Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/18/21
Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a good weekend to be an Orlando soccer fan. Both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City got results, which is always fantastic. On a personal note, I just started a new job, so there are exciting times all around. As usual, there’s a lot to talk about today, so let’s get to it.
Exploria Stadium Going Back to Full Capacity
Orlando City announced that Exploria Stadium will return to full capacity for both Orlando City and Orlando Pride games starting in June. Specifically, beginning with the Pride’s match against NJ/NY Gotham FC on June 20 and followed by the Lions’ match against the San Jose Earthquakes on June 22, the purple palace will be back open to hosting games at full capacity. The stadium would likely be returning to full capacity even sooner, following the lead of teams like Atlanta United, but the club had already sold tickets in a limited capacity to games through the end of May. Aside from seats near the team benches and the tunnel, all seats will be available.
Antonio Carlos Named to MLS Team of the Week
Antonio Carlos has received his due for his part in Orlando shutting out D.C. United on the road on Sunday. After another strong performance anchoring the Lions’ back line, Carlos was included in the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Week. Carlos finished the game with 13 (!) clearances, and three interceptions on the defensive side, which in itself would be plenty impressive. He also chipped in offensively though, with his seven of 11 long balls completed standing out. The defender was rated highly by our own Sean Rollins as well, with a grade of 7/10 that was equal to Man of the Match Mauricio Pereyra. Well done AC!
Mueller Still Wants More
Chris Mueller has now made 100 appearances for Orlando City. Even though he’s been successful going into his fourth year as a Lion, he doesn’t plan to sit on his laurels. After a breakout third season the Money Badger wants to continue to improve on what he has been able to accomplish so far. He spoke about how much his success to this point has meant to him.
“You grow so much as a person away from the field, you grow so much as a player, you learn new things, you gain so many new experiences with so many people and different faces, different cultures. You can’t put a price tag on the experiences that I’ve had.”
Hopefully Cash continues to grow and meet the new goals that he keeps setting for himself.
Losada Critical of Orlando’s Tactics
Hernan Losada wasn’t too pleased with some of Orlando’s tactics during the Lions’ win on Sunday. He wasn’t super high on some of OCSC’s time-wasting tactics, but he was definitely not a fan of the defensive style that the team employed after taking the lead.
“If there is one way to lose, this is the way. A way where you dominate the whole game, a way where the opponent doesn’t know what else to do to neutralize the game, to make time, to park the bus,” he said. “It’s like they didn’t want to play after they scored the goal and that’s a lot for a team with the quality of Orlando, all their stars I didn’t see them on the field and that’s thanks to the effort and the game and the team, the way they worked and played today.”
D.C.’s head man is certainly entitled to his opinion, but I think its a bit left of center. While DCU had 55% of the possession, his side managed only 13 shots and only got one of those on target, so “dominate” is maybe a tad strong. Plus, with Orlando having some trouble playing through a very intense press, and wanting to protect Joao Moutinho — playing his first 90-minute match in nine months — Oscar Pareja simply decided to play defensively and protect what the team had by changing shape and bringing on Robin Jansson. Soccer is a tactical game, and tactical maneuvering during a match is par for the course. Regardless, all’s well that ends well!
Paramount+ Picks Up Brazilian, Argentinan Leagues
It has been announced that Paramount+ has picked up the rights to top flight soccer in Brazil and Argentina. The streaming service will have the exclusive English-language rights to Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileirão Série A, the country’s top flight league. It will also carry matches from Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Futbol. Full coverage of the Brazil’s Serie A starts on May 29. There are some big ticket matches to kick off the 2021 season too, with Flamengo taking on Palmeiras and Sao Paulo facing off against Fluminese. If you happen to already have Paramount+ it might be worth keeping an eye on the league, considering Orlando has a history of signing players from the Brazilian top flight. Oh, and Argentina too!
Free Kicks
- This is very cool, and a massive congratulations to the young woman involved.
