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Lion Links: 7/3/25

Orlando Pride loan five players out, Orlando City academy players selected for All-Star Team, USMNT beats Guatemala, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a weird week for me so far, as it’s felt simultaneously like it’s flying by and taking forever for the weekend to get here. All of the soccer has been nice at least, and I’ve been able to get some reading and painting done when not swamped. But enough about me, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando Pride Loan Multiple Players Out

The Orlando Pride loaned out five players for the rest of the 2025 season, with four of them joining USL Super League teams. Forward Amanda Allen, who was loaned to Lexington SC last year and injured her shoulder in December, is headed to her home country of Canada to join Halifax Tides FC in the Northern Super League. As for the players headed to the USL Super League, right back Brianna Martinez will join Carolina Ascent FC, goalkeeper Kat Asman and forward Mariana Larroquette were loaned to Lexington, and Aryssa Mahrt was sent to Spokane Zephyr FC. These loans should provide solid opportunities for minutes for these players, so hopefully they can make some noise with their respective teams.

Orlando City Academy Players Make All-Star Team

The rosters for the 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star Game are out and Orlando City B midfielders Gustavo Caraballo and Dylan Judelson were both selected for the event. The East All-Stars will be coached by Orlando City SC Academy Director Javier Carrillo, who also coached Orlando’s U-18 team to victory in the Generation Adidas Cup this year. Caraballo was named MVP of that tournament’s U-18 age group and scored 16 goals over the course of the MLS NEXT season. Judelson appeared in 32 games for Orlando this season and could factor into Canada’s U-17 World Cup plans come November. The MLS NEXT All-Star Game will take place on July 21 and can be viewed on the MLS YouTube channel.

USMNT Takes Down Guatemala in Gold Cup

The United States Men’s National Team secured a spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup final after winning 2-1 against Guatemala in St. Louis. The Yanks got off to a hot start thanks to Diego Luna’s brace in the first 15 minutes of the match. The offense wasn’t able to extend the lead beyond that though, and a late goal by Olger Escobar made the match a bit more tense the U.S. would have liked. Regardless, the U.S. got the job done in the end and will play in Sunday’s final in Houston.

USWNT Breezes Past Canada in Friendly

The United States Women’s National Team beat Canada in convincing fashion, shutting out its northern rival 3-0 in a friendly. Sam Coffey and Claire Hutton scored in the first half to give the USWNT a nice lead, and Yazmeen Ryan came off the bench to put the nail in the coffin with a late goal. The defense did well to claim its third clean sheet of this series of summer friendlies. Emily Sams didn’t make an appearance for the U.S., and Zara Chavoshi didn’t come off the bench for Canada either.

NWSL Announces Layout For 2026 Schedule

The 2026 NWSL regular season will kick off on March 13 and finish on Nov. 1 according to the league’s announced framework for next year’s action. Although there will be 16 teams next year, the playoff format remains the same and the top eight teams in the standings will qualify, with the 2026 NWSL Championship set for Nov. 21. There will once again be a balanced schedule, with each team playing 30 matches over the course of 27 weeks. The league will also notably be on break for a majority of June due to the FIFA World Cup, citing expectations to accommodate stadium demands in markets where World Cup games will take place

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  • Boston Legacy FC signed American midfielder Annie Karich as its first player ahead of its inaugural season next year. Karich spent the past two seasons with SC Freiburg in Germany and joins Boston as a free agent.
  • San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer was named MLS Player of the Month after recording three goals and six assists in June. He leads the league with 23 goal contributions this season and is a major reason behind San Diego’s rise to the top of the Western Conference standings.
  • Atlanta United bolstered its defense by signing Albanian center back Enea Mihaj to a contract through 2028. The 26-year-old joins as a free agent after spending the past three seasons with FC Famalicao in Portugal top flight.
  • The 2025 Women’s European Championship kicked off in Switzerland, with Finland beating Iceland 1-0 in the first match of the tournament. Switzerland struck first against Norway, but Ada Hegerberg scored an equalizer and an own goal by Swiss defender Julia Stierli gave Norway the 2-1 win.
  • It seems the Concacaf co-hosts for next year’s World Cup will be able to serve suspensions in friendlies rather than missing out on the World Cup.

