Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/23/15

Published

on

I’m sure everyone’s recovering from Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, which probably caused its fair share of hangovers across the Orlandoverse. Here are some links to check out while you stew about Octavio Rivero and Canada.

Do you really want to relive that horrendous evening?

Yeah, why not? I usually throw a link to highlights from the previous game up anyway for review and criticism by our faithful fans. Re-watch the ending and discover new ways to hate Rivero while complaining about the lack of a scoring threat at center forward. MLS' Matthew Doyle tackled the question, so now it's your turn. It's a good way to waste a Monday.

Saturday brings a head-to-head battle with another Canadian club, the Montreal Impact. The match goes down in Olympic Stadium, a place that inspires hate in sports writers and Quebecois alike. This should be fun.

It’s call-up time and Orlando City’s invited

Another round of international call-ups are on the way and plenty of Lions are going. This will have an impact on Orlando City’s trip across the border: at least seven players should be unavailable Saturday and possibly the next week’s match against D.C. United. Three regular starters — Kevin Molino, Rafael Ramos and Brek Shea — will miss time so this will be a great test of the club’s depth.

Here's a full list of the U.S. call-ups for the upcoming friendlies against Denmark and Switzerland as well as USMNT's Olympic camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the U-20 camp in England. Finally, the entire list of MLS players heading to national team camps.

Expansion rumors, again

Sacramento’s still trying to get in on the MLS party after the Minnesota United-to-MLS rumors started to shift to fact over the past week. Several fans made the trek to Seattle to get some attention during a USL Pro match between Sacramento Republic and Seattle Sounders II.

Minnesota winning the bid will dent the chances of Sacramento and other interested markets but Don Garber's floating around the idea of expanding beyond 24 teams after 2020.

Full disclaimer: I live about an hour away from Toyota Field, which means I'm pulling for San Antonio to get a team. Texas can handle three. Who wants to play soccer in a foot of snow? Whatever.

A great Sunday for international soccer

A couple of huge rivalry matches took place in Europe on Sunday. First, a match between Manchester United and Liverpool with Champions League implications. Here are some good highlight packages of the match that have both of Juan Mata's terrific goals and future L.A. Galaxy Designated Player Steven Gerrard's unexplained red card.

Of course, all eyes were on Spain and the El Clasico in Barcelona. It's always a good time when Barcelona and Real Madrid play, and this edition didn't disappoint. Surprisingly, no red cards in this one. It's almost disappointing.

Let's learn about soccer.

We had a newcomer to soccer in our match thread who wants to learn more about the game and the feeling around here is that not enough people help spread knowledge about soccer to those who don't know and have interest. I hate that there are many who believe soccer should be exclusive to a small group, so I invite anyone with questions to ask them on my links thread. Don't be shy: we're all here to help.

That's all for now. Attack your Monday like Steven Gerrard attacked Ander Herrera's leg.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/16/25

Orlando City faces NYCFC, Marco Pasalic is an All-Star, OCB’s Jhon Solis transfers out, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s matchday in the City Beautiful as Orlando City hosts New York City FC in a crucial Eastern Conference bout. I know I’m in the minority, but I love Wednesday matches since I’m off work on Thursdays. That being said, if you have the opportunity, you should definitely head down to the match tonight. For now, let’s get to the links.

Lions Host the Pigeons

Orlando City welcomes New York City FC to Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The midweek match comes after a short turnaround following Saturday’s draw against CF Montreal. The Lions will need to get the offense back in gear to take all three points from NYCFC. Our own Ben Miller joined Hudson River Blue to answer questions for the opposition. Check back later today for our detailed preview of the match.

Pasalic is an All-Star

Marco Pasalic was named to the MLS All-Star squad by coach Nico Estévez. Pasalic joins Alex Freeman as the second Lion to represent Orlando City in the match. The MLS All-Stars will play a team of All-Stars from Liga MX. Pasalic is tied with Martin Ojeda for the team’s goal-scoring lead with 10. He also has four assists for the Lions. Pasalic is a worthy addition to the MLS All-Star Team, but it does beg the question why Ojeda didn’t also get an invitation.

So Long, Solis

Orlando City B has transferred midfielder Jhon Solis to Fortaleza C.E.I.F. of Liga BetPlay Dimayor — Colombia’s top tier. Solis made 70 appearances for the Young Lions since joining prior to the 2023 season. As a native of Medellín, Colombia, the 26-year-old is returning to his home country to continue his career. Solis wasn’t able to make the jump to Orlando City’s first team, but he was a consistent starter for OCB.

U.S. National Team News

Fresh off his appearances in the Concacaf Gold Cup, Patrick Agyemang has been transferred from Charlotte FC to Derby County in the English Championship. In sadder news, Aaron Long is out for the season after having surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles.

