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Lion Links: 2/10/25

Orlando City falls to CF Montreal in preseason scrimmage, latest OCSC transfer rumblings, MLS transfer roundup, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Under Armour has been keeping me busy, and I’ve been covering some high school basketball. We are less than two weeks away from the 2025 MLS season kicking off, with the Lions’ home opener on Feb. 22 against the Philadelphia Union. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. Before we do, we want to thank subscriber Dave Shine for upgrading to a Designated Player support level. We appreciate all of our supporters, and to see if one of our three levels of support is right for you, please visit our Buy Me a Coffee page.

Orlando City Falls to CF Montreal in Preseason Scrimmage

Orlando City suffered a preseason loss on Saturday, falling 2-1 to CF Montreal in a 120-minute friendly scrimmage at Inter&Co Stadium. The match remained scoreless after 90 minutes of play, and the two clubs played an extra 30-minute session. CF Montreal took a 2-0 lead before Nico Lodeiro scored a late free-kick goal for the Lions to make it 2-1. The Lions’ next preseason match will be Tuesday against USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in a closed-door scrimmage. Orlando will conclude its preseason friendly schedule on Friday in Tampa against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium.

Latest Orlando City Transfer Reports

The Lions have been busy as we get close to their home opener in 12 days. Midfielder Eduard Atuesta reportedly had his medical exam with Orlando City on Friday, but nothing is official until it’s official. Atuesta reportedly terminated his contract with Palmeiras two years before it expired, and the Brazilian club will keep 20% of any future sale as Orlando works towards finalizing the deal.

Meanwhile, the Lions have also reportedly submitted a transfer bid to Bolivian club Always Ready midfielder Moises Paniagua. Per the source post from Twitter, the bid was lower than the club is expecting for Paniagua.

Lastly, defender Noham Abdellaoui of Serie A side Genoa has reportedly signed a one-year contract to join Orlando City. This seems like more of a move the club would make to stock OCB than the first team, but we’ll wait to see if it becomes official.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. CF Montreal added a pair of defenders, signing former Lion Luca Petrasso through the 2025 season with options for 2026 and 2027. He played against Orlando City on Saturday. Montreal also signed defender Brandan Craig through the 2025 season with options for 2026, 2027, and 2028. New York Red Bulls forward Lewis Morgan has reached an agreement on a new contract, extending his deal through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028. The Chicago Fire have signed defender Omar Gonzalez on a contract for the 2025 season with a club option for 2026.

Keeping Up With Americans Abroad

We had another busy weekend featuring Americans in action in Europe. Norwich City forward Josh Sargent continues his stellar form as he scored in his third consecutive match in a 1-1 draw against Derby County on Saturday. Sargent has scored four goals in his last three appearances for the EFL Championship side. Christian Pulisic came off the bench for AC Milan in the second half and notched two assists as AC Milan defeated Empoli 2-0 and moved to seventh in the Serie A table. Cardiff City goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made three clutch saves in an FA Cup match against Stoke City. One was in the penalty shootout as Cardiff City defeated Stoke City 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw and move on to the Round of 16.

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  • Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena tweeted that he recently had surgery at the end of January. We here at The Mane Land wish Wilder a speedy recovery.
  • Former Lion Alexandre Pato visited his former teammates during preseason training last week.
  • Orlando City announced its theme night calendar for the 2025 season, featuring wrestling night, pride in our city night, and a video game night.
  • Plymouth Argyle defeated Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday to knock out the Reds in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
  • After multiple delays, the popular mobile game Football Manager 25 has been canceled just weeks before its March release. Sports Interactive issued the following statement on social media.

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

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/23/25

Tonight’s OCB match moved to Sunday, Alex Freeman makes USMNT roster, FanDuel Sports Network will stream Orlando Pride games, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! A long weekend is ahead of us and there is plenty of Orlando soccer to enjoy as well. I’ll be celebrating my nephew’s first birthday this weekend, so it should be a nice next couple of days visiting family. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

OCB Match Moved to Sunday in Kissimmee

As a heads up, Orlando City B is no longer playing today. OCB’s match against Atlanta United 2 was originally scheduled for tonight in Atlanta, but it was instead postponed to 7 p.m. Sunday and relocated to Osceola Heritage Park rather than Fifth Third Stadium in Georgia. Stadium availability was cited as the reason for the change, and the match will be played behind closed doors, although it will still be streamed live. The Young Lions are coming off of a 3-0 win over Inter Miami II and will face an Atlanta team that has drawn its last four games.

Alex Freeman Makes USMNT Training Camp Roster

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was named to the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp roster ahead of friendlies next month against Turkey and Switzerland. The 20-year-old is one of five uncapped players on the roster and one of 16 MLS players. He’ll likely be behind Sergino Dest on the depth chart, but Joe Scally was not called up for this window. There are many notable players absent, opening the door for players like Freeman across multiple positions to stake their claim to participate in this summer’s Gold Cup and the World Cup next year.

FanDuel Sports Network Will Stream Select Pride Games

The Orlando Pride will have eight of its remaining games streamed on FanDuel Sports Network, including tonight’s road game against the Utah Royals. The regional network, which used to be called Bally Sports before rebranding, is available on various providers throughout Florida and there is an app for streaming as well. Personally, I find this as just another cog in a messy machine of NWSL coverage options, but I imagine this is handy for those out there who are already accustomed to using the network to watch other Floridian pro sports teams.

