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Lion Links: 4/22/17

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Happy #FillTheBowl day, Mane Landers. The Pride have their long-awaited home opener this afternoon and I expect to see about 25,500 of you at Orlando City Stadium later today. If you’re out of town, you can catch the game on Lifetime at 4 p.m.

Before I go any further, I want to wish a happy 35th birthday to Orlando City captain Kaká. We’ve only seen Ricky for about 10 minutes this season but I feel like he’ll have some special moments for the 2017 Lions. While I’m at it, happy 30th birthday to former Lion David Mateos. Regardless of how you feel about his play, Mateos is a part of our club’s history and that makes him #ForeverALion in my book.

It’s also Earth Day, which is an actual thing that has been celebrated since 1970. So everyone go out and hug the planet before you commence reading the following Lion Links.

Kaká Closing in on Return

Speaking of our Brazilian birthday boy, Kaká has returned to training this week and even though there’s virtually no chance that he’s 90-minute match fit, the captain could potentially dress for the game Sunday at New York City FC. Kaká sustained a hamstring injury just minutes into the season opener against the very same NYCFC and hasn’t played since, but his return would be a welcome sight for a team that’s looking to score more goals. Jason Kreis said the captain will slowly do more and more in training after working out for about half the session starting Wednesday.

“No setbacks,” Orlando City head coach Jason Kreis said after the training session. “He’s piecing together a little bit more every single day. Yesterday, he did very little. Today, he did another block of the training. Then Friday and Saturday we look to build him up even more to potentially have him in contention for the game in New York City.”

The captain’s return was also the subject of an MLSsoccer.com roundtable discussion.

Oh, and more good news…center back Jose Aja is also training again.

Marta Meets the Press

The Pride unveiled star attacker Marta at the Marriott in Lake Mary yesterday before the Brazilian took part in her first training session with the club. Marta said her happiness outweighed any travel fatigue she was feeling after arriving from Stockholm, Sweden. She will be available for team selection today and although she may not start, she should see the field, as Head Coach Tom Sermanni said “I’m very confident she’ll be on the field tomorrow.” 

After the presser, Marta headed straight to training, where she met her new head coach.

Harris Must Have a Big Season

Our friends over at Stars and Stripes FC wrote this piece on the USWNT players who must come up big this season for their respective NWSL clubs. Among those called out to have a big year is Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. Writer Jessica Fletcher cites Orlando’s revamped back line as a reason that Harris must have a successful campaign or find herself struggling to get calls for the USWNT, as younger players are preparing to take the next step in the program.

This season the Pride have done a better job of putting competent defenders in front of Harris, including Australian international Alanna Kennedy and USWNT veteran Ali Krieger. So now it’s up to Harris to prove that she’s more than just an elite shot-stopper. In the past, she’s been criticized for her inability to organize her backline and questionable positioning in the box combined with overaggressive play. If the Pride are going to contend this year, Harris has to show that she can be a calm, organized goalkeeper.

Tim Howard Issues Statement on Altercation

USMNT and Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard will miss a few games, including his club’s trip to Orlando a week from today, for an altercation with fans at Sporting Kansas City. Howard took to his Facebook page and issued a public statement in which he apologized and took full responsibility for his actions. He also used his social media account as a platform to discuss fan behavior and how there needs to be more accountability for people being drunken, abusive idiots. It’s hard to argue with that. Anyone who has attended a sporting event anywhere has seen such buffoonery. It’s OK to be loud and it’s fine to be passionate, but let’s not get personal, vulgar, or abusive toward those who play the game we love simple for wearing a different colored kit than the one your team wears.  

