Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. September has some really fun oddball “holidays.” Sept. 19 was International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and yesterday was Hobbit Day, because canonically it is both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins’ birthdays. I’m going to stop there because otherwise this will be a Tolkien-based article. I am kind of upset I didn’t write Lion Links for the 19th and thus missed out on all the great pirate jokes. Arrrghh! (Okay, just the one).

Before we get to our stories of the day, let’s wish Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena a happy 32nd birthday. Today is also a special day for us here at The Mane Land, as it is the completion of our 12th year of existence. Our blog started 12 years ago today in 2014 as a free WordPress site before moving to SBNation for a long time and then finally coming full circle and going independent.

Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Prepares for Philly

You have to love MLS continuing to play matches when so many players are being called up to national teams, including several players in the upcoming match between Orlando City and the Philadelphia Union. Justin Ellis and Cavan Sullivan will both miss the match, though both will be in Orlando (see below). The Union have jumped to the No. 5 spot in the MLSsoccer.com power rankings while the Lions are sitting down in the 14th spot. You can expect to see some backups starting in this match for both clubs.

Orlando Pride Tumble After Portland Loss

The Orlando Pride might be sitting at 11th in the NWSL standings, but the club is ranked 12th in both the ESPN power rankings and the All for XI power rankings. It’s not surprising given the Pride gave Yolanda Thomas her first defeat as interim head coach in the embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Portland Thorns.

USMNT Visits Orlando on Saturday

We’re all aware that the USMNT will play in Inter.co Stadium this weekend before heading to four additional venues across the country. The first match in Orlando pits the USMNT against Peru. There will be plenty of current and former Orlando City players in the match. Current Lion Justin Ellis and former OCSC defender Alex Freeman will represent the U.S., with Orlando midfielder (and today’s birthday boy) Wilder Cartagena and former Lions Pedro Gallese and Yoshimar Yotun on Peru’s roster. It should be a fun one if you can afford the ticket.

USWNT’s Pipeline Tapped?

The USWNT has consistently been among the best teams in the world for a very long time. One of the reasons for this has been the program’s ability to reload with younger players. Now, there’s concern that the pipeline is running dry. It may be that the entire youth development system needs to be fixed. The NWSL has implemented a new player development rule that may help both the national team and the league.

Free Kicks

• U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Head Coach Gonzalo Segares has called up 20 players for the training camp in Spain to prepare for the 2027 FIFA World Cup in Azerbaijan/Uzbekistan. One of those players is Orlando City midfielder/defender Colin Guske, who is currently on loan with Real Salt Lake.

• Matt Miazga has officially signed with New York City FC through the end of this season after reports first surfaced days ago. I know another team that could use a quality center back. Too bad Miazga is no longer available.

• The Mexican Senate is debating if and when to bring back promotion and relegation to Mexican soccer, which went away during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Good news, everyone! No Orlando City players were fined by the MLS Disciplinary Committee. However, Orlando City’s next opponent, the Philadelphia Union, got dinged for violating the league’s Mass Confrontation Policy along with Sporting Kansas City.

That will do it for today. Check back with us as we prepare you for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

Good morning, everyone. It was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad weekend for Orlando’s three soccer teams, as they all lost and did so by an aggregate score of 12-5. Fortunately, we’ve got lots to talk about this morning, so let’s not dwell any further on the horror show that was the weekend slate, and instead dive into today’s links.

Cosette Morche up for Weekly Honors

Despite the Orlando Pride falling at home against the Portland Thorns, a bright spot has emerged from the game in the form of Cosette Morche being nominated for the NWSL Save of the Week. She made a fantastic triple save in the 17th minute to frustrate both Sophia Wilson and Pietra Tordin and keep the score at 1-0. Unfortunately, the Pride went on to lose 4-1, but Morche continued a trend of strong performances in net since taking over for the loaned-out Anna Moorhouse. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Lessons from Matchday 27

Matchday 27 is in the books for Major League Soccer, and there are plenty of things to be learned from the weekend’s action. A number of young players called up by the United States Men’s National Team turned in impressive performances, as Cavan Sullivan had a goal and an assist, Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre helped Sullivan and the Union overturn a 4-3 deficit against Sporting Kansas City, and Julian Hall scored the winner in the Hudson River Derby. Elsewhere, Nashville clinched a playoff spot and did so in style by knocking off a good Chicago Fire team 3-0. Finally, St Louis City beat Toronto FC 3-1 and now has a mind-boggling 16-game unbeaten streak in the league that grows to 18 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Women’s Champions League Key Players

The UEFA Women’s Champions League kicks off today, so this is an excellent time to familiarize yourself with some of the most important players in the competition. Some of them may be familiar to you already, like Real Madrid’s Colombian attacker Linda Caicedo or Chelsea midfielder Lauren James. Midfielder Patri Guijarro will be an important piece for Barcelona following the summer departures of Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo, while Annamaria Serturini, Remina Chiba, and Redondo are in a similar situation for Juventus. Finally, there are players on less heralded teams, like Uka Modesta for Austria Wien and Lowiese Seynhaeve for OH Leuven.

