Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/24/16

Published

10 years ago

on

It’s Christmas Eve, Mane Landers, and I hope you’re all well and spending the holidays with loved ones. It’s going to be another 80-degree Christmas here in the Sunshine State and it’s hard to find anything wrong with that; you can’t beat the option to wear shorts in late December while the rest of the country freezes in the cold and the snow.

Orlando City fans must have been good this year because we’re reportedly getting major upgrades on the defensive end just in time for the holidays. There’s nothing like waking up on Christmas morning and finding a French center back under the tree. But until then, we’re going to have to wait patiently and to help you pass the time we’ve got a full slate of links for you.

Orlando’s Best Acquisition for Next Season

The turf monster at Camping World Stadium has claimed countless ligaments and tendons over the past two seasons. But now, professional soccer players won’t have to cower in terror every time they step out of the locker rooms. The all-grass pitch is finally installed at City’s new downtown stadium. You can check out a time lapse of the process here.

Matt Bruderek, the club’s groundskeeper, sat down with Simon Veness of MLSSoccer.com to discuss it and why it should help save some players’ seasons. Bruderek and his team have a lot of work ahead of them to make sure the surface is set and ready for the opening match.

Make or Break in 2017?

There are several players on Orlando City’s roster who have yet to deliver on high expectations. Two have landed on FourFourTwo’s “Now or Never” for 2017, but under different circumstances. For Carlos Rivas, it’s about showing more of the potential that earned him a Young Designated Player tag. He’s had his matches where he looks like a future star, but more often than not he’s attempting to peg someone in the last row with his shot attempts. With a full off-season under Jason Kreis, perhaps Rivas can find the net more than the parking lot in the upcoming season.

Brek Shea also has something to prove in the coming year, both at the club level and on the international stage. New USMNT manager Bruce Arena has made a point of trying to bring in more MLS talent to the national team. Unfortunately for Brek, he hasn’t made much of an impact in Orlando and that’s affected his prospects for the U.S. But with Arena at the helm and changes on the way, perhaps Shea can break back into the national team picture.

Alex Morgan Wins U.S. Goal of the Year

The Orlando Pride captain was up against goals from all age groups on both the men and women’s sides for the U.S., but her solo effort against Germany defeated strikes from the likes of Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, and Carli Loyd. Her equalizer helped the USWNT take the inaugural She Believes Cup, but the touch to corral the ball was world-class.

Pride Among Best New Crests for 2016

The folks at SportsLogos.net have come out with their lists for best and worst new team logos from the past year. Orlando had not one but two teams in the top 50 for best logo, with the Pride coming in at 39th. Surprisingly enough, the Orlando Waves came in at 13th. I wrongly assumed that this was the Magic’s new D-League team, and instead found out that the ABA is still a thing and Orlando now has two mediocre pro basketball teams.

Soccer teams were all over the sports logo landscape for 2016, with Bethlehem Steel and D.C. United landing in the top ten of the best category and four clubs in the top 10 worst new crests of the year. Minneapolis City SC was voted the worst, followed by Toledo United FC, Rayo OKC, and Kalamazoo FC.

Major Moves Around MLS

It’s been a busy few days around the league as teams gear up for the new year and a plethora of talent is on its way. Former Galaxy midfielder Juninho has returned from his stint in Liga MX to join the Chicago Fire, who already look to be much-improved from last year. Meanwhile, Atlanta United continued its run of top-level signings by bringing in USMNT fullback Greg Garza from the same club.

Seattle is quickly reloading after its first MLS Cup. The Sounders brought in talented midfielder Harry Shipp earlier in the week and now they’ve added big striker Will Bruin from the Houston Dynamo. The Sounders are making quick work of bringing in quality depth to make another push and potentially repeat in 2017.

That’s all we have for you for these Christmas Eve Lion Links. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy holidays from everyone here at The Mane Land.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

9 hours ago

on

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/18/26

Americans in midweek action, WAFCON takeaways, senior FIFA official fired, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 18, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda holding off a Washington Spirit defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It wasn’t a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three outfits combined to take just one point from the nine on offer. Fortunately, Orlando City gets an immediate opportunity to bounce back against the Chicago Fire Wednesday night, before all three teams are back in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to talk about today, so let’s have a look at the links.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing games during the working week, so get some of the highlights marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today when Tanner Tessmann and Lyon face Fenerbahce in UEFA Champions League qualifying. Wednesday features Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid kicking off their La Liga season against Malaga, before Folarin Balogun and Monaco face Gornik Zabrze in UEFA Conference League qualification play. The week then wraps up on Friday when Haji Wright and Coventry City open the Premier League season against Arsenal.

