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Lion Links: 7/6/16

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Hellooooo, Lion Nation. I’m so excited to be hosting another Wednesday edition of your morning Lion Links here at The Mane Land.

You know, I used to feature on Links regularly for about six months last year, before I left sometime in the off-season — back when Orlando City hadn’t yet caused so many fans to scream in outrage over way too many things.

Back when things were simpler…

*goes into song and dance*

But anyway, we’ve got a great set of Links for you this morning, Modern Baseball is here! So stick around, and read what we’ve got to share for you.

Adrian Winter Says Goodbye

Orlando City officially confirmed on Tuesday that the club has mutually agreed with Adrian Winter to terminate his MLS contract, letting him return home to play in Switzerland. Winter decided last week to leave the club due to family reasons. The former Lions midfielder wrote a touching goodbye letter to the fans, thanking them for all of their support since his arrival to the club last summer.

From the Ruckus and Iron Lion Firm to all the amazing families I met who bleed purple, the support always gave me extra energy. I will cherish the memories that we created together. We can always celebrate together my first goal with the club at home against Sporting KC or the first game this season in front of 60,000 screaming fans to score the game-tying goal against Real Salt Lake. Keep up the great support because every great club needs fans like you!

Orlando City Looking to Make Moves

Speaking of Winter’s departure, the club is now forced into a situation of need as they look for his potential replacements, both within and outside the roster. Luckily the transfer window just opened up, giving the team the opportunity to find that replacement soon. Adrian Heath told MLSSoccer.com that the club is hoping to bring in "two or three players" during this window.

"We have known about Adrian’s situation for probably a week to 10 days," Heath explained. "We have enough people to cope at this time, but it does leave us a bit bare if we have any further injuries or suspensions, so we are actively looking to bring in two or three new players during the [transfer] window.

"Obviously it is not ideal because Adrian’s been playing well and was an important member of the group, on and off the field. But sometimes these things happen; sometimes your personal situation overtakes football, and we respect that."

Joe Bendik Up For MLS Save of the Week

Believe it or not, an Orlando City player actually did something admirable in the club’s 4-0 loss at FC Dallas on Monday night, with goalkeeper Joe Bendik earning his way into the MLS Save of the Week voting bracket with an outstanding point-blank save on Walker Zimmerman’s header off a corner in the 59th minute.

So go ahead and vote away for Joe this week. Somebody’s gotta pull in a win for this club.

Michael Cox Named to USL Team of the Week

Some more positive news for the club this week: Orlando City B forward Michael Cox was named to the USL Team of the Week after scoring the equalizer for OCB, which used its 1-1 draw with Charlotte to stay above the red line in the Eastern Conference. After a rough start, OCB has found a much better form of late.

Alex Morgan: “No Chance” of New CBA Before Olympics

The ongoing battle for equal pay for the USWNT continues to, well, go on, and Orlando Pride captain and United States star Alex Morgan recently said there are "slim to no chances" that a new collective bargaining agreement between the USWNT and the U.S. Soccer Federation is in place before the team heads to Rio for the Olympics next month.

"No I don't see that happening," Morgan said to SI Now's Maggie Gray in regards to the timing of the completed CBA talks. "The Olympics is a month away and we're still pretty far away. So I'd say that that's slim to no chances."

Free Kicks

UEFA wants to keep cute kids off of the field. What do you have against cute kids, UEFA?…The Argentinian FA is in utter chaos and continues to get worse…Maybe you missed this, but Gregg Berhalter pulled off a pretty baller scorpion kick from the sidelines last week…PBS lied to you on the Fourth of July…and finally, it’s never too late to celebrate Rick Monday.

One of the great things about our editor giving us the freedom to make Lion Links our own thing each morning is that I get the opportunity to throw my favorite music out here at the bottom, not only because it gives me an excuse to listen to it, but because I like to share some lesser-known acts with the world.

So this morning, I share with you Modern Baseball, a lesser-known rock band from Philadelphia.

That's if for today's Links. I wanna thank my editor, Michael Citro, for letting me be here, Scott Crumbly, the man editing this story, for making my story error-free, everybody that made these links for me to reproduce for you, and of course, Modern Baseball.

Have a great day, fam.

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.

Free Kicks


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.

Free Kicks


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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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