Winter Garden Lands USL League One Team

Another pro soccer team is coming to Central Florida, as the United Soccer League announced its intent to bring a USL League One team to the area. Central Florida Pro Soccer’s ownership group has plans for a development in Winter Garden that would include a 5,000-seat multi-purpose soccer stadium. The plans also include recreational fields, a hotel, parks, and a walking trail. The group will gather input from the community in the coming months to help determine the team’s colors, badge, and name.

Free Kicks

  • Kansas City Current defender Alana Cook was placed on the season-ending injury list due to a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus sustained in the club’s match against the Orlando Pride.
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC and Tigres will square off in the Concacaf W Champions Cup final on Saturday. The winner will earn a spot in the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup and the 2028 Women’s Club World Cup.
  • Luka Modric penned a farewell to Real Madrid fans as his time with the club has come to an end. I don’t know where his next stop will be, but I sure hope it’s not with a team the Lions still have to face this year.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/25

Orlando City ousted from U.S. Open Cup, OCB’s Justin Ellis named Player of the Matchweek, Tottenham wins Europa League, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well, that could have gone better. It’s understandable to feel a bit deflated after Wednesday night’s game, especially after so many positive Orlando City results as of late. The good news though is that we’re another day closer to a holiday weekend that should include some good times or at least rest and relaxation. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Eliminated from U.S. Open Cup

The Lions lost 3-2 at home to Nashville SC in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16, ending the team’s run in the tournament. Orlando struck first in a rollercoaster of a match, and Ramiro Enrique pulled the Lions level after they fell behind, but rookie Wyatt Meyer scored the winner for the visitors. The loss snapped Orlando’s 12-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and Orlando looked like a team that played five other matches already this month. Orlando will need to shake off this loss as it prepares to host the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Justin Ellis Named MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek

Orlando City B midfielder Justin Ellis was selected as MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek for his role in the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami II. Ellis, who turned 18 years old last week, assisted on both of OCB’s first two goals before scoring from the penalty spot himself. It’s been quite the year so far for Ellis, as he also scored six goals in the Generation Adidas Cup to help Orlando win the U-18 title in April. The Young Lions are back in action Friday with a road match against rival Atlanta United 2.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 Results

Comebacks were a theme throughout the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16. Minnesota United took the lead, gave it up, and ultimately advanced thanks to defender Anthony Markanich scoring two late goals to beat St. Louis City 3-2 at Allianz Arena. Markanich was traded from St. Louis to Minnesota last year, adding a little salt in the wound for the visitors. D.C. United and Charlotte FC battled in a back-and-forth match that ended up with D.C. winning the penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw. The match between the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas also went the distance, with the Red Bulls winning the shootout. The Philadelphia Union won 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to eliminate the last team from outside MLS. The draw for the quarterfinals will take place this morning.

Tottenham Hotspur Wins Europa League Final

Tottenham prevailed in this year’s Europa league final, winning 1-0 against Manchester United in Spain. Brennan Johnson’s goal was enough for Tottenham to end its 17-year wait for a major trophy. It was a bit of an underwhelming finish to what was a fairly exciting knockout stage, and this was United’s only loss in this year’s tournament. Tottenham has now qualified for next season’s Champions League despite currently being 17th in the English Premier League standings.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/25

The U.S. Open Cup journey resumes tonight, Javier Otero signs a new contract, Pride’s Sams and Abello called up, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day with Orlando City hosting Nashville SC tonight in Inter&Co Stadium. I hope you are able to make it out to support the club, since I will have to watch it on television. If you listen to The Mane Land PawedCast you know how much I want Orlando City to focus on the U.S. Open Cup — even at the expense of the Leagues Cup. For now, let’s get to the links.

Nashville is Next

As I mentioned above, the Lions take on Nashville SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match tonight. Orlando City is riding a 12-match unbeaten streak through all competitions and has scored 14 goals in the past four games going back to its 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions will look to continue their goal scoring ways to advance to the quarterfinals.

Javier Otero Has a New Contract

Orlando City signed goalkeeper Javier Otero to a new contract through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. Otero joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017, moving his way up to Orlando City B and, eventually, the first team. The signing secures Orlando City’s backup keeper for the immediate future.

Pride USWNT Call-Ups

Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to the USWNT training camp. This is Abello’s first call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. Sams and Abello make up two of Emma Hayes’ 24-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against China and Jamaica. Other notable players include Naomi Girma, Lynn Biyendolo, and Lo’eau LaBonta.

FIRST USWNT CALL UP FOR BELLO 🗣️

Orlando Pride (@orlpride.com) 2025-05-20T15:06:37.081Z

USMNT Gold Cup News

Mauricio Pochettino has yet to name the final 26-player list for the Gold Cup. He has even put out there that he may give playing time to a goalkeeper other than Matt Turner. Pochettino sees the Gold Cup as a great opportunity for the team to bond during the last competition before the World Cup. Prior to the Gold Cup, the team has friendlies with Türkiye and Switzerland.

Free Kicks

  • The Kansas City Current may have defeated the Pride last match, but they paid dearly for it.
  • In sad news, former Sporting Kansas City player Gadi Kinda passed away. Kinda had been dealing with “a complex medical battle.”
  • In the “I’m not at all surprised” category, Lionel Messi was not fined by the league for any of his antics during or after the loss to Orlando City, including his criticism of officials, which is usually an automatic fine.

That will do it for today. Check back for our pre-match and post-match coverage tonight. You can also follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates. Vamos Orlando!

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