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Lion Links: 7/13/17

Published

9 years ago

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Happy I-4 Derby day, Mane Landers. That’s right, the vile enemy from Tampa Bay visits Orlando City Stadium tonight to take on OCB. No doubt Rowdies fans will soon be locking up their double-wides, jumping in their mid-90s Ford pickups and heading east on Interstate 4 to invade our beautiful Purple Palace.

Will they outnumber the home fans? It’s possible. Orlando City’s USL side may have moved to downtown Orlando, but the bump in attendance has been negligible. It’s kind of expensive to support multiple home teams, but this game will be one you’ll want to see. Several of the young Lions on MLS contracts should be in the lineup and you’ll get a chance to see longtime Orlando City player Luke Boden again. Hope to see you there in droves.

While we kill the hours between now and tailgate time, let’s enjoy some links:

USMNT Fumbles Away 2-0 Lead, Still Beats Martinique

In a match that was frustrating to watch if you’re a fan of the USMNT, the Yanks blew a 2-0 lead to tiny Martinique but responded with the final goal to win 3-2 in Tampa. Jordan Morris scored a brace and Omar Gonzalez scored his second career international goal to lead the U.S. to the top of Group B.

In the other Group B match, Nicaragua scored first after a 0-0 opening period, but Panama answered immediately and went on to win, 2-1, moving to four points and the same goal differential as the U.S., but Los Canaleros are in second due to the goals scored tiebreaker.

Kreis Doesn’t Back Off from Ref Remarks

If you thought Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis was just angry in the heat of the moment when he spouted off about PRO referees’ treatment of his team after the Lions’ 3-1 loss to Toronto FC last week, well…maybe not. Kreis has had time to look at the film from that match and when asked about those remarks at training, he basically doubled down.

“…it’s one of those occasions where sometimes after a game you say something without maybe being level-headed or having the ability to look at the video first. Often times you’ll change your opinion from those statements,” he paused, “This is not one of those times.”

“I’ve already watched the video, and it’s very, very clear to me that decisions that went against us – in the Toronto game in particular, but I can tell you generally I feel the same exact way in every single match we played this year – the decisions that have gone against us in 50/50 calls, the little things going against us, it’s just not right. And in that game in particular, the decision for a foul that they called against [Jozy] Altidore that led to the third goal that broke our back, um, was critically wrong. And so, it’s another game where you walk out and you feel like if the referees had been better we certainly could have come back in that game and drawn because we had all the momentum, we’d just scored, things were looking positive for us.”

The question now becomes…will there be one fine from the league, or two?

Ramos, Alston Repeat Injuries Confounding Kreis, Trainers, Doctors

The Lions have tried any number of things to prevent the rash of hamstring issues that plagued the team in preseason and early in the MLS campaign. But despite sticking to proper nutrition, training, strength and conditioning tactics, and rehab, Rafael Ramos and Kevin Alston continue to suffer the same types of ailments. The elusive problem has been frustrating Jason Kreis.

“It’s an impossible situation, right?” Kreis said, lowering his gaze in what looked to be sympathy and frustration when Ramos first was mentioned.

“We all want to look for the black-and-white answer. We’re handling all the black and white information. We’re doing all the right things, the rehab, the nutrition, the strength work, the one-v-one work he’s doing outside the field. We’re putting in all the right information, but for some reason it’s still eluding us. So, I just don’t have an answer.”

Compounding the problem is that both play the same position — right back. Kreis is at least hopeful that the latest injury setback for Ramos will be closer to two weeks than four.

“We’re hopeful it’s a small, minor problem,” Kreis said. “It’s also not to the exact same muscle that he’s been dealing with, so we’re hopeful it could be a minor issue that we can move forward from very quickly. But it’s concerning, it’s concerning no doubt.”

Kaká Featured in MLS Flight Path Series

One of the more interesting story series’ that mlssoccer.com has produced recently is the Flight Path series, which talks about a star player’s travels around the world and how they got to North America. Orlando City skipper Kaká got his turn, and the piece highlights his trek from Brazil to Italy to Spain, then back to Italy, before finally landing in the City Beautiful, where he felt he still had something to prove.

"I always heard, 'Americans don't like soccer, they don't want soccer here,' that it would never be a good sport here. I saw that as a challenge. I said, 'I want to go play there and show the people that soccer has a lot of good value.'

No Lions on the MLS Homegrown Team Roster

MLS Homegrown Team Head Coach Brian McBride’s roster for the 2017 MLS Homegrown Game will be the first without an Orlando City player since the team joined the league in 2015. Tyler Turner had made the squad the last two years before leaving the organization this past off-season. Harrison Heath, now on loan to Sacramento Republic from Atlanta United, was selected previously but was injured prior to the match and couldn’t participate. Center back Tommy Redding was not included in this year’s team, although some of his U-20 USMNT teammates were.

