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Lion Links: 8/25/16

Published

10 years ago

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You know what rules?

O’Doyle rules

The day after an Orlando City victory also rules. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen Wednesday night. So today does not rule.

With not much to celebrate, let’s get right to the links.

Jozy is a Jerk

OK, maybe that’s harsh, but USMNT striker Jozy Altidore ruins everything. Last night he ruined a game that saw Orlando City hold a red-hot Toronto FC side to a late 1-1 score line. The Lions were just moments away from a crucial point in the Eastern Conference playoff race and then Jozy the ruiner went and ruined it. Here is all the coverage you need from last night’s match:

Be sure to stop by later this morning for Austin David’s five takeaways from the game and a photo gallery by Carlos Romero.

Hope Solo suspended by U.S. Soccer

The biggest news in the soccer world broke Wednesday evening when it was announced that USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo is suspended from USWNT for the next six months for her comments after the Americans were knocked out of the Olympics by Sweden.

Later, U.S. Soccer announced it has terminated its contract with Solo.

If you missed it, Solo called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” after the U.S. lost in penalty kicks. (To be fair, Sweden did choose to remain neutral during WWII, but I don’t think that’s what she meant.)

Evidently, Solo’s past conduct was a factor in the decision from U.S. Soccer.

From U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati:

“Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. National Team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”

It seems that U.S. Soccer really wants to wash its hands of Solo. It should be noted Solo is the most outspoken player in the battle for fair pay. Solo has the right to appeal and probably will.

In the meantime, maybe Solo should look into joining WWE, where calling someone a coward makes for some of the best television in a decade.

Ashlyn Harris talks Pride playoff hopes

In what has felt like an underwhelming season given all of the preseason hype, the Orlando Pride are hanging on by a thread. But that hasn’t deterred goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris from thinking the club can make it to the postseason.

Harris told OrlandoCitySC.com that she and the rest of the club think they can make a late-season push for the playoffs.

“If anyone can do it, I know I can rise to the challenge and come up big for this team,” she said.

It’s good to see one of the top players on the team hasn’t given up, but it’s a tall task ahead of the Pride. The Pride are seven points out of the playoffs with five games left. Given that Harris hasn’t seen any action in almost a month, she’ll have to get in form quite quickly if she wants to help lead the Pride to the playoffs in the club’s inaugural season.

NWSL Targeting California for Expansion

Sticking with the NWSL, there’s still a chance we see the league grow in 2017. Commissioner Jeff Plush said the league is hoping to expand for a third time in its four years, hoping to add to its 10-team league.

Apparently, California is a top target. If Plush wants to add two teams to maintain an even number in the league, cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco would and should be prime candidates.

This would obviously be great for the league and the fans. The fact that there isn’t a team in California already is a bit confusing. But if the timing works out, which Plush notes will be difficult to make happen, it seems like California should be a no-brainer.

USL Player Suspended for Gay Slur Against Robbie Rogers

On Sunday afternoon, the LA Galaxy’s Robbie Rogers wrote this Facebook post, alleging that a USL player called him a gay slur throughout their match Saturday night.

Turns out that player is 31-year-old Richard Chaplow, and he will be out for the next two games because of his offensive language and verbal abuse. He was also fined an undisclosed amount.

Chaplow signed with the Orange County Blues on July 29, after spending his entire career overseas, where he either never played against a gay person, or he was allowed to be a prick. Either way, only a terrible person would use that kind of hateful language.

Props to the USL for making a statement to not stand for it. There are plenty of professional leagues that likely would have opted against any form of discipline if this happened.

Free Kicks

On Tuesday, a rumor made the rounds that the USMNT’s DeAndre Yedlin may be making a move to Newcastle from Tottenham. That move was finalized and announced Wednesday with the right back signing a five-year deal amid a reported $6.6 million transfer fee. Yedlin, 23, never made much of an impact with Tottenham and spent most of his two seasons on loan. FoxSports.com’s  Ryan Rosenblatt looked at whether this change would be good for the youngster.