Mission Accomplished 🚀💜 #MissionInspiration https://t.co/e1ZLaFnBEB
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) May 17, 2021
- Orlando City’s Wilfredo Rivera has been called up for Puerto Rico’s second round of qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
📣 @bMediaGroup presenta la convocatoria oficial del DT Dave Sarachan rumbo a la segunda ventana clasificatoria al @fifaworldcup_es Catar 2022.
¡Vamos Puerto Rico! #NuestraSelePR 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/jTkl8MWEQU
— Selecciones Nacionales de Puerto Rico (@HuracanAzulPR) May 17, 2021
- While it won’t help you now, this tweet made me laugh.
The Accountant @RealKyleSmith24 is here to remind you it's #TaxDay. pic.twitter.com/Kz2d2ukZgG
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 17, 2021
- Finally, something sensible out of the Columbus Crew on this whole rebrand thing. The team had not won since rebranding, which is probably just a coincidence. Probably.
Joint statement from the Columbus Crew and its supporters group, @Nordecke.#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/S0o8KeWkAV
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) May 18, 2021
- Harry Kane reportedly wants to leave Tottenham Hotspur, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United among the clubs interested in him.
- A couple of the NWSL’s big stars have returned stateside following the end of the WSL season.
City can confirm that @sammymewy and @roselavelle have returned to their respective NWSL clubs in North Carolina Courage and OL Reign following the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign 💙
It's been a pleasure, girls! 🇺🇸🤩
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 17, 2021
That does it for me today. Y’all stay safe out there.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/16/24
Orlando City draws with Inter Miami, Orlando City B loses in Ohio, Austin awarded 2025 MLS All-Star Game, and more.
I hope you’re all having a nice and easy start to your Thursday morning. Orlando City’s match Wednesday night could’ve gone worse, but could’ve gone better as well. As far as rivalry games go, it probably won’t be all too memorable, but I still hope you enjoyed yourself if you went to the game. Let’s dive into today’s links!
Orlando City Draws Inter Miami at Home
The Lions hosted rival Inter Miami and had to settle for a scoreless draw that featured solid chances for both sides. Orlando remains shorthanded defensively, but Pedro Gallese and the back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Wilder Cartagena, and David Brekalo did well to get a clean sheet against a Miami side that leads the league in goals by a wide margin. Familiar attacking struggles plagued the Lions though with many chances going unfinished. The Lions will now turn their attention to a trip across the country for a match with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Orlando City B Falls On the Road
After earning its first home win last week, Orlando City B was handed its first road defeat of the season in a 4-3 loss against Columbus Crew 2. OCB was without Yutaro Tsukada, who made his debut with the first team, but the team still did well generating chances on offense. The Young Lions took the lead on two different occasions in the match, but they ultimately couldn’t hold on for a result in a rollercoaster of a match. There’s plenty of time for Head Coach Manuel Goldberg to get his team ready for its next match, which is set to take place at Osceola County Stadium on May 26 against Huntsville City FC.
Orlando City Fined After Match in Philadelphia
Following Orlando City’s win over the Philadelphia Union, the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have been issued fines by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for the team violating the mass confrontation policy for the second time this season. The violation took place in the 86th minute at Philadelphia, when the Union were awarded their second penalty of the game. Gallese, Nicolas Lodeiro, Ivan Angulo, and Duncan McGuire were issued fines for their role in things as well.
Luis Muriel was also fined an undisclosed amount for embellishment during an incident with Damion Lowe in the 81st minute of the match. You can judge for yourself if the MLS Disciplinary Committee got it right, but what’s not up for debate is that the Lions got the job done on the road and survived an obscene amount of stoppage time.
Austin Will Host 2025 MLS All-Star Game
MLS announced that next year’s MLS All-Star Game will take place at Q2 Stadium in Austin. It will be the first time the event is held there and the first time Texas has hosted it since Houston had it back in 2010. The official date, along with what team the MLS All-Stars will play against, will be announced at a later time. Austin FC entered the league in 2021 and every game played at Q2 Stadium has sold out. There is a strong soccer community there, and I’m glad it will get a chance to show the league what it is all about. I also really like the graphic promoting the event and feel it captures Austin fairly well.
