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Lion Links: 4/29/17

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9 years ago

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Happy Saturday, Mane Landers! Today is another very exciting game day. This time the Lions will protect our fantastic fortress against the Colorado Rapids. It should be another great game, just like today’s great Lion Links. We start you off with an injury update on Kaká.

Kaká “Likely” to Feature vs. Colorado Rapids

This season has been a bit of an odd one for Orlando City SC. After eight weeks, the club is top of the Eastern Conference table with two games in hand on second-place Columbus Crew and Kaká has played about 10 minutes. Of course, you’ve heard that a million times now, but no matter how many times we acknowledge it, it will still seem surreal. Of course, even with the club’s great form it will be great to see our Brazilian superstar back on the pitch. According to Orlandosentinel.com, his return could come today. His role will likely be coming off of the bench and will surely be met with a loud roar from the crowd. Whether he can complement applause with his play we’ll just have to wait and see.

Cyle Larin’s Value Identified Based on Past Transfers

It seems every month there are more and more transfer rumors about Cyle Larin. I hate just thinking of him leaving. Even more scary: he might not even last this season with Orlando. In this relatively young season, Larin has been averaging a goal a game after playing six games. It doesn't take a math wiz or a master scout to know that  is an excellent rate that will draw attention from big clubs. One concern Lions fans have is whether or not he will be sold for the right price. To identify the right price you can look at some of the other marquee transfers from MLS history. So far, the record is $10 million (Jozy Altidore) and quite frankly I wouldn't be shocked to see a similar figure offered for the Canadian wonderkid. Let us know how you'd feel if the Lions sold Larin for a similar amount of money.

Orlando City – Colorado Rapids Storylines

Orlando City will try try to continue its perfect home record (4-0-0) today when the Lions face the Colorado Rapids. Two defensive sides playing each other may not sound appealing but there are some interesting things to look out for in the game. One key thing to look for is whether or not Cyle Larin will strike again. He has been rampant this season and the Rapids better be prepared for his worst as he has been very consistent of late.

Vote on Tampa Bay’s Stadium Referendum Next Week

Being the only MLS team in the southeast I think a lot of Orlando City fans were excited to have Atlanta United enter the league. There has been talk for a while now about another team — either in Miami or Tampa — joining us in Florida and personally I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it gives us a clear rival, but on the other, they could take the attention off of us and divide the Central Florida fan base. I particularly believe the negative argument should be applied to the Tampa Bay Rowdies' expansion bid. All opinions aside, next Tuesday the Tampa community will be voting on whether or not to approve a lease with the city of St. Petersburg that would allow the club to upgrade Al Lang Stadium. Even if the vote passes, that doesn't mean they will be accepted into the MLS family. What it does mean is that they will have taken a key step in their bid, one Miami FC has tried and failed to take for three years.

Phoenix Rising FC Sign Former Lion Eric Avila

Many of you might remember Eric Avila from his time with Orlando City in the club’s inaugural season. He made 21 appearances in his one year with OCSC before joining the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Now he has made the move away from Central Florida to Phoenix Rising FC. Though I'm sure he'd love to make a return to MLS, Avila is now the envy of all USL midfielders because he gets to try and get the ball to international stars Didier Drogba and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Orlando City Youth Star Jordan Bender Fourth Best U-17 Player in Florida

It is always great to see youth players from our very own Orlando City shine and Jordan Bender is another prime example. Earlier this year, Bender was called up to feature for the U-16 Boys National Team and now he has received another impressive accolade. In the latest edition of Florida's youth soccer regional rankings, Bender has made the big leap from 25th to fourth place on the list. He is known as one of the best young forwards in the nation and perhaps could play for our senior team one day.

That wraps up today’s lion links. Enjoy today’s match. For now we leave you with this:

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/28/26

Takeaways from MLS matchday 10, Americans in midweek action, Vancouver Whitecaps may be relocated, and more.

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18 hours ago

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April 28, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda with the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B was the only one of the three sides to get a result. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us as Orlando City will be in action twice, the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, and OCB takes on Crown Legacy to round off the week on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, so let’s jump into the links.

MLS Matchday 10 Lessons

Matchday 10 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have done a very good job of reloading from the off-season losses of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. New faces Cheikh Sabaly and Bruno Caicedo have been finding their feet and both had goal involvements in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Matt Turner looks to be rediscovering some of his best form as he made nine saves in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. New York City FC’s Matt Freese has been the frontrunner to start in goal for the United States Men’s National Team at the World Cup this summer, but based on his league performances, Turner could make a late charge.

Americans in Midweek Action

Plenty of Americans will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s have a look at the schedule. Things get started Wednesday, when Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC play Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Wednesday has Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid hosting Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for the first leg of a UEFA Conference League semifinal. The action wraps up on Friday when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Burnley in a Premier League tilt.

Relocation Possible for Vancouver Whitecaps

A special committee of MLS owners reportedly met earlier in April to discuss the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Specifically, Las Vegas is said to have been the primary relocation option discussed at the meeting. It’s been two decades since a team was relocated, as the last franchise to move were the San Jose Earthquakes, who went to Houston and became the Dynamo before being replaced with another San Jose expansion team two years later. Other cities said to be interested in landing a team include Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, with Phoenix reportedly one of the main candidates being considered for relocation alongside Vegas. In the meantime, the Whitecaps remain up for sale while the team tries to find an in-market stadium solution, as the team’s lease with BC Place expires at the end of the year.

