Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/14/25
Lions pick up another scoreless draw, Pride defeat the Seattle Reign, OCSC U-18 and U-16 teams win, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great weekend. I’ve been very busy at work throughout the past week. Let’s wish a happy birthday to former Orlando City forward Facundo Torres, who turned 25 on Sunday. Our Lions picked up a draw, and the Pride extended their winning streak while OCB was off this weekend. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Draw New York Red Bulls at Home
Orlando City and the New York Red Bulls fought to a scoreless draw on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s the first time the Lions have had two consecutive draws since the 2023 season after picking up a scoreless draw on the road the previous week against the Philadelphia Union. Orlando had chances early on, but the match changed in the second half when Rodrigo Schlegel picked up his second yellow card, and the Lions had to play the rest of the match down a man, holding on to preserve a point. Orlando City extended its unbeaten run to five matches but is winless in its last two matches. The Lions’ next match will be on the road on Saturday to take on CF Montreal at Saputo Stadium.
Pride Beat Seattle Reign on the Road
The Orlando Pride defeated the Seattle Reign 1-0 on Saturday at Lumen Field. Barbra Banda scored the lone goal in the match to seal Orlando’s fourth consecutive win to start the 2025 NWSL season. It’s the fourth time this season that the Pride have scored first in a match. Oihane Hernandez came off the bench to make her debut for the Pride in the second half. With another three points, the Pride remain atop the NWSL table with 12 points, edging the Kansas City Current on goal differential. After the match, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines shared his thoughts on the players’ performance and the challenge of getting three points on the road.
The Pride return home to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on the Washington Spirit in a rematch of the 2024 NWSL final.
Orlando City U-18 and U-16 Teams Pick Up Wins in Generation Adidas Cup
The Orlando City U-18 squad defeated Inter Milan 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in its first match in the group stage over the weekend in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. The Lions trailed 1-0 in the first half, but Justin Ellis found the back of the net for the equalizer to tie the match with Gustavo Caraballo adding the assist. Colin Guske and Clovis Archange also played in that match.
The U-18 squad followed that up by beating the Columbus Crew 2-1 on Sunday, with goals from Caraballo and Ellis. Later today, the U-18 squad will face LAFC in the final group stage match at 4:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the U-16 squad got off to a good start over the weekend, beating Ulsan HD FC 5-0 in the opening matchup. Brady Kendall and Jose Segura scored two goals each, along with an own goal, to seal the win.
The U-16 squad also defeated the Columbus Crew 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
The U-16 team will conclude its final group stage match against LAFC at 11:30 a.m. today.
Americans Abroad
Let’s catch up on how some Americans did abroad in Europe over the weekend. Christian Pulisic provided an assist in AC Milan’s 4-0 win over Udinese. Gianluca Busio played 85 minutes as Venezia defeated Monza 1-0, boosting its survival hopes in Serie A, being just two points behind Lecce in 17th to get out of the relegation zone. Cameron Carter-Vickers scored a stellar goal as Celtic cruised to a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock. In the women’s FA Cup, Phallon Tullis-Joyce made four saves as Manchester United defeated Manchester City 2-0. Catarina Macario and Chelsea edged Liverpool 2-1 and will meet Manchester United in the women’s FA Cup final on May 18. Later today, we’ll have two U.S. Men’s National Team players do battle as Bournemouth and Tyler Adams face Fulham and Antonee Robinson at Vitality Stadium.
Free Kicks
- USMNT and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie is reportedly among 13 soccer players under investigation by Italian authorities for placing illegal online bets on other sports.
- Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White scored a club-record four goals as his side dominated Austin FC 5-1 on Saturday. White also became the first player in Whitecaps history to score 50 career regular-season goals.
- The Philadelphia Union have traded midfielder Daniel Gazdag to the Columbus Crew for a guaranteed $4,000,000. The club could also acquire an additional $500,000 in the deal if Gazdag meets certain performance metrics.
- Sevilla fired manager Javier Garcia Pimienta after a 1-0 defeat against Valencia over the weekend. Sevilla is 13th in the La Liga table and has lost four consecutive matches.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.