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Lion Links: 1/25/24

Orlando Pride sign Simone Charley, Pride preseason begins, Seattle Sounders add Pedro de la Vega, and much more.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m pretty glad that the usual warm temperatures are back, as the cold was starting to get a bit unbearable with the heat in my apartment out. I was at least able to get plenty of reading done while going through the throes of winter rot. Let’s get this Thursday started with some links from around the soccer world.

Simone Charley Signs With the Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride have officially signed American forward Simone Charley, who was initially noted as a non-roster invitee on the Pride’s preseason roster. The 28-year-old went undrafted in the 2018 NWSL Draft, but earned a spot on the Portland Thorns’ roster in 2019 and did well while there. Although an Achilles injury derailed her season with Angel City FC last year, she should be able to give the Pride’s offense some valuable depth this year. Charley can play up front or out wide, which is the kind of versatility that frees up other members of Orlando’s attack to play other positions as well. If she hasn’t lost a step due to injury and can put away the chances this Pride offense generates, it should be a solid signing by Orlando.

Orlando Pride Kick Off Their Preseason

The Orlando Pride’s preseason is in full swing at their training ground at Sylvan Lake Park to prepare for the upcoming season. There’s a solid amount of returning talent, which should help the new faces find their footing sooner rather than later. The Pride had a slow start last season, losing their first four games, so Head Coach Seb Hines knows that getting the team ready to excel right out of the gate this year is important. The Pride narrowly missed out on making the playoffs last year and forward Ally Watt spoke on how that’s galvanized the team this preseason.

“I think it is fueling us,” Watt said. “Coming off that field against Houston and realizing that we didn’t make playoffs by a single goal, we knew that we had it. It was super close, and the results just didn’t go our way. But I think that we’re very determined this year — that’s all we talk about still to this day — so we’re really determined, and I think that’s going to fuel us and push us forward.”

Make sure to check out the gallery of the players in action at training as well.

Seattle Sounders Sign Argentine Winger Pedro de la Vega

The Seattle Sounders made a splash by signing winger Pedro de la Vega as a Young Designated Player. The 22-year-old joins from Lanus in Argentina’s top flight on a reported transfer fee of $7.5 million, which would be a Sounders record. He’s garnered plenty of interest from European clubs over the years, but an ACL injury in 2022 cooled things down and allowed the Sounders to add a player who could already be the frontrunner for MLS Newcomer of the Year. He’s a skilled dribbler, passer, and can score in a variety of ways. While I would love it if he was playing in purple this season, at least he won’t be playing for an Eastern Conference team.

Giants Fall as Africa Cup of Nations Group Stage Ends

After a scoreless draw against South Africa, Tunisia is the latest team to make a surprising exit in the group stage of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. It’s been a tournament filled with upsets so far. Ghana fired Chris Hughton as head coach after failing to make the knockout stage. The Black Stars fell 2-1 to an underrated Cape Verde team in their opener and allowed a pair of late goals in a 2-2 draw with Mozambique earlier this week. Algeria is also on the hunt for a new head coach, with Djamel Belmadi resigning after Algeria finished last in its group for the second-straight Africa Cup of Nations.

The Ivory Coast let go of Jean-Louis Gasset as head coach as well, despite qualifying for the knockout stage following the announcement of his exit. The host nation made the decision after a 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea and survived the group stage by the skin of its teeth. Emerse Faé will now serve as the interim head coach.

The bracket for the rest of the tournament is now set. Nigeria’s clash with Cameroon and the Ivory Coast’s match with Senegal headline the round of 16 action, but I think Mali’s game with Burkina Faso will be one to watch as well.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s preseason match with Flamengo on Saturday will be streamed on the club’s website.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin scored in Mallorca’s 3-2 win over Girona to help his team reach the Copa del Rey semifinals. Barcelona was ousted after Athletic Club scored twice in extra time to win 4-2. Atletico Madrid faces Sevilla today in the last remaining quarterfinal, with the draw for the semifinals set for tomorrow.
  • The Seattle Reign have signed South Korean midfielder Ji So-yun. She has spent the past two years with Suwon FC and made over 200 appearances for Chelsea during her time in England.
  • A 1-1 draw with Liverpool wasn’t enough for Antonee Robinson and Fulham to reach the Carabao Cup final, losing on aggregate. Liverpool will take on Chelsea on Feb. 25 at Wembley Stadium.
  • Union Berlin’s head coach, Nenad Bjelica, was shown a red card for shoving Leroy Sane in the face in his team’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
  • Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is expected to miss the next 10 weeks after undergoing successful groin surgery. The 28-year-old’s contract will end this summer and he has not played for United since Dec. 9.
  • Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez officially returned to Chivas to play for his boyhood club once more.
  • We end our links with the Lions reacting to Duncan McGuire’s new look. I like to think that when the hairdresser asked him what color he wanted he just pointed at Orlando’s crest.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

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51 minutes ago

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May 20, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/19/26

Lions set for international duty, lessons from MLS matchday 14, Austin FC makes changes at the top, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 19, 2026

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Image of Marco Pasalic saluting the fans.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! It wasn’t a particularly successful weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but we don’t have time to dwell on the past. Orlando City is set for a big U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against Atlanta United tonight, and all three teams will be back in action over the weekend. We’ve got a whole host of things to talk about today, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Lions Called Up for International Duty

A busy summer break from MLS is almost upon us, and that means that the international call-ups are starting to roll in. Gustavo Caraballo will be joining Venezuela’s U-20 outfit as it gets ready for an upcoming youth tournament.

