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Lion Links: 5/22/23

Orlando City is motivated, Marta has a memorable match, USMNT players abroad, a tragedy in El Salvador, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! I’m certain you’re feeling as good about a seven-point weekend as I am. It’s a rare thing when all three teams earn results in one weekend, and for me I had all seven of the teams I follow get results. Now, we get to start the week feeling good heading into next weekend’s matches. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Motivational Win

Oscar Pareja understands the importance of defeating your rivals, both for the players and the supporters. He is hoping that the Lions’ win over Inter Miami CF will motivate his club to get better and better. Of course, ultimately it is all for the fans like those who made the trip to Ft. Lauderdale. Pareja is also happy that Martin Ojeda scored the goal to give Orlando City the win, and hopefully it will give Ojeda more confidence going forward.

Marta is Back

It had been 588 days since Marta scored a goal for the Orlando Pride. That all changed Saturday night when the superstar put the 23rd-minute penalty kick into the back of the net, giving the Pride the early lead. Marta was out almost all of the 2022 season — and the entire regular season — due to an ACL tear, but she made her way back into the starting lineup and, now, onto the scoresheet. Marta also provided the assist on the game-winner by Kylie Strom on a perfectly placed corner kick. Now the Pride will hope her good form continues.

How USMNT Players Performed Abroad

Folarin Balogun scored his 20th goal in Ligue 1 for Stade Reims’ 2-2 draw with Angers. It’s his 21st goal across all competitions. It is that type of production that has USMNT supporters excited that Balogun made the jump to the U.S. squad, and that has some England supporters taking Gareth Southgate to task.

Elsewhere, Gio Reyna made a brief second-half, stoppage-time appearance in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 win over Augsburg. Reyna has struggled to gets starts with the Bundesliga side this season. Alternatively, Weston McKennie got the start for Leeds United in the club’s 3-1 loss to West Ham United. He provided the throw-in assist on the Leeds goal, but it wasn’t enough as the club sits below the relegation line.

Tragedy in El Salvador

There are at least 12 people dead and more than 100 people injured, including minors, following a rush of people at the gates of Cuscatlán in San Salvador. The incident occurred at the semifinal match between Alianza and FAS. There may have been more than 500 extra tickets sold for the match, and authorities are investigating everyone involved, including the teams, the managers, the venue, the ticket office, the league, and the federation.

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That will do it for today. Keep checking back for more coverage of Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/11/25

Storylines ahead of Orlando City’s match with CF Montreal, Mia Fishel signs with Seattle Reign FC, D.C. United coach Troy Lesesne fired, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday! The weekend is nearly here, which means it’s almost time to pack Inter&Co Stadium to enjoy some Orlando City soccer. It should be a nice next few days, and I’m hoping I can catch the new Superman movie at some point if the crowds aren’t too crazy. Let’s get to the links!

Storylines Ahead of Orlando City’s vs. Montreal

Orlando City takes on CF Montreal Saturday, and there’s plenty to watch for as the Lions aim to get back in the win column. Martin Ojeda has had a goal contribution in six straight matches, while fellow Designated Player Marco Pasalic is one of three MLS newcomers with double-digit goals so far this season. The Lions will be without Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson due to yellow card accumulation, although right back Alex Freeman is back from international duty. Orlando is unbeaten in its past five matches against Montreal, including a scoreless draw in Canada on April 19.

Seattle Reign FC Signs Mia Fishel

American forward Mia Fishel made the move to the NWSL, signing a contract with the Seattle Reign through the 2029 season. She was drafted by the Orlando Pride with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, but opted to join Tigres in Mexico instead of coming to the City Beautiful. The 24-year-old has spent the past two seasons with Chelsea and should get more playing time in a Seattle offense that could use a dynamic player like her. Fishel and the Reign will be in Orlando to take on the Pride on Nov. 2, adding another wrinkle to the Decision Day match.

D.C. United Fires Troy Lesesne

Troy Lesesne was fired as D.C. United’s head coach Thursday, with assistant coach Zach Prince leaving the club as well. This decision comes while D.C. United is 12th in the Eastern Conference and just lost to Nashville SC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Academy Director Kevin Flanagan will take over as the interim head coach, but the club has reportedly agreed to terms with Swiss manager Rene Weiler as a replacement.

Switzerland and Norway Advance to Euro Quarterfinals

Switzerland booked its spot in the 2025 Women’s European Championship quarterfinals in dramatic fashion against Finland. The game was a scoreless affair until Finland took the lead in the 79th minute, but Riola Xhemaili scored an equalizer in stoppage time for the host nation to secure a 1-1 draw. Norway advanced after a 4-3 win over Iceland, with Signe Gaupset scoring twice and assisting on both of Frida Maanum’s goals. Iceland rallied late but finished the tournament without a win.

