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Lion Links: 1/26/24

Orlando Pride season schedule revealed, David Brekalo speaks out about Viking FK, NWSL off-season grades, and much more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a hectic and stressful week for me, but I’m looking forward to the weekend. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is this weekend here in Tampa and the weather is looking pretty nice for some dressing up and enjoying rum cocktails outside. Orlando’s friendly with Flamengo is tomorrow as well, so it’s shaping up to be a great next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina a happy birthday!

Orlando Pride Learn Their 2024 NWSL Season Schedule

The 2024 NWSL schedule is out and the Orlando Pride will open their season on the road against Racing Louisville on March 16 at 4 p.m. Their home opener is set for Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. against Angel City FC in what will also be the first regular-season game shown on Amazon Prime Video as part of the league’s new broadcast deal. Including the season opener, the Pride will have 14 games shown on NWSL+, which is a new direct-to-consumer streaming service free to those in the U.S. On paper, the Pride have a difficult stretch to end the 2024 regular season. Orlando will take on the Portland Thorns and then NJ/NY Gotham FC in road games on Oct. 11 and Oct. 20, respectively, before hosting the Seattle Reign on Nov. 2 to close out the Pride’s regular season.

Tahir Reid-Brown Praises Orlando City’s Academy

Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown took the next step in his career earlier this week by becoming the 15th player to sign a Homegrown contract with the club. The 17-year-old, who joined Orlando City’s academy at 14, spoke on what this signing means to him, staying humble, and his excitement to make his debut for the first team. He also talked about how well Orlando’s academy has prepared him for the future, and it’s nice to see that the club’s efforts to improve at the youth level over the past few years are bearing fruit.

“Since the days of being in the Academy, it’s been the culture,” he said. “You feel like you’re professional from the moment you step on the field and just being able to migrate through all the different teams, you feel that professionalism from the coaching staff, from the senior players and even the young players, so it’s always been a professional feeling from the day I was in the Orlando City Academy, but now signing with the first team, it feels just surreal to have it official.”

David Brekalo Speaks Out Against Viking FK

With Antonio Carlos now in Brazil, the Lions remain on the hunt for a center back. It was reported earlier this month that the club has its eyes on Slovenian center back David Brekalo, who plays for Viking FK in Norway. Orlando reportedly had a bid around $2 million rejected last week and reports suggest the club made a second bid of $2.8 million. Brekalo has since had some fairly strong words about his club that do not make it seem like negotiations are going smoothly between Orlando and Viking.

It’s not a great situation for any involved party, as Orlando City’s center back search is in a limbo, Brekalo isn’t getting the move he wants, and Viking isn’t receiving playing time from the center back it evidently values quite highly. Hopefully things get ironed out and Brekalo comes to Orlando for a reasonable fee and he plays like a man possessed. The transfer window closes at the end of the month, so there’s at least some time left for Orlando to either sort this out or pull the trigger on a backup plan.

NWSL Off-Season Grades

Sandra Herrera of CBS Sports graded how each NWSL team did this off-season and the Orlando Pride received a B+. The Pride retained their back line, added plenty of midfielders, and have considerable potential heading into the 2024 season. Players like Swedish midfielder Evelina Duljan and first-round pick Ally Lemos join a growing list of young talent that can make a difference this year. Personally, I think the Pride also nailed doing right by their players this off-season when making trades and other decisions. As for other NWSL teams, Gotham received top marks for acing free agency and the Kansas City Current received the lowest grade.

Asian Cup Round of 16 is Set

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup’s group stage has concluded and we now know the bracket for the rest of the tournament. While there weren’t as many surprising exits as the Africa Cup of Nations, the Asian Cup has been competitive and many teams are capable of a deep run. South Korea, which finished second in its group after conceding a late equalizer in a 3-3 thriller against Malaysia, will face off against Saudi Arabia in what looks to be the most intriguing round-of-16 matchup. Australia will take on an Indonesian side that’s ranked 149th in the world but survived a formidable group with Iraq, Japan, and Vietnam. Elsewhere in the bracket, Qatar hosts Palestine, Iran will play Syria, and Japan will take on Bahrain.