Granit Xhaka Dropped by Switzerland

We finish our main story section today with an odd one, as Granit Xhaka has been left out of the latest Switzerland squad after he admitted to using a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Amid an investigation into a Swiss doctor who was allegedly producing false certificates for unvaccinated individuals, Xhaka has admitted to using falsified paperwork. Not only has he been left out of the Swiss squad, but he could also face legal repercussions, and the player confirmed that he is currently in the process of speaking to the authorities. Xhaka is Switzerland’s all-time leader in appearances, and has been a key member of the team for a number of years.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City somehow rose two spots to no.10 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• The Orlando Pride held fast at no. 12 in the same outlet’s NWSL power rankings.
• For better or worse, Orlando City will be back in the red kits for Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union.

• Alexis Mac Allister says no decision has been made yet on his Liverpool future, but he has plenty of time and plenty of options to consider.
• Italy coach Roberto Mancini says he is hoping to win back fans who were upset with him for leaving the national team three years ago.

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

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Cori Dyke, who turned 26 on Sunday, and a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Bernardo Rhein, who turns 19 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Concede Two Late Goals in Loss at New England

Orlando City fell 4-2 to the New England Revolution on the road on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, conceding twice in stoppage time to drop a point. After trailing 2-0, the Lions came back with second-half goals from Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda, with the latter from the penalty spot just before the 90 minutes were up. However, in stoppage time, the Lions imploded, with Peyton Miller and Carles Gil closing out the night with two goals each for the Revolution. The loss snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten streak in league play, and the Lions left Foxborough with no points instead of at least one. Orlando City will be back on the road for its next match on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.

Lions Unveil Vinicius Nogueira

Orlando City unveiled left back Vinicius Nogueira on Friday with a photo shoot at Inter.co Stadium.

The Lions signed Nogueira on Aug. 27 on loan from Bulgarian First League side PFC Ludogorets through the end of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, with an option to make the move permanent. The 24-year-old Brazilian was on the bench during Orlando City’s match against the New England Revolution on Saturday but did not play.

Pride Fall at home to Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride lost 4-1 to the Portland Thorns on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, and while the team is still mathematically alive for the postseason, the home defeat made things even more of a longshot than they were. The Pride started slowly and were down 2-0 before Ally Lemos pulled one back in the first half. Orlando missed several scoring chances, and in the second half, Portland scored two goals to put the match away. Orlando will travel to the West Coast to take on Bay FC on Sunday.

OCB Falls to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day

Orlando City B lost 4-2 to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day Sunday at Osceola County Stadium, falling all the way to 10th and out of the playoff places. Atlanta struck first early before Issah Haruna tied it up for the Young Lions. However, Atlanta got an own goal when Tristan Himes punched a set piece deliver in off Harvey Sarajian to retake the lead, and Ignacio Saurez-Couri added another to make it 3-1. Justin Hylton scored for OCB to cut the deficit to one before halftime. In the second half, Dominik Chong-Qui scored the final goal to secure Atlanta’s win. For the Young Lions, the season ends in disappointment again, missing the MLS NEXT Pro postseason for the second straight season.

Free Kicks

• Just two days after Gabi Nunes and the Orlando Pride mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nunes signed with Liga F side Atletico de Madrid Femenino on Friday.

• New York City FC is reportedly signing defender Matt Miazga after he was waived by FC Cincinnati earlier this month.

• German-American and FC Augsburg defender Noahkai Banks announced Friday that he has committed to playing for the German Men’s National Team over the USMNT. Banks had previously played for the U.S. at the youth level.
• Folarin Balogun made his first appearance of the season in Ligue 1 for AS Monaco in a 2-1 win against RC Lens after his move to Everton fell through in the final hours of the transfer window earlier this month.
• Christian Pulisic started and scored for AC Milan in a 3-0 win against Lecce, extending the team’s Serie A unbeaten streak to five matches.

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