Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/15/23
Lions travel to Allianz Field, Orlando Pride need first win, USMNT learns Gold Cup group opponents, and more.

Happy double matchday, Mane Landers! It is another busy weekend for my wife and I, as we yet again have family in town following the move into our new house. Is it a house? Is it a hotel? With all the people coming and going, it sure is starting to feel like one. But heck, we love seeing friends and family so there are no real actual complaints here. The good news is it really gives me ample time to try to create some more Orlando soccer fans when the games are on the television here for them to take in alongside us. Anyway, let’s get to what you came here for, today’s links!
Orlando City Travels to Minnesota United
The Lions are back after sitting out Matchday 7, and this week they are hitting the road to St. Paul, MN, where the Loons await. This is the first time Orlando City has visited Allianz Field since a 1-1 draw in August 2019. Both squads attempt to get back on track after an Orlando loss to Nashville SC and Minnesota loss to the Chicago Fire. Minnesota United started the season with a five-game unbeaten run prior to the loss.
Lions coach Oscar Pareja is also very familiar with both the Loons and their manager, Adrian Heath. The first manager in Orlando City history, Heath spent six years in the City Beautiful before he took over Minnesota in 2017.
“Minnesota is a team that has a structure that we know since we faced them in preseason. I have a good relationship with Adrian as well and I know him from his experiences in the league. But well, we say that every game. They know us, we know him. What we’re looking at is trying to use that knowledge and applying it on the pitch and then trying to get what we need. First, the victory and the most important is that our chemistry and our system can get more mature.”
Orlando Pride Aim For First Victory
The Orlando Pride attempt to get their first win of the season when they welcome Gotham FC tonight. Last week, the team dropped points with a last-gasp loss to Angel City FC. This will be the 20th meeting between NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Pride, with the series currently even at 7-7-5. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines knows that his young players will have to adjust to the NWSL to grab the elusive first win, but he believes they are ready to step up.
“This is going to take time so it’s a new group of players building relationships over the course of the season,” he said, “and they’re in really high spirits and they know that they can go into games and compete with some of the best players in the world.”
Concacaf Announces 2023 Gold Cup Draw
The U.S. Men’s National Team is on the hunt for its eighth confederation championship as part of Group A in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. The other teams in the group include Jamaica and Nicaragua, with a final team that will be determined through the 2023 Gold Cup Prelims. Based on the Gold Cup Prelims draw, the remaining team in Group A could be one of four possibilities: Curaçao, French Guiana, Sint Maarten or St. Kitts & Nevis. The Prelims Round will occur June 16-20 in the United States. The Gold Cup tournament itself will take place June 24-July 16, with the schedule expected to be announced soon.
The USMNT enters the tournament as reigning champion after lifting the 2021 Gold Cup. The Yanks also won the inaugural tournament in 1991 before being crowned regional champions again in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2021. If the United States wins the 2023 competition, it would tie Mexico’s record of eight titles.
Must-Watch Matches of MLS Matchday 8
If you are one to stream multiple screens or watch replays, this might just be your week. Aside from catching Orlando City and Minnesota United, there are plenty of other games to check out around the league.
The Cascadia Cup rivalry between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders will be a late night match set to kick off at 10:30 p.m. Even though the Timbers are winless and the Sounders are flying high, anything can happen each season when these two teams meet. Another big rivalry, El Trafico, between LAFC and the LA Galaxy, will headline Sunday viewing at 4:30 p.m. LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga has been incredible this season and looks to make his mark against a struggling LA Galaxy.
St. Louis City started its inaugural season with a Cinderella story but has since fallen short. In a cross-conference meeting, FC Cincinnati will take its $10-million dollar man, Brenner, to town and show the club is leading the Supporters’ Shield race at 8:30 p.m.
Free Kicks
- Congratulations are in order for Orlando City center back Rodrigo Schlegel who welcomed his daughter, Maria Emilia! Will she grow up to be a defender (or break-glass goalkeeper) like her father?
- Orlando City has released El Pulpo’s sweet pink goalkeeper kit for purchase. I personally love the top, and want one, but I do think it clashes a bit with the purple shorts.
- The Viking Army, an official supporters group of the New York Red Bulls, will walk out in protest during the club’s match against Houston tonight.
- New York City FC has selected HOK as the architect and Turner Construction Company as the general contractor to build its soccer-specific stadium set to debut in the 2027 MLS season.
- A partial stadium ban imposed on Juventus for racist chants directed toward Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has been suspended.
- Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his foot.
- Ryan Reynolds dropped the best birthday wishes to his Wrexham AFC co-owner, Rob McElhenney.
- And finally, Zava — I mean, Zlatan — is kicking butt and not just goals in this wild video clip.
That’s a wrap on today’s links. I hope you all enjoy the matches today. Vamos Orlando!
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.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/22/25
Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.
Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition
Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!
Americans in Midweek Action
A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.
English Promotion Update
Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.
Transfer Rumor Roundup
Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped three spots to no. 15 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- The Orlando Pride dropped all the way to no. 3 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Monday’s four scheduled Serie A matches were postponed following the announcement of Pope Francis’ death, with the games set to be played Wednesday instead.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/21/25
Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road
Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.
Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.
Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals
Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.
Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts
Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.
Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home
The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.
Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship
The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.
On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.
On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.
The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Youth Soccer Network announced the integration of the Orlando Pride into its network and plans to launch 11 Orlando Pride soccer schools across Central Florida.
- Inter Miami has acquired an international roster spot from the Portland Timbers for the 2025 season in exchange for $270,000 in General Allocation Money.
- David Blitzer and Ryan Smith’s Smith Entertainment Group have reached an agreement to sell the Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake to former Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and Miller Sports & Entertainment for $600 million.
- LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo announced over the weekend that he will step down from his role with the club at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
- The San Jose Earthquakes have reached an agreement to acquire left back DeJuan Jones from the Columbus Crew; however, the deal still needs to be finalized.
- Leicester City became the second club to be relegated from the Premier League this season after a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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