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Lion Links: 7/27/15

Published

11 years ago

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In the end, it just wasn’t enough. Not Cyle Larin’s hat trick. Not the strong contingent of traveling Orlando City supporters. And not the New York City FC tifo that looked like something I drew up in art class when I was six.

In front of a packed Yankee Stadium that saw Andrea Pirlo make his MLS debut, the Lions just couldn’t get it done against NYCFC, falling 5-3 in a game that featured abysmal defending and a pitch that felt like it was made for Little Leaguers.

So grab a friend, grab a drink (OJ for now, but all bets are off after 5 p.m.) and let's try and process what happened on a Sunday we'd probably all like to forget.

Recapping the Loss to New York City FC

You know the drill…

And remember, we get one more shot at NYCFC later this season at the Citrus Bowl. Plus, we'll always have "Lapmard":

A Look at Darwin Cerén's Remarkable Story

He may not be the flashiest or most well-known player on Orlando City's roster, but Darwin Cerén has been essential in stabilizing the Lion's oft-injured midfield this season.

Paul Tenorio took a look back at Cerén's journey from El Salvador to the City Beautiful, profiling the player in the Orlando Sentinel.

Starting out as a construction worker in his native country, Cerén received permission from his boss to miss work for a tryout with a second-division Salvadorian side. Six years later, the plucky midfielder has become a regular member of his national team and a key player with Orlando City, teaming up with Kaká, who was playing with Real Madrid when Cerén was working construction in El Salvador, to power the Lions' offensive attack.

Conor Donovan Loaned to Pittsburgh

Earlier in the week, Adrian Heath said he wanted to find playing time for a number of young players, including Sidney Rivera, who recently returned from Louisville City FC. One of those players, rookie defender Conor Donovan, found a new temporary home with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Hopefully Conor will get some much-needed professional experience, and a whole lot of minutes.

Klinsmann in Trouble After Gold Cup Flameout?

The USMNT's performance at the 2015 Gold Cup was…disappointing. Failing to reach the tournament final for the first time in over a decade was bad enough, but the way the national team played during CONCACAF's biennial championship has left many wondering if head coach Jurgen Klinsmann could lose his job.

To recap, the Americans won their group behind less-than-convincing victories over Honduras and Haiti, before drawing with Panama in the group stage finale. They thrashed Cuba 6-0, before losing to Jamaica in the semifinals. On Saturday, the U.S. lost to Panama on penalty kicks in the consolation game, good for a fourth-place finish in the tournament — their worst showing since 2000.

Cleary, this is not good news.

The question becomes whether it's bad enough to cost Klinsmann his job in charge of the national team. Keep in mind that a loss in the 2011 Gold Cup Final was enough for U.S. Soccer to show former manager Bob Bradley the door.

Sunlil Gulati stood by Klinsmann immediately after the consolation loss, playing down comparisons between Bradley’s post-Gold Cup exit and what the future may hold for Klinsmann. He also offered his thoughts on the current state of the national team.

"Progress is not linear for anyone," Gulati said. "There are bumps along the way. This is totally a bump. The team was certainly on a high in the spring. And today’s a low. But those are the norms for everyone."

Others have been less supportive of Klinsmann's tenure and expressed concern about the state of the USMNT moving forward. While it seems unlikely that the U.S. will make a head coaching change in the coming days, if the national team drops its Confederation Cup playoff in the fall, we could be in for some serious USMNT drama.

Kaká Takes New York

Until someone uncovers the REAL montage of Kaká's week in New York City (I'm imagining him trying his first hot dog, visiting the Statue of Liberty, and going on a carriage ride with Sean St. Ledger through Central Park), this video from OrlandoCitySC.com will have to do.

Orlando City’s captain continues to show he’s serious about his role as an ambassador for both MLS and the game of soccer in the United States, having made these stops around NYC ahead of Sunday’s game. And as long as he’s wearing purple, he can spend as much time in the Big Apple as he wants.

Drogba to Montreal Seems All But Done

An article on ESPNFC today confirmed that the Montreal Impact are indeed preparing to sign Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, after acquiring the rights to the forward from the Chicago Fire.

