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Lion Links: 4/22/17

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Happy #FillTheBowl day, Mane Landers. The Pride have their long-awaited home opener this afternoon and I expect to see about 25,500 of you at Orlando City Stadium later today. If you’re out of town, you can catch the game on Lifetime at 4 p.m.

Before I go any further, I want to wish a happy 35th birthday to Orlando City captain Kaká. We’ve only seen Ricky for about 10 minutes this season but I feel like he’ll have some special moments for the 2017 Lions. While I’m at it, happy 30th birthday to former Lion David Mateos. Regardless of how you feel about his play, Mateos is a part of our club’s history and that makes him #ForeverALion in my book.

It’s also Earth Day, which is an actual thing that has been celebrated since 1970. So everyone go out and hug the planet before you commence reading the following Lion Links.

Kaká Closing in on Return

Speaking of our Brazilian birthday boy, Kaká has returned to training this week and even though there’s virtually no chance that he’s 90-minute match fit, the captain could potentially dress for the game Sunday at New York City FC. Kaká sustained a hamstring injury just minutes into the season opener against the very same NYCFC and hasn’t played since, but his return would be a welcome sight for a team that’s looking to score more goals. Jason Kreis said the captain will slowly do more and more in training after working out for about half the session starting Wednesday.

“No setbacks,” Orlando City head coach Jason Kreis said after the training session. “He’s piecing together a little bit more every single day. Yesterday, he did very little. Today, he did another block of the training. Then Friday and Saturday we look to build him up even more to potentially have him in contention for the game in New York City.”

The captain’s return was also the subject of an MLSsoccer.com roundtable discussion.

Oh, and more good news…center back Jose Aja is also training again.

Marta Meets the Press

The Pride unveiled star attacker Marta at the Marriott in Lake Mary yesterday before the Brazilian took part in her first training session with the club. Marta said her happiness outweighed any travel fatigue she was feeling after arriving from Stockholm, Sweden. She will be available for team selection today and although she may not start, she should see the field, as Head Coach Tom Sermanni said “I’m very confident she’ll be on the field tomorrow.” 

After the presser, Marta headed straight to training, where she met her new head coach.

Harris Must Have a Big Season

Our friends over at Stars and Stripes FC wrote this piece on the USWNT players who must come up big this season for their respective NWSL clubs. Among those called out to have a big year is Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. Writer Jessica Fletcher cites Orlando’s revamped back line as a reason that Harris must have a successful campaign or find herself struggling to get calls for the USWNT, as younger players are preparing to take the next step in the program.

This season the Pride have done a better job of putting competent defenders in front of Harris, including Australian international Alanna Kennedy and USWNT veteran Ali Krieger. So now it’s up to Harris to prove that she’s more than just an elite shot-stopper. In the past, she’s been criticized for her inability to organize her backline and questionable positioning in the box combined with overaggressive play. If the Pride are going to contend this year, Harris has to show that she can be a calm, organized goalkeeper.

Tim Howard Issues Statement on Altercation

USMNT and Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard will miss a few games, including his club’s trip to Orlando a week from today, for an altercation with fans at Sporting Kansas City. Howard took to his Facebook page and issued a public statement in which he apologized and took full responsibility for his actions. He also used his social media account as a platform to discuss fan behavior and how there needs to be more accountability for people being drunken, abusive idiots. It’s hard to argue with that. Anyone who has attended a sporting event anywhere has seen such buffoonery. It’s OK to be loud and it’s fine to be passionate, but let’s not get personal, vulgar, or abusive toward those who play the game we love simple for wearing a different colored kit than the one your team wears.  

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  • Orlando City CEO Alex Leitao earned a CEO of the Year award from Orlando Business Journal.
  • The Orlando City Foundation needs your help to build the city’s largest community garden.
  • It’s been more than a thousand days since David Beckham’s group launched its attempt to get an MLS club off the ground in Miami and MLS is starting to look into all the delays.
  • After pleading guilty to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, ex-president of the Costa Rican Football Association, Eduardo Li, was banned from the game for life by FIFA's independent Ethics Committee on Friday.
  • Former Chicago Fire star and current mayor of Cuernavaca, Mexico, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, has been accused of ordering a murder.
  • In addition to that of our team captain, notable births on this date include Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin (1870), J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904), Green Acres star Eddie Albert (1906), jazz legend Charles Mingus (1922), TV producer Aaron Spelling (1923) — he gave us The Love Boat, Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels and Beverly Hills 90210 — actress Charlotte “Mrs. Garrett” Rae (1926), Glen Campbell (1936), Jack Nicholson (1937), Janet Evanovich (1943), John Waters (1946), Peter Frampton (1950), Paul Carrack (1951), Terry Francona (1959), Catherine Mary Stewart (1959), Ryan Stiles (1959), Jeffrey Dean Morgan — a.k.a. “Negan” — (1966), Marshawn Lynch (1986), David Luiz (1987), and John Obi Mikel (1987).

That’s all I’ve got for you today, my friends. Stay tuned to The Mane Land for full coverage of today’s Orlando Pride home opener and tomorrow’s Orlando City and OCB road matches. Play us out, birthday boy!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

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That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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