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Lion Links: 9/29/19

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6 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers, and most importantly, happy double match day! The Lions visit MLS newcomers FC Cincinnati, while the Pride travel to New Jersey for a date with Sky Blue FC. The playoff hopeful in me hasn’t quite thrown in the towel as, technically speaking, the Lions are still in the hunt. Unfortunately, as we’re all well aware, it would be nothing short of a miracle for several results to fall in the Lions’ favor, allowing them to sneak into the MLS playoffs. Hope is one hell of a drug.

Regardless of the dire straits that the Lions (and Pride for that matter) find themselves in, we’re still here with a bevy of content to get through. Hopefully it holds you over until the matches kick off today. Let’s do it. Without further ado, here’s your Sunday helping of Lion Links. Bon appétit.

Livin’ on a Prayer: The Cardiac Cats

Please don’t sue me, Bon Jovi, but Orlando City SC and its fervent supporters are literally praying for not only back-to-back wins from the Lions, but for losses by the New England Revolution, the Montreal Impact, and the Chicago Fire in their final matches. For now, Head Coach James O’Connor is focused solely on the task at hand; FC Cincinnati.

“They have a lot of pace,” O’Connor said. “Again it’s managing the transition moments because they have a lot of pace on their team. When we’re attacking we need to make sure that we’re very careful of how quickly they can transition into attack.”

Defender Kamal Miller put it best.

“We approached [this week] harder than ever,” defender Kamal Miller said. “We know that these last two games are so important. We know that if we can get these three points, we can put pressure on other teams.”

I’m not religious, but if you are, I propose that you keep your preferred book close to you today. We’re really going to need it.

Pride Look to Finish Strong in Final Away Match

Whew. This season has really flown by, but in the worst way possible. The Pride will be facing New Jersey’s Sky Blue FC today at 11 a.m. in their final away match of the 2019 campaign. The Pride have had the better of Sky Blue this season, going 2-0 against the New Jersey side prior to today’s clash. Hopefully, the women in purple can rebound from the 6-1 thrashing the Courage put on them during their previous league appearance. Luckily, the Pride will be bolstered by the returns of Marta, Sydney Leroux, and Toni Pressley (we’ll see if/how they’re deployed, though). Head Coach Marc Skinner seems to have a good understanding of how he wants to approach this one from a tactical perspective.

“They play a diamond shape and they’re very aggressive. We have to exploit that and make sure that the more we’re in possession, the less they can counter-attack and we need to stop that counter-attack, shore it up and make sure that we are effective with the ball,” Head Coach Marc Skinner said. “Then we’ll have the best chance, regardless of the individuals that they put in. They have a very organized backline, a very good, young goalkeeper so it’ll be tough but we’re looking forward for our players to show exactly who they are and take on the opportunity.”

Carli Lloyd has been on a bit of a streak for Sky Blue, scoring the club’s last four goals. Lloyd leads Sky Blue with six goals this season despite missing almost three months for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Stopping Carli will be of utmost importance if the Pride want to take home three points and finish with a win in their final road appearance of the season.

Josh Sargent Makes His Mark

The young American striker has been handed extended minutes this season — unfortunately thanks to injuries to those ahead of him in the pecking order — but that hasn’t held Sargent back from making the most of his opportunity. In a recent clash with Bundesliga giants Dortmund, Sargent was the difference between an away loss and an important and well-deserved point in one of the most difficult venues to play in; Signal Iduna Park.

“It was a good point for us,” Sargent said after the game. “It was a set-piece, and I kinda acted like I was going to go front post, but then I went back post and Marco was there to score.”

Sargent was pivotal in the final touches before his club, Werder Bremen, notched an equalizing goal against the title contending Dortmund side, and his coach had (almost) nothing but praise for his young attacker.

“It was no mistake that Sargent was there to make this play happen,” Werder Bremen head coach Florian Kohfeldt said after the game. “His movement ahead of the second goal was fantastic. Overall, he was very good. Perhaps in the first half he was trying to do too much—you had the feeling he was almost surprised by how much ground he covered. But that is normal for a young player.” 

Keep it up, Josh. We’re all rooting for you (even though I’m a Bayern Munich supporter).

Kick it Forward Miami

Ethan Wenger (no relation to Arsène that I could find), of Miami Palmetto Senior High School, is one hell of a young man, and he’s still only at the tender age of 17. I’ll just open with a quote from him and let him speak for himself:

“After a few years of playing soccer and seeing how quickly I grew out of my soccer uniforms and cleats, my family and I realized that we could gather and donate this still relatively new equipment to children who could not afford to buy their own,”

Now, that’s a profound realization for a youngster – one that I can happily and proudly share with young Ethan, as I also donated my gear when it no longer fit me. The difference between young Ethan and I is stark, though. This young man created a program that enables others to do what we see as logical and simply the right thing to do.