The Fire reportedly received upwards of $100,000 in allocation money for a move that was basically arbitrary after Drogba decided he wanted to play for Montreal, where his native language of French is spoken. It marks the second time in a year that the Fire have missed out on a big-time target after they saw Jermaine Jones sign with the New England Revolution last season, following a blind draw between the two clubs.

That's it for Lion Links today. Remember that Tom Petty song "Free Falling?" That's a good song.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/19/26

Lions set for international duty, lessons from MLS matchday 14, Austin FC makes changes at the top, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

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May 19, 2026

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Image of Marco Pasalic saluting the fans.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! It wasn’t a particularly successful weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but we don’t have time to dwell on the past. Orlando City is set for a big U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against Atlanta United tonight, and all three teams will be back in action over the weekend. We’ve got a whole host of things to talk about today, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Lions Called Up for International Duty

A busy summer break from MLS is almost upon us, and that means that the international call-ups are starting to roll in. Gustavo Caraballo will be joining Venezuela’s U-20 outfit as it gets ready for an upcoming youth tournament.

In addition, Marco Pasalic has been named to Croatia’s World Cup squad, so Orlando City will be represented on the biggest stage.

Congrats to both players!

Lessons from Matchday 14

Matchday 14 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so let’s take a look at what we learned from the weekend’s action. For one thing, despite a slightly slow start to the season by his high standards, Hany Mukhtar’s hat trick against LAFC proved that he should still be considered among the league’s elite. Marco Reus flashed his versatility in the LA Galaxy’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, as he played striker and got an assist on LA’s first goal. Finally, while its too early to say things are definitely turned around for Sporting Kansas City, back-to-back wins means that there’s at least something to get excited about, and that’s very welcome in a season that’s been difficult for the most part. The spine of Sporting’s midfield looked improved on Saturday, and having Dejan Jovelic up top is never going to hurt a team’s chances.

Austin FC Makes Personnel Changes

Austin FC followed in the footsteps of the Columbus Crew by announcing the firing of head coach Nico Estevez on Monday. Where Austin went a step further was by also firing sporting director Rodolfo Borrell. The team has begun searches for permanent appointments to both positions immediately, while naming Davy Arnaud as interim manager in what will be his second stint in that role with the club. Austin has endured a difficult start to the season and is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 3-6-5 and 14 points from 14 matches. The 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday seems to have been the final straw, and Austin will now be seeking its third permanent head coach since becoming an MLS club.

Americans in Midweek Action

Most major European seasons have already wrapped up or will be doing so shortly, but there’s still a number of Americans who will be competing during the working week. Things get started later today when Tyler Adams and Bournemouth play host to Manchester City in Premier League action. The stakes ratchet up considerably on Thursday when Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg play Paderborn in the first leg of the Bundesliga’s promotion/relegation tie. Things then finish up on Friday when Yunus Musah and Atalanta travel to take on Fiorentina in Serie A.

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That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/18/26

Lions draw Atlanta United, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 18, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey playing against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering high school playoff water polo and soccer. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Atlanta United

Orlando City drew Atlanta United 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Griffin Dorsey scored the opener for the Lions in the first half. Orlando was moments away from securing back-to-back wins. However, the Lions could not hold onto the lead, as Jay Fortune scored a late equalizer for Atlanta, and both teams ended up with a point. It will be a busy week for Orlando City, facing Atlanta United again Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup at home, followed by a road trip to take on FC Cincinnati Saturday at TQL Stadium.

Pride Fall to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride fell 3-1 in their first road match against Denver Summit FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. It’s the second consecutive match in a week the Pride have lost to a 2026 NWSL expansion team on the road, following a defeat to Boston Legacy FC on Tuesday. Orlando conceded the first goal and trailed 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, Janine Sonis scored a penalty kick goal to give Denver a 2-0 lead. Angelina was sent off with a red card before Barbra Banda pulled one back, but Sonis added her second goal immediately after the Pride scored to put away Denver’s first-ever home win. The Pride will look to bounce back on the road, taking on the San Diego Wave Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