Another USMNT player could also be on the move. Christian Pulisic may be on his way to Stoke City after the English club offered $23 million to pry him from Borussia Dortmund.

That’s all I’ve got for you today, folks. Enjoy your Thursday as we get set for New York City FC this weekend and the return of the Pride Friday night at Camping World Stadium.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/21/26

Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, MLS playoff changes reportedly coming, Hall of Fame finalists unveiled, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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August 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a bit of a rough month for all three of Orlando’s soccer teams, but hopefully they can turn things around this weekend. Things haven’t been great, but surely that just means things can only go up from here, right? Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride are on the road this weekend for a match against the Washington Spirit on Sunday. It’s been a cruel summer for the Pride, as they’ve lost four of their past five games and are currently 13th in the league standings. Despite being on a three-game winless streak, the Spirit are second in the standings and will be a tough opponent for the Pride to face on the road. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on where the team needs to improve in order to get a result away from home against one of the league’s top teams.

Changes Reportedly Coming to MLS Playoff Format

For the umpteenth time, MLS is reportedly planning on overhauling its playoff format. The changes would go into effect when the league changes its calendar and they include allowing 20 teams to qualify for the playoffs, with the overall league standings being used to determine those top 20 teams. After a play-in round, the remaining 16 teams will play in a double elimination format that also features reseeding between rounds. If these changes do come to pass, hopefully the league decides to stick with it rather than constantly fiddling it with it.

National Soccer Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

The finalists for the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s class of 2027 were announced, with nine candidates making the list in their first year of eligibility. Former Orlando Pride player Ali Krieger is one of those nine, along with Megan Rapinoe, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore. Central Florida native Graham Zusi was also named as a finalist. The two players who receive the most votes and are on at least half the ballots will make the Hall of Fame, with a third player able to make it if they’re on 75% of ballots.

Storylines Ahead of English Premier League Season

The English Premier League season begins today with Arsenal starting its title defense at home against Coventry City. Arsenal has a talented team once again, but it will be interesting to see how much of a challenge Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City can pose with new managers at the helm. Managers seem to be a focal point this season, as other storylines include whether or not Michael Carrick and Unai Emery can keep succeeding at Manchester United and Aston Villa, respectively. I’m just hoping we have an exciting title race by the time spring rolls around.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann tied with Robert Lewandowski for the second-highest rating of all MLS players in EA Sports FC 27.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/20/26

Orlando City defeated at home, Simone Jackson loaned to FC Rosengard, U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup roster unveiled, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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August 20, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

I think we can confidently say Orlando City’s Wednesday night excellence has come to an end after last night’s loss. I’m not going to claim the new kits are cursed after just two games, but I’ve bought some sage just in case. Before we get to that match and more in today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman.

Orlando City Falls at Home

The Lions hosted the Chicago Fire and got burned in a 2-1 loss that included a lengthy weather delay that paused things right before halftime. The Fire struck first with an early goal, but Orlando leveled things after the lightning storm passed. However, Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty kick from a needless foul in the box for the winner, with the Lions failing to claw their way back a second time. It’s a disappointing result at home and Orlando will need to figure things out before hosting Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Simone Jackson Heads to Sweden on Loan

The Orlando Pride loaned forward Simone Jackson to FC Rosengard in Sweden through June of 2027. Jackson was signed by the Pride in 2025 after four years playing collegiately at the University of Southern California and she has since made 20 appearances for the club. Hopefully this move gives her some more minutes to develop her game abroad so that she can make an impact with the Pride when she returns next summer.

U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster Announced

United States U-20 Women’s National Team Head Coach Vicky Jepson called up 21 players for the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next month, including eight from NWSL clubs. Goalkeeper Evan O’Steen, midfielders Kennedy Fuller and Nyanya Touray, and forward Emeri Adames are a few of the U.S. players to keep an eye out for this tournament.