“Initially, my sister helped with the project as she is three years older and together we began an organization called ‘Kick it Forward Miami.’ The idea of the organization was to reach out to other families who similarly had equipment that they no longer needed and donate this to local organizations,” he said. “Over the years, we have donated cleats, sneakers, entire uniforms, jerseys, socks, etc., to various agencies, including schools, a group that taught children with autism to play soccer, and to the Chapman Partnership,”

Fortunately, Orlando has the Orlando City Foundation, but not every metropolitan area has such a valuable resource. Keep up the great work, Ethan. We all applaud your efforts!

Free Kicks

  • I hate to see this, and I hate even more to share it, but it appears American sensation Christian Pulisic is frustrated with his lack of playing time with his new club Chelsea.
  • Remember that time the U.S. Women’s National Team scored 13 on Thailand in a World Cup match and caught flak? Well, what do you think about a scoreline of 56-0? That’s exactly what Flamengo’s women’s side did to Greminho. Yikes.
  • Olivier Renard has been appointed as the Montreal Impact’s newest sporting director. He comes with experience, too, as Renard was sporting director of Standard Liege and KV Mechelen in his native Belgium. Recently, Renard was a sporting consultant at fellow Belgian club Royal Antwerp FC.
  • Fellow Liverpool supporters; let’s hope this doesn’t screw the club’s run at this season's Carabao Cup, but apparently Pedro Chirivella required a new clearance after returning from a loan spell in order to be fielded by the Reds (which they did not obtain). Chirivellas was brought on in during the 63rd minute of the Reds’ recent 2-0 third-round victory.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you today folks. Do your best to keep the positivity flowing for the Lions. They sure do need it. Enjoy the matches on the day and have a great week, Mane Landers.

Oh…and, well, here.

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Lion Links: 5/21/25

The U.S. Open Cup journey resumes tonight, Javier Otero signs a new contract, Pride’s Sams and Abello called up, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

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May 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day with Orlando City hosting Nashville SC tonight in Inter&Co Stadium. I hope you are able to make it out to support the club, since I will have to watch it on television. If you listen to The Mane Land PawedCast you know how much I want Orlando City to focus on the U.S. Open Cup — even at the expense of the Leagues Cup. For now, let’s get to the links.

Nashville is Next

As I mentioned above, the Lions take on Nashville SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match tonight. Orlando City is riding a 12-match unbeaten streak through all competitions and has scored 14 goals in the past four games going back to its 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions will look to continue their goal scoring ways to advance to the quarterfinals.

Javier Otero Has a New Contract

Orlando City signed goalkeeper Javier Otero to a new contract through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. Otero joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017, moving his way up to Orlando City B and, eventually, the first team. The signing secures Orlando City’s backup keeper for the immediate future.

Pride USWNT Call-Ups

Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to the USWNT training camp. This is Abello’s first call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. Sams and Abello make up two of Emma Hayes’ 24-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against China and Jamaica. Other notable players include Naomi Girma, Lynn Biyendolo, and Lo’eau LaBonta.

FIRST USWNT CALL UP FOR BELLO 🗣️

— Orlando Pride (@orlpride.com) 2025-05-20T15:06:37.081Z

USMNT Gold Cup News

Mauricio Pochettino has yet to name the final 26-player list for the Gold Cup. He has even put out there that he may give playing time to a goalkeeper other than Matt Turner. Pochettino sees the Gold Cup as a great opportunity for the team to bond during the last competition before the World Cup. Prior to the Gold Cup, the team has friendlies with Türkiye and Switzerland.

Free Kicks

  • The Kansas City Current may have defeated the Pride last match, but they paid dearly for it.
  • In sad news, former Sporting Kansas City player Gadi Kinda passed away. Kinda had been dealing with “a complex medical battle.”
  • In the “I’m not at all surprised” category, Lionel Messi was not fined by the league for any of his antics during or after the loss to Orlando City, including his criticism of officials, which is usually an automatic fine.

That will do it for today. Check back for our pre-match and post-match coverage tonight. You can also follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/20/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, preliminary Gold Cup rosters released, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Life always feels a little brighter after your team wins a soccer game, even more so when it’s against a hated rival, so I hope you’ve had as good a start to your week as I have. We have no time to rest on our laurels though, because Orlando City is straight back into action tomorrow with a U.S. Open Cup match at home against Nashville SC. Let’s get into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

Several Orlando City players are getting some deserved plaudits following the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami on Sunday. Pedro Gallese has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday, while Joran Gerbet is on the bench and Oscar Pareja is the coach of the side. Gallese made four saves while keeping a clean sheet and also assisted Luis Muriel on the first goal of the game. Gerbet did an excellent job of helping to minimize the impact of Lionel Messi, while Oscar Pareja was the man who who masterminded it all. Alex Freeman got some love as one of the standout young players of the matchday, and also had a nice piece written about him in The Athletic (paywall). All the Lions are deserving of their praise, and here’s hoping this isn’t the last time we see them getting some love.