Takeaways from WAFCON

WAFCON 2026 is officially in the books, so what did we learn from this year’s tournament? For one thing, expanding from 12 teams to 16 was largely successful, as Cameroon won the trophy after getting into the tournament on the strength of its world ranking after being eliminated during qualifying. We also saw a competitive tournament that had some upsets, with first-time participants Malawi making a run all the way to the final, and Zambia failing to get out of the group stage despite racking up six points. That said, attendance was non-existent for matches not involving host Morocco, and the video review process wasn’t exactly speedy for the most part. Still, it was mostly a great tournament and a great showcase for African women’s soccer.

Kevin Lamour Leaves Position as FIFA Executive

Kevin Lamour has been fired from his position as FIFA’s chief operating officer just several weeks after strongly condemning Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Lamour said that FIFA’s leadership had been “deceived” when it came to the plan and that losing his job over his opposition to it would be worth it since he would at least be able to sleep well at night. Before his two years at FIFA, Lamour had previously worked alongside Infantino when the two men were at UEFA. FIFA confirmed his departure with a brief statement on Monday afternoon.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Most summer transfer windows will be closing soon, but we’ve still got plenty of rumors to discuss. We begin with a piece close to home, as Breel Embolo has reportedly rejected the personal terms offered to him by Atlanta United and is said to be negotiating with Ipswich Town. Speaking of the Premier League, Manchester City is reportedly still in pursuit of a deal for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez despite missing the Blues’ stated deadline of Aug. 14 to get a deal done. Moving to Spain, Real Madrid is reportedly interested in signing Martin Zubimendi from Arsenal and has already had contact with his representatives. Finally, Inter Milan is said to be interested in signing Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/17/26

Lions draw FC Cincinnati, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Image of Orlando City's starters pose for a pregame photo wearing their Archive Collection third kits.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m back to covering high school sports again for the fall season, with golf, soccer, and football this week. 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 FC Cincinnati at Home

Orlando City drew FC Cincinnati 1-1 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium. The Lions trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Tyrese Spicer’s early goal in the second half was enough for Orlando to secure a point at home. Orlando City hasn’t won in its last three matches across all competitions and will need to pick up wins down the stretch, with the club sitting outside the MLS playoff spots in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points. Before the match, Orlando City announced it had signed OCB midfielder Issah Haruna to a short-term contract. Haruna was on the bench but did not play against FC Cincinnati. The Lions have a quick turnaround, with two home matches this week. Orlando City will face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday and Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Pride’s Winless Run Continues with Loss at Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Portland struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the second half. Jacquie Ovalle scored the equalizer for Orlando, but in stoppage time, Caiya Hanks scored a late winner for Portland. Orlando has lost three consecutive matches. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Sunday against the Washington Spirit.

OCB Falls at Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B fell 2-0 to Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday. Robert Turdean scored the opening goal for Chicago in the first half, and the Fire took a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Damyan Villanueva added the insurance goal for Chicago, which won its third in four matches. The Young Lions have lost four consecutive matches. OCB will be on the road to take on Atlanta United 2 on Saturday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action abroad in Europe. Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten were both in action for Middlesbrough in a 2-1 win against Lincoln City on Saturday in the EFL Championship. Ricardo Pepi scored, and Sergino Dest notched an assist for PSV Eindhoven in a 2-1 win over Excelsior in the Eredivisie. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia as his side defeated Modena 3-2 in the Round of 64 in the Coppa Italia. Austin Trusty scored for Celtic, and Cameron Carter-Vickers was also in action in a 4-0 win against Dundee United, as the Scottish Premiership leaders advanced to the quarterfinals in the Scottish League Cup. On Sunday, former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench late in the second half for Villarreal in a 2-2 draw against Racing Santander in La Liga.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who is on loan at Dallas Trinity, scored her first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against the Tampa Bay Sun on Saturday in the USL Super League.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin scored for Southampton, but his side fell 2-1 to Watford on Sunday in the EFL Championship.
  • Atlanta United is reportedly close to signing forward Breel Embolo from Stade Rennes for an $18 million transfer fee.

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

Continue Reading

Trending