Lion Links: 9/22/25

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work. Let’s wish a couple of happy belated birthdays to Orlando Pride defender Cori Dyke, who turned 25 on Saturday, and to Orlando City B midfielder Bernardo Rhein, who turned 18 on Sunday. We have plenty to cover, so let’s get to the links.

McGuire’s Late Goal Lifts Lions Over Nashville SC

Orlando City edged Nashville SC 3-2 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium and snapped its five-match winless streak in all competitions. Martin Ojeda scored two first-half goals two minutes apart for Orlando to take a 2-0 lead. Ojeda also became the first player in club history to record 30 goal contributions in a single season.

Hany Mukhtar pulled one back for Nashville to make it 2-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Nashville scored the equalizer, and it looked like this match was heading towards another draw. However, Duncan McGuire had other ideas, as he scored a late winning goal in stoppage time off a Tyrese Spicer assist. That win moves the Lions up in the Eastern Conference standings from eighth to sixth with 51 points. Orlando City will be on the road Sunday to take on FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.

Pride Fall to Courage at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the North Carolina Courage at Inter&Co Stadium Friday and saw their league winless streak extend to nine matches. Moments from a scoreless draw, Shinomi Koyama scored the lone goal for the Courage to snatch the win. The loss drops the Pride to seventh in the NWSL table with 29 points, and they are just one point ahead of the Courage, who hold the final playoff spot, and two points ahead of Racing Louisville. The Pride will be on the road Friday to take on the San Diego Wave at Snapdragon Stadium.

OCB Blanked by Huntsville City FC

Orlando City B fell 1-0 to Huntsville City FC on Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. Maximus Ekk scored the lone goal for Huntsville to pull out a win on the road. Huntsville City FC snapped its four-match winless streak, while the Young Lions saw their three-match unbeaten streak end. That result drops OCB to 10th in the Eastern Conference table with 35 points — three points behind Carolina Core FC, which holds the final playoff spot with 38 points. With two regular-season matches left to play, OCB will travel to take on Carolina Core FC Saturday at Truist Point Stadium in a must-win game.

Americans Abroad

It was a busy weekend for Americans in Europe. Tanner Tessmann scored his first goal in Ligue 1 for Lyon in stoppage time as his side defeated Angers 1-0 Friday. Christian Pulisic scored twice and added an assist Saturday as AC Milan defeated Udinese 3-0 in Serie A action. Pulisic also surpassed former USMNT player Clint Dempsey, becoming the top USMNT scorer in Europe’s top five leagues with 59 goals. Yunus Musah came off the bench late in the second half for Atalanta in a 3-0 win over Torino. Chris Richards played 90 minutes as Crystal Palace edged West Ham 2-1 Saturday and moved to fifth in the table with nine points in the Premier League. Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest were both in action for PSV Eindhoven in a thrilling 2-2 draw against Ajax Sunday.

Free Kicks

• The Kansas City Current defeated the Seattle Reign 2-0 Saturday, winning the NWSL Shield with five league matches remaining. The Current also clinched a spot in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup and 2026-27 Concacaf W Champions Cup.
• Gabriel Martinelli scored a late equalizer for Arsenal to secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in Premier League action Sunday.
• The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the second-round matchups for the qualifying rounds of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup, featuring two matches in the Orlando area. Deportivo Lake Mary will take on Emerald FC Orlando, and FC Kanks will face Harbor City FC on Oct. 11.

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