Freeman Named to USMNT Preliminary Gold Cup Roster

The preliminary rosters have been announced for the 16 teams set to participate in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. Most of the usual suspects are present for the United States Men’s National Team, with the exceptions of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna, whose teams are participating in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Of note for Orlando City fans is Alex Freeman’s inclusion on the preliminary roster. That being said, this early list contains 60 names and will need to be cut down to 26 by June 4. With Sergino Dest and Joe Scally both on the 60-man list, Freeman is probably an outside shot to be included, but you never know.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing matches during the working week, so make sure you have everything marked down on your calendar. Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their penultimate Premier League game later today, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth do the same against Manchester City. Wednesday has Jordan Pefok and Reims visiting Metz in a playoff to decide which team will play in Ligue 1 next season. Alex Zendejas and Club America take on Toluca in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final on Thursday, and Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Valencia in La Liga play on Friday.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be upon us before we know it, so let’s take a look at what the transfer rumor mill is saying these days. Manchester United is said to be on the verge of signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and has reportedly agreed to terms on a deal. Man City has reportedly ended its interest in signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and has instead turned the club’s attention to Barcelona’s Dani Olmo. Finally, Rodrygo is reportedly considering leaving Real Madrid in the summer, with some outlets saying that he “has one foot out of Real Madrid”.

Free Kicks

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/19/25

Lions defeat Inter Miami, Pride fall to Kansas City Current, OCB wins, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Over the weekend, I was catching up with my former coworkers during Chicago House AC’s home opener against Czarni Jaslo in Midwest Premier League action. Let’s wish Orlando Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman, who turns 26 today, a happy birthday. The Pride lost, but OCB and our Lions picked up wins over the weekend. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Defeats Inter Miami on the Road

Orlando City defeated Inter Miami 3-0 on the road Sunday at Chase Stadium and extended its unbeaten run to 11 league matches. Luis Muriel scored to put the Lions in front just before halftime. In the second half, Marco Pasalic scored and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson added the final goal for the Lions in stoppage time to seal the 3-0 win against their in-state rivals. Orlando moved ahead of Miami in the Eastern Conference standings into fifth with 24 points, while Miami drops to sixth, albeit with a game in hand. Miami has lost five out of its last seven matches. It will be a quick turnaround for Orlando City with a home match on Wednesday as Nashville SC visits Inter&Co Stadium.

Lions Sign Defender Zakaria Taifi to First Team Contract

Orlando City announced Saturday the club has signed Orlando City B defender Zakaria Taifi to a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player. The deal is through the 2026 season with club options for the 2027, 2028, and 2029 seasons. Taifi has made 44 appearances for OCB in MLS NEXT Pro. He has started 23 matches, scored one goal, and added three assists. Taifi was also part of the Orlando City Academy U-17 team that won the MLS NEXT Cup in 2021. Taifi made his first-team debut with Orlando City last month in a scoreless draw against CF Montreal. He also played in the Lions’ 5-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 32 in the U.S. Open Cup.

Pride Fall to Kansas City Current at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Kansas City Current Friday at Inter&Co Stadium. Temwa Chawinga scored the lone goal in the second half to seal the win for Kansas City. The Current have won two in a row, while the Pride have lost their second match at home this season. Orlando is on a three-match winless streak. The Current stayed atop the NWSL table with 21 points, while the Pride dropped to third with 16 points. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Friday at the Utah Royals.

OCB Defeats Inter Miami II at Home

Orlando City B defeated Inter Miami II 3-0 Saturday at Osceola County Stadium. Gustavo Caraballo, Shak Mohammed, and Justin Ellis all got on the scoresheet for the Young Lions. Ellis also added two assists in this match. The win also snapped OCB’s five-match winless streak against Inter Miami II, and now the Young Lions are seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with 14 points. OCB will be on the road to take on Atlanta United 2 Friday.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City defender Alex Freeman has been in stellar form so far this season for Orlando, scoring three goals in 15 matches with one assist across all competitions.
  • The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer have reached an agreement on a 10-day transfer window beginning June 1. This window will only be for MLS clubs participating in the FIFA Club World Cup.
  • Crystal Palace defeated Manchester City 1-0 Saturday to win the FA Cup and lift its first-ever major trophy in club history. Defender Chris Richards and goalkeeper Matt Turner became the first Americans to win the FA Cup since goalkeeper Tim Howard won it in 2004.
  • Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 to win the Women’s FA Cup. USWNT midfielder Catarina Macario scored, and Sandy Baltimore netted two goals and added an assist to seal Chelsea’s domestic treble this season.
  • Jamie Vardy scored his 200th goal for Leicester City in his final appearance for the club, helping his side beat Ipswich Town 2-0 in the final home match of the season.
  • Angel City FC shared an update on social media, announcing defender Savy King was discharged from the hospital Saturday following her collapse on the pitch over a week ago during an NWSL match against the Utah Royals.

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

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