Lion Links: 10/1/26

Welcome to October, Mane Landers! September had its fair share of bumps and bruises for Orlando’s soccer teams, so hopefully October goes a bit differently as playoff pushes are in full force. Before we jump into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Zakaria Taifi and Orlando Pride forward Solai Washington!

Ally Lemos Called Up for U.S. U-23 Camp

Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos was one of 24 players called up for the United States Women’s National Team training camp this month. The 22-year-old is no stranger to representing the U.S. at youth levels and she was on the U.S. roster that finished third in the 2024 U-20 Women’s World Cup. The team will play the Dominican Republic’s U-23 team on Oct. 9 and Oct. 13 to close out the camp.

Sights and Sounds From Orlando Pride Victory

The Orlando Pride unveiled a video showcasing the sights and sounds from their 3-1 road win against Bay FC. The video includes a look at the huddle talks by Marta and interim head coach Yolanda Thomas before and after the Pride’s victory. It’s also nice to relive the goals, including Jacquie Ovalle’s strike at the top of the box to seal the deal. While the Pride remain a longshot to make the playoffs this season, this was a nice result on the road as the team rallies to finish the year strongly.

USMNT Prepares for Mexico

Following wins against Peru and Chile, the United States Men’s National Team will be back in action on Saturday with a friendly against Mexico in Arizona. The Yanks have scored eight goals across the past two games and it will be interesting to see who starts up top between Orlando City forward Justin Ellis and New York Red Bulls striker Julian Hall. Mexico enters this match after 1-1 draws against both Colombia and Peru in its first matches under Head Coach Rafael Marquez. A storyline to watch for in the latest edition of this rivalry will be the potential showdown between 17-year-old rising stars Cavan Sullivan and Gilberto Mora.

Philadelphia Union Sign Mark McKenzie

American defender Mark McKenzie will return to the Philadelphia Union as a Designated Player, signing a contract that starts in January and lasts through the 2029-2030 season. During his previous time in Philadelphia, he helped the club win the Supporters’ Shield in 2020. He then left the Union in 2021 for Genk in Belgium and has spent the past two seasons with Toulouse in France. The 27-year-old center back was also part of the USMNT’s World Cup roster this summer.

Free Kicks

• United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes spoke on how she remains focused on player development while the team prepares for the World Cup next summer.
• Cavan Sullivan was named MLS Player of the Month after recording four goals and five assists in September. He’s the youngest player to earn the honor since Orlando City’s Daryl Dike did it back in 2020.
• Savannah DeMelo has re-signed with Racing Louisville on a contract through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028. This decision comes amid DeMelo suing the team’s outgoing medical partner for not diagnosing the heart condition that led to her suffering cardiac arrest during a match last year.
• Barcelona, Juventus, and Bayern Munich all enjoyed shutout wins in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Elsewhere, Arsenal drew 2-2 against Paris FC after a dramatic comeback by the French side, while OL Lyonnes and Chelsea battled to a scoreless draw in France.
• Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp after Head Coach Jorge Jesus stated he was not planning on starting him in today’s game.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!