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  • Orlando City CEO Alex Leitao earned a CEO of the Year award from Orlando Business Journal.
  • The Orlando City Foundation needs your help to build the city’s largest community garden.
  • It’s been more than a thousand days since David Beckham’s group launched its attempt to get an MLS club off the ground in Miami and MLS is starting to look into all the delays.
  • After pleading guilty to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, ex-president of the Costa Rican Football Association, Eduardo Li, was banned from the game for life by FIFA's independent Ethics Committee on Friday.
  • Former Chicago Fire star and current mayor of Cuernavaca, Mexico, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, has been accused of ordering a murder.
  • In addition to that of our team captain, notable births on this date include Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin (1870), J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904), Green Acres star Eddie Albert (1906), jazz legend Charles Mingus (1922), TV producer Aaron Spelling (1923) — he gave us The Love Boat, Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels and Beverly Hills 90210 — actress Charlotte “Mrs. Garrett” Rae (1926), Glen Campbell (1936), Jack Nicholson (1937), Janet Evanovich (1943), John Waters (1946), Peter Frampton (1950), Paul Carrack (1951), Terry Francona (1959), Catherine Mary Stewart (1959), Ryan Stiles (1959), Jeffrey Dean Morgan — a.k.a. “Negan” — (1966), Marshawn Lynch (1986), David Luiz (1987), and John Obi Mikel (1987).

That’s all I’ve got for you today, my friends. Stay tuned to The Mane Land for full coverage of today’s Orlando Pride home opener and tomorrow’s Orlando City and OCB road matches. Play us out, birthday boy!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/28/25

Lions defeat Atlanta United, Pride bounce back against Angel City FC, OCB falls to New York Red Bulls II, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I will cover high school volleyball and soccer later this week. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B forward Thalles, who turns 20 today. Our beloved Lions finally won a match this month, the Pride bounced back with a win, and OCB lost over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Defeat Atlanta United at Home

Orlando City snapped its three-game winless streak and extended its unbeaten streak to seven games, beating rival Atlanta United 3-0 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Luis Muriel, Alex Freeman, and Marco Pasalic scored for the Lions. With Pasalic’s goal and assist in Saturday’s match against Atlanta, he added his name to the club record books by becoming the fourth player in club history to have seven goal contributions in his first 10 matches.

Orlando set a club record early in the match for the most consecutive shutout minutes. By the end of the match, Orlando had not conceded a goal in 436 minutes. The Lions’ last goal conceded was to Christian Ramirez in the 14th minute against the LA Galaxy last month. Orlando City will be on the road Saturday to take on the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field.

Pride Rally to Defeat Angel City FC at Home

The Orlando Pride completed the comeback, overcoming a 2-0 deficit late in the second half and defeating Angel City FC 3-2 Friday at Inter&Co Stadium. In the final 20 minutes, Marta and Barbra Banda scored to tie the match after Orlando trailed 2-0. Orlando also got an own goal in stoppage time from Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola and escaped with a win at home. The Pride bounced back after a defeat to the Washington Spirit the previous week. With the Kansas City Current losing to the North Carolina Courage over the weekend, the Pride are tied with the Current atop the NWSL table. After the match, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines shared his thoughts on his team’s resiliency to overturn a 2-0 deficit and fight back for the win at home.

The Pride will travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Thorns in their next match Saturday at Providence Park.

Orlando City B Falls at Home to New York Red Bulls II

Orlando City B started slowly and dug too deep a hole to climb out of on Sunday night in a 4-2 loss to New York Red Bulls II at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 early in the first half. Jhon Solis pulled one back for OCB before Red Bulls II added another goal to make it 3-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Justin Ellis scored to pull the Young Lions within one again before Ibrahim Kasule converted a penalty kick goal in stoppage time to seal the win against OCB. New York Red Bulls II moves to second in the Eastern Conference with 13 points, while Orlando City B has lost back-to-back matches and is in fifth with 11 points. OCB will be on the road Friday to take on Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium.

NWSL Announces Plans to Launch a Second Division Women’s League

The National Women’s Soccer League has submitted an application to the U.S. Soccer Federation to launch a second-division soccer league in 2026, the league announced on Friday. The plan for this new league is to focus on furthering player development and building a pipeline between the NWSL and the second division league, similar to Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT Pro. Eight clubs are reportedly set for the league’s inaugural season, including the Orlando Pride. Joining Orlando in committing to the league are Bay FC, the Kansas City Current, the North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Racing Louisville, the Seattle Reign, and the Washington Spirit. The Division 2 clubs would play in the same stadiums as their parent clubs. The season format would be a round robin, featuring 14 matches, home and away, and will include playoffs with two semifinals and a championship match.

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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: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

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That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

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