Dwyer Talks USL, MLS, USMNT

Former Lion Dom Dwyer talked about his time in the USL, with Sporting Kansas City, and giving his allegiance to the United States rather than his native England for international play in this video interview:

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando City midfielder Brian “Cobi” Span played 90 minutes in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match for for IFK Mariehamn vs. Legia Warsaw. Mariehamn lost, 3-0.
  • Here’s a profile on how Orlando City broadcaster McKenzie Thirkill has built a career in sports.
  • French Guiana played Florent Malouda, knowing he was ineligible under FIFA rules and the eventual 0-0 draw would likely be forfeited. French Guiana is not recognized by FIFA but is recognized by CONCACAF. So why not play him against Canada in the country’s territory’s Gold Cup opener? A ruling is expected today.
  • Ex-FIFA exec Chuck Blazer died last night at age 72. He did a lot of good things for soccer, and then he did some not-so-good things.
  • Those born on this date include Julius Caesar (100 BC), Hogan’s Heroes star Bob Crane (1928), Patrick Stewart (1940), Harrison Ford (1942), Roger McGuinn of the Byrds (1942), Cheech Marin (1946), Grease actress Didi Conn (1951), boxer Michael Spinks (1956), filmmaker Cameron Crowe (1957), Community’s Ben Chang himself — Ken Jeong (1969), Welsh footballer Craig Bellamy (1979), baseball’s Shin-Soo Choo and Yadier Molina (both 1982), and Mexican goalkeeper Memo Ochoa (1985).

That’s all the time I have for this morning, folks. Check back later for full coverage of OCB-Tampa Bay, and stick around this weekend for the Orlando Pride vs. FC Kansas City and the USMNT vs. Nicaragua.

I leave you today with some I-4 Derby talk from Anthony Pulis and Rob Valentino.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/1/26

Pride and OCB win, Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau called up, USMNT beats Senegal, and more.

Published

19 hours ago

on

June 1, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work and just wrapped up covering high school spring season sports for the school year up here in Chicago. We had the Pride, OCB, and the USMNT all in action, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Beat Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday. Barbra Banda scored the opener early in the first half for Orlando, but Bay FC’s Caroline Conti scored the equalizer. In the second half, Banda scored her second goal of the night and added an assist on Cori Dyke’s goal in the 55th minute. Banda went down with an injury late in the match and had to leave the pitch. Since Orlando had already used all its substitutions, the team had to play the final 15 minutes of the match, including stoppage time, down to 10 players, but the Pride held on for the win. Banda has been called up to the Zambia Women’s National Team for the Four Nations Tournament, with the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations set to kick off next month in Morocco.

The Pride will be off until early July due to the NWSL World Cup break. Their next match will be on the road at BMO Stadium against Angel City FC on July 3.

OCB Defeats Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B defeated Chattanooga FC 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Ignacio Gomez scored for the Young Lions six minutes into the match. Chattanooga FC responded with two goals later in the first half to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, it was all OCB as Pedro Leao, Harvey Sarajian, and Justin Hylton each added a goal to extend the Young Lions’ lead to 4-2. Leao added a penalty kick goal as OCB secured back-to-back wins in league play and moved to fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 22 points. OCB will face Carolina Core FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau Called Up

Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau have been called up to their respective national teams. Reid-Brown will be joining the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for upcoming friendlies against Georgia and North Macedonia in Bulgaria.

Crepeau will be with the Canadian Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Canada has two international friendlies this week, facing Uzbekistan today and taking on Ireland Friday. Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch stated that he has not yet decided which goalkeeper will start in his team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, but Crepeau and Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair will split time in goal against Uzbekistan.

USMNT Defeats Senegal in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Senegal 3-2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, Sunday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 45 minutes. Sergino Dest struck first to give the Yanks an early lead, and Christian Pulisic scored his first international goal since November 2024 for the U.S. to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. Sadio Mane pulled one back for Senegal to make it 2-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Mane added another goal to level the match, but Folarin Balogun came off the bench and scored the final goal of the match to seal the win for the Americans. The USMNT will face Germany Saturday in another international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, before opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, taking on Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Paris Saint-Germain Repeats as UEFA Champions League Winner in Penalties

Paris Saint-Germain edged Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw Saturday at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, to win the UEFA Champions League title for the second time in a row. Kai Havertz scored the first goal six minutes into the match to give Arsenal the lead in the first half. However, in the second half, Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, resulting in a penalty for Paris Saint-Germain. Ousmane Dembele converted from the spot to tie the match. After 120 minutes of play, the match went to penalties, where Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made one save, but Paris Saint-Germain still scored four goals. In the final round, Arsenal defender Gabriel sailed his shot over the net, and Paris Saint-Germain became just the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era, since 1992. The other club was Real Madrid, which won three consecutive titles from 2015-2016 through 2017-2018.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando City Academy U-14 squad defeated Inter Miami 3-1 Sunday to win the MLS Next Cup.
  • According to Sportico, Major League Soccer viewership has risen significantly in the first three months of the season.