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  • Portland Timbers left back Claudio Bravo suffered a knee injury and will miss out on the start of the MLS season.
  • Christen Press was named to Angel City’s preseason roster but is not training just yet as she is still working her way back from injury.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/25

Orlando Pride prepare for the San Diego Wave, NWSL weekend matches, USMNT roster predictions, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We made it to Friday! Celebrate however you see fit, whether that’s an indulgent breakfast or just your favorite cup of coffee. This week has flown by a bit for me and I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with soccer. I’ll be spending the next few days working, reading a new book or two, and working out the kinks of making a frozen coconut mojito. My blender hates me. Let’s get to today’s links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for the San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride will look to extend their 2025 win streak to three games — and their overall win streak to seven — on Saturday when they host the San Diego Wave at noon. Orlando has looked the part of a defending champion so far, leading the league with eight goals without conceding a single one in two games. The Pride will take on a revamped San Diego team that is unbeaten under Head Coach Jonas Eidevall. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how Orlando will need to set the tone early on at home against the Wave and keep up the momentum.

NWSL Provides Entertaining Slate of Weekend Matches

While it’s far too early to think about the NWSL Shield race, it never hurts to check out how the Pride’s competitors are doing while enjoying some great soccer. Tonight features a pair of matches at the same time, with the Washington Spirit hosting Bay FC and the Houston Dash playing on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga will have a chance to tie her own record of scoring in eight straight games when her team plays the Utah Royals on Saturday. On Sunday, we’ll get to see if the Seattle Reign’s solid start continues against an unbeaten Angel City FC team searching for its first win of the season.

USMNT Roster Predictions for Concacaf Gold Cup

The pressure is on United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino to turn things around after a rough showing in the final four of the Concacaf Nations League. This summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup will be an opportunity for the USMNT to impress in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, and Pro Soccer Wire dove into how the roster could look for the tournament. Injuries to Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun complicate things up top, but we could see Brenden Aaronson or Alex Zendejas could return to the attack. The Gold Cup will likely also determine which goalkeeper between Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, and Patrick Schulte emerges as the true starter. Players like Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman, and Johnny Cardoso are other notable names to keep an eye out for leading into the tournament.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Kick Off This Weekend

Only eight teams remain in the FA Cup and the action returns with enticing quarterfinal matchups. Preston North End is the only team outside of the English Premier League still fighting, but Manchester City is the only traditional giant left in the field as well. City will face off against a Bournemouth side that beat it 2-1 back in November, while Preston will have to get past Aston Villa, which has only won two of its last eight games. Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood’s injury adds an obstacle to overcome when the team travels to play Brighton and Hove Albion. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace gets star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta back from injury for its clash with Fulham.

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That’s all I have for you for today’s links. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/25

Marco Pasalic wins Goal of the Matchday, Orlando Pride members join U.S. U-23 camp, Orlando City B beats Crown Legacy FC, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We’re another day closer to what should be an awesome Saturday, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride in action. All three of Orlando’s soccer teams have been doing well lately, which is not something we can say too often. Hopefully that trend continues this weekend and beyond. Let’s get to today’s links!

Marco Pasalic Wins MLS Goal of the Matchday

An Orlando City player has won MLS Goal of the Matchday for the first time this season, with Marco Pasalic claiming the award for his strike against D.C. United. The goal was a real team effort from the Lions, as all three Designated Players linked up to get the ball up the field in a hurry for a counter. Pasalic did well to create space and then curl the ball into the back of the net from distance. His goal garnered 64.7% of the vote, beating out goals from Daniel Rios, David Martinez, and Deandre Kerr. In his first year as a Lion, the Croatian winger has already recorded four goals and an assist so far.

