Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/14/17

Published

9 years ago

on

What's up, Mane Landers? It's amazing to think that we are now approaching week seven of this fantastic MLS season. Tomorrow, the Lions will look to continue their early season momentum with a match at home against the LA Galaxy. In the buildup to that game we've had a great week of news, so sit back and enjoy today's Lion Links.

Deakin Waived

Orlando City released midfielder Danny Deakin yesterday afternoon, which was a surprising move for its timing. Deakin, who may be re-signed to a USL contract, frees up an international roster slot with his departure. This could be a sign that another move is percolating for Jason Kreis and Niki Budalic. The Lions continue to add useful pieces and with the recent rash of injuries, another one wouldn’t be unwelcome.

Joe Bendik Recognized for Great Performances

Having a good goalkeeper is kind of like having a cup of coffee in the morning. You don't really appreciate it until you don't have it anymore. Personally, I think Joe Bendik doesn't get enough praise for what he does for Orlando City but he does seem to be receiving more and more of it. His goalkeeper coach, Tim Mulqueen, says Joe is good because he wants to be good.

“I think what comes across with Joe most is that he is a student of the game, and therefore his decision-making process is very good,” Mulqueen said. “He is very knowledgeable of his responsibilities within the team and he maintains great focus.

“He is obviously an excellent shot-stopper. We have seen it time and time again. I’d say he is one of the best right now, and his leadership of the group is tremendous.”

Orlando Pride are Excited for the Upcoming Season

For the Pride, last year was a bit of a mess. In the off-season, Head Coach Tom Sermanni has done a pretty good job of putting together a team that can really compete in 2017. Even though preseason games are often criticized, the team certainly looks much better just based off of those games. This weekend, the team will take to the pitch for its first league game of the season away against the Portland Thorns. Early on, the players seem to be extremely optimistic with the consensus being that they just want to win. It was a recurring theme throughout yesterday’s team Media Day event.

Orlando City Stadium Proving Beneficial for Parramore

Our new stadium has brought with it some rave reviews from around the league. While being a big part of sports culture, a stadium also gets a little bit of a bad reputation sometimes with regards to its impact on the surrounding community. A lot of times the traffic and noise is a hassle for locals, along with other problems. Luckily, it seems that the Parramore neighborhood has seen mostly positive changes since the arrival of the new stadium.

That sentiment continues through other major points throughout the neighborhood. At local barbershop institution J Henry’s, the mood veers from jubilant to cautious. It’s been a tough couple of years for owner J. Henry, who saw his business hit hard while the huge construction project ripped up much of his Church Street frontage.

But with foot traffic flowing again, he is seeing more money pouring into the neighborhood, especially on game days. “I have been the owner here since 1994 and it has been a time of great uncertainty,” Henry said on recent afternoon. “The good part is that we are now getting exposure and support, and people who didn’t come to this neighborhood in the past are now visiting, and they bring a very diverse group with them, the people who support soccer. I never imagined this would happen.”

NWSL to Broadcast Games on Go90

A big problem for American soccer in general is the lack of coverage. With the NWSL's new deal with go90, anyone in the United States can now watch every single game of the season. The deal means that 98 NWSL matches will air on go90 while there’ll be a weekly televised match on Lifetime. Tune in to Lifetime this Saturday at 3 p.m. to see the Pride in action in the network’s first ever national Game of the Week. Former U.S. Women's National Team star Julie Foudy will be co-hosting both the pregame and halftime show.

USWNT to Host Another SheBelieves Cup-Type Tournament

Last month, the U.S. hosted the second edition of the SheBelieves Cup, a tournament for the elite international women's teams. Even though they were on home soil, the Yanks actually didn't do so well, finishing last out of the four teams in the competition. Either the tournament was a big hit or they want a shot at redemption because the U.S. will be hosting the same type of tournament, this time from July 27 to Aug. 3. — a period that falls within a FIFA international window, minimizing its impact on the NWSL season. The July 29-30 weekend has no NWSL games scheduled due the international window, during which many players will be playing in the 2017 Women’s Euro.

Visiting the U.S. for the tourney are the national teams of Brazil, Australia, and Japan. The games will be of interest to Orlando Pride fans, due to the large percentage of the team that also plays on three of those four national teams. Tom Sermanni doesn’t have any Japanese players on his squad but there are plenty of American, Brazilian, and Aussie internationals wearing purple these days.

That wraps up today's Lion Links. Tomorrow should be really exciting as we get to see both Orlando City and the Pride play. Let's all hope for two wins tomorrow, and another tonight when OCB visits New York Red Bulls II.

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

3 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

4 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

5 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