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Lion Links: 5/28/21

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5 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? We’re headed into a Memorial Day weekend filled with plenty of soccer to look forward to. Orlando City’s match tomorrow night against the New York Red Bulls will be the club’s 200th MLS regular season game, which is pretty crazy to think about. It feels like it was only yesterday when Kaká scored from a free kick to equalize against New York City FC in Orlando’s first MLS match. So much has changed since then, both on and off the field. But that’s enough reminiscing, let’s jump into today’s links from around the soccer world!

The Lions Prepare for New York’s Pressure

Orlando will head to New York for its third away game this season. Although the Lions are undefeated this season, playing on the road in MLS is never easy and the Red Bulls have won two of their three home games so far. Head Coach Oscar Pareja and the Lions will also have to find a way to neutralize the Red Bulls’ high press. The Lions faced a similar style on the road against D.C. United and Pareja weighed in on how his team will try dealing with that kind of pressure again.

“There may be similar moments in the game, especially when you go away and teams are throwing a lot of numbers at you, they may get exposed at the back. We’ll try to do our job well and see if we can expose the Red Bulls’ weaknesses and get the points.”

In that game against D.C., the Lions scored just seven minutes into the match and then held on for the 1-0 win. Scoring early has been a trend for the Lions this year as four of their seven goals came within the first 20 minutes of a match. Regardless, there is still room to improve on offense as the Lions have only scored multiple goals in a match once this year. The team is awaiting the returns of Daryl Dike and Alexandre Pato, so it’s only a matter of time before Orlando starts finding the back of the net more often.

Meanwhile, Orlando’s defense has been one of the league’s best, only allowing one goal in open play through six games. With Ruan and João Moutinho both dealing with injuries, Kyle Smith has done well filling in at both right back and left back and he is second in the league in tackles with 16. Red Bulls midfielder Cristian Casseres Jr. leads the league with 17 tackles, so that will be a fun duel to keep an eye on in the match, even if the two players won’t interact too much on the field.

The Orlando Pride’s Offense is On Fire

Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux have headlined the Pride’s ascent to the top of the National Women’s Soccer League standings. Injuries, international duty, and pregnancies have kept the pair apart on the field for the Pride in the past, but now they are together and tearing it up with all of the Pride’s five goals coming from the duo. The two are certainly firing on all cylinders, but fellow forward Taylor Kornieck is also doing well with two assists this season.

Orlando’s success on offense goes beyond the front line though, as Head Coach Marc Skinner has encouraged a pressing and relentless midfield that turns lost chances into new opportunities to score. The Pride are certainly on the rise and placed first in CBS Sports’ power rankings as well. Their next match will come on Sunday at Exploria Stadium as they host a winless Kansas City team.

Erin McLeod Called Up

Pride goalkeeper Erin McLeod was called up by the Canadian Women’s National Team for a pair of friendlies next month in Spain. Canada will take on the Czech Republic on June 11 and then Brazil on June 14 in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics later this summer. Former Pride players Shelina Zadorsky and Jordyn Listro were also called up. McLeod did well in her only start this season for the Pride and a good showing with the national team could earn her a spot on Canada’s Olympic roster. If both she and Ashlyn Harris head to Tokyo in late July, Brittany Wilson would fill in as goalkeeper for the Pride.

USMNT Gets Ready for Friendly With Switzerland

This Sunday at 2 p.m., the United States Men’s National Team will play in a friendly against Switzerland as both sides prepare for upcoming tournaments. Orlando forward Daryl Dike is with the USMNT and could feature, even if he wasn’t named to the team’s roster for the Nations League next week. Americans had strong seasons for their clubs across Europe and goalkeeper Zack Steffen is determined to parlay that success into silverware at the international level.

As for Switzerland, Sunday’s friendly will get the nation ready for the Euro 2020 tournament set to begin on June 11. Led by Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri and Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, Switzerland has done well in recent years and is currently 13th in FIFA’s world rankings. The U.S. and Switzerland have faced each other eight times, although only one of those games wasn’t a friendly. That match was in Michigan during the 1994 World Cup as the two fought to a 1-1 draw. The USMNT has only beaten Switzerland once and that was back in 2007 in Basel.

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  • Pride defender Phoebe McClernon will be fielding questions on the club’s Instagram later today.

That’s going to be it for today, folks. I hope you all have a great Friday and rest of your weekend!

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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.

Published

23 hours 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

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.

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  • 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/15/26

Martin Ojeda earns recognition, Orlando City prepares for Atlanta United, Orlando Pride set to face the Denver Summit, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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May 15, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s plenty of soccer ahead of us to look forward to this weekend, including a pair of games on Saturday. Apart from the soccer, I’ll be spending the next few days tearing my way through some mystery novels for a book club and trying out a new cinnamon roll pancake recipe. Cooking tends to either go swimmingly or horribly for me, so keep any spare fingers crossed for me. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Martin Ojeda Earns Praise After Winning Goal

Orlando City star Martin Ojeda’s diving header secured a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Union was chosen as the MLS Moment of the Matchday. Given how a league-record 58 goals were scored during Wednesday’s slate of games, it’s an impressive honor for Ojeda to receive. That winner was Ojeda’s second goal of the game and he has now scored 10 game-winning goals in his time as a Lion. The 27-year-old also made the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday for his role in the win.

Orlando City Prepares for Atlanta United

The Lions will look to keep the good times rolling on Saturday when they play Atlanta United in a rivalry game at home. While its defense has been a sieve all season, Orlando’s offense is finding its footing and should benefit from Marco Pasalic’s return from injury. Following this match, the two teams will turn right back around and face each other at Inter&Co Stadium again on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup each coach opts for on Saturday given the short time between the matches.

Orlando Pride Face the Denver Summit on Saturday

The Orlando Pride are also in action on Saturday and will play the Denver Summit in the club’s first-ever road game against the expansion side. The Pride are coming off of a frustrating 2-1 loss on the road to the Boston Legacy on Tuesday, while the Summit’s last game was on Saturday, when they thrashed the Houston Dash 4-1. While Barbra Banda leads the league with eight goals so far this season, Denver’s Natasha Flint has scored in three consecutive games and the Pride will need to find a way to stop her from extending that streak on Saturday. Other notable NWSL games to watch this weekend include the Washington Spirit putting their five-game win streak on the line tonight against the San Diego Wave and Sunday’s matchup between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC.

Sam Kerr Officially Exiting Chelsea

Australian striker Sam Kerr announced that she’s leaving Chelsea once her contract is up following this Women’s Super League season. She’s played for Chelsea for the past six years, scoring 115 goals across all competitions and winning the league title five times and the Golden Boot twice. The 32-year-old has been linked with a return to the NWSL to join the Denver Summit earlier this year, so we’ll see if that comes to pass. If so, I’m glad the Pride would already have both of their matches against the Summit out of the way by the time of her arrival.

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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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