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Lion Links: 3/21/22

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3 years ago

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers. For those of you who noticed I’ve been missing, I’m back from a family vacation in Washington D.C. It’s been years since I’ve been up there, and it was well worth the visit. I highly recommend it if you haven’t been. The history, and frankly the scale of the monuments is impressive. The Smithsonian’s various museums are worth the trip alone.

I did get the heartbreak of the loss to FC Cincinnati the night before I left, and the joy of the victory against the LA Galaxy the weekend after returning. I must admit that I saw both of those matches going differently, but I’ll take the three points on the road. Let’s get to the links.

Torres Gets Confidence Boost

Facundo Torres scored his first MLS goal in Orlando City’s fourth match of the season against the LA Galaxy. It could not have come at a better time for his club, as the goal gave the Lions an important three points on the road. It also came at a good time for the Young Designated Player, as he will soon join Uruguay for a World Cup qualifier this Thursday against Pedro Gallese and Peru. Here’s hoping that confidence carries him through the qualifiers and back to Orlando in goal scoring form.

Sunday’s MLS Results

The Sunday matches didn’t hold quite as much excitement as the matches on Saturday in MLS. The New York Red Bulls played the Columbus Crew to a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls struck first, albeit late when the ball bounced off of Tom Barlow and into the back of the net in the 84th minute. It was the kind of lucky goal usually scored by Gyasi Zardes, which is funny given Zardes was on the field for the Crew and couldn’t get a goal himself. However, Darlington Nagbe was able to finish a chance in stoppage time to salvage a point for Columbus.

Austin FC ended up with a 1-1 result against the Seattle Sounders at Q2 Stadium in Texas. The Sounders took the lead at the end of the first half when Cristian Roldan made a run up the right side and put in a nice cross for Will Bruin to finish in traffic. Diego Fagundez leveled for Austin in the 70th minute, settling the ball and bouncing it into the left side of the goal.

The Vancouver Whitecaps went on the road and took an early lead against LAFC after a goal from Tristan Blackmon. But a brace from Ryan Hollingshead and a goal from Carlos Vela helped LAFC win 3-1 and stay unbeaten this season

Brenden Aaronson’s Availability in Doubt

Brenden Aaronson may not be able to play for the USMNT in the upcoming qualifiers this week due to an injury sustained prior to RB Salzburg’s match against Wolfsberg in the Austrian Bundesliga. However, it was also reported that Aaronson is still expected to report to camp.

The extent of the injury isn’t known as of now, and it could be that Gregg Berhalter wants the USMNT’s doctors to evaluate Aaronson for themselves. If Aaronson is not able to play, it would be a blow to the U.S. in the upcoming qualifiers.

FA Cup Semifinals are Set

As interesting as the FA Cup has been so far, the upcoming semifinals may take the cake. Manchester City defeated Southampton by a score of 4-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton. Meanwhile, Liverpool saw out a 1-0 win over a persistent Nottingham Forest squad at City Ground in West Bridgford. Manchester City and Liverpool are neck and neck in the English Premier League title race, with Liverpool just a point behind City in the standings. Now, the two clubs will add an FA Cup semifinal match against each other to the schedule. City is trying for a treble (EPL, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup), while Liverpool aims for a quadruple, having already won the Carabao Cup.

Crystal Palace romped over a struggling Everton 4-0 to advance to a semifinal against Christian Pulisic’s Chelsea. Marc Guéhi opened the scoring for Palace in the 25th minute, and Jean-Philippe Mateta added another before halftime. Palace sealed the win with second-half goals from Wilfried Zaha and Will Hughes.

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  • Atlanta United is reportedly set to add Chivas Guadalajara forward Ronaldo Cisneros on loan. This move would give Atlanta another attacking piece in addition to Josef Martinez and Dom Dwyer.
  • Dax McCarty has apologized after receiving a red card for stomping on Bode Davis in the dying seconds of Real Salt Lake’s 2-1 victory over Nashville SC.
  • CF Montréal’s Ismael Koné was called up to the Canadian Men’s National Team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
  • FC Barcelona had a dominant 4-0 victory against Real Madrid, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring a brace in his first El Clasico.
  • Finally, if you didn’t catch this live, make sure you have your headphones on as the color commentary on one of Gallese’s saves might not be considered safe for work.

That will do it for today. Check back as we prepare for Orlando City’s upcoming match against the Portland Timbers this Sunday and the Orlando Pride’s NWSL Challenge Cup match against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/30/25

Orlando City players called up, Orlando Pride sign Simone Jackson, USWNT gets ready to play China, and more.

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2 days ago

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May 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a brutal week, but we’ve made it through. Our reward is an exciting weekend of soccer to enjoy to close out the month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but it should still be a nice next few days. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Lions Called Up For International Duty

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was predictably called up for Peru’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Peru is ninth in the standings and will take on Colombia June 6 before hosting Ecuador on June 10.

Defender David Brekalo was called up by Slovenian for a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matches will help prepare Slovenia for World Cup qualifying this fall against Sweden, Switzerland, and Kosovo.

A few Young Lions are also heading to Europe for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. The U.S. will represent Concacaf at the U-18 tournament, and OCB players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were called up for it.

Orlando Pride Sign Simone Jackson

The Orlando Pride signed forward Simone Jackson to a contract through the 2028 season. Jackson played at the University of Southern California for four years, recording 22 goals and 13 assists in 75 games, and trained with the Pride during the preseason. Internationally, she’s represented the U.S. at various youth levels and scored a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 22-year-old gives Orlando some helpful depth up front and can develop her game learning from some of the best attackers in the sport as well.

