, stance very clear after £60m opening bid rejected — but Arsenal try again as Caicedo wants the move. pic.twitter.com/lmpo3Rs6Bw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 29, 2023


That will do it for today’s links. Have a great Monday and rest of your week!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/20/24

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS season schedule announced, MLS mock drafts, MLS clubs making moves, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I finally have everything squared away after a week of hustling and bustling, meaning I can thankfully avoid the stores this weekend and just relax before next week’s chaos. I’m still trying to nail down what I’ll be cooking as my contribution for my family’s holiday dinner, but it should be fun trialing some options over the next few days. For now though, let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS Schedule Announced

MLS revealed the schedule for the 2025 season and Orlando City’s first game of the season will be at home against the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 22. Orlando has yet to start a season on the road since joining the league back in 2015. The Lions aren’t scheduled to play against expansion club San Diego FC this year, but they will play their first road game against St. Louis City on June 25. While a majority of Orlando’s games will be on Saturdays, they do have a pair of games on Sundays against Inter Miami, including a rivalry week showdown on May 18. Decision Day will be on Oct. 18, with the Lions on the road to take on Toronto FC to close out the regular season.

Predicting the 2025 MLS SuperDraft

The MLS SuperDraft is set to take place today and Top Drawer Soccer did a mock draft to predict how the first two rounds will go. Orlando City currently has the 27th pick in the first round and Top Drawer Soccer has them selecting defensive midfielder Jackson Castro out of Creighton. The pick makes enough sense to me, as Orlando lost some depth in its midfield following the 2024 season and Castro was Duncan McGuire’s teammate on a strong Creighton team a couple of years ago. The Lions were also predicted to take West Virginia winger Sergio Ors Navarro and Kentucky forward Logan Dorsey in the second round.

Travis Clark of MLSsoccer.com also did a mock draft of the first round, with Orlando taking Cornell winger Alioune Ka. Interestingly enough, both mock drafts have NCAA leading scorer Emil Jaaskelainen going in the first round after Orlando’s pick. I’m pretty excited to see how it all shakes out today and learn which players will become the latest Lions on the team.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The off-season is bringing plenty of change across the league as teams continue wheeling and dealing in preparation for the 2025 season. The New England Revolution made a splash by trading away up to $3.25 million in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Miami in exchange for attacker Leonardo Campana. The 24-year-old should give a needed boost to a New England team that only scored 37 goals this season. As for Miami, it now has an MLS-trade record fee of $2.5 million in guaranteed GAM and an open Designated Player spot at its disposal.

The LA Galaxy traded away 2024 MLS Cup MVP Gastón Brugman and a conditional $100,000 in GAM to Nashville SC in exchange for midfielder Sean Davis. Brugman will help Nashville fill the gap left by Anibal Godoy, who joined San Diego FC as a free agent. FC Dallas also added a free agent, signing defender Lalas Abubakar to a two-year deal.

GAM Amounts Revealed for Each MLS Club

MLS pulled back the curtain a bit and unveiled the amount of General Allocation Money that each team had as of Dec. 10. Orlando City’s total comes in at $3,990,312, which is a pretty hefty amount that can be used to improve the team. Atlanta United’s $6,503,478 is the most in the league, while the Houston Dynamo are at the other end of the spectrum with just $2,063,538. The Campana trade helps put these amounts into perspective, but there are many uses for GAM and it’s interesting to see where each club stands. It’s also just nice to get some transparency from the league about this and hopefully that trend continues in 2025.

Free Kicks

  • The National Independent Soccer Association will reportedly no longer be sanctioned by the United States Soccer Foundation next year, which would leave MLS NEXT Pro and USL League One as the third-division leagues in the U.S.
  • Tottenham beat Manchester United 4-3 to claim the final semifinal spot in the EFL Cup, with Son Heung-Min scoring directly from a corner kick. Tottenham will face off against Liverpool in the next round, with Newcastle and Arsenal squaring off in the other semifinal.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I wish you all a relaxing weekend and a very happy holidays!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/19/24

Preparing for the MLS SuperDraft, New York Red Bulls sign Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Tim Weah injured, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve knocked out all of my shopping except for one gift I’m still trying to procure. I have a lead on it though and high hopes that I can get a literal bow on it before traveling to visit my family next week. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Getting Ready for the MLS SuperDraft

The 2025 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Friday and the league released the list of 477 eligible players clubs can choose from. This year’s Generation Adidas class includes Cornell forward Alex Harris, North Carolina left back Tate Johnson, Wisconsin forward Dean Boltz, and UC Santa Barbara defensive midfielder Manu Duah. Those players likely won’t be on the board by the time Orlando City’s 27th overall pick rolls around, but the team has proven in the past it isn’t afraid to make a trade for a top prospect.

