Lion Links: 9/15/25

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Our Lions, the Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend, and none of them got the result they needed. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic, who turned 25 on Sunday and a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Carson Pickett, who turns 32 today. We have plenty to cover, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw 10-Man D.C. United on the Road

Orlando City fought back for a 1-1 draw on the road against D.C. United at Audi Field Saturday. The Lions trailed 1-0 after the first half. Alex Freeman scored the equalizer for Orlando shortly after halftime on a play that put D.C. United down to 10-men. Lukas MacNaughton was sent off with a straight red card following video review for dangerous play, getting his boot up in Freeman’s face. Despite being a man up for the final 33 minutes of normal time plus stoppage time, the Lions could not capitalize as the teams split the points. Orlando has not won in its last five matches in all competitions and has slid to sixth in the Eastern Conference table with 48 points. Orlando City will host Nashville SC Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Draw Bay FC at Home as Winless Streak Continues

The Orlando Pride drew Bay FC 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium, giving up the opening goal to Racheal Kundananji just before halftime. In the second half, Ally Watt equalized to help Orlando secure a draw. Unfortunately, that result extends Orlando’s winless streak in the NWSL to eight matches. However, the Pride ended a run of three consecutive losses in league play and remain sixth in the NWSL table with 29 points. The Pride will travel to Panama Tuesday to face Chorrillo FC in their second Concacaf W Champions Cup match.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout vs. Inter Miami II After 1-1 Draw

Orlando City B drew 1-1 against Inter Miami II on the road Sunday at Chase Stadium, as all three teams from the club ended up with the same result over the weekend. Mateo Saja’s goal put the Young Lions behind while Tahir Reid-Brown was off the pitch receiving treatment. OCB then hit the crossbar on consecutive free kicks moments apart and trailed at the break. Thalles buried the equalizer in the second half off a Justin Ellis assist. Orlando won the extra point with a 5-3 shootout victory against Miami. The Young Lions are unbeaten in their last three matches but slipped just outside the final MLS NEXT Pro playoff spot in ninth place after the dropped point. With three regular-season matches left to play, OCB will be back in action Sunday against Huntsville City FC at Osceola County Stadium.

USWNT to Reportedly Play Italy in International Friendly in Orlando

The U.S. Soccer Federation is reportedly set to announce that the U.S. Women’s National Team will play an international friendly against Italy in November in Orlando. WESH reports that the match will be played Nov. 28 at Inter&Co Stadium. It will be the first time these two national sides have met since the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying playoff in Nov. 2010. The USWNT has played 18 times in Orlando, with the most recent match being a 2-0 win against Canada in the 2023 SheBelieves Cup at Inter&Co Stadium. The U.S. will play two friendlies against Portugal on Oct. 23 in Philadelphia and Oct. 26 in Hartford, and will face New Zealand on Oct. 29 in Kansas City.

Free Kicks

• USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson came off the bench and made her debut for Chelsea in the WSL, playing 45 minutes Saturday. Sam Kerr also made her first appearance in 20 months and scored as Chelsea defeated Aston Villa 3-1.
• Former Charlotte FC and USMNT forward Patrick Agyemang came off the bench in the second half and made his debut for Derby County Saturday, recording an assist in a 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion.
• Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City defeated rival Manchester United 3-0 Sunday in the Manchester Derby in Premier League action.
• Sheffield United has fired manager Ruben Selles after losing its first six matches to start the season as the club sits at the bottom of the table with zero points. Chris Wilder will return for a third spell as manager.
• Thomas Muller scored his first hat trick in Major League Soccer Saturday on his birthday as the Vancouver Whitecaps crushed the Philadelphia Union 7-0.
• The Seattle Reign and Racing Louisville match Sunday was abandoned due to a medical emergency involving midfielder Savannah DeMelo. The club announced on social media that DeMelo is in stable condition, and we here at The Mane Land wish DeMelo a speedy recovery.

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