OCB Concedes Late in 1-0 Road Loss to New England Revolution II

Orlando City B fell 1-0 to New England Revolution II on the road Sunday at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to score throughout the match, and it looked like the match was heading to a 0-0 draw and a shootout. However, Judah Siqueira scored a winner for New England in the dying moments of the match for the hosts. The result ends the Young Lions’ four-match points streak. OCB will return home to face Inter Miami II Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Americans Abroad

Auston Trusty played a full 90 minutes and helped Celtic overturn a 1-0 deficit to complete the comeback and defeat Hearts 3-1 to secure the club’s fifth straight Scottish Premiership title. Antonee Robinson scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chris Richards came off the bench and played 29 minutes for Crystal Palace in a 2-2 draw against Brentford but suffered an ankle injury toward the end of the match. Christian Pulisic made his return to AC Milan after being sidelined with a lower back injury and came off the bench in the second half in a 2-1 win against Genoa. Ricardo Pepi scored for PSV Eindhoven in a 5-1 win against FC Twente. George Bello and Sam Adeniran helped LASK capture its first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965, defeating Austria Vienna 3-0 and booking a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League playoff round.

Manchester City Defeats Chelsea to Win FA Cup

Manchester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium Saturday to win the English FA Cup. After a scoreless first half, Antoine Semenyo’s lone goal in the second half was enough to pull Manchester City to victory and keep the club’s domestic treble hopes alive. It’s Manchester City’s second FA Cup trophy in four years.

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  • Orlando City midfielder Gustavo Caraballo has been called up to the Venezuela U-20 Men’s National Team for the upcoming Maurice Revello Tournament in France.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner gave birth to her first child over the weekend.

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: 5/15/26

Martin Ojeda earns recognition, Orlando City prepares for Atlanta United, Orlando Pride set to face the Denver Summit, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 15, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s plenty of soccer ahead of us to look forward to this weekend, including a pair of games on Saturday. Apart from the soccer, I’ll be spending the next few days tearing my way through some mystery novels for a book club and trying out a new cinnamon roll pancake recipe. Cooking tends to either go swimmingly or horribly for me, so keep any spare fingers crossed for me. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Martin Ojeda Earns Praise After Winning Goal

Orlando City star Martin Ojeda’s diving header secured a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Union was chosen as the MLS Moment of the Matchday. Given how a league-record 58 goals were scored during Wednesday’s slate of games, it’s an impressive honor for Ojeda to receive. That winner was Ojeda’s second goal of the game and he has now scored 10 game-winning goals in his time as a Lion. The 27-year-old also made the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday for his role in the win.

Orlando City Prepares for Atlanta United

The Lions will look to keep the good times rolling on Saturday when they play Atlanta United in a rivalry game at home. While its defense has been a sieve all season, Orlando’s offense is finding its footing and should benefit from Marco Pasalic’s return from injury. Following this match, the two teams will turn right back around and face each other at Inter&Co Stadium again on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup each coach opts for on Saturday given the short time between the matches.

Orlando Pride Face the Denver Summit on Saturday

The Orlando Pride are also in action on Saturday and will play the Denver Summit in the club’s first-ever road game against the expansion side. The Pride are coming off of a frustrating 2-1 loss on the road to the Boston Legacy on Tuesday, while the Summit’s last game was on Saturday, when they thrashed the Houston Dash 4-1. While Barbra Banda leads the league with eight goals so far this season, Denver’s Natasha Flint has scored in three consecutive games and the Pride will need to find a way to stop her from extending that streak on Saturday. Other notable NWSL games to watch this weekend include the Washington Spirit putting their five-game win streak on the line tonight against the San Diego Wave and Sunday’s matchup between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC.

Sam Kerr Officially Exiting Chelsea

Australian striker Sam Kerr announced that she’s leaving Chelsea once her contract is up following this Women’s Super League season. She’s played for Chelsea for the past six years, scoring 115 goals across all competitions and winning the league title five times and the Golden Boot twice. The 32-year-old has been linked with a return to the NWSL to join the Denver Summit earlier this year, so we’ll see if that comes to pass. If so, I’m glad the Pride would already have both of their matches against the Summit out of the way by the time of her arrival.

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That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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