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.

• San Diego FC Head Coach Mikey Varas and Sporting Director Tyler Heaps condemned the fans who made homophobic chants during the second half of the expansion club’s inaugural home match against St. Louis City on Saturday.
• The Women’s Super League is considering abolishing relegation and expanding both the WSL and Championship divisions while encouraging owners to invest more into clubs to grow the game of women’s soccer.
• After receiving FIFA approval, Palmeiras has reached an agreement to sign Barcelona striker Vitor Roque for reportedly $26 million.

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

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.

Free Kicks

• CBS Sports ranked each NWSL team’s new kit for 2025, with the Pride coming in sixth. Personally, I think the Washington Spirit’s highlighter jersey is my least favorite this year, while I like the Portland Thorns’ understated red and black kit the most. There really aren’t many misses in my opinion though.
• Here’s a nice breakdown of the MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference teams as the season approaches. Gustavo Caraballo and Justin Ellis were noted as players of interest for OCB this year.
• The Seattle Reign announced that Veronica Latsko was placed on the Season-Ending Injury list due to a torn Achilles.
• Jose Mourinho was banned for four matches and fined for his comments about the refereeing following Fenerbahce’s game with Galatasaray earlier this week.

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

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.

• The Pride gave a shoutout to coaches Seb Hines, Giles Barnes, and Yolanda Thomas this Black History Month.

• In its hunt for a striker, Real Salt Lake reportedly inquired about Duncan McGuire, with Orlando City rejecting the offer.
• The U.S. U-19 Women’s National Team beat Spain in a penalty shootout in its last game of the L’Albir U-19 Women’s International Tournament.

• The MLS season’s first Goal of the Matchday went to Atlanta United midfielder Edwin Mosquera for his late winner against CF Montreal.
• The Portland Thorns announced that Morgan Weaver, Nicole Payne, and Marie Muller were all placed on the season-ending injury list.
• D.C. United added 18-year-old winger Fidel Barajas on loan from Chivas Guadalajara through June of this year, with an option to extend the loan through the rest of 2025.
• Brian White, who has led the Whitecaps with 55 goals across all competitions since joining the team in 2021, signed a contract extension that will keep him in Vancouver through 2027.
• Australian radio host Marty Sheargold was fired for his disparaging remarks about Australia’s women’s soccer team and the SheBelieves Cup.
• Juventus was eliminated by Empoli in the Italian Cup quarterfinals, falling in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Americans Weston McKennie and Tim Weah both started, but neither took penalty kicks in the shootout.
• Marseille President Pablo Longoria was suspended for 15 games by Ligue 1 after accusing referees of corruption following his team’s 3-0 loss to Auxerre.
• We end our links with some Pictionary between Enrique and Rodrigo Schlegel. While I’m convinced neither of them know how to play beyond Enrique’s insistence on drawing nothing but shirts, it’s entertaining.

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