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Lion Links: 4/22/23

Orlando City players approaching key milestones as Lions brace for D.C., Pride set for Kansas City trip, U-20 World Cup groups set, and more.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

It’s another weekend full of Orlando soccer, Mane Landers! Tonight, Orlando City is back at home in Exploria Stadium for the return match against D.C. United. Then on Sunday, we have the Pride traveling to Children’s Mercy Park for a match with the Kansas City Current at 5 p.m. Finally, we get to round out the weekend with a Sunday nightcap with the Young Lions’ match at Osceola Heritage Park against NYCFC II.

With all that soccer in one weekend, it really begs the question: which jersey should you wear? Do you start with your favorite City jersey on Saturday and keep it on until someone loses? Did you even wash it after last week? Superstitions in sports always fascinate me. Heck, I was the guy on the team who went 14 straight matches without washing his socks in high school because I kept finding goals and assists during one streak. I would like to think that I have changed in my old age, but I probably have not. I’ll be wearing the same shirt as last week. Like they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City’s first MLS captain and club legend Kaká!

Orlando City Adjusts for D.C. United

Orlando City is back at home against D.C. United to settle the score. On March 11, the two clubs finished in a 1-1 draw at Audi Field. The Lions are coming back from stealing a late win against Minnesota United, while D.C. defeated CF Montréal in its last outing. For Orlando City captain Mauricio Pereyra, he thinks both teams will play each other a little differently this time around and even hinted at moving forward with the 3-4-3 formation change from last week.

“From the beginning of the preseason, we started to train in that way and now we have two kinds of formation,” Pereyra said. “One of them is what we usually used to use in the last three years but now this formation is giving us a little more confidence and more people in front and I think that with Gastón [González] and Iván [Angulo] and the people around them. We have covered the spaces wider in the field. We feel comfortable with that.”

Club Records in Reach for Orlando City Players

Orlando City center back Robin Jansson is probably the first name Head Coach Oscar Pareja writes on the white board each week. And with an appearance against D.C. United, Jansson will reach 127 all-time appearances in the MLS era, passing Chris Mueller for the club record. While Mueller was holding on to the appearance record, Jansson already holds the club’s all-time minutes lead and is only five games away from matching Mueller for the most MLS appearances with the Lions.

Another milestone watch will be for goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. He will match Joe Bendik for the most appearances by an Orlando City goalkeeper at 92 should he be selected. Gallese won his 40th game for the Lions in Minnesota and holds the club records for goalkeeper wins and clean sheets.

Pride Prepare for Kansas City Current

Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and forward Ally Watt are looking towards their match against a team that recently shook up its coaching staff. On Wednesday, Matt Potter was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Kansas City Current, and the team went on to win its first group stage match of the NWSL Challenge Cup. For the Pride though, self-focus remains the main principle towards finding its own success.

“They’re going through [a coaching] change. They’re all also looking to win a game of football like ourselves, so it should be a really good, interesting game. It’s nice to go away from home, different environment. Obviously they’re building something there in terms of their fans and stadium up-and-coming, but we have to focus on ourselves. We want to bounce back from the last couple of results and really, again, reinforce our message of being difficult to beat and being threatening in the attack.”

The Pride is also a team full of new faces. With a tournament like the Challenge Cup, it allows players minutes who might not otherwise see much playing time. It can foster growth and chemistry among the squad. As Watt said:

“Just confidence that every single player in each game are growing. I feel that for myself, and you can see along with the backline. Emily Madril had an amazing game, she has so much confidence going into it, as she should. Carly Nelson getting her first start with us and she has all that confidence as well, Messiah [Bright] is gaining confidence. And I think that’s what we need, is to be believing in ourselves and each other more. But honestly, just realize that we can hang in the league and we just have to execute at the end.”

U.S. Learns Draw for Under-20 FIFA World Cup

A tournament that was originally planned for Indonesia will now be played in Argentina from May 20-June 11. After a final draw, the United States now knows that it will be in Group B at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. The goup rounds out with Ecuador, Fiji, and Slovakia. The tournament features 24 countries split into six groups of four teams. Each of the top two finishers per group, as well as the four best third-place teams, will advance to the Round of 16 and knockout format. The Young Yanks are the only team to reach the quarterfinals of the last three FIFA U-20 World Cups and are one of only three to qualify to the last five U-20 World Cups alongside New Zealand and Uruguay. In the latest U-20 tuneup camp, Orlando City was represented by three players — Michael Halliday, Thomas Williams, and Alex Freeman.

Free Kicks

  • MLS match analysist and former Orlando City Lion Jamie Watson checks in with 96.9 The Game and promises more is yet to come from the club.
  • Orlando Pride rookies Messiah Bright and Emily Madril appear to be bringing back Heelys. Hopefully, they will slide the ball in the next this weekend as easily as they slide around in those shoes.

That’s all I have for you today, folks. I hope you enjoy the fixtures this weekend. If you are headed to the stadium, remember to drive safely, be courteous to the stadium staff, and always drink plenty of water. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/1/25

Barbra Banda’s continued importance, Americans in midweek action, USWNT announces friendly, and more.

Published

21 hours ago

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April 1, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning everyone! It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride both won, meaning that we got treated to a six-point weekend (OCB was off). As always we have plenty to talk through this morning, so let’s get into today’s links.

