Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/11/23

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all of you are doing well down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school sports up here in Chicago this past week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Linked With Young Attacker
Per Cesar Luis Merlo, the Lions are reportedly finalizing the signing of Argentine forward Ramiro Enrique from Banfield in Argentina’s top flight. Enrique would fill the MLS U22 Initiative spot left by Andres Perea’s departure this off-season. The versatile 21-year-old attacker could be developed to fill some of the void up front after the exits of Benji Michel, Tesho Akindele, and Alexandre Pato.
Source: Orlando City finalizing the acquisition of Argentine attacker Ramiro Enrique from Banfield for around $2m + add-ons. @CLMerlo first.
Enrique, 21, would be U22 Initiative signing. Can play center forward or on the wing. 12g/3a in ~4000 first team mins. pic.twitter.com/stBlo7Axq3
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 11, 2023
OCSC Acquires International Roster Spot
In a minor trade to help get Orlando City’s roster compliant before the 2023 season, the Lions have received a 2023 international roster spot from the Portland Timbers in exchange for $200,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM). This trade could be related to the reports regarding Enrique. It could also just be due to the club recently signing Argentine midfielder Martin Ojeda and Brazilian left back Rafael Santos. If the latter, look for the club to acquire another slot via trade.
Apple and MLS Announce Broadcasters for MLS Season Pass
Apple and Major League Soccer released an initial list of broadcasters for its MLS Season Pass for the upcoming 2023 season. Analysts will include former MLS stars such as Bradley Wright-Phillips, Diego Valeri, and former Lion Sacha Kljestan. Some of the other match analysts mentioned are Taylor Twellman, Kyndra de St. Aubin, Maurice Edu, Lori Lindsey, and Danielle Slaton. Some notable names handling the play-by-play duties include Max Bretos, Steve Cangialosi, and Pablo Ramírez. Also, Liam McHugh, Jilian Sakovits, and Tony Cherchi will be hosts in the studio. This list is not final and the complete broadcasting team will be announced prior to the season’s start next month.
MLS Off-Season Moves Continue
Plenty of MLS teams are busy getting their rosters set for the upcoming season. Real Salt Lake officially acquired winger Carlos Andres Gómez from Colombian club Millonarios for a club-record transfer fee. The contract is for five years and includes a player option for the 2028 season. Austin FC made a trade with the Houston Dynamo, acquiring defender Adam Lundkvist in exchange for $300,000 in 2023 GAM and $200,000 in 2024 GAM. The New England Revolution signed midfielder Jack Panayotou to a Homegrown Player contract. Nashville SC announced that it’s mutually agreed to part ways with midfielder Handwalla Bwana. FC Dallas signed center back Amet Korca from Croatian side HNK Gorica to a deal while also mutually reaching an agreement to terminate forward Franco Jara’s contract to free up a Designated Player spot. Atlanta United will reportedly buy out Josef Martinez’s contract, with the Venezuelan then joining Inter Miami without taking up a Designated Player spot.
Reporting with @samstejskal:
Atlanta United is finalizing an offseason buyout of Josef Martínez, per sources. The 2018 MLS MVP would then join Inter Miami, which would pick up a portion of his salary. Martínez would not require a DP spot for either team.https://t.co/Cl4oLlZrmt
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) January 10, 2023
MLS Owners Considering New Playoff Format
According to The Athletic , Major League Soccer is reportedly considering changing its playoff format (paywall), to include a best-of-three series. The best-of-three format would only apply to the first round, while the next rounds will be single elimination if the league owners approve the proposal. The proposed format would include 16 teams, with eight from each conference qualifying for the playoffs. MLS had reportedly previously discussed a playoff format featuring groups and a knockout stage as well. The league is also reportedly discussing the possibility of allowing clubs to buy and sell players to other MLS clubs through an intra-league transfer market. What do you think of the new proposals? Let me know in the comments section below.
NWSL Announces 2023 Draft Broadcast Details
The 2023 NWSL Draft will start tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Orlando Pride have the third overall pick in this year's draft. The league announced the broadcast details for the draft, with coverage beginning on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, and CBS Sports HQ at 6 p.m. Paramount+ and CBS Sports HQ will then stream the draft until its conclusion. The Attacking Third podcast, hosted by Sandra Herrera and Lisa Roman, will also have a live show analyzing the draft and interviewing some of the selected players.
