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Lion Links: 5/14/19

Published

7 years ago

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Good morning, everyone. In what has recently become a very frustrating refrain for me to type, it was yet another tough weekend for Orlando soccer as Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B all recorded losses. Rather than dwelling on the less-than-stellar weekend that was, let’s jump right into today’s links.

Praise for Higuita

Cristian Higuita got his first minutes in quite a while during Sunday’s loss to Atlanta United, and by all accounts he was pretty impressive. During his time on the field he created a chance, passed at a 77.5% clip, and made a pair of tackles. His good performance was noticed by the man who handed him a role in the starting lineup, with Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor praising his composure on the ball, a sentiment that was echoed by teammate Will Johnson. For his part, Higuita spoke after the match about how JOC has asked him to be patient and keep working hard and how his consistency in training led to his well-taken opportunity to start the match.

Orlando Pride GM Discusses Roster, Salary Cap Situation

Jordan Culver of ProSoccerUSA.com talked to Pride General Manager Eric Ustruck about a number of topics, including how the club has been trying to add a player prior to the May 23 transfer deadline.

“I had the approval from her club to bring her over at the beginning of April, end of March,” Ustruck told Pro Soccer USA. “So now we’re nearing the middle of May, closing in to the end of the transfer window, so I’m starting to get a little bit nervous. But I still feel confident that we can get it over the line. It’s just a matter of language and working through the two federations, trying to get on the same page.”

Ustruck talked about how limited the Pride are in regard to the salary cap due to backloaded contracts of some of the team’s current players. It’s an enlightening read for any fan of the Pride.

Orlando Pride’s Australians Called Up for World Cup Duty

Australia coach Ante Milicic has named his World Cup squad and to no one’s surprise it includes Orlando Pride defender Alanna Kennedy and midfielder Emily van Egmond. For van Egmond it will be her third trip to the world’s largest soccer stage. Milicic also included three former Pride players — Laura Alleway, Steph Catley, and Lisa De Vanna — on his roster for the big tournament in France.

Orlando City B Waives Two Players

Orlando City B has parted ways with a pair of players. Forward Sebastian Joffre and midfielder Ignacio Cubeddu are both gone after mutual agreement with the USL League One side. Joffre appeared in three matches with OCB. Cubeddu was a Montverde product who had not appeared in a game for OCB this season.

MLS Launches TV Channel

Major League Soccer has launched its own television channel on streaming service Pluto TV. The channel will offer ’round-the-clock MLS content and, like Pluto TV itself, is free. Among other things, the channel will have highlights, classic matches, and original features as well as other existing MLS series. Pluto TV is the top free streaming service in the U.S. and the channel could be a very savvy move in getting the league’s product out to the young people who make up a large portion of streaming service users. It’s also the only professional sports league that currently has a channel on the service, so its certainly filling a niche.

A Potential Solution to Soccer’s Concussion Problem

The United Soccer League has presented a potential rule change to the International Football Association Board that would see the introduction of a “head injury substitution” into USL rules. The IFAB, which determines the laws of the game in soccer, will review the proposal, which would allow teams more time to examine a player who has suffered a potential head injury.

The current three-player substitution limit puts managers and particularly medical staff in a very uncomfortable position when a player receives a head injury, and countless incidents in recent years have called into question soccer’s handling of on-field concussions. A temporary substitute like the one the rule change is proposing would give teams all the time they needed to evaluate a player and ensure no danger is present before returning to the field, and as an athletic trainer who is very familiar with the pressure that comes with making a decision about an athlete’s health status during a game, I can’t tell you how much I support this. Hats off the the USL.

Possible UCL Ban for Man City

Newly minted repeat Premier League Champions Manchester City could potentially be facing a one-year UEFA Champions League ban due to investigations into allegations over the club misleading a financial fair play probe. UEFA investigators are reportedly seeking the ban for the Manchester club, with a decision to be made by the head of the investigatory panel. It’s important to distinguish that the ban would be for misleading the investigators who probed into potential financial wrongdoing by Man City, rather than for actual financial wrongdoing, which the club has quite stringently denied. Additionally, even if a ban were to be handed down, City would almost certainly appeal it, meaning that the chances of a ban for the upcoming 2019-2020 UCL verge on ludicrous.

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  • Ex-Orlando Pride player Christine Nairn has become the first international to win the Westfield W-League’s Julie Dolan Medal, given to the best player in the league.

  • Grasshopper Club Zurich were relegated from the Swiss Super League over the weekend and fans didn’t take it well, threatening to rush the field if not given players’ shirts and socks during the game that sealed the team’s relegation. This summarily resulted in the match being called off with the team down 4-0, the second time this year a Grasshopper game was called off.

That’ll be all for me today. Don’t forget that Orlando City is on a short week and takes on the Seattle Sounders at 10:30 p.m. ET tomorrow. Y’all stay safe out there.

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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

on

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.

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  • 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: 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

on

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

on

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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