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

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/25/25

Orlando City plays the Columbus Crew tonight, Barbra Banda’s MVP credentials, MLS transfer news, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Both Orlando City and Orlando City B are in action tonight, so we’re truly spoiled for choice when it comes to ways to spend the evening. Marta and Angelina may also take the field for Brazil today as group play wraps up in the Copa America Femenina. Let’s go ahead and jump into today’s links!

Orlando City Takes On the Columbus Crew Tonight

The Lions are away from home and on the hunt for three points ahead of their match against the Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Martin Ojeda has had a goal contribution in nine consecutive games and his next one will break the club record of 22 set by Nani in 2019. The Argentine attacker is also tied with Kaká for the fifth-most goals in club history with 25. The Lions have lost their past three matches against the Crew, but hopefully they can get the job done on the road tonight.

Barbra Banda’s NWSL MVP Chances

Analyst and former Pride midfielder Lianne Sanderson dove into the contenders of this year’s NWSL MVP race and Orlando forward Barbra Banda is in the thick of it. She has eight goals so far this season and scored the club’s first hat trick on May 23.

“Banda hasn’t skipped a beat from last season,” Sanderson said. “Yes, mathematically she’s scoring less goals, but still effective. She’s a threat and always has an answer, even when teams feel they have worked her out. They haven’t. She’s a constant threat.”

Banda faces stiff competition from last year’s MVP Temwa Chawinga and Golden Boot leader Esther Gonzalez. Chawinga also has eight goals this season, while Gonzalez has scored 10 and has shown no signs of slowing down if her Women’s European Championship form is anything to go by.

Keeping Up With MLS Transfer News

The MLS summer transfer window is open and there’s plenty to catch up on while we wait to see if Orlando will end up doing anything notable. Defensive midfielder Mateusz Klich is no longer with Atlanta United after being waived, opening an international roster spot for the club. Austin FC bolstered its defense by adding Mateja Djordjevic as an MLS U22 Initiative Player from Serbian club FK TSC Backa Topola. St. Louis City FC transferred midfielder Njabulo Blom to Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC in Vietnam. FC Dallas acquired former academy player Christian Cappis from Viking FK in Norway’s top flight, sending $200,000 in General Allocation Money to the Houston Dynamo for the right of first refusal.

Chris Mueller Will Miss Remainder of MLS Season

Former Lion Chris Mueller was placed on the season-ending injury list after announcing that he’s been dealing with pericarditis this year. Pericarditis is a cardiac tissue disorder that can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart palpitations and Mueller has not been able to fully train this season. It’s the latest in a string of injuries that Mueller has had to battle with since returning to MLS by joining the Chicago Fire in 2022. We wish him a smooth and healthy recovery as he works his way back to full fitness.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/24/25

MLS All-Star Team wins in Austin, Orlando City gets ready for the Columbus Crew, MLS transfer news, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a pretty hectic week for me, but I’m looking forward to some soccer over the next few days. There are also about six movies in theaters right now that I want to see, so I might try to watch one each night before the month ends. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world.

MLS Triumphs in 2025 All-Star Game

The MLS All-Star Team won 3-1 against the Liga MX All-Star Team in Austin. MLS struck first, with Denis Bouanga tearing through the opposing defense before delivering a nice cross for Sam Surridge to head it home. Tai Baribo doubled the lead in the second half, but Gilbert Mora scored a goal for Liga MX to make things interesting. Brian White delivered the nail in the coffin by finishing off a frantic counterattack by the MLS All-Stars.

Despite being voted in as an All-Star, Orlando City defender Alex Freeman did not start in the match. Fellow Lion Marco Pasalic actually joined the fray before him in the 34th minute, with Freeman replacing him in the 61st minute.

