Lion Links: 5/2/25

Happy Friday! We’ve made it through the week and have plenty of Orlando soccer ahead of us to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this weekend beyond working, but it should still be a nice couple of days. Before we get to today’s links, we have a trio of birthdays to celebrate. Let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City’s Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Orlando Pride midfielder Luana, and Orlando City B defender Hayden Sargis!

Alex Freeman’s Breakout Season Highlighted

The folks over at Stars and Stripes FC have shined their spotlight on Orlando City right back Alex Freeman, who is enjoying a breakout season this year with the Lions. The 20-year-old has started in nine of the team’s 10 games this season and has three goals and an assist under his belt so far. He helped the United States U-19 Men’s National Team win the Slovenia Nations Cup in 2022 and could factor into the 2026 World Cup plans for the USMNT if he continues to improve as a player.

Orlando City Faces the Chicago Fire on Saturday

Orlando City will take a seven-game unbeaten streak to Soldier Field for a match on Saturday against the Chicago Fire. The Lions are coming off an April that included three scoreless draws and an emphatic 3-0 rivalry win over Atlanta United. The Fire have not won at home yet this season and have conceded 22 goals, which is tied with D.C. United for the most in the league. Orlando Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on the team’s preparations, as well as how players returning to full fitness should help give depth as the team gets ready to balance the U.S. Open Cup with the regular season.

Jarrod Dillon Receives Downtowner of the Year Award

OCSC President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon was named 2024 Downtowner of the Year by the Downtown Orlando Partnership for his contributions to the success of downtown Orlando. Amid historically successful seasons by both the Lions and Pride last season, Dillon secured a new naming rights partner for the club’s stadium and has helped bring events like the FIFA Club World Cup and Copa America to the City Beautiful. Dillon joined the club in 2022, and it’s great to see that he’s already had an impact in the community.

Analyzing the Longevity of NWSL Parity

Jeff Kassouf of ESPN took an interesting dive into how future expansion in the NWSL can affect parity in the league going forward. The league’s parity has certainly been a positive aspect of the NWSL compared to leagues in Europe that are dominated by the same teams year in and year out. However, expansion could thin the depth of talent throughout the NWSL, and other variables like the elimination of the college draft may make it harder for teams at the bottom to climb out. While I don’t think the league’s competitive balance will be in jeopardy any time soon, I agree that it will be an interesting thing to keep an eye on in the coming years, especially if the NWSL expands too fast too soon.

Free Kicks

• The game ball for Orlando’s win over Atlanta went to the recently promoted Ricardo Moreira, as it was his first win as the club’s general manager and sporting director.

• NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Esther González was named NWSL Player of the Month after scoring an impressive seven goals in April.
• Seattle Sounders star Jordan Morris will be out for an estimated six weeks due to a hamstring injury according to Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. Jesus Ferreira is also nursing an adductor injury and is questionable to play on Saturday.
• Both of the English clubs dominated in the first legs of the Europa League semifinals. Manchester United beat Athletic Club 3-0 on the road, while Tottenham won 3-1 at home against Bodo/Glimt.
• There’s plenty to tune in for in this weekend’s final matchday of the EFL Championship regular season. There are five teams in contention for the two open playoff spots, including Haji Wright’s Coventry City and Aidan Morris’ Middlesbrough. The Americans will collide in a crucial match between the two sides Saturday morning.
• Bayern Munich’s women’s team, which secured the Bundesliga title this past weekend, completed its domestic double after beating Werder Bremen 4-2 in the German Cup final. It’s a nice way to go out for Head Coach Alexander Straus, who is set to become Angel City FC’s head coach in June.
• Barcelona defender Jules Kounde could miss time due to a hamstring injury, which would make things difficult for Barcelona in the La Liga title race and Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!