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Lion Links: 1/19/23

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3 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? I don’t know about you, but I’m itching to get back to Exploria Stadium and can’t wait for the NWSL and MLS seasons to get started. I plan on attending a few more matches this year and am looking forward to the jersey reveals as mine are getting a bit old. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Caitlin Cosme! The Pride drafted Cosme in the 2022 NWSL Draft, but she didn’t play last season due to injury. Hopefully she bounces back in a strong way this year.

Jake Mulraney Transferred to Irish Club

Orlando City transferred winger Jake Mulraney to St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland’s top flight. The terms of the transfer were not disclosed. Mulraney joined the Lions in a trade with Atlanta in May of last year, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact in Orlando. With Gaston Gonzalez, Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Shak Mohammed all as options for Orlando on the wing, along with Facundo Torres locked in as a starter, it makes plenty of sense for Orlando to make this move. As for Mulraney, he now gets to be closer to his family in Ireland and he spoke about why he chose St. Patrick’s Athletic over other options. We wish him the best with his new club!

Darian Jenkins Hangs Up Her Cleats

Orlando Pride forward Darian Jenkins announced her retirement from professional soccer after six years in the NWSL. Drafted by the North Carolina Courage in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, Jenkins ends her career with 11 goals across 83 NWSL games. She joined the Pride via a trade with the Kansas City Current in January of last year and was still under contract through the 2023 season. Jenkins contributed four goals and a pair of assists across all competitions while in Orlando. The Pride aren’t lacking options up top, although Jenkins’ speed and versatility may be missed at times in 2023. The club also drafted forwards Messiah Bright and Kristen Scott earlier this month, so it will be interesting to see if either player can fill the void left by Jenkins should they sign with the Pride.

Getting to Know Luca Petrasso

As part of a new series for fans to learn more about what Orlando City players are like off the field, left back Luca Petrasso fielded some questions regarding his move from Toronto to Orlando this off-season and more. The 22-year-old is settling in and praised both the weather and Orlando City’s coaching staff as he gets ready for the 2023 season.

Luca Petrasso: Everything’s been good. I’m excited, obviously a different kind of adventure for me because I’ve been at home for a long time – I was at Toronto FC for 10 years, so, it’s a little bit new to me. But I’m enjoying it. Some good people, a great coaching staff, the weather is amazing – you can’t get much better than that, so I’m excited.

Petrasso has already been to Disney World in the time since his trade to Orlando and he’s exploring the various coffee shops in the city. Training seems to be going well for the left back, although he did bemoan the lack of an espresso machine at the training facility.

Roster Announced for USMNT Training Camp

With training camp taking place in California this month, 24 players were called up for the United States Men’s National Team. With European leagues continuing throughout this month, this camp presents a great opportunity for many Americans. This is the first call-up to a USMNT training camp for 11 players, including dual-national forwards Brandon Vazquez and Alejandro Zendejas. The goalkeepers are also a position group to keep an eye on. Chelsea’s Gabriel Slonina could make his USMNT debut later this month. FC Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano was also called up, with veteran goalkeeper Sean Johnson there as well. Paul Arriola, Walker Zimmerman, and Kellyn Acosta are a few of the other veteran MLS players called up. Anthony Hudson will lead the training camp and the U.S. will host Serbia and Colombia in friendlies on Jan. 25 and 28, respectively.

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  • FC Dallas signed midfielder Paxton Pomykal to a new contract through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027 as well. Pomykal, who was also called up to the USMNT camp, started in 30 games for Dallas last season and contributed five assists.
  • In a move that’s been reported throughout the month, Josef Martinez officially won’t return to Atlanta United for the 2023 season, having signed with Inter Miami on Wednesday.
  • In preseason action, the Vancouver Whitecaps fell 2-0 to Hamburger SV. Vancouver goalkeeper Thomas Hasal came up with a few good saves, but Hamburg’s Robert Glatzel scored a brace.
  • American center back Chris Richards started in his first Premier League game. The 22-year-old played every minute as Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Manchester United.
  • Justin Che, a 19-year-old defender from Texas, was promoted to Hoffenheim’s first team. Hoffenheim’s next match will be this Saturday against Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin.
  • Leeds United won its first competitive match since Nov. 5, beating Cardiff City 5-2 in the FA Cup’s third round. The offense was firing on all cylinders for Leeds and Jesse Marsch will need that to continue when his side hosts Brentford on Sunday.
  • Atletico Madrid, Valencia, and Sevilla all advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey. Today’s action features Villarreal hosting Real Madrid and FC Barcelona traveling to play against AD Ceuta. The draw for the quarterfinal will take place tomorrow.
  • Inter dominated AC Milan 3-0 to lift the Supercoppa Italiana for the second-straight year.

That’s all I have for you today. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as this Floridian winter rolls on. Have a great Thursday and rest of your week.

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Lion Links: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

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7 minutes ago

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May 20, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

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That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/19/26

Lions set for international duty, lessons from MLS matchday 14, Austin FC makes changes at the top, and more.