The team will be without notable eligible players like Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, and Jordyn Bugg though, as youth tournaments take place outside of official FIFA windows when teams are required to release players. United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes also spoke on the importance of tournaments like this one to develop talent while uncertainty looms over the event due to UEFA’s boycott of FIFA competitions. The U.S. is set to start its campaign on Sept. 6 against Italy.

Americans to Watch in the English Premier League

The English Premier League season kicks off this weekend and there are a number of Americans to root for across the league. Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson are all still in the league but have new managers at the helm of their respective teams. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United avoided relegation last season and will look to build on that, while Haji Wright and Coventry City will fight to stay after earning promotion last season. Unfortunately, Wright will miss multiple weeks at the start of the season due to a quad injury.

Free Kicks

  • Alhassan Yusuf scored a hat trick in the New England Revolution’s 3-0 win over D.C. United, with Jack Harrison recording three assists.
  • Americans Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty both played every minute of Celtic’s 3-0 win over LASK in the first leg of its matchup against the Austrian club in UEFA Champions League qualifying
  • Bay FC announced that the club and midfielder Tess Boade mutually agreed to terminate her contract, which was set to end after this season. Boade had been with the club since being selected in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft and was the captain last season.
  • Aston Villa signed goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for a reported $40 million transfer fee. Suzuki played for Japan at the recent World Cup and it will be interesting to see what this move means for Emiliano Martinez’s future at the club.
  • Brighton is covering the cost of tickets for its fans who will be making the trip to the Arctic Circle for its UEFA Conference League playoff match against Tromso in Norway.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/19/26

Orlando City match day, Colin Guske reportedly being loaned to RSL, Banda is an MVP candidate, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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August 19, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Orlando City plays in a midweek match that thankfully isn’t a Leagues Cup match. There are those who will say they’re sad the Lions are out of Don Garber’s cash grab competition, but I’m not one of them. The U.S. Open Cup and the MLS regular season provide plenty of fixtures for now. The schedule congestion is real, as we can see this week. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Match Day

Orlando City hosts Robert Lewandowski and the Chicago Fire tonight in an Eastern Conference clash. Defending against Lewandowski and Philip Zinckernagel will be a tough task for the Lions’ defense. Orlando City will need its offense to keep pace with the Fire if the Lions are going to take any points from the match. It will be interesting to see both Antoine Griezmann and Lewandowski on the pitch at the same time. Here is your official match guide from the club. Our match preview will drop later this morning at 11 a.m. You can also listen to our thoughts on the match on The Mane Land PawedCast.

Go West, Young Guske

It appears that Orlando City is loaning midfielder/defender Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake, according to Tom Bogert. This is not entirely surprising given how crowded Orlando City’s defensive midfield is with Joran Gerbet and Wilder Cartagena healthy and Luis Otavio rounding into form, not to mention Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda once they return. It’s a good opportunity for Guske to get some minutes, given he’s a bit down on the depth chart with the senior team — far enough down to see more minutes recently at center back with the first team than in the midfield.

MVP Candidate Banda

Despite being away for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and not scoring in her first game back, Barbra Banda maintains her slim lead in the Golden Boot competition and is still a League MVP candidate. If she hopes to win either of those accolades, she will need to resume scoring. The upcoming match against the Washington Spirit this Sunday is the perfect opportunity to extend that lead.

U.S. National Team News

USMNT defender Mark McKenzie is reportedly returning to the Philadelphia Union and will occupy a Designated Player spot. Real Salt Lake’s 19-year-old forward Zavier Gozo has been signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace. Of course, there are other USMNT players already playing in Europe, and some are making a quick return to form following the World Cup. USWNT players are also experiencing ups and downs in the NWSL.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Nicholas Gioacchini is headed to CE Sabadell FC of the Segunda División in Spain.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates and we will also have a recap of the match. Vamos Orlando!

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