Lion Links: 8/21/25

Happy Thursday, everyone! I’m still buzzing a bit from Orlando City’s match Wednesday night and will probably be skipping coffee this morning as a result. There’s also an Orlando Pride match to look forward to late tonight, so make sure to plan your day accordingly if you plan on being a night owl. But for now, let’s jump right into today’s links!

Pedro Gallese Leads Orlando to Leagues Cup Glory

Orlando City is through to the Leagues Cup semifinals after beating Toluca in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw. The night belonged to goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who made two massive saves in the shootout and scored the winning kick for Orlando to advance. While the Lions weren’t playing at their best, particularly offensively, it was a solid result on the other side of the country against one of the best teams in Mexico. Be sure to check out our full recap of the match for all of the details!

The Lions will take on Inter Miami in the semifinals on Wednesday with a spot in the Champions Cup on the line. The final and third-place match — the latter of which also awards Champions Cup qualification to the victor — are set to take place on Aug. 31. The Lions are scheduled to play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Aug. 30, so expect an announcement about a date change for that match.

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The Orlando Pride are back in action tonight for a rare Thursday night game against Angel City FC in California. The Pride have played to three straight draws since the international break, but keeping the Kansas City Current scoreless last week on the road is no small feat. Meanwhile, Angel City has not won a game since May 9 and has only scored two goals over the past five games. The Pride have won all three matches against Angel City in Los Angeles, shutting out the home side each time. The previous match between these two in Orlando had plenty of goals though, with the Pride coming back to win 3-2 in April. Hopefully the Pride can return to their scoring ways tonight and bring three points back to the City Beautiful.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The MLS transfer window closes today and clubs around the league are shoring up weaknesses and building strength for a playoff push. The Chicago Fire traded for Canadian defender Joel Waterman, sending CF Montreal $500,000 in General Allocation Money, with another $100,000 in GAM heading the Canadian club’s way if conditions are met. The New England Revolution acquired striker Dor Turgeman from Maccabi Tel Aviv for a reported $5.5 million, signing him as an MLS U22 Initiative Player. San Diego FC added some depth as well, with 20-year-old Leo Duru joining on loan from Blackburn Rovers. Real Salt Lake is reportedly signing Deandre Yedlin from FC Cincinnati as well.

Keeping Up With Americans Abroad

European soccer will be in full swing starting this weekend and Americans across the continent are set to take the field. The Serie A season kicks off this weekend, meaning we’ll likely get to see Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie play for their clubs in Italy. The Bundesliga also gets underway, and we could see Malik Tillman make his Bayer Leverkusen debut in Saturday’s match against Hoffenheim. In England, Josh Sargent’s scoring streak is on the line in Norwich City’s home game against fellow American Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough.

In Champions League qualifying, Cameron Carter-Vickers started and Auston Trusty came off the bench in Celtic’s scoreless draw with FC Kairat. The second leg will be played in  Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Free Kicks

• Charlotte FC transferred 23-year-old center back Adilson Malanda to Middlesbrough FC for a reported fee of up to $8 million. He’ll remain with Charlotte on loan for the rest of the 2025 season.
• Bay FC’s game on Saturday against the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park is expected to break the NWSL attendance record.
• San Diego FC can become the first MLS team to clinch a playoff spot this year if it wins or draws against the Portland Timbers on Saturday.
• Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio broke the record for most competitive soccer matches played after making his 1,391st appearance, according to the club. The 44-year-old’s historic game came in Fluminense’s 2-0 win in the Copa Sudamericana’s round of 16.
• Norway’s soccer federation stated that it will donate any profits from its World Cup qualifier in Oslo against Israel on Oct. 11 to a humanitarian organization that provides emergency aid in Gaza.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as the summer heat shows no sign of taking it easy on us. Have a great day!