Orlando City Prepares for the Columbus Crew

The Lions are back in action on Friday for a road match against the Columbus Crew, which will be their last game before the Leagues Cup begins next week. It’s the first match between the two Eastern Conference teams this season and possibly a preview to a playoff matchup. The Crew enter this match on a four-game unbeaten streak and have only lost once at home this season. Orlando Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how the team will aim to carry momentum into this match after its 2-1 road victory against the New England Revolution on Saturday.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The MLS summer transfer window opens today and teams aren’t wasting any time wheeling and dealing to prepare for a late-season surge. The loudest buzz is that LAFC is reportedly pushing for South Korean star Son Heung-min to join the club. The 33-year-old has spent the past 10 seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and would be one of the biggest signings in league history.

In other transfer news, the New York Red Bulls added midfielder Gustav Berggren from Rakow Częstochowa in Poland’s top flight. Speaking of Polish clubs, the Crew transferred midfielder Aziel Jackson to Jagiellonia Bialystok. CF Montreal traded up to $800,000 in General Allocation Money to Atlanta United in exchange for young center back Efrain Morales. The Colorado Rapids transferred Nigerian defender Chidozie Awaziem to FC Nantes as well.

England and Spain Will Face Off in Euros Final

Spain secured its spot in the Women’s European Championship final by beating Germany 1-0 in a tight match between two of the world’s top teams. After a scoreless 90 minutes, Aitana Bonmati scored her first goal of the tournament to give Spain the winner in extra time. It’s Spain’s first time reaching a Euros final and it will face England on Sunday in what should be a great match between the reigning World Cup and Euros champions.

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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: 7/23/25

Freeman’s rise, MLS All-Star extravaganza, Marta and Brazil win, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s MLS All-Star time, and if you’re like me, you think that the MLS All-Star Game should pit players from the Eastern Conference versus the Western Conference so that fans of the MLS teams can see more of the players in MLS compete. There could even be some sort of reward for the conference that wins the match. Wouldn’t that be cool? Unfortunately, that isn’t what we get. Since I can’t change it, let’s get to the links.

It’s Good to Be Alex

It’s been a heck of a year for Alex Freeman. He made his first start for Orlando City in March, earned his first call-up to the USMNT, got his first cap and first start for the USMNT, and now will appear in the MLS All-Star Game. Even for those of us that follow Orlando City, it’s been a meteoric rise for the defender, and there’s every expectation that he still has room to improve. His next opportunity to shine comes tonight.

Goalie Wars/Skills Challenge

MLS defeated Liga MX in the MLS All-Star Skills challenge in the last event — the crossbar challenge. Freeman provided crosses in the first competition, and then beat iShowSpeed — an online personality — in the “Speed” passing contest. Carlos Mercado did Orlando City B proud, making it to the final of Goalie Wars. Unfortunately he lost to Pedro Cruz of Houston Dynamo 2.

Almost All the All-Stars

The MLS All-Stars take on the Liga MX All-Stars in the MLS “All-Star” Game at 9 p.m. on Apple TV. Freeman won’t be the only USMNT player in the competition. The many story lines around the match include USMNT representatives facing some of their Mexican National Team rivals in the match. I’m certain that the promoters have been hyping Lionel Messi’s inclusion in the match. Unfortunately for them, he may miss the match despite being invited.

Marta and Brazil Victorious

The Brazilian Women’s National Team defeated Paraguay 4-1 in a first-round Group B match of the Copa América Femenina. The Orlando Pride’s Marta got the start for her country, though Angelina did not. Yasmim scored a brace for Brazil with Amanda Gutierres and Duda Sampaio adding the other two goals. Paraguay’s Camila Gomez was sent off in the 50th minute, making things easier for Brazil, which will face Colombia in its second match Friday at 8 p.m.

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  • The Denver NWSL expansion team now has an official identity — Denver Summit FC. I like the logo, but they missed an opportunity to be The Denver Summit and forego “FC.” Oh well, it’s definitely better than some others.

At Denver Summit FC, the climb is our culture. Meet us at the top. ⛰️💚

Denver Summit FC (@nwsldenver.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T14:15:11.870Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for Orlando City’s match this Friday against the Columbus Crew. Vamos Orlando!

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