Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/2/17

Published

9 years ago

on

Hello to all. Fans across MLS and especially those supporters of our beloved Orlando City Soccer Club should be enthralled that the season is only a few hours away. Tomorrow night marks the kickoff of the 2017 season as Minnesota United travels to Portland for an exciting opener at 9:30 ET. Orlando’s first match is Sunday and that will be something to look forward to all weekend long, but for now we have Lion Links. The Links are exciting today as we have a lot of news to share with you, so sit back, kick your feet up, and enjoy.

But before we jump into the Links The Mane Land would like to wish Orlando City goalkeeper Josh Saunders a very happy birthday.

Cyle Larin a Quiet Star

Yahoo! Sports soccer writer Leander Schaerlaeckens profiled Lions striker Cyle Larin, but an interesting thing happened during the interview. Schaerlaeckens noticed that, unlike many strikers, Larin was uncomfortable talking about himself.

At length, I crack up. “I have the impression you don’t enjoy talking about yourself very much,” I say.

He laughs at this. “I try not to,” he says.

“Why is that?”

“I guess I grew up in a humble house,” Larin offers. “I don’t know. My mom taught me not to, I guess.”

Check out the link above to get a unique look at a different kind of sports star.

New Home Expected to Help Bring Success

After two seasons of not making the playoffs, Orlando City is looking to make a push past the regular season in 2017. The desire to make the postseason is even greater now that the Lions have a home of their own.

The stadium should make an immediate impact this season, giving some of Orlando City’s more skillful players a natural surface on which to work. It will also ease the burden on the team’s current players, who now decrease their turf workload by 17 games. Trust that the grass surface will lessen the postgame training-room traffic.

The idea is that the new stadium will invigorate the fans and players with new hope. The team is looking better than ever, the fans are more ready than ever, and now is the time to shine in the Florida sun.

Orlando City Should be Better in 2017

SB Nation’s 2017 MLS Season Preview dropped yesterday, including predictions for the season and individual forecasts for every team. With new defenders presenting better stability across the back line, 2017 should be the year of vast improvement. The Orlando City preview points out that Jason Kreis’ emphasis on a stronger defense was apparent with recent signings.

The offseason concentration was on defense — the team’s Achilles heel through the first two years. Jonathan Spector, Donny Toia, and “PC” Victor Pagliari Giro bolster the defense, while the team may have taken a step backward offensively with the loss of Kevin Molino.

The ability to attack is prominent with the likes of Kaká and Cyle Larin leading the way, but if defense can stack up to the output of the Lions’ offense then fans will be treated to an improved season.

Orlando City Honors Parramore

With the new stadium sitting in downtown Orlando, the franchise has opted to honor the neighborhood it sits within — Parramore.

To honor Parramore, Orlando City unveiled a six panel historical display that illustrates the rich history of the people living in the community. The display will be a permanent addition to the stadium, on display outside the east gates. Kay Rawlins explained its importance to the stadium.

Six panels are to be located on the east side of the stadium to honor some of the more memorable and influential people and buildings in the community of Parramore.

USWNT Bests Germany in 1-0 SheBelieves Cup Win

The U.S. Women’s National Team hosted the German internationals in Philadelphia, where the Americans won 1-0 from a Lynn Williams clean-up shot. The rebound goal came in the 56th minute after a Christen Press shot ricocheted off of the crossbar.

The win furthers advances the USWNT’s recent domination of Germany, with the latter failing to win a game against the U.S. women in 14 consecutive matches over a period of 13 years. Orlando Pride striker Alex Morgan came on in the 79th minute, but neither Ashlyn Harris nor Ali Krieger made an appearance. The USWNT continues to fight in the SheBelieves Cup, with an upcoming match against England scheduled for Saturday.

Speaking of the Pride’s USWNT players, this story on Philly.com quotes Jill Ellis on Harris and Morgan. Krieger and Morgan are also interviewed.

MLS Kits Ranked by FOX Sports

The purple of Orlando City stood out most to the critics over at Fox Sports. Orlando City proudly ranks number four among the league’s best uniforms.

With royal purple, the Lions are blessed with one of richest colors in all of MLS. They haven't gotten too adventurous with the primary kit, but they've implemented a lot more gold this year. Last season's secondary kit, which is fine, sticks around.

Best feature: The purple, duh!

MLS Preseason Power Rankings

Out of 22 teams in Major League Soccer, Orlando City ranks in at spot number 15 in the overall preseason rankings presented by Sports Illustrated.

Kreis built a reputation as one of the best coaches in the United States with Real Salt Lake, but at NYCFC he struggled to get an expansion team full of talent off and running. His hire at Orlando halfway through last season was sold as a fresh start in a place where he’d have more control, but he couldn’t really get them playing better than his predecessor Adrian Heath could. This being Kreis’s first full season in charge, anything less than a playoff berth will be considered a failure. It’ll be a real shame if Kaka ends his MLS career with no postseason games played.

With the foundation that OCSC has built plus new signings and Kreis finding his way with the team, fans should see this ranking move up throughout the course of the season.

2017 U.S. Open Cup Format Announced

The United States Soccer Foundation revealed the format for the 99-team Open Cup tournament. With 99 teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, it will mark the largest number of squads to take place in the modern version of the tournament. Below is a little of what to expect:

The opening round will feature a Modern Era record 56 amateur clubs. 17 Open Division teams will join 21 Premier Development League (PDL) teams and 18 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) clubs.

Don Garber: MLS Expansion Will Stop at 28 Teams

Before his 18th season at the helm of MLS as commissioner, Don Garber sat and talked with Sky Sports. The following is transcribed by NBC Sports.

“We’ve just announced we are going to announce four new teams to go from 24 to 28 which would be the largest professional division one league in the world”

Thanks for taking a minute or two from your day to catch up on all things Orlando City and all things MLS. Your eyes are welcome travelers to The Mane Land each and every time. If you are in the mood for following someone on twitter that has awful opinions on all things nothing, then give me a follow: @awesomeniemeier.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

on

August 21, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

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

on

August 20, 2026

By

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!

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

4 days 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

Trending