Lion Links: 12/10/25

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. ‘Tis the season for company holiday gatherings, commercialism, and soccer. Of course, it’s always soccer season somewhere, which makes dealing with the rest just a little bit easier. For now, let’s get to the links.

MLS Off-Season Kicks Off

Major League Soccer’s “silly season” is upon us. MLS has released the End-of-Year Waivers list and the dates of when the 2025 MLS Re-Entry Draft will occur, including the list of eligible players and the list of eligible free agents. Obviously, we know that former Orlando City players like Pedro Gallese and Cesar Araujo are available for other teams. Looking through the lists does make one wonder who — if anyone — Orlando City might try to sign.

Orlando City Tickets on Sale

It’s never too early to start planning for next season and you can do exactly that as single match and “Hat Trick Packs” tickets are available for purchase now that the schedule is out. The Hat Trick Packs are for three different and specific sets of matches, not just any three you want. Of course, each of the packs does include at least one match against actual “rival” clubs. It might seem a long way off, but the season kicks off on Feb. 21, so it’s not actually too far out if you know what your schedule looks like.

USMNT Players Abroad

The World Cup draws ever closer and now that the USMNT knows (most of) its opponents for the group stage, it’s not too soon to look at how U.S. players are doing. There were several standout performances by Americans in Europe over the weekend, including Christian Pulisic’s brace. A couple of Americans made the grade Monday with Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun scoring goals in the Champions League.

You love to see it. There are more chances to watch Americans in Europe over the next couple of days, including a potential showing by former Orlando City striker Daryl Dike.

USWNT Schedule Update

The USWNT will finish the January camp with a friendly against Chile on Jan. 27. The match will take place at at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, CA. This is the second announced match for the camp, with the team also playing Paraguay on Jan. 24. This is the first time that the team will play in Santa Barbara, which is an example of how Emma Hayes is trying to take the national team to new markets around the country.

Free Kick

• Is the World Cup “group of death” dead? Even if it isn’t, there’s a bit of interesting history behind the concept.
• MLS announced the top 45 invitees for the 2025 MLS College Showcase taking place in Mesa, AZ. Orlando City’s Joran Gerbet was an invitee in 2024.
• LAFC exercised the permanent transfer option on midfielder Mathieu Choinière from Grasshopper Club Zürich of the Swiss Super League. 
• Breaking News! FIFA’s Gianni Infantino being investigated by the ethics committee. Also, grass is green.

• Congratulations to the Florida State University women’s soccer team for winning its fifth national championship Monday night with a 1-0 win over Stanford.

That will do it for today. Check back as we finish our Orlando Pride Season in Review pieces. Vamos Orlando!