On the women’s side, USWNT coach Emma Hayes has great praise for Sam Coffey and her presence in the U.S. midfield.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match, and don’t forget to follow The Mane Land on Bluesky to get match updates. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/15/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, United States Men’s National Team announces friendlies, talking points about the women’s Euros, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Good morning, everyone. I write to you all from the great state of South Carolina, as I continue my summer of frequent and widespread traveling. We have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B’s Tristan Himes and get into today’s links!

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

A pair of Orlando City players have earned some recognition for their contributions during the Lions’ 1-1 draw with CF Montreal on Saturday. First up is Martin Ojeda, who garnered a nomination for the MLS Goal of the Matchday for this pinpoint, low free kick he scored which gave Orlando a lead in the first half.

We also can’t forget about Alex Freeman, who got a shoutout as a well-performing young player due to another solid performance at right back. Here’s hoping both men keep up the good work!

USMNT Announces October Friendlies

The United States Men’s National Team has announced that it will play friendlies against Ecuador and Australia during the October international window. The USMNT will face Ecuador on Oct. 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX, before playing Australia at Dick’s Sporting Good Park in Commerce City, CO. Both opponents are ranked in the top 25 in the world, and have already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The games are exactly the sort of contests that the U.S. should be scheduling in the buildup to the tournament, and it’ll be interesting to see the performances of whatever roster Mauricio Pochettino chooses to deploy.

Women’s Euro Talking Points

The group stage of the women’s European Championship has come to an end, and there are plenty of things to talk about while we wait for the knockout stages to start later this week. Teams like Italy and Sweden have exceeded the expectations that many people had for them ahead of the tournament starting, while others like the Netherlands and Denmark had poor showings compared to what was expected of them. Alexia Putellas has unsurprisingly shone, and the quarterfinal matchup between France and Germany is the one that many people will have circled on their calendars.

Club World Cup Takeaways

Now that the Club World Cup has come to a conclusion, what did we learn from the tournament? For one, the quality of play was mostly good, as teams certainly took the competition seriously. Lessons need to be learned when it comes to pricing tickets appropriately and not kicking games off in the middle of the day during the heat of summer, but if the right adjustments are made, it could grow into a really fun competition to look forward to. Brazilian fans were one of the highlights of the tournament, while extremely low attendance numbers for some games were more of a blemish. Overall, the tournament is probably a net positive, but there are absolutely things that can and must be improved upon if it’s going to continue in this form.

Free Kicks

  • Martin Ojeda has now gone seven straight matches with a goal contribution, which is a new club record!

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/14/25

Lions draw against CF Montreal, Pride players in action abroad, OCB wins, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work. Our Lions and OCB were both in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Drop Points in Home Draw against CF Montreal

Orlando City picked up a 1-1 draw against CF Montreal on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a good start in the first half as Martin Ojeda scored the opening goal. In the second half, defender Kyle Smith came off the bench and became the second player in club history to make 200 appearances for the club across all competitions.

However, Orlando was unable to hold onto the lead as Rodrigo Schlegel fouled Prince Owusu, and Montreal was awarded a penalty kick late in the second half. Owusu buried his shot from the spot to tie the match as the teams split the points. Orlando is winless in its last three matches and dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 35 points. Orlando City will face New York City FC Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Players in Women’s AFCON, Euros, and Copa America

Orlando Pride forwards Barbra Banda and Prisca Chilufya were in action for Zambia in their final group stage match in the 2025 Women’s African Cup of Nations against Congo DR over the weekend. Grace Chanda did not play, but Zambia defeated Congo 1-0 with a goal from Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji to book a spot in the quarterfinals.

Zambia finished second in the group behind host Morocco on goal difference with seven points. The Copper Queens will take on Nigeria Friday in the quarterfinals at Stade Larbi Zaouli. On Sunday, England crushed Wales 6-1 in the third match of the group stage in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench. England finished second in its group and will face Sweden Thursday in the quarterfinals. Lastly, Brazil was in action Sunday in the group stage of the 2025 Copa America Feminina against Venezuela. Orlando Pride forward Marta and midfielder Angelina played as Brazil defeated Venezuela 2-0.

OCB Beats Carolina Core FC at Home

Orlando City B beat Carolina Core FC 3-1 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions struck first with a goal from Justin Ellis. OCB held onto the lead through halftime. In the second half, Orlando City B won a penalty kick, and Ellis converted to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead. Carolina Core FC scored to pull within one, but Thalles scored his first goal for OCB late in the second half to clinch the three points. OCB won its first home match since June 6 and remains unbeaten in its last three matches. The Young Lions will be on the road to face New England Revolution II Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Chelsea Wins the FIFA Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Chelsea dominated PSG in the first half, as Cole Palmer scored twice and Joao Pedro added one. Palmer also assisted on Pedro’s goal. Palmer scored three goals and recorded two assists throughout the competition and won the Best Player of the Tournament Award. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain forward Desire Doue won the Best Young Player Award, and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia won the Golden Boot, scoring four goals in the tournament.

Free Kicks


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

Continue Reading

Trending