Lion Links: 12/1/25

Hello and welcome to December, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend with friends and family. I was very busy at work but tried to catch some soccer matches. I’ll be covering more high school hockey and basketball this week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

USWNT Beats Italy in Friendly at Inter&Co Stadium

The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Italy 3-0 Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to win its third match in a row. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams did not start the match but came off the bench late in the second half and played 12 minutes. Olivia Moultrie scored the opening goal 67 seconds into the game. Catarina Macario scored two goals in the second half to put it away. With that result, the USWNT remains perfect at Inter&Co Stadium at 9-0-0, has yet to concede a goal, and has outscored its opponents 27-0. The Yanks will face Italy again tonight at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Anna Moorhouse Makes Debut for England in Friendly

Emily Sams was not the only Orlando Pride player in action for her country over the weekend. Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made her first start for the Lionesses as England dominated China with an 8-0 win in an international friendly Saturday. After the match, Moorhouse shared her perspective on what it meant to make her England debut at Wembley Stadium.

England will have another international friendly match Tuesday against Ghana.

Inter Miami, Vancouver Whitecaps Will Meet in MLS Cup Final

The 2025 MLS conference finals concluded Saturday, as Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps punched their tickets to the 2025 MLS Cup final. Tadeo Allende scored a hat trick, and Jordi Alba added two assists as Miami rolled past New York City FC 5-1 Saturday in the Eastern Conference final. In the Western Conference final, the Whitecaps defeated San Diego FC 3-1 on the road, as Brian White scored two goals to help his side advance. Inter Miami will host the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final Saturday at Chase Stadium.

Americans Abroad

Two Americans squared off in Ligue 1 as Tim Weah and Marseille faced Mark McKenzie and Toulouse Saturday. Weah played a full 90 minutes for Marseille. McKenzie also played a full 90 and added an assist as that match ended in a 2-2 draw. Chris Richards played 90 minutes, but Crystal Palace fell 2-1 to Manchester United. Tyler Adams scored a stellar goal for AFC Bournemouth, but his side lost 3-2 to Sunderland. In case you missed it, you can check out Adams’ goal below.

Patrick Agyemang scored his third goal in the EFL Championship this season, but Derby County fell 2-1 on the road to Middlesbrough. Ricardo Pepi scored a bicycle kick as PSV Eindhoven defeated FC Volendam 3-1.

Free Kicks

• The U.S. Soccer Federation has submitted a proposal listing potential venues to host matches for its 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup bid. Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium were mentioned as possible venue options.
• Danilo scored the lone goal in the second half as Flamengo beat Palmeiras 1-0 over the weekend to win the Copa Libertadores. Former Lion Facundo Torres came off the bench in the second half and played 18 minutes.
• Dani Olmo scored twice and Lamine Yamal added a goal as Barcelona beat Alaves 3-1 to secure its fourth straight win in La Liga.
• Alexander Isak scored his first goal for Liverpool to help his side beat West Ham United 2-0 and snapped the Reds’ three-match losing streak.
• According to BBC Sport, football lawmakers have been discussing a potential rule change to force teams to temporarily remove an outfield player if a goalkeeper goes down injured in an effort to prevent teams from using a loophole to create a tactical timeout.
• In case you missed it, here is a recap from thecup.us on how local side FC America CFL Spurs avenged a loss to Harbor City last weekend, winning 5-4 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw to qualify for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

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