Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/8/17

Published

9 years ago

on

Good morning, Mane Landers! Today brings us another eventful Saturday with three games to keep an eye on. At 3:30 p.m. the Orlando Pride will play away against a struggling Washington Spirit side. At 4:30 p.m. the USMNT will take on Panama in what should be an exciting Gold Cup match. Then, at 7:30 p.m., Orlando City B will play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, at home in a match which could be pivotal in the playoff race.

All in all, it looks like it’s going to be a very intriguing day, but as always you can start it off with some intriguing links.

Kaká Makes the MLS All-Star XI

Kaká has captained the MLS All-Star team for the last two years and now has another chance as the fans have picked him once again to be in the starting XI. Last year, Cyle Larin was also picked as an MLS All-Star, and can still be chosen by either Chicago Fire Head Coach Veljko Paunović or MLS Commissioner Don Garber. I’d say Jonathan Spector also has a great shot at making the team.

Richie Laryea Stating Case for More Minutes

Canadian midfielder Richie Laryea is starting to see first-team minutes and has brought energy and dynamic play into the Orlando City attack in his few short appearances. Those minutes are valuable in the development of a young player and could either pay dividends for Orlando City in the future or show other teams what he can do in order to spark a trade.

“In his last three performances…I really think he brings an energy, has a real energy about what he’s wanting to try and get accomplished out there,” Orlando City coach Jason Kreis said, noting that particular quality lacked among the rest of the players. “The amount of ground that he covered and the intensity that he was making his runs I think was excellent. You keep performing like that, you’ll keep getting opportunities.”

Steph Catley: Orlando Pride’s Unsung Hero

The Orlando Pride may have lost 1-0 to the Chicago Red Stars last weekend, but that doesn’t take away from left back Steph Catley’s fantastic performance. Catley’s performance earned her Backlinesoccer.com’s unsung hero of the week. Catley has put in several good outings for the Pride before, but this one stuck out for her calm play and involvement in the attack along with Jasmyne Spencer on the left side of the field.

Orlando City B to Face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Orlando City B is in the middle of a three-game home stand, and will play tonight against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The game should be a tense affair, as the two teams sit right next to each other on the table, both right under the playoff line. Unfortunately for the young Lions, they will have to do without their assist leader, Pierre Da Silva, due to a three-game suspension he attained in the team’s last match against Cincinnati FC. Fortunately for OCB, it did beat the Riverhounds 2-1 in the last match-up earlier this season.

U-17/18 Team Bounced from Academy Playoff

A goal at the end of normal time broke a tense 1-1 deadlock and allowed the Colorado Rapids U-17/18 team to sneak out of Orlando City Stadium with a 2-1 win. Despite the loss, it was the furthest run in club history for the young(er) Lions. The No. 2 seed in the tournament, Orlando City finished its most successful season to date, with a 24-5-1 record and a three-game sweep of all three group stage matches to advance to the knockout round. Isaque Cuoto put City up 16 minutes in but the visitors leveled in the 27th minute. That score held up until the 87th minute, when Rhys De Sota scored a heartbreaking goal.

“Obviously disappointment is the biggest emotion at the moment but there’s a lot of pride in how they’ve done this season, how far they’ve actually gone,” Academy Director and U-17/18s head coach David Longwell said in a club press release. “They’ve never done this before. They’ve got a heck of a lot of character. Hopefully they’ll learn from it so they can play here for the MLS team at some point and they can learn from this experience.”

Props to the U-17/18 Lions for a fantastic season.

USWNT to Play Two Friendlies in September

The USWNT is set to play two home friendlies in September against New Zealand. The matches shouldn’t affect the Orlando Pride, barring any injuries, because the two dates are in an international break.

“The fall friendly matches are an important transition period to 2018 and we want to get the most out of them by continuing to play teams with World Cup and Olympic experience like New Zealand,” U.S. head coach Jill Ellis said. “Denver has been a fun place to play for our team over the years, but we also enjoy going to cities where we haven’t been in a while, like Cincinnati. The fans there have shown extraordinary support for their USL team and we’re looking forward to an enthusiastic crowd for our match as well.” 

Brek Shea Happy at His New Club

Brek Shea was a bit of a polarizing figure at Orlando City as he never really delivered as much as anyone hoped he would. This most likely led to his trade to the Vancouver Whitecaps, but don’t feel bad for Shea. He says he likes his new team “a lot better than Orlando’s team.” He also added, “It’s pretty clear that I’m an attacking player, so I’m enjoying my role higher up the field here.” Whether you are bitter at his comments or are happy for him, just try to be semi-civil in the comments section.

Free Kicks

That’s going to do it for today’s Lion Links. Have a fantastic Saturday and enjoy the games!

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