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Lion Links: 1/6/17

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8 years ago

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TGIF! The first weekend of the new year is upon us, and by now, way too many of us have already dropped the ball on our New Year’s resolutions. Hopefully that’s not you. Personally, I would rather not go into detail on the progress of mine. Let’s just say, it’s not going too well.

Regardless, plenty of news involving Orlando City SC personnel, past and present, has surfaced so let’s jump right into it.

Orlando City Dedicates Section to Pulse Victims

As pictures of the new stadium continually surfaced to tease us all, one couldn’t help but notice rainbow-colored seats. On Thursday, Phil Rawlins led a private ceremony to unveil the 49 seats as a tribute to the 49 people that lost their lives at the Pulse nightclub in the largest mass shooting by a single gunman in modern U.S. history. Rawlins went on to say that the seats are easily visible to anyone who visits the stadium. To be exact, they are in the middle of Section 12, honoring the devastating night of June 12.

"We made a commitment on that day that, which is that we would commemorate, forever, in the new stadium a memory of the 49 victims that lost their lives that day. And today we're here to do that. We're here to commemorate and unveil the 49 rainbow seats that will sit permanently in Section 12 of our new stadium as a constant reminder of the senseless acts of June 12." Rawlins said at the dedication.

It truly is a touching tribute, and a perfect way to use the beautiful game to bring people together. As expected, it was a huge hit.

Goalkeeper Coach Stewart Kerr joins Vancouver

After just one season as the Lions goalkeeper coach, Stewart Kerr has jumped ship to join the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kerr joined the staff under Adrian Heath in December 2015 and played a huge role in Joe Bendik’s breakout season.

Kerr, formerly a goalkeeper for Celtic, Brighton, and Wigan Athletic, was forced to retire at just 26 due to a back injury. He began his coaching career in 2008 with stops at Airdrie United, Motherwell, and Toronto FC before joining Orlando.

While the impact of Kerr’s departure on Bendik is yet to be seen, his decision isn’t all that surprising. Kerr has family in Canada, and given the offer from Vancouver, it’s easy to see why he decided to accept.

“Stewart approached us and expressed his intentions to move closer to his family in Canada. He has been an important part of our technical staff, but we respect and understand his decision to put his family first,” General Manager Niki Budalic said in a press release.

Luke Boden Joining Rowdies

Luke Boden has found a new home — in Tampa Bay. The veteran left back that made the jump from USL to MLS with Orlando City will sign with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL. Like Kerr, Boden elected to be close to his family despite interest from MLS clubs.

Boden came to Orlando after coming up through the youth ranks at Sheffield Wednesday in England. Several loan stints later, Boden made the decision to ply his trade in the U.S. The 28-year-old made 45 MLS appearances for the Lions in two years, starting in 43 of them.

Perhaps the best crossing fullback that has put on the purple shirt, Boden had his contract option declined after the 2016 season in which he saw significant less time on the field.

Cyle Larin Not Cleared to Play in Florida Cup All-Star Game

In Florida Cup’s third year, the tournament will include 14 clubs from seven different countries. The tournament plans to honor the victims of the Chapecoense team that lost their lives in a plane crash.

As part of the tournament, legends of the game along with well-known local players take the field for a 20-minute all-star exhibition. This year’s game is scheduled for Jan. 15 at UCF’s Brighthouse Networks Stadium.

In a turn of events, Orlando City will not clear Cyle Larin to play prior to annual medicals scheduled to take place during the last week of January. Larin was expected to be a part of the 22-man roster that will be released next week, and even featured in its promotional video. "The club's plan is to make him ready, fit, and healthy for our season," an Orlando City spokesman told the Orlando Sentinel.

Arena Calls Up 32 Players for January Camp

As expected, U.S. Soccer announced the players that new (old) head coach Bruce Arena has chosen to participate in this month’s camp that culminates in two friendlies against Serbia and Jamaica in San Diego and Chattanooga, respectively. January camp rarely resembles the full talent pool due to it being almost exclusively domestic-based players. Christian Pulisic is in the middle of a Champions League race, John Brooks and Fabian Johnson are seeing valuable minutes in the Bundesliga, and, understandably, their clubs aren’t interested in letting them go and risking injury elsewhere.

Arena’s 32-man roster exclusively features MLS talent representing 15 clubs. Unsurprisingly, Orlando City was one of those without representation. The players that will make their way into camp on Jan. 10 can be found in the linked article above.

A few names from the list jump out. Chris Wondolowski being named to the squad means that despite a new man in charge, it’s more of the same. It was Klinsmann’s unwavering loyalty to some players that put him in the line of fire from supporters. Wondolowski was definitely one of those players.

