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Lion Links: 2/29/24

Lions reportedly won’t play in U.S. Open Cup, Cavalry FC reflects on its defeat, gauging the USWNT’s panic meter, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Leap Day, Mane Landers! It’s the rarest day of the year, as we all lean into our procrastination a bit and collectively tell March that we’ll get to it tomorrow. It’s been a pretty busy week for me, but knowing the MLS season is in full swing has helped fuel me a bit. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Reportedly Won’t Play in 2024 U.S. Open Cup

The latest reports involving Major League Soccer’s participation in this year’s U.S. Open Cup indicate that Orlando City, along with a majority of MLS teams, won’t be playing their first teams in the tournament. According to ESPN‘s Jeff Carlisle, the Houston Dynamo and the seven best teams from last season that aren’t taking part in the Concacaf Champions Cup will have their first teams take part. The format will reportedly be announced soon and we’ll see if Orlando City B and other MLS NEXT Pro teams will be in the tournament.

It will be pretty disappointing if Orlando’s first team doesn’t end up playing. Even though the Lions suffered an early exit last year, they won in 2022 and Head Coach Oscar Pareja has a penchant for excelling in the U.S. Open Cup.

Cavalry FC Reflects on Loss to Orlando City

Although Cavalry FC lost in both legs against Orlando City in its first Concacaf Champions Cup campaign, the Canadian club can hold its head high. Cavalry Head Coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. spoke on the team’s tactics in the second leg in Orlando to overcome the hefty aggregate deficit.

“Strategically, we wanted to frustrate them in the first half with an extra defender, and often at times we were in a back five,” Wheeldon said. “And second half, we wanted to unleash with more attackers and have a go, because it was 0-0. We thought … one, we wanted to make history with our first goal, and two, we wanted to get a result here.”

That first goal did come with Myer Bevan making some history for his team to take back to Canada. All in all, Cavalry did pretty well as the underdog and it’s unfortunate it didn’t get a true home game in Calgary. Cavalry’s defense is the real deal and I doubt this is the last time it makes an appearance in the Champions Cup.

Assessing the Fallout From the USWNT’s Defeat

The United States Women’s National Team suffered a shocking defeat to Mexico earlier this week that’s brought on varying levels of panic. The clock is ticking before the Olympics and the USWNT struggled to bounce back after trailing in the first half and had difficulties on both sides of the ball. While the issues at center back will likely be solved once Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson play, the midfield has plenty of question marks and a weird balance of youth and experience. It’s an awkward stage for the USWNT, as Emma Hayes doesn’t arrive until May and won’t have much time to get the team ready for Paris. Of course, the USWNT could still win this tournament and the return of Mallory Swanson may heal most wounds this summer, leaving this loss as just a minor blemish when the year is up. Only time will tell and the USWNT has plenty of opportunity to right the ship.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Are Set

It was a pretty wild day in the FA Cup, with some of England’s top teams fighting their way into the quarterfinals. Chelsea needed a late winner from Conor Gallagher to beat Leeds United 3-2 at Stamford Bridge. Manchester United’s match against Nottingham Forest also had a dramatic finish, as United’s Casemiro scored the game’s only goal in the 89th minute. Wolverhampton ousted Brighton thanks to an early goal, and Liverpool got the job done against Southampton.

In the quarterfinals, Newcastle will travel to take on Manchester City, Wolverhampton will host the second division’s Conventry City, Chelsea will take on Leicester City, and Manchester United will face off against Liverpool. All four matches will take place on March 16.

Free Kicks

  • After getting married, Orlando Pride defender Emily Madril will have a new name on the back of her jersey this season.
  • Former Pride midfielder Becky Edwards is an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee and shared details about her time as both a player and coach with the U.S. U-20 team.
  • Enjoy this captured moment of Orlando midfielder Wilder Cartagena being awesome.
  • LAFC forward Mateusz Bogusz’s strike against the Seattle Sounders won the first MLS Goal of the Matchday of the season, claiming 35.4% of the vote.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a pretty great Leap Day and that the rest of the week goes smoothly.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/3/25

Lions defeat Toronto FC, MLS weekend recap, Americans abroad, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I got a break from covering high school sports, and I finally got to see Captain America: Brave New World and catch up on some shows. It was a fantastic weekend for our Lions to get their first win of the 2025 season. This weekend, we have the Lions, Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B are all in action. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Defeat Toronto FC for First Win of MLS Season

Orlando City bounced back from its opening day loss with a 4-2 win against Toronto FC on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium and secured its first win of the 2025 season. Cesar Araujo, Alex Freeman, Martin Ojeda, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson scored for the Lions. Toronto FC scored two late goals in the second half, but Orlando was in control at that point. The Lions scored six goals across their first two matches this season, the most scored in their first two games since the team joined Major League Soccer. Orlando City will have its first road test of the season on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, taking on New York City FC.

