Lion Links: 10/6/25

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work. Our Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Columbus Crew at Home

Orlando City drew the Columbus Crew 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium, dropping points in a tight Eastern Conference playoff positioning race. The Lions trailed 1-0 before Marco Pasalic buried the equalizer just before halftime. In the second half, Orlando had scoring chances but could not convert them into another goal, as the teams split the points. A win would have pulled Orlando five points clear of Columbus, which is ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, but instead the Lions remain just two points ahead of the Crew in seventh. Orlando City will face the Vancouver Whitecaps at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday.

Charley’s Late Equalizer Helps Pride Draw Dash on the Road

The Orlando Pride overcame a 1-0 deficit to pick up a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash Friday at Shell Energy Stadium. After a scoreless first half, Malia Berkely’s goal gave Houston the lead before Simone Charley buried a header for the late equalizer. It was Charley’s first goal in three years and her first for the Pride. After all the league results from the weekend, the Pride are sixth in the NWSL table with 33 points and are two points ahead of the San Diego Wave, who hold the final playoff spot. The Orlando Pride will be back in action Friday against the Portland Thorns at Inter&Co Stadium.  

An emotional Charley shared what scoring the late equalizer in the second half against the Houston Dash meant to her.

Carson Pickett Named to NWSL Best XI for September

Orlando Pride defender Carson Pickett was named to the National Women’s Soccer League Best XI for the month of September. Pickett scored her second goal of the season last month — her first game-winner of her career. She scored it on the road against San Diego Wave FC in a 2-1 victory.

OCB Falls to FC Cincinnati 2 on Decision Day

Orlando City B played poorly on Decision Day, falling 4-1 to FC Cincinnati 2 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. With the loss, the Young Lions saw their 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign come to an end as they failed to make it three straight years with a playoff appearance. Albright Chikamso scored the lone goal for the Young Lions, while Gerardo Valenzuela, Stefan Chirila, and Kenji Mboma Dem scored for Cincinnati. Despite having more shots, crosses, and corner kick opportunities, the Young Lions struggled to put their chances on target throughout the match. Securing three points would have put OCB in the postseason, but instead it was Cincinnati climbing above the playoff line with the win. OCB finishes its 2025 season 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with 37 points.

Free Kicks

• Boston Legacy FC has signed Palmeiras forward Amanda Gutierres to a four-year contract. She will join the new NWSL expansion side in January at the start of the winter transfer window.
• Inter Miami is reportedly in talks to sign former Tottenham Hotspur winger Sergio Reguilon.

• Christian Pulisic was named the AC Milan player of the month for September. Pulisic made four appearances for the club last month, scoring four goals and adding two assists.
• Patrick Agyemang scored his first goal for Derby County in the EFL Championship over the weekend in a 1-1 draw against Southampton.
• Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made history as he became the fastest manager to reach 250 wins in the Premier League after a 1-0 victory over Brentford Sunday. He plans to celebrate the milestone by inviting former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to dinner.
• The U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team finished atop its group at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, despite losing 2-1 to South Africa Sunday, with a +10 goal differential. The U-20 squad will face Italy in the round of 16.

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