Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/25/24
Two Lions earn recognition, Brianna Martinez signs new contract, two Californian teams fire coaches, and more.
It was a good weekend to be an Orlando soccer fan as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City combined to score 10 goals in the team’s two games, while taking all six points. Things aren’t going to slow down this week, as all three of Orlando’s teams are in action, and the United States Men’s National Team will play its second match of Copa America. Let’s jump into today’s links.
Lions Make MLS Team of the Matchday
A pair of Lions were rightfully rewarded for their performances in Orlando City’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Fire with a place in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Facundo Torres gets the nod in the midfield, while Mason Stajduhar was chosen between the sticks. Torres hit a pair of missiles from distance to spark OCSC’s offense to its highest goal output of the season. Stajduhar’s 10 saves tied a club record while helping the Lions get over the line with all three points secured. Nic Josey gave Stajduhar and Torres an 8 and 8.5 out of 10, respectively, in his player grades from the match‘, and it’s nice to see the duo get the recognition they deserve. Here’s hoping there’s more to come.
Brianna Martinez Signs New Contract
The Orlando Pride announced they have signed defender Brianna Martinez to a new two-year contract. That means she’ll be at the club through the end of the 2025 season, as the Pride got their business done early and ensured it has one less item to take care of in the off-season. Martinez has played in 12 games this season, starting in nine of them, so Orlando is locking up a developing player, who’s been an important part of the team’s success this season.
Californian Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning
Coaching is a profession with no room for sentimentality, as was proven on Monday when a pair of California teams parted ways with their skippers. First up, the San Jose Earthquakes are comfortably the worst team in Major League Soccer, and club leadership decided to make a change by firing Luchi Gonzalez. Considering the Earthquakes are on 11 points through 19 games, with 51 goals conceded, it’s hard to argue with the decision. On the other hand, unless ownership invests more in the squad, simply changing the coach likely won’t make enough of a difference. Regardless, Ian Russell has been named interim coach, and faces a tough task in trying to reverse San Jose’s fortunes.
Moving down the coast by a few hundred miles, the San Diego Wave executed a much more shocking move by firing Casey Stoney. After 14 matches, the Wave are just one point outside a playoff position, but they’ve also scored a paltry 12 goals and haven’t won a game since beating the league-worst Utah Royals 2-0 all the way back on May 8. Winning the NWSL Shield last year and making a semifinal playoff appearance in each of the team’s first two seasons weren’t enough to keep her at the helm, and she’s been replaced by Paul Buckle as interim coach.
Euro & Copa America Updates
It was another exciting day of action in both Euro 2024 and Copa America play, so let’s catch up on everything that took place. In the Euros, Spain grabbed an early goal from Ferran Torres and coasted to a comfortable 1-0 win over an Albanian side that gave a good account of itself at the tournament. Spain won all three of its group games and advanced atop of Group B. Meanwhile, Croatia looked sure to advance in second place thanks to a goal from Luka Modric, but Italian substitute Mattia Zaccagni scored a beautiful curler with the last kick of the game to level the match at 1-1, break Croatian hearts, and send Italy through with four points to Croatia’s two.
Moving stateside, James Rodriguez pulled the strings for Colombia as a sea of yellow in Houston cheered Los Cafeteros to a 2-1 win over Paraguay. Rodriguez had two first-half assists to propel Colombia to its ninth straight win across all competitions. In the later game, Brazil and Costa Rica battled to a physical 0-0 draw in Los Angeles. Brazil had 73% of possession, and took 19 shots to Costa Rica’s two, but only put three shots on target and ultimately couldn’t find a way past Patrick Sequeira.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City has officially announced Abdi Salim’s loan to Detroit City FC, and it will be through the end of the 2024 season.
- The Pride dropped one place to second in CBS Sports‘ NWSL power rankings.
- Orlando City rose three places to 18th in ESPNs MLS power rankings.
- The Pride are one of five teams in NWSL history to have more than 30 points through 14 games.
- Sporting Kansas City has parted ways with Brian Bliss, the team’s technical director.
- Gregg Berhalter hailed Christian Pulisic’s leadership in the United States Men’s National Team’s 2-0 win over Bolivia.
That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/11/24
Orlando City’s protected players, Orlando Pride roster update, the USMNT is returning to Inter&Co Stadium, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. The season might be over, but there’s still plenty of news to be found. I’m glad that we have all the movies and specials to watch since there are no MLS or NWSL matches. There are quite a few that my family watch each year including Elf, Scrooged, and of course, Die Hard. Let me know your favorites in the comments below. Let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Protected List Released
The addition of San Diego SC to MLS means another expansion draft this off-season. Yesterday, Orlando City released its protected players list. There are a total of 19 players on the list, though seven of those are automatically protected due to either Homegrown or Generation Adidas status. San Diego will be able to pick up to five players from across the league, but only one from any given club. There aren’t many surprises in which players Orlando City chose to protect.
