Lion Links: 3/17/26

Good morning everyone, and happy St. Patrick’s Day! If you have the ability and inclination to celebrate, I hope you have a great time doing so, but stay safe. Orlando’s soccer teams had reason to celebrate over the weekend, as Orlando City and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while the Orlando Pride narrowly lost to the Seattle Reign in an extremely weather-delayed affair. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s dive into the links.

Martin Ojeda up for Goal of the Matchday

Not only did Martin Ojeda score the winning goal in Orlando City’s 2-1 win over CF Montreal on Saturday, but that strike has also been nominated for the MLS Goal of the Matchday. While the actual shot from Ojeda was precise and well-executed, this goal was all about the buildup. Ivan Angulo spun his man at midfield and drove at the defense, eventually latching onto a loose ball outside the box, playing a give-and-go with Marco Pasalic, and finally cutting the ball back to the top of the area for Ojeda to fire home. Keep up the good work fellas!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be in action during the working week, and continental competition is once again heavily featured. Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen get things started today when they take on Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid will travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in the same competition on Wednesday, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will hit the road to face AEK Larnaca on Thursday in the Conference League. The week finishes up with Tyler Adams’ Bournemouth side facing Manchester United in the Premier League, while former Lion Alex Freeman and Villarreal have a date with Real Sociedad in La Liga.

MLS Suspends Ernst Tanner

Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner has been suspended without pay by Major League Soccer until June 1. The decision comes after Tanner was determined to have violated league policies on sexist and homophobic language in the workplace, in addition to making racist comments about players, coaches, and officials. The league had conducted an earlier investigation into the allegations, which were brought in a complaint by the MLS Players’ Association but had closed it after being unable to verify them. Following a report by The Guardian in mid-November 2025, the league placed Tanner on administrative leave while it reopened the investigation. Tanner must go through a “league-approved restorative practices program” before he is able to resume his position.

Chelsea Receives Sanctions

Chelsea has been sanctioned by the Premier League after admitting to making secret payments to unregistered agents and other parties over a period spanning from 2011 to 2018. The Blues have been fined £10 million, and given a one-year transfer ban that has been suspended for two years — which means that no ban will go into effect as long as further breaches do not occur during that two-year period. Additionally, the team has been given an immediate nine-month academy transfer ban and fined £750,000 due to issues with the registration of academy players between 2019 and 2022. £10 million is the largest fine ever handed down by the Premier League, and the organization noted that it would have been double if not for Chelsea self-reporting the infractions and displaying a high level of cooperation during the investigation process.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City rose five spots to no. 23 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• MLS has released the schedule and important dates for this year’s playoffs, which will run uninterrupted from Nov. 18 to Dec. 18.
• U.S. Soccer has officially released the home and away jerseys that the United States Men’s National Team will wear during this summer’s World Cup.
• Catarina Macario has reportedly signed with the San Diego Wave for a total contract value that is believed to be the highest in women’s soccer history.
• Neymar has been left out of Brazil’s squad for the March international window, while Endrick is in the team for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti took the reins of the side in June of 2025.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!