In addition, Marco Pasalic has been named to Croatia’s World Cup squad, so Orlando City will be represented on the biggest stage.

Congrats to both players!

Lessons from Matchday 14

Matchday 14 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so let’s take a look at what we learned from the weekend’s action. For one thing, despite a slightly slow start to the season by his high standards, Hany Mukhtar’s hat trick against LAFC proved that he should still be considered among the league’s elite. Marco Reus flashed his versatility in the LA Galaxy’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, as he played striker and got an assist on LA’s first goal. Finally, while its too early to say things are definitely turned around for Sporting Kansas City, back-to-back wins means that there’s at least something to get excited about, and that’s very welcome in a season that’s been difficult for the most part. The spine of Sporting’s midfield looked improved on Saturday, and having Dejan Jovelic up top is never going to hurt a team’s chances.

Austin FC Makes Personnel Changes

Austin FC followed in the footsteps of the Columbus Crew by announcing the firing of head coach Nico Estevez on Monday. Where Austin went a step further was by also firing sporting director Rodolfo Borrell. The team has begun searches for permanent appointments to both positions immediately, while naming Davy Arnaud as interim manager in what will be his second stint in that role with the club. Austin has endured a difficult start to the season and is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 3-6-5 and 14 points from 14 matches. The 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday seems to have been the final straw, and Austin will now be seeking its third permanent head coach since becoming an MLS club.

Americans in Midweek Action

Most major European seasons have already wrapped up or will be doing so shortly, but there’s still a number of Americans who will be competing during the working week. Things get started later today when Tyler Adams and Bournemouth play host to Manchester City in Premier League action. The stakes ratchet up considerably on Thursday when Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg play Paderborn in the first leg of the Bundesliga’s promotion/relegation tie. Things then finish up on Friday when Yunus Musah and Atalanta travel to take on Fiorentina in Serie A.

Free Kicks

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/18/26

Lions draw Atlanta United, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey playing against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering high school playoff water polo and soccer. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Atlanta United

Orlando City drew Atlanta United 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Griffin Dorsey scored the opener for the Lions in the first half. Orlando was moments away from securing back-to-back wins. However, the Lions could not hold onto the lead, as Jay Fortune scored a late equalizer for Atlanta, and both teams ended up with a point. It will be a busy week for Orlando City, facing Atlanta United again Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup at home, followed by a road trip to take on FC Cincinnati Saturday at TQL Stadium.

Pride Fall to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride fell 3-1 in their first road match against Denver Summit FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. It’s the second consecutive match in a week the Pride have lost to a 2026 NWSL expansion team on the road, following a defeat to Boston Legacy FC on Tuesday. Orlando conceded the first goal and trailed 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, Janine Sonis scored a penalty kick goal to give Denver a 2-0 lead. Angelina was sent off with a red card before Barbra Banda pulled one back, but Sonis added her second goal immediately after the Pride scored to put away Denver’s first-ever home win. The Pride will look to bounce back on the road, taking on the San Diego Wave Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

OCB Concedes Late in 1-0 Road Loss to New England Revolution II

Orlando City B fell 1-0 to New England Revolution II on the road Sunday at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to score throughout the match, and it looked like the match was heading to a 0-0 draw and a shootout. However, Judah Siqueira scored a winner for New England in the dying moments of the match for the hosts. The result ends the Young Lions’ four-match points streak. OCB will return home to face Inter Miami II Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Americans Abroad

Auston Trusty played a full 90 minutes and helped Celtic overturn a 1-0 deficit to complete the comeback and defeat Hearts 3-1 to secure the club’s fifth straight Scottish Premiership title. Antonee Robinson scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chris Richards came off the bench and played 29 minutes for Crystal Palace in a 2-2 draw against Brentford but suffered an ankle injury toward the end of the match. Christian Pulisic made his return to AC Milan after being sidelined with a lower back injury and came off the bench in the second half in a 2-1 win against Genoa. Ricardo Pepi scored for PSV Eindhoven in a 5-1 win against FC Twente. George Bello and Sam Adeniran helped LASK capture its first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965, defeating Austria Vienna 3-0 and booking a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League playoff round.

Manchester City Defeats Chelsea to Win FA Cup

Manchester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium Saturday to win the English FA Cup. After a scoreless first half, Antoine Semenyo’s lone goal in the second half was enough to pull Manchester City to victory and keep the club’s domestic treble hopes alive. It’s Manchester City’s second FA Cup trophy in four years.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City midfielder Gustavo Caraballo has been called up to the Venezuela U-20 Men’s National Team for the upcoming Maurice Revello Tournament in France.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner gave birth to her first child over the weekend.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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