Lion Links: 6/13/25

Happy Friday! We have some exciting soccer ahead of us over the next few days, starting with the Orlando Pride’s road game against Bay FC tonight at 10 p.m. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working and visiting family for Father’s Day. Let’s go ahead and get this Friday started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for the Colorado Rapids

The Lions are back in action on Saturday for a road match in high altitude against the Colorado Rapids. Orlando City is coming off a needed break in the schedule after losing two games in a row to close out a busy May. The Rapids have also lost their past two league games and will be without goalkeeper Zack Steffen due to injury. This will be the team’s first match against the Rapids since a 2-0 victory in Orlando back in 2023 and the first in Colorado since a 1-1 draw in 2022. Hopefully the Lions can get back on track with a win to kickstart another strong summer.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Schedule Revealed

The schedule was unveiled for the Concacaf W Champions Cup and we now know where the Pride will be playing this fall. Their campaign will begin at Inter&Co Stadium against Costa Rican club LD Alajuelense on Sept. 2. They’ll then hit the road for their next two matches, playing Chorrillo FC in Panama on Sept. 16 before facing Club America on Sept. 30. The Pride will close out their group play with a home game against Pachuca on Oct. 15. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semifinals, and the winner of the tournament will earn a spot in both the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. It’s going to make for some late-season fixture congestion for the Pride, but that’s the price of success and earning a spot in continental competitions.

USWNT Remains Atop FIFA Rankings

The United States Women’s National Team is still the best team in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings. The U.S. lost points overall in the time since the last rankings in March though, and the gap has narrowed between it and Spain and Germany. Brazil had a decent rise in the rankings, moving up four spots to fourth after beating Japan twice in recent friendlies. With notable international tournaments lined up for this summer, it will be interesting to see how much things shake up when the next rankings come out.

Michael Bradley Named New York Red Bulls II Head Coach

Former USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley was hired as head coach of the MLS NEXT Pro’s New York Red Bulls II. It’s the 37-year-old’s first professional head coaching job after spending time as an assistant coach under his father, Bob Bradley, at Stabaek in Norway. Bradley returns to where he began his professional playing career, as he was drafted by the MetroStars in 2004 at the age of 16.

“I couldn’t be more excited to come back to where my professional playing career began,” says Head Coach Michael Bradley. “This is a dream opportunity as a young coach. I’m looking forward to working everyday with this talented group of players, and I’ll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers. I’m thankful to the club for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

Free Kicks

• Vancouver Whitecaps left back Sam Adekugbe is out for the season due to an ACL injury sustained in a friendly with Canada.
• The draw for the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying was completed, with the 12 teams slotted into three groups of four. Panama and El Salvador were drawn together, while Costa Rica was drawn into a group with Honduras, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
• Tottenham named Thomas Frank as its next head coach, inking him to a deal that lasts until 2028. He joins after seven years as Brentford’s manager, which included promotion to the English Premier League in 2021.
• Napoli won the Kevin De Bruyne sweepstakes, with the 33-year-old choosing to join the Serie A champs after 10 years with Manchester City.
• Michal Probierz has resigned as Poland’s head coach only a few days after striker Robert Lewandowski said he will no longer play for the national team so long as Probierz was in charge. Lewandowski was replaced as team captain before Poland’s 2-1 loss to Finland in World Cup qualifying.
• Galatasaray added German winger Leroy Sane on a free transfer, signing him to a three-year contract. Sane will still be available to play at the Club World Cup with Bayern Munich.
• Manchester United signed Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha to a five-year contract. The 26-year-old scored 17 goals for Wolverhampton last season.
• You’ll need to get past the paywall for the full details, but this is a great dive into the importance of Senegal’s recent 3-1 win over England in a friendly. The win extended Senegal’s unbeaten streak to 22 games and gives the team plenty of momentum as it prepares for World Cup qualifiers this fall.

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