Pride’s Zara Chavoshi and Yolanda Thomas Join U.S. U-23 Camp

Orlando Pride defender Zara Chavoshi was called up for the first U-23 United States Women’s National Team training camp of the year, which will run alongside the senior team’s camp in California. The 22-year-old, who was signed by the Pride directly out of college after four years at Wake Forest, will develop her game at the camp alongside other promising young defenders like Savy King, Gisele Thompson, and Eva Gaetino. Orlando Pride Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas will also be in attendance as an assistant coach at the camp, and it’s great to see her get this opportunity.

Orlando City B Defeats Crown Legacy FC on the Road

Orlando City B won its first road match of the 2025 season, beating Crown Legacy FC 1-0 to extend its unbeaten run to three games (2-0-1). The Young Lions didn’t make things easy on themselves by not converting some solid opportunities to extend their lead, but they ultimately held on to secure all three points. Orlando is now tied at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with New York City FC II with eight points from three matches. OCB’s next match will be a road game against Chattanooga FC on April 5.

Say Hello to Boston Legacy FC

Boston’s NWSL team has rebranded itself as Boston Legacy FC, which is leagues better than BOS Nation FC. The team initially went with that anagram of Bostonian as its name back in October as part of a brand launch that also included a widely criticized marketing campaign involving the slogan “Too Many Balls.” While I’m not crazy about the name, the team deserves credit for not defaulting to something too generic after whiffing on its first swing. The Boston Legacy will take the field for the first time next year as the NWSL’s 16th team.

Free kicks

  • Pride midfielder Angelina was called up by Brazil for its friendlies against the United States in California on April 5 and April 8.

That’s all I have for you this fine Thursday. I hope you all have a terrific day and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/26/25

Orlando City rises in MLS power rankings, Emily Sams called up, Orlando City B faces Crown Legacy FC tonight, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending the week reading and eating my way through a pork shoulder after making way too much of it in my slow cooker this weekend. It wasn’t as tender as I was shooting for, but it’ll take some time before I can take another crack at it. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Rises in MLS Power Rankings

The league’s latest power rankings are out and Orlando City has moved up two spots to 14th after its 4-1 victory over D.C. United. Orlando’s Designated Players are firing on all cylinders and no MLS team has scored more goals this year. The breakout of 20-year-old defender Alex Freeman, who was noted as one of the top young performers from this past weekend, is also worth recognition. The Lions have been in need of a young player to step up, and Freeman has done well so far. Orlando will be back in action on Saturday for a road match against an LA Galaxy side still searching for its first win of the season.

Emily Sams Called Up For USWNT Friendlies

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was one of 24 players called up by United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes for the training camp prior to friendlies against Brazil next month. Forward Trinity Rodman, who hasn’t played for the U.S. since the Olympics, is back in the mix after missing time due to injury. Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce are other interesting players to keep an eye on. The U.S. will take on Brazil April 5 at SoFi Stadium before a rematch on April 8 at PayPal Park.

OCB Plays Crown Legacy FC Tonight

The Young Lions are back in action tonight for a road match against Crown Legacy FC at 7 p.m. It’s OCB’s first away match of the season after a pair of solid results at Osceola Heritage Park to start the season. Orlando will take on a Crown Legacy team that’s only played one game so far this season, losing a shootout to New York City FC II after a 1-1 draw back on March 7. Following tonight’s match, OCB will get some time off before taking on Chattanooga FC in Tennessee on April 5.

Takeaway From USMNT Defeats

After losing both Concacaf Nations League matches, there is plenty of concern surrounding the United States Men’s National Team as it prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fullback Joe Scally struggled in both matches, putting more of an emphasis on Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest being ready to roll next summer. Weston McKennie lost duels left and right and there are some real questions regarding where he fits in Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s system. There were bright spots as well though. Diego Luna and Patrick Agyemang likely boosted their stock after solid offensive efforts, and Tanner Tessmann was effective in his time on the field. Overall, the Yanks will have to be better in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup.

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That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Go Young Lions!

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