While Kekuta Manneh was always expected to make this list, he is currently in the process of completing his eligibility requirements to represent the United States and will be unable to participate in the friendlies at the end of camp.

Graham Zusi at right back sticks out like a sore thumb. Will the Zusi experiment provide better results than Brek Shea’s transition to left back? Let’s wait and see. Zusi’s club teammate, Benny Feilhaber, is back in the fold after falling completely out of favor under Klinsmann.

Phew, that was a lot. Hopefully you absorbed some of it and liked even a fraction of that. If not, I’ll try again next week. Until next time, have a great weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/17/25

Orlando City and Orlando Pride players on Team of the Week, USMNT Gold Cup continues, and more.

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9 hours ago

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June 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wedn…er…Tuesday, Mane Landers. That’s right, I’m here a day early and not a moment too late. Orlando is knee deep in soccer, thanks to the FIFA Club World Cup on top of our favorite Orlando City and Orlando Pride clubs. We will have coverage of the matches taking place in the City Beautiful. Before we get started today, join us in wishing a happy 25th birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Summer Yates. Now, let’s get to the links.

Schlegel Honored

Rodrigo Schlegel had a pretty good match against the Colorado Rapids. Despite not being named Man of the Match in our Player Grades, he did make the MLS Team of the Week bench. Meanwhile, Orlando held steady at the ninth spot in ESPN’s MLS Power Rankings, while dropping two spots from seventh to ninth in SI.com’s Power Rankings despite winning on the road. It just shows how very accurate and scientific power rankings are, doesn’t it?

Quadruple Honors for the Pride

The Orlando Pride saw Schlegel’s TotW Bench honor and said we can do better. Barbra Banda, Cori Dyke, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse all made the NWSL Team of the Week from the Attacking Third. Congratulations to the Pride for covering a third of the Attacking Third’s selections.

Moorhouse is also up for Player of the Week and Save of the Week. As of this morning, she is not leading either category so you know what to do.

The USMNT Gold Cup Journey Continues

The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage is underway, with the USMNT securing a 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Sunday evening. I’m always for beating Trinidad & Tobago, but more talented teams and tougher matches lie ahead. Next up for the USMNT is Saudi Arabia. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re correct. Saudi Arabia isn’t a Concacaf nation, but the team is the invitee for this Gold Cup. The match is Thursday night at 9:15 p.m. at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX. The U.S. will most likely need a win to secure the top spot in the group.

FIFA Club World Cup Results

The Club World Cup, which will visit Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium later today (we’ll be on hand with the coverage, naturally), continued early this week with Bayern Munich obliterating Auckland City 10-0, PSG defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0, Botafogo beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1, and Facundo Torres and Palmeiras drawing Porto 0-0 on Sunday. In the Monday slate, Chelsea defeated LAFC 2-0, and Boca Juniors and Benfica drew 2-2. Overshadowing all of this is the poor attendance, despite FIFA spending millions to boost said attendance.

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  • One might think that a club sitting second in the official standings on a three-match winning streak would have matching ranks in all the various power rankings. However, one would be wrong, because although the Pride are in the second spot in the SI.com Power Rankings, the club sits at third in the ESPN.com Power Rankings. Do I need to say anything?
  • You don’t often see Barcelona get passed over for an MLS club, but that is exactly what happened despite Barcelona calling FIFA to get a spot in the Club World Cup. That MLS club was LAFC, and it had to earn its way in by beating Club America.
  • Liverpool has set a date for the medical for Florian Wirtz following the record transfer.
  • Congratulations to Orlando City’s Alex Freeman on his performance in his first cap for the USMNT in a competitive match.

Stacked the stat sheet 📈– 10 duels won (led team)– 3 tackles won (led team)– 54 passes completed– 95% passing accuracy– 90 minutes played– 2 clearances– 2 fouls drawn– Clean sheet ✅

— Orlando City SC (@orlandocitysc.com) 2025-06-16T23:03:59.932Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the matches this week. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/16/25

Lions and Pride win, USMNT beats Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup opener, FIFA Club World Cup weekend recap, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you and belated happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. The Lions and the Pride both won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Colorado Rapids on the Road

Orlando City defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Martin Ojeda scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to snap their two-match winless streak. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves and earned his eighth clean sheet of the season. With the win, Orlando moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 30 points. Orlando City will be off this weekend but will be return to action June 25 on the road at St. Louis City.

