Lion Links: 11/2/26

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I had a busy week at work, but spent Halloween weekend catching up with friends in Orlando at Walt Disney World. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira (at least according to past social media posts by the club), who completed another lap around the sun on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Shut Out at Charlotte FC, Clinch Playoff Spot

Orlando City fell 4-0 to Charlotte FC on the road on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium. Henry Kessler scored Charlotte’s opening goal six minutes into the match. In the second half, Allan Saint-Maximin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Rodolfo Aloko all scored to seal back-to-back wins. Orlando City failed to capitalize on its chances up front, and its back line struggled to slow Charlotte’s attack throughout the match. That result dropped Orlando to ninth in the Eastern Conference table with 43 points, however, with Sunday’s losses by the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, Orlando City has clinched a playoff spot for the seventh straight year — the longest streak in MLS.

The Lions will return to action on Saturday for their regular-season finale at home against the New England Revolution.

Pride Fall at Seattle Reign on Decision Day

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to Seattle Reign FC in the season finale on Sunday at Lumen Field. After a scoreless first half, Jordyn Bugg scored the lone goal in the match for Seattle to win and clinch the final playoff spot. Orlando struggled on offense and finished the game with zero shots on goal. The Pride end their 2026 season with two consecutive losses, finishing 11th in the NWSL table with 36 points.

NWSL Decision Day Recap

In other NWSL results, one playoff spot remained up for grabs entering Decision Day on Sunday, but the Seattle Reign locked up the eighth and final playoff spot with their win over Orlando. That result eliminated both the North Carolina Courage and the Denver Summit from playoff contention despite the Courage beating Denver 1-0. The Washington Spirit defeated the Chicago Stars 2-0, the Kansas City Current beat Racing Louisville 2-0, and the Portland Thorns shut out the Houston Dash 2-0. Angel City cruised to a 4-1 win against Boston Legacy, the San Diego Wave shut out Bay FC 1-0, and Gotham FC beat the Utah Royals 2-0 to clinch the 2026 NWSL Shield. The 2026 NWSL playoff matches are set with Gotham FC facing the Seattle Reign. The San Diego Wave will host the Utah Royals, the Washington Spirit will take on the Portland Thorns, and the Kansas City Current will battle Angel City.

Americans Abroad

Christian Pulisic scored the opener for AC Milan in a 3-1 victory against Inter Milan over the weekend, ending their rivals nine-match unbeaten run in Serie A. Two Americans faced off in the English Premier League as Tyler Adams and AFC Bournemouth took on Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United. Adams played a full 90 minutes while Aaronson came off the bench late in the second half as AFC Bournemouth defeated Leeds United 2-0. In Ligue 1, Folarin Balogun scored for AS Monaco but his side fell 3-1 to Paris FC. In the EFL Championship, Sebastian Berhalter scored his third goal of the season and added an assist for Middlesbrough in a 3-0 win against Charlton Athletic. Jack McGlynn scored his third goal of the season for Stoke City in a 2-0 win over Preston North End.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, scored a penalty kick, but his side lost 5-4 on penalties to the Charleston Battery after a 1-1 draw in the USL Championship playoff quarterfinals on Saturday.

• The NWSL announced on Friday its roster-building mechanisms for its next expansion teams, Atlanta City FC and Columbus, as both clubs prepare to build their inaugural rosters and begin league play in 2028.
• The MLS NEXT Pro Cup final is set as LAFC 2 defeated Ventura County FC 1-0 on Friday and will face Chattanooga FC, which edged Columbus Crew 2 3-2 on Sunday.
• On Sunday, in the third round of qualifying for the 2027 U.S. Open Cup, two Florida teams clashed as UPSL side Harbor City FC, based in Melbourne, defeated USL League 2 side Shark Coast FC 1-0 to advance to the final round of qualifying later this month.

• Kai Havertz’s first-half goal lifted Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Liverpool and to the top of the English Premier League table.

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