USWNT Prepares For Friendly Against China

The United States Women’s National Team will take on China Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in the first of two friendlies during this international window. Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to join a young roster as the team builds a foundation before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Goalkeeper will continue to be a position to watch, as opportunity knocks for Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Mandy McGlynn, and Claudia Dickey to stake a claim as the team’s starter. Following this match, the USWNT will take on Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday before a pair of friendlies against Ireland later in June.

Denver’s NWSL Team Hires First General Manager

Denver’s NWSL team hired Curt Johnson to serve as the club’s first general manager. He will have the opportunity to build the team’s roster and staff from the ground up before the team takes the field as an expansion side in 2026. Johnson left the North Carolina Courage in December and was the chief soccer officer when the club dominated the league in 2018 and 2019. It looks like a solid hire in my opinion and I’m interested to see what kind of team he puts together in Denver.

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That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/29/25

Orlando City loses rivalry game, MLS All-Star voting opens, Antonee Robinson undergoes knee surgery, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 29, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, Mane Landers. The bad news is that Orlando City lost last night. There’s not much good news, unless you count how I probably lost some weight pacing around my apartment for a few hours annoyed at how the game went. But today is a new day, and with it comes the fact that there’s no soccer to fret over. Before we dive in, please join us in wishing Orlando Pride Head Coach and former Lion Seb Hines a happy birthday! OK, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Falls in Atlanta

The Lions went on the road and lost 3-2 to Atlanta United in a frustrating result that snapped the team’s 12-game unbeaten streak in league play. A solid first half by the Lions was spoiled by a red card to Cesar Araujo late in the second, with Atlanta scoring twice while the Lions were a man down. Head Coach Oscar Pareja was sent off as well, and Orlando was deprived of a great chance to move up in the standings. Orlando will have to shake this off or use it as motivation as it gets set to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday. A much-needed break in the schedule is awaiting the Lions after that match following a busy May.

MLS All-Star Voting Begins

The voting for who will play in this year’s MLS All-Star Game is underway, and a few Lions may have a shot at being selected. Right back Alex Freeman’s case to be an All-Star is backed by statistics, as he’s done well creating chances for others and has three goals himself during his breakout season. Former MLS player Dax McCarty has Freeman on his list of players who deserve selection this year, along with midfielder Martin Ojeda. The 26-year-old Argentine’s eight goals so far are already twice as many goals as he had last season and he’s right up there with some of the league’s best playmakers. McCarty also gave honorable mentions to goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and winger Marco Pasalic. Voting will last through June 11 and the All-Star Game is set to take place on July 23 against Liga MX’s All-Stars in Austin.

Antonee Robinson Undergoes Surgery

Fulham announced that American left back Antonee Robinson underwent successful knee surgery and is expected to be ready for the English club’s next season. The 27-year-old started in 35 of Fulham’s 38 games this past season and did not take part in the Concacaf Nations League. He’ll miss out on this summer’s Gold Cup, but hopefully he has a smooth recovery and benefits from some time off the field before things start up again in Europe.

Chelsea Wins Europa Conference League

Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1 to win the Europa Conference League, becoming the first club to win all five of UEFA’s men’s club competitions. Real Betis scored first, but Chelsea mounted a comeback and scored four goals in the second half to win. Cole Palmer had a pair of assists to spark the turnaround and Enzo Fernandez had a goal and an assist. It’s a brutal end to Real Betis’ tournament as its wait for its first major trophy continues. The Spanish club is at least bound for the Europa League regardless after placing sixth in the La Liga standings.

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  • Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady was called up by the USMNT to replace Patrick Schulte, who is dealing with an oblique injury. Brady joins a crowded goalkeeping unit that includes Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, and Matt Freese.
  • Welcome to Wrexham was renewed for a fifth season, and only time will tell if another happy ending is in store for the Welsh club when it plays in the EFL Championship.

That’s all I have for you today. This month of ups and downs as an Orlando soccer fan is almost over and there’s some international soccer to obsess over on the horizon. Have a wonderful Thursday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/28/25

Orlando City set to face Atlanta, Banda and Sams recognized, USMNT news, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 28, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day against the rivals from Georgia. Lions against…a common clothing pattern? Needless to say, I’m always ready for a rivalry match, and tonight is no exception. Orlando City is in a good run of form, hopefully that holds true in Atlanta. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads North

Orlando City takes on rival Atlanta United tonight in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a place where a lot of people can watch soccer played on turf, making it a sub-standard venue. Just in case you are wondering, here is what the opposition feels Atlanta needs to do to win at home. The Lions climbed up to third in MLSsoccer.com’s Power Rankings following the win over the Portland Timbers. We will have your match preview later today, and you can follow The Mane Land Bluesky account for match updates.

Banda and Sams Recognized

A first-half hat trick from Barbra Banda was enough to earn her a spot on the NWSL Team of the Week at CBS.com. Emily Sams also made the Best XI. In fact, there is still time to vote for Banda for NWSL Player of the Week for the aforementioned hat trick performance. You know what to do.

Orlando Pride Power

The Orlando Pride victory over the Utah Royals wasn’t a marquee matchup, but it still garnered plenty of attention. As such, the Pride held onto the third spot in the All for XI Power Rankings. The club was also third in the Goal.com Power Rankings heading into the international break. You know what I think about power rankings, but I’ll accept recognition for my club when it is presented.

Freeman and the USMNT

It didn’t take long after Orlando City defender Alex Freeman received an undervalued offer from Serie A club Parma for the rumors to start up. Freeman’s services are reportedly wanted by teams being promoted to the English Premier League. Perhaps this is a good time for Luiz Muzzi to sign the young defender to a new contract?

Several Americans made waves in Europe, with excellent performances last season from Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Antonee Robinson, and others. Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final today at 3 p.m.

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That will do it for today. Make sure you check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match. Vamos Orlando!

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