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Lion Links: 1/13/17

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10 years ago

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Welcome to Friday the 13th, friends. With the SuperDraft set to take place in just a few short hours, there certainly will be plenty of MLS news to go around. Orlando City SC doesn’t hold a single pick for the first two rounds that will be featured this afternoon, but that doesn’t mean the Lions won’t be making a selection by the end of the day (they could trade for a pick). Until then, we’re going to jump right into some links.

MLS Schedule Released

After MLS announced all home openers, including OCSC’s against New York City FC, back in December, the league released the full schedule on Thursday. The Lions will get the opportunity to take on both newcomers to the league, Atlanta United and Minnesota United.

Orlando will face Atlanta twice in 10 days, the latter of which will be the first sporting event hosted at Atlanta’s new billion-dollar stadium. Minnesota, on the other hand, is likely to be the more interesting match-up of the two. Former Lions coach Adrian Heath will host Orlando City on May 27 at his new home, TCF Bank Stadium.

Jason Kreis’s side will face off against all Western Conference opponents once, and all Eastern Conference teams that are not New York City FC, Columbus Crew SC, or Atlanta United twice. Orlando City will face those three teams on three occasions, visiting Atlanta twice and hosting Columbus and New York twice.

Pride Select Evans and Driesse via NWSL Draft

The Orlando Pride entered Thursday’s NWSL College Draft with the 22nd and 32nd overall picks. With the No. 22 pick, Tom Sermanni’s side added forward Danica Evans. Evans is a regular for the United States U-23 team, and finished her final collegiate season at the University of Colorado with 11 goals and six assists. “I feel like I can bring a good work ethic. I like to think I’m good at finishing and scoring, so I hope I can bring some goals to the team this year,” Evans told our Austin David.

With the Pride’s second pick of the day, they addressed the midfield with Nickolette Driesse of Penn State. Driesse started her collegiate career at Florida State before wrapping up her final season as the Nittany Lions’ co-captain. Interestingly enough, she won a national championship with both teams. “It feels great, especially by Orlando. I have a few friends up there, so it’s really cool to have this opportunity, especially to play in the NWSL.” Driesse said.

Luke Boden Looking Forward to a Challenge in Tampa Bay

Luke Boden spent the past two years in MLS with Orlando City after four seasons in the USL with the club. Despite some interest from teams around the league, the veteran left back made the decision to transition back to the USL with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in order to stay close to home.

Over the course of his two MLS seasons, Boden made 43 appearances for the Lions, wrapping up his stint in Orlando with one goal and seven assists. With all of that said, he had some words as his first training session with Tampa Bay came to an end.

We wish Bodz the best with his new club. After six years of service to the club, he will always be a Lion in our hearts.

Mateos Turned Down China in Favor of OCSC

David Mateos arrived in Orlando in July 2015 after a career in Europe, including seven years in the Real Madrid system. Mateos was never able to leave his mark on the senior team in Madrid despite making the 18-man roster on a couple of occasions.

Before coming to Orlando, the 6-foot-3 center back made a stop in Hungary to ply his trade with Ferencvarosi TC. In three seasons with the club, he played an important role in them qualifying for Europa League.

In a rather fiery engagement via Twitter, 90’ Ninety announced that it had terminated its contract with Mateos after the Spaniard elected to fight for his place in Orlando.

I know next to nothing about this company that claims to have broken things off with Mateos, but even to me, this seems like a rather unprofessional way to go about things. Mateos apparently agreed with me, and fired this back in response.

Weird, I know. Mateos has yet to live up to the expectations when the club signed him nearly 18 months ago, but this along with the improvement seen in his first full season gives me hope. If Mateos turned down the money that China has to offer, then he’s okay in my book.

Alex Morgan Features on Cover of French Magazine

Just prior to Christmas, Alex Morgan’s move to French club Olympique Lyonnais became official. She joined the club for the remainder of its 2016-2017 season, and at its conclusion, she will return to the Pride.

She was highly sought out by Lyon’s chairman, Jean-Michel Aulas, and openly to say the least. Aside from any talks that may have been in the works, he consistently hinted at the opportunity for Morgan to join the club via Twitter. In reply to a tweet Morgan sent out promoting a TV series based upon children’s books, he responded with the intention of letting her know that Lyon had a spot waiting for her.

Now that Morgan’s high-profile move has been complete for sometime, the spotlight has moved away from her a bit. That was until, she featured on the cover of L’Equipe, a French magazine.

I trust you to figure out what “Irresisible” translates to.

That wraps up everything that I have for you today. Be sure to stay tuned to The Mane Land throughout the day as Austin David leads our coverage of the MLS SuperDraft. I hope that you make it through your final day at the office until Monday and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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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