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Lion Links: 3/11/22

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4 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a week filled with good soccer and that should continue this weekend with more MLS action. I’ve been busy throughout most of the week, so I’m looking forward to having a drink and watching the games unfold. But for now, let’s enjoy these links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Aims for Another Clean Sheet

The Lions have yet to concede a goal this season and will look to keep that trend going tomorrow night when they welcome FC Cincinnati to Exploria Stadium. Orlando has never recorded three clean sheets in a row, but that may change tomorrow against a Cincinnati team that hasn’t scored this year. Tomorrow’s match will be goalkeeper Pedro Gallese’s 50th appearance across all competitions for Orlando, and another clean sheet will give him sole possession of the club regular-season record. Center back Robin Jansson will also be available for the Lions after missing last week’s road trip to Chicago due to a suspension.

Orlando City Academy Sides Fall and Then Win

Orlando’s U-17 and U-15 squads both fell in close contests to Weston FC last weekend as the U-15 team lost 1-0 while the U-17 team was defeated 2-1. The academy sides shook off their losses as they took on South Florida FC in the second round of matches. Goals from Malik Akin and Antonio Campbell helped the U-15 team win 2-1, while the U-17 team won 4-1 with goals from Johan Chirinos, Ryan Heron, Majed Abdullah, and Favian Loyola. The Young Lions will continue their MLS NEXT seasons throughout the spring and Orlando City B starts its MLS NEXT Pro season on March 26 at Osceola Heritage Park.

U.S. U-20 Women Clinch Spot in 2022 World Cup

The United States Women’s U-20 team won 7-0 against Puerto Rico in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship semifinals. Forward Simone Jackson came on in the second half and scored a hat trick while Michelle Cooper contributed two goals and an assist. The U.S. has scored 47 goals in its six matches this tournament without conceding once.

With the win, the U.S. claimed its spot in the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup that will be held in Costa Rica this August. Mexico also booked its ticket to the World Cup after winning 1-0 against Canada in the other semifinal. Tomorrow, the U.S. and Mexico will square off in the final and Puerto Rico and Canada will compete for third place with World Cup qualification still on the line.

Impact of Sanctions on Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was one of seven wealthy Russians who were handed sanctions by the British government and had their assets frozen. As a result, Chelsea is prohibited from signing new players or selling new tickets or merchandise. The club is also limited to a spending maximum of $657,000 for each match at Stamford Bridge and there’s also a limit on travel expenses. The news comes as Abramovich was trying to sell the club and club sponsor Three suspended its sponsorship and its logo will be removed from the club’s kits. On the pitch, Chelsea won 3-1 against Norwich City, with Christian Pulisic absent from the team due to illness.

Europa League Action Continues

There were plenty of goals in the first legs of the Europa League’s Round of 16, but none between FC Barcelona and Galatasaray, as they battled to a scoreless draw in Spain in the first leg of their Europa League series. The result extends Barcelona’s undefeated streak to nine games across all competitions, but Galatasaray will just need to win at home in the second leg to advance. Elsewhere, Moroccan forward Munir El Haddadi scored the only goal in Sevilla’s 1-0 victory over West Ham while Atalanta won 3-2 in a back-and-forth match with Bayer Leverkusen. A pair of early goals helped Rangers FC cruise to a 3-0 win against Red Star Belgrade and SC Braga won 2-0 at home against AS Monaco.

In the Europa Conference league, midfielder Sergio Oliveira scored a goal and received two yellow cards in AS Roma’s 1-0 win over Vitesse in the Netherlands. Leicester City hosted Stade Rennes and won 2-0, Arkadiusz Milik had a brace in Marseille’s 2-1 victory over Basel, and Feyenoord scored four goals in the second half to beat Partizan 5-2. But the most exciting game of the day was in Eindhoven as PSV equalized three separate times in a 4-4 draw with FC Copenhagen. PSV winger Cody Gakpo scored the first two equalizers and assisted on the third.

Free Kicks

  • After having a deconstructed cake poured onto him by Junior Urso earlier this week for his birthday, Antonio Carlos returned the favor.

That’s going to be it from me today, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 22, 2026

By

Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

Free Kicks

  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

Free Kicks

  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/26

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

Published

5 days ago

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May 20, 2026

By

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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