Pride End-of-Season Roster Update
Following a historic season that saw the club win both the NWSL Shield and the 2024 NWSL Cup, the Pride have released their end of season roster update. We already knew that Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco retired. Given how the club works its contracts, often re-signing players during the season, there weren’t a lot of surprises. Marta and Evelina Duljan were the two players out of contract, and we now know that Duljan won’t be returning, while the club is negotiating a deal that would keep Marta in Orlando.
USMNT Returning to Inter&Co Stadium
The USMNT is heading back to the City Beautiful, as the team will play Costa Rica Jan. 22 at Inter&Co Stadium. Kickoff for the match will be 7 p.m., allowing fans in the Orlando area to make it after work. It will be the second match in Florida, as the Americans will take on Venezuela Jan. 18 at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. Pre-sale tickets went on sale Tuesday, and ticket sales for the general public start Friday.
USWNT vs. Brazil
If you were hoping for a rematch of the 2024 Women’s World Cup final between the USWNT and the Brazilian Women’s National Team, you are in luck. The two teams will square off on April 5 and April 8, 2025 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and at PayPal Park in San Jose, respectively. The match at SoFi Stadium will be the first soccer match played in the venue, which will also host matches for the 2026 World Cup.
Free Kicks
- It’s no surprise to those of us who work with the Pride regularly that Jackie Maynard, Lucas Medeiros, and the rest of Orlando’s comms staff was named the first-ever NWSL Communications Team of the Year winner. We congratulate Jackie and her team and look forward to continuing to work with a great group of professionals.
- Take a trip down memory lane with this compilation of Facundo Torres’ goals from 2024.
- Today, FIFA will award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. The circumstances leading up to this “decision” are exactly as forthright, transparent, and without any hint of shenanigans as one expects from FIFA. Give me a minute, my eyes got stuck in the back of my head because of how hard I rolled them.
- In related news, Norway plans to protest the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and will abstain on the basis that not enough has been done to protect human rights at the event.
- Orlando City wasn’t the only team to drop its list of protected rosters. Here are the lists for every MLS club.
- Plenty of teams were in action in the UEFA Champions League Tuesday. Liverpool won its sixth consecutive first round match 1-0 over Girona, and Mbappe scored and got injured in Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Atalanta.
That will do it for today. Keep checking in for our Season in Review pieces for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/10/24
Facundo Torres linked with move to Palmeiras, Pride players in FIFPRO Women’s World 11, Amanda Allen suffers injury, and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope your week is getting off to a good start and that you’re on top of any Christmas shopping that you still need to do, because I’m just now realizing that I’ve done exactly zero of mine. Alas, the only way out is through. As usual, we have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Facundo Torres Linked With Palmeiras
Tom Bogert reported on Monday evening that Orlando City has agreed to a deal with Brazilian club Palmeiras for the transfer of Facundo Torres. While Bogert says the two clubs have reached an agreement, the transfer is still pending as Torres and Palmeiras still need to agree on personal terms. While no price tag was given, the fee would reportedly eclipse the $9.5 million fee that West Bromwich Albion paid for Daryl Dike, which is OCSC’s current outbound transfer record. Torres is the club’s record signing, as he joined from Penarol for roughly $7.5 million, and has been central to the team’s success ever since. We will bring you more from this story as it develops.
Familiar Faces in FIFPRO Women’s World 11
FIFA announced the 2024 FIFPRO Women’s World 11 on Monday and there are two familiar faces in the lineup, as Marta and Barbra Banda were named to the team. This is the third time in Marta’s career that she has been chosen for the award, which is the only global player award decided exclusively by the players themselves. Banda is included in the team for the first time, with this also being the very first time that an African player has made the team. Both players had incredible seasons for the Orlando Pride and were instrumental in the team winning its first two pieces of silverware. Congratulations to both for all their hard work and justified recognition!
Amanda Allen Suffers Injury
The Orlando Pride announced on Monday that forward Amanda Allen has suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder and will undergo surgery to repair it. As a result, Allen’s loan with USL Super League team Lexington Sporting Club has been terminated, and she has been placed on the season-ending injury list. It’s a tough break for Allen, who became the youngest player to debut for the team back during the 2023 season, as she was getting good minutes and experience on loan. We wish her all the best and hope to see her back on the field soon!
Christian Pulisic Injury News
AC Milan announced on Monday that United States Men’s National Team forward Christian Pulisic has torn a muscle in his right calf, and will spend time on the sideline. The winger went off injured during the team’s game on Friday, and Milan has said that he could be on the shelf until January. While the USMNT won’t play a competitive game until March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinals, the timing is a tough blow for Pulisic, who has had an excellent start to the season with eight goal contributions in Serie A and three UEFA Champions League goals. Here’s hoping that he makes a speedy recovery.
Americans in Midweek Action
There are a number of Americans who will take part in games this week, so make sure you get everything marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today as Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Celtic take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Malik Tillman, and PSV Eindhoven face Brest in the same competition. Tomorrow has Yunus Musah and AC Milan hosting Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus welcome Manchester City to Allianz Stadium. Things then finish up on Friday as Mark McKenzie and Toulouse host St-Etienne in Ligue 1 play.