Orlando City Signs Three Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against Toronto FC, Orlando City announced that the club had signed midfielders Colin Guske and Gustavo Caraballo and defender Zakaria Taifi to short-term contracts. All three players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut, becoming the youngest player to ever get MLS minutes with OCSC. Taifi and Guske did not get into the game. Guske and Caraballo were signed to short-term contracts the previous week and were on the bench for the Lions’ opening day match against the Philadelphia Union but didn’t play.

MLS Weekend Recap

Week two is in the books after another exciting weekend of Major League Soccer action. Wilfried Zaha scored his first MLS goal and added an assist as Charlotte FC defeated Atlanta United 2-0. Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls won their matches with the Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC, respectively, by the same score. The Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, LAFC, and the Portland Timbers all won 1-0 matches over the New England Revolution, CF Montreal, New York City FC, and Austin FC, respectively. The Philadelphia Union cruised past FC Cincinnati 4-1, while the San Jose Earthquakes edged Sporting Kansas City 2-1. The Colorado Rapids had a 2-0 lead with Rafael Navarro scoring twice, but FC Dallas fought back in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Hugo Cuypers scored twice for the Chicago Fire, but D.C. United grabbed a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw, while San Diego FC and St. Louis City ended scoreless. On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1, while former Lion Nico Lodeiro scored his first goal for the Houston Dynamo, but Inter Miami won 4-1 on the road.

Americans Abroad

Two Americans squared off in the EFL Championship as former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom battled Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United. Aaronson played 72 minutes while Dike came off the bench late in the second half as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. In the FA Cup, Antonee Robinson and Fulham defeated Manchester United 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 16. Matt Turner started in goal, and Chris Richards recorded an assist as Crystal Palace defeated Millwall 3-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Fulham will face Crystal Palace in the quarterfinals on March 29. Ethan Horvath started in goal, but Cardiff City fell 2-0 to Aston Villa while, Tyler Adams’ Bournemouth side defeated Wolverhampton 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and will face Manchester City in the quarterfinals. Johnny Cardoso scored his first league goal in La Liga as Real Betis defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday. Naomi Girma made her debut for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Sunday but suffered an injury and came off the pitch in the second half in a 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride wrapped up their preseason over the weekend. The Pride will open their 2025 season against the Washington Spirit on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/28/25

MLS shares Orlando City’s club profile, Orlando Pride reveal new kit, Orlando City B signs Thalles and Riyon Tori, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to the final day of February, Mane Landers! This month has flown by for me, and I’m looking forward to a March that will include much more Orlando soccer, thanks to the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B seasons kicking off. I have a fairly busy weekend lined up but am hoping to catch the Lions on Saturday when they host Toronto FC. Let’s jump into today’s links!

Orlando City’s Club Profile

The club profiles for each MLS team were provided, giving the public a nice look at how each team’s roster is built for the 2025 season. Orlando City is one of 14 clubs that opted for the Designated Player model, with Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel, and Marco Pasalic as its Designated Players. Ramiro Enrique and Nicolas Rodriguez occupy two of the three MLS U22 Initiative Player slots, while seven Lions are Targeted Allocation Money players. Center back Robin Jansson, who was listed as a TAM Player in last year’s profile, is not a TAM Player this time around. These snapshots are a pretty handy way of keeping track of where the club’s roster stands, as it also includes contract lengths, options, and unavailable players.

Orlando Pride Unveil New Kit

For their 10th season in the NWSL, the Orlando Pride revealed the “Decennial Kit” as their new primary jersey heading into the 2025 season. I’m a pretty big fan of the purple pattern, and the blue trim is a nice nod to the club’s past. I also like the iridescence on the badge, even if it feels like the kind of showy thing you can only do after winning the double. While I don’t mind the badge being in the center too much, I hate the Nike logo being right above it, as it creates a sandwiched look. The star representing the club’s first NWSL Championship is obviously a welcome addition though, and the jock tag wordmark is quietly one of the best parts of the kit. All in all, I like it, and there’s a decent chance it’ll wind up on my gift list this year.