Free Kicks
- Looks like Orlando City’s Ercan Kara is the strongest MLS player in FIFA 23.
💪Coming in at number one for strength in our latest #MLSRatingsRefresh is @OrlandoCitySC's Ercan Kara!
1. Kara (OVR: 73, Strength: 92)
2. @cfmontreal's Wanyama (OVR: 75, Strength: 92)
3. @MNUFC's Boxall (OVR: 69, Strength: 91)
4. @LAFC's Chiellini (OVR: 82, Strength: 91) pic.twitter.com/zgQT0TFHfm— FIFA Ratings Collective (@EAFIFARATINGS) January 10, 2023
- Former Lion Luis Gil and his girlfriend Salua welcomed their newborn son this past weekend. Gil is currently playing for USL League One side Union Omaha. Congratulations to the happy couple.
There's a new baby búho in town!🦉🍼
Congratulations to @Luisitogil_10 and his girlfriend, Salua, on the birth of their son over the weekend 💙#OneMeansAll pic.twitter.com/xISdWq0rJ4
— Union Omaha (@Union_Omaha) January 10, 2023
- The Central Florida Crusaders posted this video on social media recapping their first day of the preseason.
The preseason has officially 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕟!#CFLCrusaders pic.twitter.com/eCPKx8zjKn
— Central Florida Crusaders (@CrusadersNISL) January 10, 2023
- Racing Louisville FC midfielder Jaelin Howell has agreed to a contract extension with the club through the 2025 season.
- The United Soccer League announced that the USL Super League will delay its launch until August 2024.
- CF Montréal terminated the contract of its reserve team head coach, Sandro Grande, just one day after hiring him due to receiving backlash on social media about his controversial comments from several years ago.
- HBO Max and TNT announced their broadcasters for USMNT and USWNT matches, including Luke Wileman, Kyle Martino, Julie Foudy, DaMarcus Beasley, and Shannon Boxx.
- Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has bought an ownership stake with the NWSL’s Kansas City Current.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday, and I’ll see you next time.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/25/25
Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!
Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match
The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.
Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira
Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.
“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”
Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt
Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.
MLS Transfer News Roundup
The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.
Free Kicks
- Enjoy this intriguing article that shines a light on how MLS team administrators manage the chaos of the transfer window. I would devour a television series following these kinds of crises throughout the season.
- St. Petersburg is exploring demolishing Al Lang Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to make room for an amphitheater. The proposed demolition would take place after 2028, so we’ll see if this comes to pass.
- Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City, ending a 13-year tenure there that will be remembered for winning the English Premier League title in 2016.
- Here’s everything you need to know before the second legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals on Sunday. Chelsea will take on Barcelona before Lyon and Arsenal square off, with both English clubs trailing after the first legs.
- Real Sociedad announced that Head Coach Imanol Alguacil will step down following this season. Alguacil was hired in December of 2018 and led the team to victory in the 2020 Copa del Rey.
- Manchester United will take part in the inaugural women’s seven-a-side tournament next month, joining Bayern Munich, Ajax, Benfica, and four other teams yet to be determined.
- NBA Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd has joined Everton’s ownership group. I too would be looking for anything to take my mind off of the Dallas Mavericks’ season.
- Former Pride players Sydney Leroux and Ali Riley announced a weekly podcast, with the first episode set for Monday.
That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/24/25
Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC
The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.
Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings
Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.
MLS Deadline Day Transfer News
The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.
The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.
Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad
The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.
In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.
Free Kicks
- German legend Thomas Muller, who is set to leave Bayern Munich this summer, reportedly rejected an offer from FC Cincinnati and Fiorentina.
- Philadelphia Union midfielder Quinn Sullivan won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his volleyed strike against Atlanta. Seeing Atlanta get scored on really makes the goal that much sweeter to watch.
- Marcus Rashford is reportedly aiming to join a Champions League team after this season. The 27-year-old is on loan with Aston Villa from Manchester United and should be an interesting name to keep an eye on this summer.
- Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace kept a few champagne bottles corked, as Liverpool would have won the league title if Arsenal lost. Liverpool now just needs a point when it faces Tottenham at home on Sunday.
- Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0, but it came at the cost of injuries to both David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga. The Spanish club may now have a crisis at left back ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.
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.
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