MLS Transfer Happenings
We have a lot of MLS transfer moves and roster changes to cover this morning. Cruzeiro has declined the purchase option on FC Cincinnati winger Alvaro Barreal, meaning he has returned to the club following the conclusion of his loan. Expansion side San Diego FC has acquired Tomas Angel and a second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft from LAFC in exchange for $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). Austin FC also bought out Gyasi Zardes’ contract, making the 10th-highest scorer in MLS history a free agent.
The Colorado Rapids signed center backs Ian Murphy and Chidozie Awaziem from FC Cincinnati in exchange for $1 million in General Allocation Money. Tom Bogert is also reporting that Bournemouth is finalizing a deal to sign American center back Matai Akinmboni from D.C. United in a deal worth up to $2.5 million. Finally, in the wildest piece of MLS transfer news I’ve seen in awhile, I simply present the following tweet.
Free Kicks
- Check out this very interesting and informative article detailing how Pedro Araujo, Orlando City’s SVP of Marketing and Brand, sells and markets the Lions and Pride to the club’s fanbases.
- In MLS NEXT Fest action, Orlando City’s U-15 team beat Real Salt Lake 5-0 but the U-16 team fell 3-2 to LAFC.
- The United States Women’s National Team has scheduled a pair of friendlies against Brazil on April 5 and April 8 out in California.
- Former Orlando City goalkeeping coach Tim Mulqueen has been named the men’s soccer coach at his alma mater, Saint Joseph’s University.
- MLS is reportedly considering adding an internal trade market that would let MLS clubs make trades with real money rather than allocation money.
- Angel City FC has parted ways with head coach Becki Tweed.
- The Houston Dash have hired Angela Hucles Mangano as its president of women’s soccer.
That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/9/24
Former Lion Nani announces retirement, OCSC U-19 team winning at MLS NEXT Fest, FIFA Club World Cup schedule revealed, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I had a busy week at Under Armour and watched a Chicago Blackhawks game with friends. Besides that, I’ll be working the Christmas Winterland Event at Wrigley Field later this week. We have plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.
Nani Announces His Retirement
Former Orlando City captain Nani announced his retirement from professional soccer on Sunday after a stellar career. The 38-year-old left a heartfelt message on social media to announce the news.
The Portuguese star spent three seasons with Orlando City after joining the club from Sporting Lisbon in 2019, scoring 31 goals across all competitions. Nani recently played for his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora, in Portugal. He also spent time with Manchester United, Valencia, Fenerbahce, and many other clubs over the span of his career. At the international level, Nani made 112 appearances for Portugal, scoring 24 goals and helping the team win Euro 2016 in France. We here at The Mane Land wish him all the best in his retirement.
OCSC U-19 Team Beats LAFC and FC Cincinnati
MLS NEXT Fest kicked off this weekend and Orlando City’s U-19 team has been on fire. Orlando beat LAFC 7-4 in its first game of the event, with Jack Basinet and Gustavo Caraballo each scoring two goals.
The team followed that up with a 4-0 win against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. The U-19 academy team will be back in action later today to face the LA Galaxy.
Orlando Matches Set for FIFA Club World Cup
The full schedule for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was unveiled and we’ve learned which games will be held in Orlando’s two venues for the tournament.
Inter&Co Stadium will host two matches, with Ulsan HD of South Korea playing against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns on June 17 before Benfica takes on Auckland City on June 20. Camping World Stadium will host four matches. The first will be June 24 between Club Leon and Flamengo, and Juventus will play Manchester City on June 26. Camping World Stadium’s third match will be a round-of-16 matchup on June 30, while the fourth match will be a quarterfinal on July 4. MetLife Stadium will host nine matches, including the semifinals and final.
LA Galaxy Defeat the Red Bulls to Win MLS Cup
The LA Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win the MLS Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. It’s the sixth time that the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup. Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic put the Galaxy ahead 2-0 before the Red Bulls pulled one back in the first half with a goal by Sean Nealis. Despite missing their star player, Riqui Puig, the Galaxy held onto their lead in the second half to secure the win. The Galaxy snapped their title drought that had lasted since 2014, and Head Coach Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two MLS clubs. Gaston Brugman won the MVP honors for the match for his role orchestrating things in the midfield.
Free Kicks
- The Guardian named its 100 best female footballers in the world for 2024. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was seventh, while Marta was 27th on the list. FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati took the top spot.
- Christian Pulisic left the pitch in the first half of AC Milan’s 2-1 defeat to Atalanta on Friday due to a calf injury. However, AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca stated after the match that the injury doesn’t look too serious.
- The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly in talks to acquire Monterrey forward Brandon Vazquez.
- Here are the 10 MLS clubs that have qualified for the 2025 Champions Cup.
- Botafogo defeated Sao Paulo 2-1 on Sunday to win its first Brazilian league title since 1995. It secured 78 points and finished six points ahead of runner-up Palmeiras.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
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