Lion Links: 5/4/26

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering volleyball and soccer as the high school spring season is winding down. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Oihane, who turns 26 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Complete Historic Comeback Win at Inter Miami

Orlando City overturned a 3-0 deficit to defeat Inter Miami 4-3 on the road at Nu Stadium Saturday. After trailing 3-0 in the first half, Martin Ojeda pulled one back for the Lions to make it 3-1 at halftime. Ojeda scored two more goals after the break to complete his hat trick, leveling the match at 3-3. Tyrese Spicer added a late winner in stoppage time to help Orlando walk away with its first road win of the season. The Lions became the first visiting team to beat the Herons in their new home, and Miami remains winless there after four matches with a loss and three draws. Orlando City will be on the road again to take on CF Montreal Saturday at Stade Saputo.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride fell 4-2 to the Washington Spirit in a weather-delayed affair at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday. After an hour and a half delay for lightning strikes in the area, the match kicked off, and the Pride quickly fell behind 2-0 early in the game’s first six minutes. But Barbra Banda responded with two quick goals to tie the match before halftime. However, in the second half, Claudia Martinez and Trinity Rodman each added a goal for the Spirit to put the match away. The Pride will be back in action Friday with another home match when they host the North Carolina Courage.

OCB Falls in Penalty Shootout After 2-2 Draw vs. Crown Legacy

Orlando City B once again came from behind to draw 2-2 against Crown Legacy at Osceola Heritage Park on Sunday. The Young Lions were down 2-0 in the second half, but rallied with late goals from Issah Haruna and Harvey Sarajian to level the match. Crown Legacy won the penalty shootout 5-4 to earn a second point. OCB’s next match will be on the road Sunday, taking on Atlanta United 2 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA.

Americans Abroad

Former Lion Alex Freeman played a full 90 minutes for Villarreal in a 5-1 win against Levante. We had two Americans square off in the Premier League as Tyler Adams and AFC Bournemouth faced Chris Richards and Crystal Palace. Adams played 70 minutes while Richards came off the bench in the second half as Bournemouth defeated Crystal Palace 3-0. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia as his side sealed promotion back to Serie A after a 2-2 draw against Spezia in Serie B action. Sergino Dest made his return to PSV Eindhoven eight weeks after dealing with a knee injury and came off the bench in the second half while Ricardo Pepi scored in a 2-2 draw against Ajax. In the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals, Lindsay Heaps, Lily Yohannes, and Korbin Shrader were all in action for OL Lyonnes in a 4-3 aggregate win over Emily Fox and Arsenal, winning the second leg 3-1 Saturday to advance to the UEFA Women’s Champions League final against Barcelona.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau’s stellar performance, making four saves in a row against Inter Miami over the weekend, earned him the top play on SportsCenter.

• Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain and her fiancé announced their engagement Friday.

• Former Pride defender Carson Pickett, who now plays for Denver Summit FC, broke a milestone Sunday, surpassing 15,000 regular-season minutes played in the National Women’s Soccer League.

• LAFC Head Coach Marc Dos Santos criticized Major League Soccer for not helping the club succeed in the Concacaf Champions Cup by adjusting its regular-season schedule during the later stages of the competition.
• Edin Dzeko and FC Schalke 04 clinched promotion to the Bundesliga over the weekend with a 1-0 victory against Fortuna Dusseldorf.
• Sam Kerr scored a goal Sunday for Chelsea in a 3-1 win against Leicester City to surpass Fran Kirby as the club’s all-time top scorer in the Women’s Super League with 64 goals.
• Tottenham Hotspur has moved out of the relegation zone in the English Premier League, defeating Aston Villa 2-1 Sunday.
• Inter Milan sealed the Serie A title with three matches left after defeating Parma 2-0 Sunday.

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