Barbra Banda Keeps Rolling in 2025

After a wildly successful debut season with the Orlando Pride in 2024, Barbra Banda has showed no signs of slowing down this year. A brace in the season opener meant that she picked up right where she left off last year, and the team has continued to be successful too. The Pride have made it three wins from three to start the 2025 season, and while Banda hasn’t scored since the opener, her blend of pace, power, dribbling, passing, and movement have continuously helped open things up for her teammates, and she drew a penalty that led to the Pride’s game-winning goal Saturday. She isn’t the Pride’s only offensive weapon, but the team clicks into a different gear when she’s at her best.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing in games during the working week, and there are some very important clashes on hand. Things get going later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham visit Arsenal in Premier League play as the Cottagers are in hot pursuit of a coveted European place. Wednesday has Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace facing Southampton, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth take on Manchester City. Also on Wednesday, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will face Inter Milan in a Coppa Italia semifinal. Things finish up on Friday as Aidan Morris and Middlesborough travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.

USWNT Announces Canada Match

The United States Women’s National Team has announced another friendly taking place this summer, as the team will face Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C. The match will be the third that the USWNT will play during the window, following a pair of friendlies against Ireland in late June. The neighboring countries will meet at Audi Field with the match designated as the Allstate Continental Clasico, with this being the first time that the match will feature the USWNT. The U.S. faced Canada twice in 2024, with both matches ending in 2-2 draws and the USWNT emerging victorious in shootouts.

Concacaf Champions Cup Preview

The Concacaf Champions Cup returns this week, with the first legs of the four quarterfinal matches set to be played today and tomorrow. Things get started tonight with what should be an exciting match between Club America and Cruz Azul, with the crosstown rivals two of the winningest teams in the competition. Cruz Azul’s Angel Sepulveda leads the CCC’s golden boot race with four tallies. The late game sees the LA Galaxy taking on Tigres as the Galaxy will try to distract themselves from a difficult start to their MLS Cup title defense. Wednesday’s slate has the Vancouver Whitecaps taking on Pumas UNAM in Canada in what will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams. The late game will be an all-MLS affair as LAFC hosts Inter Miami in the first meeting between the two sides in CCC play.

Sporting Kansas City Fires Peter Vermes

The longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer is out of work, as Sporting Kansas City announced the firing of Peter Vermes on Monday morning. It’s an end of an era in Kansas City, as Vermes was the head coach since 2009, back when the team was still called the Kansas City Wizards, and he had been named the club’s technical director three years earlier in 2006. He guided the team to an MLS Cup win in 2013; claimed U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017; and helped the team be consistently competitive for a majority of his tenure. Despite all of that, SKC missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and was mired in the midst of a 13-game winless streak in all competitions that stretched back to Sept. 18 of last year. After being an assistant on Vermes’ staff, Kerry Zavagnin will take over as interim head coach.

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That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 3/31/25

Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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March 31, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road

On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.

NWSL Weekend Recap

The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
  • Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
  • That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/25

Orlando Pride prepare for the San Diego Wave, NWSL weekend matches, USMNT roster predictions, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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March 28, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We made it to Friday! Celebrate however you see fit, whether that’s an indulgent breakfast or just your favorite cup of coffee. This week has flown by a bit for me and I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with soccer. I’ll be spending the next few days working, reading a new book or two, and working out the kinks of making a frozen coconut mojito. My blender hates me. Let’s get to today’s links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for the San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride will look to extend their 2025 win streak to three games — and their overall win streak to seven — on Saturday when they host the San Diego Wave at noon. Orlando has looked the part of a defending champion so far, leading the league with eight goals without conceding a single one in two games. The Pride will take on a revamped San Diego team that is unbeaten under Head Coach Jonas Eidevall. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how Orlando will need to set the tone early on at home against the Wave and keep up the momentum.

NWSL Provides Entertaining Slate of Weekend Matches

While it’s far too early to think about the NWSL Shield race, it never hurts to check out how the Pride’s competitors are doing while enjoying some great soccer. Tonight features a pair of matches at the same time, with the Washington Spirit hosting Bay FC and the Houston Dash playing on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga will have a chance to tie her own record of scoring in eight straight games when her team plays the Utah Royals on Saturday. On Sunday, we’ll get to see if the Seattle Reign’s solid start continues against an unbeaten Angel City FC team searching for its first win of the season.

USMNT Roster Predictions for Concacaf Gold Cup

The pressure is on United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino to turn things around after a rough showing in the final four of the Concacaf Nations League. This summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup will be an opportunity for the USMNT to impress in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, and Pro Soccer Wire dove into how the roster could look for the tournament. Injuries to Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun complicate things up top, but we could see Brenden Aaronson or Alex Zendejas could return to the attack. The Gold Cup will likely also determine which goalkeeper between Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, and Patrick Schulte emerges as the true starter. Players like Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman, and Johnny Cardoso are other notable names to keep an eye out for leading into the tournament.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Kick Off This Weekend

Only eight teams remain in the FA Cup and the action returns with enticing quarterfinal matchups. Preston North End is the only team outside of the English Premier League still fighting, but Manchester City is the only traditional giant left in the field as well. City will face off against a Bournemouth side that beat it 2-1 back in November, while Preston will have to get past Aston Villa, which has only won two of its last eight games. Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood’s injury adds an obstacle to overcome when the team travels to play Brighton and Hove Albion. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace gets star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta back from injury for its clash with Fulham.

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That’s all I have for you for today’s links. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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