Lion Links: 5/13/23

Good morning, Mane Landers! It’s match day, and hopefully Orlando City can get back on track following the U.S. Open Cup loss. Of course, the Lions aren’t the only team in action this weekend, with both the Pride and OCB in action as well. While I’m looking forward to these matches, I’m really looking forward to making the trip down this coming Wednesday for Orlando City’s match against New York City FC. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City is Refocused

Despite the quick turnaround from Tuesday, the Lions were back in training in preparation for their MLS match against the Columbus Crew. Oscar Pareja is focused on the physical recovery of his players as this is the third match in eight days. The players were in good spirits, especially with the captain, Mauricio Pereyra back in training. He is unlikely to feature in the upcoming match against the crew, but the fact he’s back in training is still a positive.

The Pride’s Road Trip Continues

The Orlando Pride travel north to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday. The Pride are coming off a Challenge Cup loss to the Washington Spirit, though it was with a heavily rotated lineup. Hopefully, Seb Hines has his first-choice team ready for the NWSL regular season match. This will be the Pride’s third match in nine days, but the club is unbeaten in the last five trips to Gotham. This will be an opportunity for the club to move on from the Challenge Cup disappointment.

Champions Tour in Orlando

Juventus and Real Madrid will compete at Camping World Stadium as part of the Soccer Champions Tour. Hosted by Florida Cup, the match will be played in Camping World Stadium on Aug. 2. Tickets for the match will go on sale Tuesday, May 16. This is a rare opportunity for those in the Orlando area to see two of the bigger clubs in the world.

Unilever Sponsors Women’s World Cup

FIFA has announced that Unilever will be an Official Sponsor of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand later this year. The company includes personal care brands Sure, Degree, Dove, and Lifebuoy. Part of the agreement is that Unilever will be involved in FIFA’s Women’s Development Program to provide opportunities for women across the world.

Free Kicks

• If you want to go back and rewatch other MLS matches this weekend, you might want to know which will be the most intriguing. Fortunately, MLS has you covered.
• I’m not sure if Juventus will be wearing this zebra-inspired kit when the club plays in Orlando this year, but I kind of hope they do.

• As mentioned on The Mane Land PawedCast, Favian Loyola is one of the bright spots on OCB’s squad this season. It turns out it’s thanks to his confidence.

• LAFC’s Timothy TIllman is switching from the German National Teams to the USMNT. This is his one-time switch. Tillman was born and raised in Germany but is eligible to play for the U.S. just like his big brother Malik Tillman.

That will do it for today, but I’ll see you this coming Wednesday in Exploria Stadium. Vamos Orlando!