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Lion Links: 2/1/24

Duncan McGuire move to Blackburn reportedly off, Orlando City nears deal for David Brekalo, Lions linked with Luis Muriel, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to February! The first month of the year is officially behind us and the MLS and NWSL preseasons are in full swing. It was a rather hectic month for Orlando’s soccer teams, as players came to the City Beautiful and others bid it farewell. It’s likely going to be a day filled with refreshing and scrolling due to the transfer window, so make sure to stay hydrated, limit screen time, and respond to others responsibly. Now, let’s get into it.

Duncan McGuire Blackburn Deal Reportedly Falls Through

Orlando City found itself in the center of a dramatic transfer deadline day saga that still shows no signs of calming down. The day began with reports that Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire left Orlando’s training in Cancun to head to England to sign with Blackburn Rovers. The new deal Orlando reportedly agreed to was for nearly $4 million, along with another $2.5 million in add-ons and a sell-on percentage.

In a vacuum, that’s a great bit of business from Orlando for a drafted player with only one year of professional experience. However, just when it seemed like a done deal, pending a medical, Blackburn reportedly pulled out of the deal while McGuire was still in the air.

It’s unclear where things go from here. Sheffield Wednesday, which had bids rejected by Orlando already, is now back in the mix again. It’s not certain if McGuire wants to join a team staring down the barrel of relegation, or if Wednesday can come close to the fee Blackburn was willing to pay. Regardless of how this all shakes out, I wish the best for McGuire and relegation for Blackburn.

David Brekalo Saga Continues

Orlando City’s negotiations with Viking FK for Slovenian center back David Brekalo are reportedly back on and nearing completion. You’ll need a translation tool for the full details, unless you can read Norwegian, of course. The latest fee being reported is $2.8 million, with performance-related bonuses and a 15% sell-on percentage involved. Viking has also told Brekalo that his wish to leave the club will be honored.

However, the very same Blackburn that spurned Orlando and McGuire is reportedly trying to sign Brekalo as well. It’s a fairly bizarre development for Blackburn to swoop in at the last minute to pip the same team it was trying to negotiate another deal with. Blackburn’s offer is reportedly a loan with an option to buy in the summer. Have I mentioned I wish relegation upon Blackburn?

Orlando City Linked with Luis Muriel

If McGuire doesn’t return to Orlando, it would definitely leave the Lions thin up top heading into the 2024 season. Reinforcements may be on the way though, as Orlando is reportedly interested in Atalanta forward Luis Muriel.

The 32-year-old has played in Spain and Italy since making the move from Deportivo Cali to Udinese back in 2010 and scored four goals in five games for Atalanta in this season’s Europa League. He’s a veteran player who could fit in well with Orlando’s other attacking players should he make the move to MLS. Even if McGuire does play for Orlando, adding Muriel would be beneficial, considering the club still hasn’t replaced Ercan Kara.

Leagues Cup Groups Revealed for 2024

The second edition of the revamped Leagues Cup, which pits MLS and Liga MX teams against each other, will take place this summer and we now know the groups for the tournament. Orlando City was grouped up with CF Montreal and Liga MX’s Atletico San Luis. A tiered-ranking system was used to determine the groups, and Orlando was in the top tier after finishing second in the Supporters’ Shield rankings last season. The Lions won their group in last year’s tournament, finishing above the Houston Dynamo and Santos Laguna, which is no small feat. Montreal and San Luis are somewhat less daunting, but the tournament’s format with penalty shootouts instead of draws makes for a tense affair regardless. The bracket for the knockout stage wasn’t revealed, so it’s not clear who the Lions will face should they advance out of their group.

Orlando City SC Announces Year-Long Celebrations

This season will mark Orlando City’s 10th since joining MLS, and the club announced a slate of events this year to celebrate. A commemorative logo that incorporates the red from the club’s USL days will be used throughout the year. There are multiple events in place for fans leading up to Orlando’s 10th MLS season, including the kit reveal on Feb. 15, a trivia night on Feb. 22, and a talk with Head Coach Oscar Pareja on Feb. 13. There’s also a reverse car wash on Feb. 17, which I can only imagine involves jumping into a car trunk filled with soap and water and being driven on I-4.

A vault to showcase Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s history will also be installed at the stadium and opened on March 9. Theme nights, honoring of past players, and more are on the docket this year, so it should be a fun time for fans.

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  • The Pride tied with Angel City FC for the NWSL clubs with the most talent returning from last season, with minutes used as the metric. The Pride were at the bottom of this list the past two years, so it’s nice to see how drastically that’s changed heading into 2024.
  • Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena was on fire in training. I think the club should bottle up some Cancun sand for him to use as a talisman this season.
  • Montreal signed Uruguayan forward Matias Coccaro from Huracan in Argentina’s top flight using Targeted Allocation Money. The 26-year-old is signed with the Canadian club through 2026, with option years for 2027 and 2028.
  • LAFC also added a forward, signing Tomas Angel through 2026 on a free transfer. He is the son of Juan Pablo Angel, who starred for the New York Red Bulls.
  • Not to be outdone, the Chicago Fire are reportedly close to signing Belgian forward Hugo Cuype for a hefty transfer fee.

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

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.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

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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!

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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.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

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.

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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.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

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.

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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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