Lion Links: 10/13/25

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m in Michigan and will be running broadcast operations for the National Independent Soccer Association’s NISA Pro Cup tournament for the next 10 days. The Lions and the Pride were both in action and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to Whitecaps

Orlando City fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium on a pair of late goals. The Lions got off to a great start with Dagur Dan Thorhallsson scoring the opening goal in the first half. Orlando held onto the lead until an unlucky clearance by Kyle Smith off a Vancouver player ended up in the net in the 81st minute to pull the Whitecaps level. Thomas Muller scored the winning goal at the death in a heartbreaking finish. With that result, it means Orlando cannot finish in the top four in the Eastern Conference. The Lions will not have home-field advantage for a best-of-three playoff series and could end up playing in the wild card play-in game. The Lions are seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with 53 points. Orlando City will face Toronto FC on Decision Day Sunday at BMO Field.

Late Own Goal Lifts Pride Past Portland

The Orlando Pride defeated Portland 1-0 Friday at Inter&Co Stadium, getting a late own goal by the Thorns in stoppage time. Marta sent a corner kick the near post in stoppage time, and as Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold came out to try to punch the ball away, it went off Mallie McKenzie and in. The win snapped a five-match winless streak at home in league play, and the Pride are back in contention for a spot in the top four in the NWSL table. The Pride are currently third with 36 points. After all the league results from the weekend, Orlando clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. The Pride will have a quick turnaround with a Concacaf W Champions Cup match Wednesday, hosting CF Pachuca, before traveling to Washington to face the Spirit on Saturday afternoon.

USMNT Draws Ecuador in International Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team drew Ecuador 1-1 Friday at Q2 Stadium in Austin. Enner Valencia scored the opener in the first half to put Ecuador in front. The USMNT fought back in the second half as Folarin Balogun buried the equalizer to help the Americans secure a draw. It’s the second consecutive match Balogun has scored for the USMNT. Orlando’s Alex Freeman came off the bench in the second half. The U.S. will face Australia Tuesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic recorded an assist in Croatia’s 3-0 win over Gibraltar Sunday in a UEFA World Cup qualifying match.

• The Kansas City Current set a new league record for points in an NWSL season by beating Gotham FC 2-0 over the weekend. The Current have 62 points, surpassing the Orlando Pride’s 60-point record from last season.
• The U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team fell 3-1 to Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. The U-20 squad has lost in the quarterfinals five consecutive times.
• Italy defeated Estonia 3-1 Saturday to keep its hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive. Italy has won four straight UEFA World Cup qualifying matches and will look to continue that run, hosting Israel tomorrow.

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