Lion Links
Lion Links 1/5/24
Orlando City signs Nicolas Lodeiro, Luca Petrasso linked with loan move, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett join Gotham, and more.

Welcome to the first Friday of 2024! I don’t have many plans beyond reading and sorting out a general budget guide for the year, but it should still be a pretty nice weekend. I also have some new furniture heading my way, which will be nice to finally have after a long wait. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B defender Nabi Kibunguchy!
Nicolas Lodeiro Signs With Orlando City
Orlando City signed attacking midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro to a contract that will keep him in purple through 2024, with an option for 2025 as well. The Uruguayan is a solid signing by Orlando, as he won’t take up a Designated Player spot and knows what it takes to lift trophies in this league. Lodeiro brings plenty of experience and talent to Orlando after eight years with the Seattle Sounders, winning the MLS Cup twice and the Concacaf Champions League in 2022. He will replace Mauricio Pereyra, who parted ways with Orlando following this past season, as the team’s No. 10 and should bring a bit more of an attacking edge to the position. It will also be nice for Orlando’s younger attacking players to learn from the MLS veteran.
Luca Petrasso Linked With Loan to Italy
Orlando City left back Luca Petrasso is reportedly set to head out on loan to join a Serie B club in Italy. While the clubs interested in him weren’t specified, some time studying abroad should only benefit the 23-year-old.
Petrasso joined Orlando in November of 2022 in a trade with Toronto FC that saw up to $400,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) sent the other way. After starting in 21 regular-season games for Toronto in 2022, Petrasso only started in four games for Orlando this past season. While he did start in both of Orlando’s draws against Tigres in the Concacaf Champions League, Rafael Santos won the starting left back job as the season rolled on.
OCSC and Duncan McGuire Reportedly Negotiating New Contract
The Athletic‘s Tom Bogert detailed what he’s heard regarding MLS players so far this transfer window (paywall), and there were some interesting tidbits regarding Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire. The Lions and McGuire are reportedly in talks over a new contract while he receives interest from clubs abroad. Orlando has already rejected two loan bids from Blackburn Rovers, and a third is expected from the English club according to Bogert. I hope the club remains steadfast in keeping McGuire from heading to Europe too soon, not only for him to keep scoring in Orlando, but for him to get rest this off-season before what should be a busy year for club and country.
Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett Join NJ/NY Gotham FC
Gotham FC added two more notable free agents, signing American duo Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett to contracts through 2026. They both join the club after playing for OL Reign, which lost to Gotham in the 2023 NWSL Championship. Both players were on the USWNT roster that won the 2019 World Cup, with Lavelle scoring three goals and earning the Bronze Ball award. Lavelle should give a boost to a Gotham side that quietly only scored 25 goals in 22 games last season. Sonnett, who was traded to the Orlando Pride in 2020 but never played due to the pandemic, found a role as a defensive midfielder for the Reign. Gotham has been considerably active during free agency, getting Tierna Davidson’s and Crystal Dunn’s signatures this off-season as well. While the talent these players bring to Gotham is obvious, I’m curious to see if there will be any difficulty fitting all of these players into a team that just won the NWSL Championship.
Colorado Rapids Sign Zack Steffen, Reportedly Eye Djordje Mihailovic
The deal between the Colorado Rapids and Manchester City for American goalkeeper Zack Steffen has officially crossed the finish line, with the New England Revolution also receiving $50,000 in GAM from Colorado for his discovery priority. Steffen returns to MLS on a deal through 2026, with an option for 2027. The Rapids could have used a goalkeeper like Steffen last season, drawing in half of their 34 games and conceding 54 goals.
Colorado is also interested in improving its attack by bringing in American midfielder Djordje Mihailovic from AZ Alkmaar, according to The Athletic (paywall). Mihailovic will reportedly join Colorado as a Designated Player for a club-record transfer fee over $3 million. He’s played less than 300 minutes for AZ this season, and the Portland Timbers, Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, LAFC, and New York Red Bulls were also interested in him.
NWSL Revises Competitive Guidelines for 2024
The NWSL announced big changes for the league and it has doubled its salary cap, raising it to $2.75 million. The increase in the salary cap coincides with the announcement that teams have until the final day of 2026 to spend their Allocation Money, as that system is being phased out. As part of that, Allocation Money is now no longer required to pay for trade and transfer fees. A soft cap for spending on transfer fees will be in place as well, with clubs losing cap space if they spend over $500,000. Teams can also now add four players through the Under-18 Entry Mechanism introduced last year.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Kamal Miller was officially traded from Inter Miami to the Portland Timbers in exchange for up to $775,000 in GAM and an international roster spot.
- The New England Revolution bolstered their back line by signing center back Jonathan Mensah as a free agent. The 33-year-old now reunites with Head Coach Caleb Porter in New England.
- American forward Timothy Weah scored his first goal for Juventus in incredible fashion in his team’s 6-1 win over Salernitana in the Italian Cup’s round of 16.
- Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has reportedly agreed to return to Chivas, the Liga MX club he began his professional career at in 2006.
- Ivan Hasek was named head coach of the Czech Republic through November 2025, with an option to extend his contract for another year if the team qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/18/25
Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!
Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents
Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals
Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.
The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.
Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus
Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.
Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion
Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.
There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.
Free Kicks
- Concacaf suspended Jesse Marsch for an additional game for arguing with the referee in Canada’s Nations League match against the U.S. As a result, he’ll miss Canada’s first two matches of this summer’s Gold Cup.
- Check out the host city posters for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. I like the synergy of Mexico’s entries, but Boston’s poster featuring a giant lobster as a goalkeeper is my favorite by far.
- Cece Kizer and NJ/NY Gotham FC agreed to terminate her contract for the forward to pursue other opportunities.
- Defender Virgil Van Dijk signed a two-year deal with Liverpool, extending his stay until 2027. The 33-year-old has been at Liverpool since joining from Southampton in 2018.
- Neymar had to exit just 34 minutes into his return for Santos in Brazil due to a thigh injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/17/25
Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!
Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract
Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm. Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.
Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit
The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.
Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton
Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.
Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set
The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.
Free Kicks
- Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
- The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.
- LA Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his equalizing free kick against the Houston Dynamo in his 400th league appearance.
- As part of the league’s annual Earth Day celebrations, MLS unveiled this year’s One Planet kit. This one is themed after carbon neutrality efforts and includes a tree ring design.
- Manchester City announced that Australian forward Mary Fowler tore her ACL in the team’s FA Cup semifinal loss to Manchester United.
- Here’s everything you need to know ahead of today’s second legs in the Europa League quarterfinals. With storylines ranging from goalkeeper Andre Onana’s possible redemption to Bodo/Glimt’s Cinderella run, it should be a fun day of soccer.
- Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee will miss the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links 4/16/25
Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.
All the Rankings
With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.
OCB Falls to Inter Miami II
Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.
Generation Adidas Cup Matchups
Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.
U.S. Eyes Gold Cup
We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped two spots in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings thanks to the 0-0 draw with the New York Red Bulls. Fortunately, they’re still above the Red Bulls for whatever that is worth.
- The Women’s UEFA Champions League is down to four clubs. Here is your preview for the semi-finals.
- Orlando City did not make the Week 8 Moments of the Matchday. That’s not really surprising given there weren’t really any “moments” to speak of in the match.
- New York Red Bulls midfielder Omar Valencia was fined by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violating the simulation-embellishment policy against Orlando City.
- French Ligue 1 clubs on Tuesday voted to break their television deal with DAZN. There is no stated plan for next season.
- USWNT and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps is heaps happy that her USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger have joined her in Europe.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!
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