High Profile Injuries Continue

The 2025-2026 European season has seen a number of high profile injuries, and that’s a trend that unfortunately continued over the weekend. Xavi Simons suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for a significant amount of time. Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappe has a left hamstring injury, and he could reportedly miss the May 10 Clasico match against Barcelona as well as the rest of the La Liga season. AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric fractured his left cheekbone in the team’s 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday and had surgery to repair the damage. His club season is over, but Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is confident that he will be healthy in time for the World Cup.

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  • FIFA will reportedly increase the number of times that yellow cards are wiped away at this summer’s World Cup.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/27/26

Lions and Pride lose, OCB draws Chicago Fire II, FA Cup semifinals recap, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 27, 2026

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Image of the OCB squad before the team's game March 8, 2026 vs. Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work and looking forward to covering some high school soccer and lacrosse this week. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who turned 22 Sunday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blow Late Lead in Defeat to D.C. United

Orlando City fell 3-2 to D.C. United Saturday at Audi Field. Jackson Hopkins scored the opener for D.C. United early in the first half. In the second half, Justin Ellis equalized for the Lions, and Tyrese Spicer added another goal to give Orlando a 2-1 lead. However, the Lions couldn’t hang on to the lead as D.C. United scored two late goals in six minutes to pull out a win at the death. It will be another busy week for the Lions with a road trip to New England to face the Revolution in a round-of-16 U.S. Open Cup match Wednesday, followed by another road match Saturday against Inter Miami at Nu Stadium.

Pride Fall to Racing Louisville on the Road

The Orlando Pride fell 3-2 to Racing Louisville FC Friday at Lynn Family Stadium, continuing their winless streak in Kentucky. Louisville struck first with a goal from Lauren Milliet to take a 1-0 lead, but Barbra Banda buried the equalizer for the Pride to level the match before halftime. However, Louisville scored two early second-half goals to take a 3-1 lead before Banda pulled one back to make it 3-2 late in stoppage time, but Louisville held on to pick up its first win of the season. With that result, the Orlando Pride’s four-match unbeaten streak came to an end. The Pride will look to bounce back Saturday, taking on the Washington Spirit at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 2-2 Draw vs. Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B came from behind to draw 2-2 against Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium Sunday. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime, but in the second half, OCB got a break as Chicago goalkeeper Owen Pratt scored an own goal to pull the Young Lions within one. Late in stoppage time, Nicolas Lasheras scored the equalizer for OCB. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-2 to earn a second point. OCB’s next match will be at home against Crown Legacy Sunday.

FA Cup Semifinals Recap

The FA Cup final is set after the semifinals concluded over the weekend at Wembley Stadium. On Saturday, after a scoreless first half, all the goals came in the second half as Finn Azaz scored the opener to give Southampton the lead, but Manchester City was able to overturn the deficit on goals from Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez to seal a 2-1 win against Southampton to advance to the FA Cup final for the fourth consecutive time. On Sunday, Enzo Fernandez’s lone goal in the first half was enough to pull Chelsea to a 1-0 win against Leeds United to book a spot in the final to face Manchester City. The FA Cup final will take place on May 16 at Wembley Stadium.

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That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/26

Martin Ojeda and Luis Otavio honored, Orlando Pride play Racing Louisville today, USWNT announces Brazil friendlies, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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April 24, 2026

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Image of Haley McCutcheon, Luana, and Angelina celebrating Orlando's win over Portland.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I’m still energized from Orlando City’s victory on Wednesday and am hoping the winning trend continues tonight and through the weekend as we get ready for three straight days of Orlando soccer. Let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Martin Ojeda, Luis Otavio Honored on MLS Team of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Martin Ojeda claimed a spot on the latest MLS Team of the Matchday after scoring twice in the second half to lift the Lions to a 4-1 win over Charlotte FC on Wednesday. It was a welcome return to form for Ojeda, who amassed 31 goal contributions last season but was off to a slow start this year. Midfielder Luis Otavio scored his first goal as a Lion in the match and was named to the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday as well. The 19-year-old’s goal was struck with the outside of his foot and was one of the wilder moments from an exciting night of MLS soccer that included 43 goals across 11 games.

Orlando Pride Play Racing Louisville Today

With the international break over, the Orlando Pride are back in action today at 5:30 p.m. for a road game against Racing Louisville. The Pride last played on April 3, with Haley McCutcheon scoring a pair of late goals in a 2-1 victory at home to hand Angel City FC its first loss of the season. Although Louisville is still searching for its first win of the season, the Pride have never won on the road against Racing. Hopefully the Pride can make some history tonight and take all three points to start this next stretch of games off strongly.

USWNT Will Play in Brazil This June

The United States Women’s National Team will play Brazil in a pair of road friendlies in June. The first will take place in Sao Paulo on June 6 before the two nations meet again on June 9 in Fortaleza. These will be the USWNT’s first matches in Brazil since 2014 and should help the team prepare for the World Cup there next summer. The U-23 team will also be with the senior team in Brazil during this time to play against clubs from Sao Paulo.

European League Races Hit the Final Stretch

Leagues across Europe are entering the home stretch of their seasons and there’s still plenty up for grabs. The title race in England is neck and neck between Manchester City and Arsenal, but the relegation fight is just as enticing as Tottenham remains in the drop zone with five games to go. Another intriguing relegation battle is in Spain, as Sevilla’s 2-0 loss to Levante has the club right in the thick of things near the bottom of the La Liga table.

Things are fairly settled in Germany and Italy beyond squabbling for Champions League qualification, but the Ligue 1 title race may center around a May 13 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lens if PSG stumbles over the next few weeks. Last, but definitely not least, the Scottish Premiership title fight is as tight as can be. Hearts slightly leads over Rangers and Celtic, but there are juicy matchups between the three over the next month.

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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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