Orlando City B Adds Thalles and Riyon Tori

With the MLS NEXT Pro season only a week away, Orlando City B made a pair of moves by adding forward Thalles on loan and signing Riyon Tori to a one-year contract. Thalles joins the club on loan through 2025 from Botafogo-SP in Brazil’s second division. Hopefully the 19-year-old can shine with the Young Lions after doing well in Brazil, and his loan includes an option to buy. As for Tori, he was selected by the Lions over a year ago in the third round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. The midfielder returned to college at Charlotte after being drafted and received First-Team All-AAC and Second-Team All-East Region honors last year.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

Americans will clash in the EFL Championship on Saturday when former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom travel to take on Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United. There’s also FA Cup action to look forward to, as Ethan Horvath could start in goal for Cardiff City when it plays Aston Villa today. Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards are also expected to be in action in the tournament.

Other interesting things to keep an eye on this weekend include Naomi Girma possibly making her Chelsea debut, Giovanni Reyna’s uncertain role with Borussia Dortmund, and whether or not Damion Downs can score when Cologne plays Karlsruher.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/27/25

Getting to know Ramiro Enrique, USWNT loses to Japan, Concacaf Champions Cup results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I haven’t done too much this week beyond working, but I did manage to put together a cat tree that my cat has already sent crashing into a wall twice so far. Pet ownership has been a joy, I must say. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Learning More About Ramiro Enrique

Orlando City put a spotlight on forward Ramiro Enrique with a nice video showcasing what he brings to the team for the 2025 season. Along with interviews from Enrique and Head Coach Oscar Pareja, the video includes highlights of his some of his biggest moments as a Lion so far. The 23-year-old spoke on how his father, World Cup winner Hector Enrique, is a major inspiration for him and how he’s both a scorer and Orlando’s first line of defense. Pareja praised both Enrique’s natural talent and his commitment to improving himself moving forward. It’s a pretty well-produced video and I’m looking forward to seeing the profiles for other Lions as well throughout the season.

USWNT Falls to Japan in SheBelieves Cup

The United States Women’s National Team lost its final game of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, falling 2-1 to Japan in San Diego. Japan took an early lead, but Ally Sentnor tied things up soon after with her second goal of the tournament. Toko Koga then scored for Japan in the 50th minute and the U.S. was unable to find the back of the net again against Japan’s solid defense. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams did not play in the match despite a strong showing against Australia on Sunday. It’s the USWNT’s first loss under Head Coach Emma Hayes and its first time losing the tournament since England won it in 2019.

In what was effectively the third-place match, Colombia beat Australia 2-1 to finish the tournament on a high note. Australia’s Hayley Raso equalized things in the second half, but Catalina Usme gave Colombia its winner a few minutes later.

Bay FC Scouting Director Resigns Amid Backlash

Graeme Abel, who was hired as Bay FC’s director of domestic scouting last week, has resigned from his position. This decision comes after backlash from his hiring due to reported allegations of abuse by former players from his time as the University of Oregon’s women’s soccer coach. A report last April detailed allegations of verbal abuse that included threatening to revoke scholarships, having players kicked off the team, and throwing objects, with players stating that they dealt with suicidal ideation while playing there.

Concacaf Champions Cup Results

Real Salt Lake was eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup after losing 2-1 at home to Costa Rican club Herediano. The MLS side took the lead in the first half, but Herediano leveled things in the second half and sealed victory with a late penalty kick. FC Cincinnati took care of business at home in a 1-1 draw against Honduran club Motagua, with Kevin Denkey scoring in his third straight game for his new team. The Seattle Sounders also reached the next round, beating Guatemala’s Antigua GFC 3-1. Cincinnati will face Tigres in the round of 16, while the Sounders will take on Cruz Azul. The first round wraps up tonight when the Vancouver Whitecaps host Saprissa for the final spot in the round of 16, which kicks off on Tuesday.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride will unveil their new home jersey for the 2025 season today and I’m pretty excited to see what they’ve come up with. I’m also looking forward to seeing the team sport a shiny new star after winning last year, as teased by Marta.

A very ✨ golden ✨ addition

Orlando Pride (@orlpride.com) 2025-02-26T00:03:16.959Z
  • The Pride gave a shoutout to coaches Seb Hines, Giles Barnes, and Yolanda Thomas this Black History Month.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and rest of your week!

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