Lion Links: 7/7/25

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great Fourth of July holiday weekend. I was busy working but tried to catch some soccer when I could. The senior Lions and OCB were both in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Come from Behind in 2-2 Draw at Charlotte FC

Orlando City overturned a 2-0 deficit and picked up a 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC Saturday at Bank of America Stadium. The Lions trailed 2-0 late in the second half, but Ramiro Enrique pulled one back for Orlando to make it 2-1. Marco Pasalic scored the equalizer to help Orlando secure a draw. The Lions are unbeaten in their last three matches on the road (2-0-1) but are winless in their last two consecutive matches (0-1-1). Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel assisted on both goals for the Lions, and Ojeda became the third player in club history to record 50 goal contributions.

Orlando City remains fifth in the Eastern Conference table with 34 points. The Lions will take on CF Montreal Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium but will be without Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson, who will serve suspensions for yellow card accumulation.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout vs. Crown Legacy FC after 2-2 Draw

Orlando City B drew 2-2 against Crown Legacy FC Sunday at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex. The Young Lions stuck first against the run of play on a goal from Justin Ellis to take a 1-0 lead. Orlando City B held onto the lead through halftime. In the second half, Crown Legacy FC scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. However, Ellis scored the equalizer on a late penalty kick to record his second goal of the match. After 90 minutes, MLS NEXT Pro draws go to penalties, and OCB won the extra point with a 3-1 shootout win. Carlos Mercado was instrumental, as the goalkeeper stopped Crown Legacy’s first three spot kicks. OCB will be back in action Sunday at Osceola County Stadium against Carolina Core FC.

USMNT Falls to Mexico in Gold Cup Final

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 2-1 to Mexico on Sunday in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final at NRG Stadium. Mexico won the Gold Cup for the 10th time and repeated as champions. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. The USMNT got off to a great start as a Chris Richards header gave the U.S. the early lead. Later in the first half, Raul Jimenez scored the equalizer for Mexico. In the second half, Edson Alvarez buried his header to pull Mexico ahead 2-1. The goal was initially called offside, but it was awarded after video review. The USMNT fell short of an eighth Gold Cup title but will now shift its focus to preparing for the 2025 FIFA World Cup next summer. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against South Korea on Sept. 4 and Japan on Sept. 9.

Club World Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The semifinals are set in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after four thrilling quarterfinal matches over the weekend. On Friday, Fluminense edged Al-Hilal 2-1 to move on to the semifinals. Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1 and booked a spot in the semifinals. Former Lion Facundo Torres started the match for Palmeiras and played 67 minutes. On Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Bayern Munich 2-0, scoring two late goals in the second half from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembélé to advance despite finishing the match with nine men. Real Madrid edged Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a thrilling match to advance. The semifinals kick off Tuesday afternoon as Fluminense faces Chelsea. On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain will take on Real Madrid as Kylian Mbappe faces his former club. The Club World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium Sunday.

Free Kicks

• On Saturday, France defeated England 2-1 in its opening match of the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench.

• Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda scored 58 seconds into the match for Zambia in the 2025 CAF Women’s African Cup of Nations against Morocco. Banda also notched an assist, but it wasn’t enough to win as the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda joined Banda in playing for Zambia.

• San Diego FC midfielder Alejandro Alvarado Jr. and defender Andres Reyes will miss the rest of the 2025 season. Both players will be placed on the season-ending injury list.
• Arsenal has completed the signing of midfielder Maritin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad after triggering his $67 million release clause.
• New York City FC has reportedly signed midfielder Nicolas Fernandez from La Liga side Elche on a Designated Player contract.

Former Chicago Fire and Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran has reportedly joined Fenerbahce on a one-year loan six months after joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was taken off the field in an ambulance just seconds before the end of stoppage time after taking a knee to the head by a Crew player as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

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