Here’s a nice position-by-position breakdown of some of the best players available on Friday. I personally think Orlando could use some depth at center back, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the team rolls the dice on a center forward given its track record. Unfortunately, we’ll have to follow along with each pick on the league’s website rather than a stream.

MLS Transfer Roundup

After falling in the MLS Cup final earlier this month, the New York Red Bulls have added some firepower by signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as a Designated Player. The 35-year-old heads to MLS after playing for Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Stoke City, and Schalke 04 over the past 10 years. The Red Bulls now have a fairly dangerous trio of Designated Players in Choupo-Moting, Emil Forsberg, and Dante Vanzeir.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution added midfielder Jackson Yueill as a free agent. The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract that includes options for 2028 and 2029. D.C. United traded away $150,000 in General Allocation Money to Nashville SC in exchange for defender Lukas MacNaughton. FC Dallas signed midfielder Ramiro Benetti, who has spent the past two seasons with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in Brazil. Veteran defender Nick Lima has returned to the San Jose Earthquakes, signing a two-year contract with the club.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The injuries continue to rack up for the Americans, as Tim Weah will miss some time after sustaining a thigh injury earlier this week in Juventus’ win over Cagliari. In better news for Americans plying their trade abroad, forward Ricardo Pepi scored twice in PSV Eindhoven’s 8-0 win against Koninklijke HFC in the KNVB Cup. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool are all reportedly interested in left back Antonee Robinson, who turned some heads with a pair of assists on Sunday.

EFL Cup Semifinals Nearly Set

The EFL Cup semifinals are setting up to be a heavyweight affair, with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle all advancing from the quarterfinals. The day belonged to Gabriel Jesus, who scored his first hat trick for Arsenal in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool extended its unbeaten streak to 20 games across all competitions after a 2-1 win over Southampton, while Newcastle United beat Brentford thanks to a brace from Sandro Tonali. The final semifinalist will come from today’s match between Manchester United and Tottenham, with the draw taking place afterwards.

Free Kicks

  • The NWSL Shield and Championship trophy paid a visit to WFTV’s studios, and it’s still a bit surreal that the Orlando Pride secured both pieces of silverware this season.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/18/24

Another report on the Facundo Torres transfer, Marta wins her own award, Becky Sauerbrunn retires, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. For those that celebrate Christmas, we’re only a week out, so I hope you’ve gotten your shopping done. If not, no judgement from me, just encouragement. I know you can do it! I think we can all do with a little more encouragement these days. For now, let’s get to the links.

Torres Deal Done?

WESH is reporting that the Facundo Torres to Palmeiras deal is done. As of this writing, there has been no confirmation from either club, but it is reasonable to think where there’s this much smoke, there’s fire. Torres may have scored his last goal in purple, and will leave as the club’s all-time leader in that category after three seasons. According to the report, Torres signed a five-year deal with the Brazilian club. We will provide updates as information becomes available.

Marta Wins Marta Award

In the most appropriate award selection in history, Marta has won the inaugural FIFA award for the best goal in women’s soccer, aptly named The FIFA Marta Award.

The award winning goal came in Brazil’s international friendly against Jamaica in June, as the Brazilian made a nice move to clear a defender and then sent in a long-range shot. Check it out.

Marta received the award at FIFA’s “The Best” Award ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

USWNT Legend Becky Sauerbrunn Retires

Former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn is retiring from professional soccer. The legendary defender has played in the NWSL in every year of it’s existence. She retires having won three championships, one NWSL Shield, multiple Women’s World Cups, and Olympic medals. Sauerbrunn is definitively one of the best to ever wear a U.S. jersey.

NWSL, MLS NEXT Pro Expand

The NWSL is entering into exclusive negotiations with a Denver-area group regarding the league’s next expansion franchise. Denver was picked above both Cincinnati and Cleveland. The expansion fee is in the $105-$120 million range.

MLS NEXT Pro is also adding another new team. Until a new name, logo, and brand are settled on, the team will be called West Michigan Soccer. The team will be the sixth independent club in MLS NEXT Pro. Orlando City B won’t have the opportunity to play the new team until 2027.

Free Kicks

  • Torres’ goal against Nashville made it into a compilation of volleyed goals from the MLS Twitter account.

That will do it for today. Keep checking in as our Orlando City and Orlando Pride Season in Review pieces continue. Vamos Orlando!

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