Free Kicks
- It’s been proposed that the first Women’s Club World Cup be held during January and February of 2026. Not many other details are known at this time, but I’m pretty excited regardless, especially with how the Orlando Pride have been playing.
- Juventus beat Atalanta 1-0 to lift the Italian Cup with Dusan Vlahovic scoring the game’s only goal. American midfielder Weston McKennie played every minute of the match, while Timothy Weah came off the bench late.
- American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers also helped his club secure some silverware with Celtic beating Kilmarnock 5-0 to clinch the Scottish Premiership title.
- Former New York City FC head coach Dome Torrent was appointed as the new head coach of San Luis in Liga MX. Orlando City is set to host San Luis on Aug. 4 as part of the Leagues Cup group stage.
- Everett Palache was named as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team and he will prepare the team for the 2024 Deaf Pan American Games in Brazil this November.
- A hat trick by Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico Madrid a 3-0 win over Getafe and a spot in next year’s Champions League.
- Pep Lijnders, who has been an assistant coach with Liverpool since 2018, will be RB Salzburg’s manager after signing a three-year contract with the Austrian club.
- We end our links with a special guest at the match between the Union and NYCFC, as a raccoon was the latest visitor to run rampant at Subaru Park.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/15/24
Tropic Thunder is tonight, OCB plays away today, Americans playing abroad, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday Mane Landers. The next installment of the Tropic Thunder rivalry between the good guys (Orlando City) and the bad guys (Inter Miami) is tonight. I hope you can make it out to the match since there will probably be a bunch of Lionel Messi fans there and more purple in the stands is needed. To get ready for the match, you can listen to the latest edition of The Mane Land PawedCast, and check out our match preview later today . For now, let’s get to the links.
Lions Host Tropic Thunder Tonight
I don’t know why others insist on calling matches between Orlando City and Inter Miami the “Florida Derby.” Our name for the match — Tropic Thunder — is just so much better. Regardless, the Lions host the Herons tonight at Inter&Co Stadium looking to avenge the 5-0 loss from earlier in the season. The spotlight might be on Miami, but the pressure is on Orlando City. The Lions surprised me with their win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Let’s hope the club can keep the momentum going.
Miami May Be Without Messi Today
While I never want anyone to get seriously injured, I’m not sorry to hear that there is a chance Messi will be unavailable for tonight’s match. It seems that Miami’s magician picked up a minor knee injury in the match against CF Montreal on Saturday. Say what you want, but he is a competitor and could still take the field tonight. Hopefully, he remembers the welcome Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena gave him when he joined the league and decides it’s not worth aggravating the knee.
OCB Back in Action On the Road
The senior squad isn’t the only team playing today as Orlando City B is in Ohio to take on Columbus Crew II at Lower.com Field. You’ll need to take a long lunch to watch this one because kickoff is set for noon. There will be plenty to watch since the two clubs are only separated by one point in the standings, with OCB sitting in sixth place (3-2-3, 13 points) and Crew II in eighth place (3-3-2, 12 points).
Keeping Up With Americans Abroad
Most of us know that Christian Pulisic had a great season with AC Milan after moving to the Serie A club from Chelsea. What I did not know is that Pulisic is the first AC Milan midfielder to score more than 10 goals in a season since former Orlando City star Kaká did it when he was there.
Things are not as bright for Giovanni Reyna at Nottingham Forest. He hasn’t played a ton of minutes for the Premier League side and hasn’t done much when he has played. It was a loan without a purchase option, but Forest is reportedly not interested in making an offer for him regardless.
Free Kicks
- Let’s all give a big congratulations to Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira. He was accepted into the third edition of the FIFA Diploma in Club Management.
- We believe once a Lion, always a Lion, but I didn’t know MLS thought the same thing. Richie Laryea getting the biggest suspension is on brand for anyone related to Orlando City.
- MLSsoccer.com decided that the Lions should be 22nd in its latest power rankings after a road win against the Philadelphia Union. Power rankings are dumb.
- Olivier Giroud has officially signed with LAFC, where he will join former France teammate Hugo Lloris. Perhaps some current Orlando City players could convince their international teammates to come to the City Beautiful. I’m just saying, Facundo Torres plays with Darwin Núñez.