Banda’s Goal Lifts Pride Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 1-0 Friday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. After a scoreless first half, Barbra Banda scored the only goal in the match — her eighth goal of the season — and the Pride held on for the win. It’s the team’s third straight 1-0 victory over Bay FC, and the Pride also claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season. Orlando has won three matches in a row and remains second in the NWSL table with 25 points. The Pride will be on the road to take on Racing Louisville Friday.

USMNT Dominates Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup Opener

The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 Sunday in the opening match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at PayPal Park. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. Malik Tillman scored twice, and Patrick Agyemang added one to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead before halftime. In the second half, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright each added a goal to extend the USMNT’s lead to 5-0. With the win, the Yanks snapped a four-match winless streak. The USMNT will take on Saudi Arabia Thursday night at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX.

FIFA Club World Cup Weekend Recap

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday, with Inter Miami and Al Ahly playing to a scoreless draw in the opening match of the group stage. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made eight saves, including a penalty kick saved in the 43rd minute against Trezeguet of Al Ahly as the teams split the points. On Sunday, Jamal Musiala scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10-0, Paris Saint-Germain routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Palmeiras and FC Porto ended in a scoreless draw. The Seattle Sounders battled Botafogo in the late match. Today’s matchups feature Chelsea taking on LAFC, Boca Juniors facing Benfica, and Flamengo taking on Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Tampa Bay Sun Wins USL Super League Championship

The Tampa Bay Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 after extra time to win the inaugural USL Super League championship on Saturday at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. Former Pride players Jordyn Listro and Erika Tymrak were part of the squad’s stellar run to its first championship title in the inaugural season of the USL Super League. After no goals came from either side during the 90 minutes of play, the match went to extra time, and Cecilie Floe scored the winning goal for the Sun. Sydny Nasello was named the 2025 USL Super League Final MVP.

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  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their dads a surprise phone call on Father’s Day.
  • PayPal Park will host the 2025 NWSL Championship match on Nov. 22.

From the home of legends to the stage of champions 🏆The 2025 NWSL Championship presented by Google Pixel is coming to the Bay Area and PayPal Park.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-13T12:14:48.657Z

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: 6/13/25

Orlando City prepares for the Colorado Rapids, Concacaf W Champions Cup schedule released, USWNT tops FIFA rankings, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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June 13, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! We have some exciting soccer ahead of us over the next few days, starting with the Orlando Pride’s road game against Bay FC tonight at 10 p.m. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working and visiting family for Father’s Day. Let’s go ahead and get this Friday started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for the Colorado Rapids

The Lions are back in action on Saturday for a road match in high altitude against the Colorado Rapids. Orlando City is coming off a needed break in the schedule after losing two games in a row to close out a busy May. The Rapids have also lost their past two league games and will be without goalkeeper Zack Steffen due to injury. This will be the team’s first match against the Rapids since a 2-0 victory in Orlando back in 2023 and the first in Colorado since a 1-1 draw in 2022. Hopefully the Lions can get back on track with a win to kickstart another strong summer.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Schedule Revealed

The schedule was unveiled for the Concacaf W Champions Cup and we now know where the Pride will be playing this fall. Their campaign will begin at Inter&Co Stadium against Costa Rican club LD Alajuelense on Sept. 2. They’ll then hit the road for their next two matches, playing Chorrillo FC in Panama on Sept. 16 before facing Club America on Sept. 30. The Pride will close out their group play with a home game against Pachuca on Oct. 15. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semifinals, and the winner of the tournament will earn a spot in both the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. It’s going to make for some late-season fixture congestion for the Pride, but that’s the price of success and earning a spot in continental competitions.

USWNT Remains Atop FIFA Rankings

The United States Women’s National Team is still the best team in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings. The U.S. lost points overall in the time since the last rankings in March though, and the gap has narrowed between it and Spain and Germany. Brazil had a decent rise in the rankings, moving up four spots to fourth after beating Japan twice in recent friendlies. With notable international tournaments lined up for this summer, it will be interesting to see how much things shake up when the next rankings come out.

Michael Bradley Named New York Red Bulls II Head Coach

Former USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley was hired as head coach of the MLS NEXT Pro’s New York Red Bulls II. It’s the 37-year-old’s first professional head coaching job after spending time as an assistant coach under his father, Bob Bradley, at Stabaek in Norway. Bradley returns to where he began his professional playing career, as he was drafted by the MetroStars in 2004 at the age of 16.

“I couldn’t be more excited to come back to where my professional playing career began,” says Head Coach Michael Bradley. “This is a dream opportunity as a young coach. I’m looking forward to working everyday with this talented group of players, and I’ll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers. I’m thankful to the club for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

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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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