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1 day ago

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May 19, 2026

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Image of Marco Pasalic saluting the fans.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! It wasn’t a particularly successful weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but we don’t have time to dwell on the past. Orlando City is set for a big U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against Atlanta United tonight, and all three teams will be back in action over the weekend. We’ve got a whole host of things to talk about today, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Lions Called Up for International Duty

A busy summer break from MLS is almost upon us, and that means that the international call-ups are starting to roll in. Gustavo Caraballo will be joining Venezuela’s U-20 outfit as it gets ready for an upcoming youth tournament.

In addition, Marco Pasalic has been named to Croatia’s World Cup squad, so Orlando City will be represented on the biggest stage.

Congrats to both players!

Lessons from Matchday 14

Matchday 14 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so let’s take a look at what we learned from the weekend’s action. For one thing, despite a slightly slow start to the season by his high standards, Hany Mukhtar’s hat trick against LAFC proved that he should still be considered among the league’s elite. Marco Reus flashed his versatility in the LA Galaxy’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, as he played striker and got an assist on LA’s first goal. Finally, while its too early to say things are definitely turned around for Sporting Kansas City, back-to-back wins means that there’s at least something to get excited about, and that’s very welcome in a season that’s been difficult for the most part. The spine of Sporting’s midfield looked improved on Saturday, and having Dejan Jovelic up top is never going to hurt a team’s chances.

Austin FC Makes Personnel Changes

Austin FC followed in the footsteps of the Columbus Crew by announcing the firing of head coach Nico Estevez on Monday. Where Austin went a step further was by also firing sporting director Rodolfo Borrell. The team has begun searches for permanent appointments to both positions immediately, while naming Davy Arnaud as interim manager in what will be his second stint in that role with the club. Austin has endured a difficult start to the season and is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 3-6-5 and 14 points from 14 matches. The 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday seems to have been the final straw, and Austin will now be seeking its third permanent head coach since becoming an MLS club.

Americans in Midweek Action

Most major European seasons have already wrapped up or will be doing so shortly, but there’s still a number of Americans who will be competing during the working week. Things get started later today when Tyler Adams and Bournemouth play host to Manchester City in Premier League action. The stakes ratchet up considerably on Thursday when Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg play Paderborn in the first leg of the Bundesliga’s promotion/relegation tie. Things then finish up on Friday when Yunus Musah and Atalanta travel to take on Fiorentina in Serie A.

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

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Lion Links: 5/18/26

Lions draw Atlanta United, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey playing against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering high school playoff water polo and soccer. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Atlanta United

Orlando City drew Atlanta United 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Griffin Dorsey scored the opener for the Lions in the first half. Orlando was moments away from securing back-to-back wins. However, the Lions could not hold onto the lead, as Jay Fortune scored a late equalizer for Atlanta, and both teams ended up with a point. It will be a busy week for Orlando City, facing Atlanta United again Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup at home, followed by a road trip to take on FC Cincinnati Saturday at TQL Stadium.

Pride Fall to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride fell 3-1 in their first road match against Denver Summit FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. It’s the second consecutive match in a week the Pride have lost to a 2026 NWSL expansion team on the road, following a defeat to Boston Legacy FC on Tuesday. Orlando conceded the first goal and trailed 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, Janine Sonis scored a penalty kick goal to give Denver a 2-0 lead. Angelina was sent off with a red card before Barbra Banda pulled one back, but Sonis added her second goal immediately after the Pride scored to put away Denver’s first-ever home win. The Pride will look to bounce back on the road, taking on the San Diego Wave Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

OCB Concedes Late in 1-0 Road Loss to New England Revolution II

Orlando City B fell 1-0 to New England Revolution II on the road Sunday at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to score throughout the match, and it looked like the match was heading to a 0-0 draw and a shootout. However, Judah Siqueira scored a winner for New England in the dying moments of the match for the hosts. The result ends the Young Lions’ four-match points streak. OCB will return home to face Inter Miami II Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Americans Abroad

Auston Trusty played a full 90 minutes and helped Celtic overturn a 1-0 deficit to complete the comeback and defeat Hearts 3-1 to secure the club’s fifth straight Scottish Premiership title. Antonee Robinson scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chris Richards came off the bench and played 29 minutes for Crystal Palace in a 2-2 draw against Brentford but suffered an ankle injury toward the end of the match. Christian Pulisic made his return to AC Milan after being sidelined with a lower back injury and came off the bench in the second half in a 2-1 win against Genoa. Ricardo Pepi scored for PSV Eindhoven in a 5-1 win against FC Twente. George Bello and Sam Adeniran helped LASK capture its first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965, defeating Austria Vienna 3-0 and booking a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League playoff round.

Manchester City Defeats Chelsea to Win FA Cup

Manchester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium Saturday to win the English FA Cup. After a scoreless first half, Antoine Semenyo’s lone goal in the second half was enough to pull Manchester City to victory and keep the club’s domestic treble hopes alive. It’s Manchester City’s second FA Cup trophy in four years.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City midfielder Gustavo Caraballo has been called up to the Venezuela U-20 Men’s National Team for the upcoming Maurice Revello Tournament in France.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner gave birth to her first child over the weekend.

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

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