Lion Links: 8/12/25

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, but things ended on a decidedly high note after the Lions beat Inter Miami 4-1. There’s a lot going on this week with the return of European leagues and all three of Orlando’s teams back in action during the weekend. That means we have plenty to talk about, so let’s get right into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

A trio of Lions earned spots in the MLS Team of the Matchday in recognition of the roles they played during Orlando’s 4-1 dismantling of Inter Miami on Sunday. Oscar Pareja got the nod as the coach of the side, Martin Ojeda made the bench, while Luis Muriel was in the starting XI, and was also named the Player of the Matchday. Pareja masterminded a great 90-minute performance, Ojeda recorded a goal and an assist, while Muriel scored a brace, provided an assist, and was desperately unlucky to be denied a hat trick for a second straight game. Here’s hoping the weekly accolades keep on rolling in!

Takeaways from MLS Matchday 28

Matchday 28 is in the books for Major League Soccer, and there’s plenty of things to be learned from the weekend’s action. For one thing, while Orlando’s big win caught plenty of eyes around the league, that result combined with some top teams across the league dropping points means that the Supporters’ Shield race still has plenty of life left in it. Then you have the Seattle Sounders flexing their depth by beating the brakes off the LA Galaxy, despite missing a ton of starters, and San Diego racking up points at a potentially historic rate for an expansion side.

Americans in Midweek Action

European leagues are largely making their return this weekend, but we also have some Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week. Things get started later today as Damion Downs and Southampton will take on Northampton in the Carabao Cup, while Haji Wright and Coventry City face Luton Town in the same competition. Friday then has Tim Weah and Marseille facing Rennes in their opening game of the Ligue 1 season, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth face Liverpool to kick off the Premier League campaign.

Stateside La Liga Game Looks Likely

The Spanish football federation has given permission for a La Liga game to be played overseas for the first time. Villareal is supposed to host Barcelona on Dec. 20 of this year, but both teams have requested for the fixture to be played at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. La Liga has wanted to play a competitive game in the United States for several years, with an initial proposal for Barcelona and Girona to play in Miami getting shot down back in 2019. FIFA set up a group last year to analyze the feasibility of playing competitive games overseas, and precedent has now been set after the Italian football federation granted permission for AC Milan and Como to play a Serie A match in Australia during February of next year.

Free Kicks

• Check out the birthday celebrations for Oscar Pareja after Sunday night’s win.

• Orlando City rose three spots to no. 7 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• Crystal Palace lost its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will play in the Conference League next year due to multi-club ownership rules.
• Jack Grealish is reportedly close to joining Everton on loan.
• Tottenham is said to be interested in signing Savinho, but Manchester City are reportedly reluctant to sell.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!