- Wrexham AFC’s men’s and women’s squads are coming to America for the “Wrex Coast Tour” this summer. It’s the women’s team’s first trip to the U.S. Of course, if you want to see either of the teams, you will need to travel to the West Coast to do so.
That will do it for today. Let’s hope that the Lions can get a second win in a row. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/14/24
Orlando City players earn recognition, Luis Muriel up for Goal of the Week, Blackburn still wants Duncan McGuire, and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Orlando’s teams were firing on all cylinders this weekend, as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride combined to take all six points on offer. Orlando City beat the Philadelphia Union on the road by a score of 3-2, while Adriana’s penalty kick saw the Pride safely to a 1-0 win over Bay FC. As usual, we have a lot to discuss today, so let’s get after it.
Three Lions Earn Recognition After Win
A trio of Lions have been recognized for their efforts in Saturday’s win, as Luis Muriel is in the starting lineup of the MLS Team of the Matchday, with Nico Lodeiro and Pedro Gallese on the bench. Muriel led the way for Orlando on the scoresheet with a brace, while also doing some creative work in addition to the scoring. Lodeiro assisted on all three Orlando City goals, as he turned in an outstanding performance in the midfield. Gallese made two big saves from open play, and stonewalled what would have been an equalizer by Daniel Gazdag from the spot to preserve all three points for Orlando City. Here’s hoping the good performances continue.
Luis Muriel Up for Weekly Honors
The recognition didn’t stop with the Team of the Matchday for Muriel though. The Colombian striker was also nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday, although the award ultimately went to Christian Benteke. While he missed out on Player of the Matchday honors, it’s hard to argue with Benteke’s hat trick that saw D.C. United beat Atlanta United 3-2, and I’m sure Muriel will take Orlando’s victory over personal honors any day of the week. Muriel also received a nomination for MLS Goal of the Week. Which goal he was nominated for should come as little surprise, with his thunderous left-footed strike to open his Orlando City account getting the nod.
Blackburn Rovers Still After Duncan McGuire
It seems that Blackburn is still interested in Duncan McGuire, as the English team is said to be sending someone stateside to scout him this week. If Orlando City has its way, that interest won’t matter, as the club has reportedly offered him a new contract (paywall) with improved terms from the last one offered to the young striker. It’ll be interesting to see how things play out after a move to England collapsed so spectacularly during the January window. If McGuire keeps scoring at the rate he has so far this season then he’ll presumably have bigger fish than Blackburn chasing his services.
Jesse Marsch Takes Canada Job
Jesse Marsch has been named the new manager of the Canadian Men’s National Team. Out of a coaching job since his time managing Leeds United ended back in 2023, Marsch will take over for John Herdman, who left the post last summer to take the reins at Toronto FC. Marsch’s appointment could add an extra level of intrigue to games between Canada and the United States Men’s National Team, as Marsch has been critical of Gregg Berhalter at times. While he will be in charge of Canada for this summer’s Copa America, the USMNT and Canada find themselves on the opposite side of the bracket, and the only way they will meet is in either the final or the third-place game.
Americans in Midweek Action
Speaking of the USMNT, a number of American players will be in action this week, so make sure you have everything noted on your calendar. On Wednesday, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic will win the Scottish league if they beat or draw with Killie, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus square off against Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final. Thursday sees Josh Sargent and Norwich City take on Leeds United in the second leg of the Championship playoff semifinals, while Friday will see Daryl Dike’s West Brom play the second leg of its semifinal against Southampton, although Dike will miss out through injury.
Free Kicks
- Oscar Pareja says Robin Jansson’s injury isn’t as bad as initially feared, but didn’t elaborate much more beyond that.
- In an interesting decision, ESPN has the Orlando Pride at third in its NWSL power rankings, although CBS Sports managed to do slightly better, and has the Pride in second.
- Meanwhile, Orlando City is up to 18th in ESPN‘s MLS power rankings.
- Former Lion Nani is a free agent after a year playing in Turkey.
That’s all I have for today. Vamos Orlando!
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