Today’s action includes a solid matchup between Italy and Spain for the top spot in the group. Meanwhile, Portugal and Belgium will mostly be playing for pride, although Portugal could sneak into the quarterfinals depending on how goal differential shakes out.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and a great weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/10/25

Orlando City prepares for CF Montreal, Barbra Banda scores twice in win for Zambia, Americans selected for Gold Cup Best XI, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a hectic week for me, but I’m looking forward to some rest and relaxation once the weekend gets here. Hopefully the rest of the week goes easy on all of you as well. Let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for CF Montreal

Orlando City will host CF Montreal Saturday, and the Lions enter this match looking to build on their ability to claw their way back to a 2-2 draw on the road against Charlotte FC. It should be a good opportunity for points, as Montreal has only won three games all season. However, two of those wins were in Montreal’s past four games, while Orlando hasn’t won at home since May 24. Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on the team’s preparations heading into this match, as well as how right back Alex Freeman is settling in after returning from the Gold Cup.

Banda Leads Zambia Past Senegal at Africa Cup of Nations

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda scored a brace for Zambia in a 3-2 win over Senegal in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations group stage. She scored in both halves, with Bay FC’s Racheal Kundananji scoring as well. Pride players Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya also started for Zambia. With the win, Zambia now has four points from its first two games and will face a DR Congo team that was eliminated after a 4-2 loss to Morocco.

Americans Land On Concacaf Gold Cup Best XI

Although the United States Men’s National Team didn’t lift the Concacaf Gold Cup trophy in the end, the Yanks had a solid tournament, and Chris Richards, Diego Luna, and Malik Tillman were selected to the Best XI of the tournament. Richards did well on both sides of the ball, holding things down defensively and scoring two important goals. Midfielders Luna and Tillman each recorded three goals and two assists over the course of the Gold Cup. Mexico had five players make the Best XI, while Panama’s Ismael Diaz earned recognition after scoring six goals.

Paris Saint-Germain Advances to Club World Cup Final

The Club World Cup final is set, after Paris Saint-Germain put Real Madrid to the sword Wednesday in a 4-0 win at MetLife Stadium. Fabian Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele both scored in the first 10 minutes of the match, with Ruiz securing a brace later in the first half. The defense did well to shut out a Madrid team loaded with attacking talent, and Goncalo Ramos put a bow on the victory with a late goal. It’s been a phenomenal year for PSG and the French club will take on Chelsea in the final Sunday at 3 p.m.

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  • Former Lion Mauricio Pereyra was spotted at Orlando City’s training. He’s supposedly only visiting, but I’m personally not ruling anything out after Junior Urso’s brief return to the City Beautiful in 2023.
  • There’s yet another American forward to watch in the EFL Championship, as Southampton has signed Damion Downs. The 20-year-old signed a four-year contract with the club and heads to England after scoring 11 goals for FC Koln last season.
  • The U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal between the Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls was postponed to Aug. 13 due to severe weather.
  • England got back on track at the Women’s Euros by beating the Netherlands 4-0, with Lauren James netting a brace. France then breezed past Wales in a 4-1 win, but Welsh Seattle Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock made history by scoring her country’s first-ever goal at the Women’s Euros.
  • Lyon will remain in Ligue 1 after winning its appeal against relegation for financial issues.
  • Reggie Cannon won his appeal against Boavista and is owed $468,000, concluding the defender’s two-year battle with the Portuguese club over late payments.

That’s all I have for you for today’s links. I hope you all have a great Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/9/25

Gold Cup reactions, Club World Cup semifinals, Lions rank up, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Thankfully, the fun never ends when it comes to soccer. Yes, the USMNT lost to Mexico which makes me sad, but we’re also now less than a month until the Orlando Pride are back in action. I know it seems like a long time, but I have to hold on to something. In the meantime, check out these links.

Gold Cup Reactions

Sadly, the USMNT lost the Concacaf Gold Cup final 2-1 to Mexico. Now, the reactions and reflections on the competition begin. The USMNT has long had a striker (or lack thereof) problem, but is Patrick Agyemang up for the job? There are those who continue to question whether Mauricio Pochettino is the right man to coach the U.S., but former USMNT forward Clint Dempsey isn’t one of them. Finally, what can the USMNT take from this tournament, and from this loss to Mexico?

Chelsea Awaits PSG-Real Madrid Winner in Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Fluminense 2-0 to reach the final of the 2025 Club World Cup. Joao Pedro scored a brace in his first start for Chelsea against his boyhood team. Chelsea will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. PSG and Real Madrid are two of the best teams in this competition, but only one will advance following today’s match. The two European giants will play today at 3 p.m. at the aforementioned MetLife Stadium.

Minnesota, Austin Advance to U.S. Open Cup Semifinals

The U.S. Open Cup resumed Tuesday with two quarterfinal matches. Minnesota United came back from a goal down after Chicago defender Omar Gonzalez was sent off, but could not find a game winner until extra time, when the Loons struck twice to win 3-1 in St. Paul. In the late game, Chicho Arango gave the San Jose Earthquakes an early lead at home, only to see Austin’s Brandon Vazquez equalize in the second half. The teams traded goals in extra time and Austin FC advanced by winning the penalty shootout, 4-2. It wasn’t all good news for Austin, however, as Vazquez was stretchered off in the 72nd minute after suffering a non-contact injury.

Tonight, the other two quarterfinal matches will take place. The Philadelphia Union will face the New York Red Bulls and Nashville SC will face D.C. United.

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That will do it for today. Check back and we get you ready for Orlando City’s match this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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