Lion Links
Lion Links: 11/17/25
Pride fall to Gotham FC in NWSL semifinals, Lions in action abroad, USMNT defeats Paraguay, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work and covering high school basketball. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Fall to Gotham FC in NWSL Semifinals
The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL semifinals Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The match was scoreless for 90 minutes, and it looked like it was heading for extra time. Jaedyn Shaw converted a last-minute free kick for the game-winning goal in stoppage time. The Pride had one last chance towards the end of the match to get a late equalizer when Oihane put her header on goal, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a clutch save to seal the win. Gotham FC will play in the NWSL Championship for the second time in three years. The Orlando Pride’s 2025 season ends just short of making a second consecutive NWSL Championship.
Lions in Action Abroad
Several Orlando City players were in action during the international break. Defender David Brekalo played a full 90 minutes, but Slovenia fell 2-0 to Kosovo in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Forward Marco Pasalic started and played 62 minutes as the Croatians defeated the Faroe Islands 3-1 in UEFA World Cup qualifying and qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
Croatia will be in action again later today against Montenegro. Gustavo Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half, but Venezuela fell 2-1 to North Korea in the round of 32 in the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Thomas Williams started for the U-21 U.S. Men’s National Team in its 1-1 draw against Denmark.
Fullback Tahir Reid-Brown came off the bench in the second half for the U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team in a 2-1 win against Costa Rica.
USMNT Defeats Paraguay in Friendly
The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Paraguay 2-1 Saturday at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was in action for the USMNT, coming off the bench and playing 23 minutes. Gio Reyna scored the opener in his return to the starting XI for the USMNT for the first time in 16 months to give the Yanks an early lead. Alex Arce scored the equalizer for Paraguay. In the second half, Falorin Balogun scored the winning goal to help the USMNT edge Paraguay. The Americans are unbeaten in their last four matches. The next match for the U.S. will be Tuesday against Uruguay in Tampa.
Washington Spirit Return to NWSL Championship
In the other NWSL playoff semifinal match from the weekend, the Washington Spirit returned to the NWSL Championship for the second consecutive time, securing a 2-0 win against the Portland Thorns Saturday at Audi Field. Gift Monday and Croix Bethune scored for Washington. Trinity Rodman returned to play for the first time since spraining her right MCL on Oct. 15. Before the match, multiple reports stated that Rodman had received lucrative transfer offers from European clubs as her contract expires next month. The Spirit will face Gotham FC in the NWSL Championship Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja was in Europe over the weekend to watch Maro Pasalic play for the Croatia Men’s National Team, while also checking in with AFC Bournemouth to observe operations, share knowledge on coaching, and check out the club’s front office management as part of the partnership between the two clubs.
- Major League Soccer and Apple have revised their broadcast media rights deal following the announcement of the end of MLS Season Pass last week. The new deal will now run through 2029, after Apple agreed to waive its contractual right to opt out after 2027.
- Kansas City Current Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski is reportedly stepping down from his current role and will shift his focus to the sporting director position.
- U.S. Soccer announced its 2026 National Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees, featuring Kevin Crow, Tobin Heath, Heather O’Reilly, Tony Sanneh, Kari Seitz, and Chris Wondolowski.
- Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway defeated Italy 4-1, qualifying for its first World Cup since 1998.
- Nigeria fell to Congo DR 4-3 in penalties after a 1-1 draw in the CAF World Cup playoff final and will miss a second straight World Cup.
- One Knoxville SC defeated Spokane Velocity 2-0 to win the USL League One Championship.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.