Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/17

Published

9 years ago

on

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.  

Free Kicks

  • 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!

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 22, 2026

By

Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

Free Kicks

  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

Free Kicks

  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

Trending