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: 5/29/26

Orlando Pride host Bay FC tonight, Justin Ellis and Colin Guske called up, Ally Lemos joins U.S. U-23 team, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 29, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s hard to believe we’re already close to being done with May, but I’m hardly complaining. The World Cup is closer than ever and we still have Orlando soccer to look forward to tonight and later this weekend. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines. Hopefully he can celebrate with a win tonight.

Orlando Pride Host Bay FC Tonight

After three road games in a row, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful for a match tonight against Bay FC. The Pride have not played at home since a 1-0 win against the North Carolina Courage on May 8, and this will be their last match before the summer break. Although the Pride are coming off of a 1-0 win last week against the San Diego Wave, they’ve struggled with consistency this season. Defender Zara Chavoshi spoke on the importance of the team maintaining a winning mindset.

“Three points is the standard for us,” Chavoshi added. “If we come into the next game the way we came into this last game, with belief and assurance, and the trust that if we do everything to 100% that’s what the outcome is going to be, then we need to keep doing that.”

Justin Ellis and Colin Guske Will Head to U.S. Camp

Orlando City forward Justin Ellis and midfielder Colin Guske were both called up for the United States U-19 Men’s National Team’s training camp at the new training center in Georgia. As part of the training camp, the U.S. will play against Japan to help prepare for this summer’s Concacaf U-20 Championship. Both players were also part of the U-19 team’s 20-player roster in March for a camp in Spain, so it’s nice to see that they’ve done enough to remain in Head Coach Gonzalo Segares’ plans. They’ve each started games this year for the first team, with Ellis recording a goal and two assists so far this season.

Ally Lemos Called Up By U.S. U-23 Team

Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos was called up for international duty as well and will head to Brazil for the United States U-23 Women’s National Team’s training camp. The team will play two matches against SC Corinthians Paulista, which beat Gotham FC and finished second in the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup earlier this year. Lemos has been part of the U-23 team’s previous two camps this year as well, and she’s one of eight players called up who placed third at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Storylines Ahead of USMNT Friendlies

The United States Men’s National Team roster was announced and now all eyes turn to how the team does in a friendly against Senegal on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Charlotte. It should be a great test for the USMNT against one of Africa’s top teams, as well as a chance for some of the Americans to make a splash. Christian Pulisic has been stuck in neutral for most of this year and the starting striker position may come down to which player gets hot over the next week. Other things to keep an eye out for include defender Chris Richards’ availability, the goalkeeping battle between Matt Turner and Matt Freese, and the impact Giovanni Reyna and Alex Zendejas can bring to the attack.

Free kicks

  • Orlando City and Orlando Health teamed up once again to celebrate Orange Center Elementary School students for getting good grades, giving each achieving student a jersey.
  • Tom Bogert of The Athletic reported that the rumors linking Orlando City with French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac are false. Welcome to the summer edition of silly season.

Rumors suggesting Orlando City are about to sign Tigres legend Andre-Pierre Gignac (40) are completely false, sources say

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-05-28T12:53:00.739Z
  • Charlotte FC is reportedly in talks to sign winger Allan Saint-Maximin as a Designated Player. It’s a move that would make sense for Charlotte considering Wilfried Zaha’s recent exit.
  • Atalanta reportedly chose not to exercise the option to buy on American midfielder Yunus Musah’s loan from AC Milan. It’s unclear what’s next for the 23-year-old, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him as a Lion one bit.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your week. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/28/26

U.S. Open Cup semifinal dates revealed, Andre-Pierre Gignac linked with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for Bay FC, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 28, 2026

By

Image of Marta showing off the Pride's new Unity Kit.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a bit of a hectic week, but things are finally settling down a bit for me as we get ready for a weekend filled with soccer. The World Cup may not be here just yet, but we do have international soccer to enjoy as teams get in their final preparations. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Semifinal Date Unveiled

The date and time for Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal against the Columbus Crew were announced, with the Lions set to play at 7 p.m. on Sept. 16 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Ohio. Following wins against FC Naples and the New England Revolution in earlier rounds, Orlando City reached the semifinals after a convincing 4-1 win over Atlanta United in the quarterfinals earlier this month. Now the Lions are just two wins away from lifting the trophy for the second time in the past five years. They should also have Antoine Griezmann available to tip the scales after he arrives this summer. If the Lions advance then they will host either the Colorado Rapids or St. Louis City in the final on Oct. 21.

Andre-Pierre Gignac Linked With Orlando City

It’s not much more than a rumor at this point, but French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is reportedly close to leaving Tigres to sign with Orlando City according to journalist Diego Armando Medina on the RG La Deportiva radio show. Gignac has spent the past decade with Tigres in Mexico and is the club’s all-time leading scorer. That being said, he’s also 40 years old and the move wouldn’t necessarily line up with the team’s efforts to develop young players like Justin Ellis. Only time will tell if this rumor has legs or if big names in French soccer will continue to be linked with the Lions due to Griezmann’s impending arrival. Either way, I don’t think an aging striker is going to keep the ball out of Orlando’s net.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Bay FC

The Orlando Pride are back in action on Friday with a home game against Bay FC in their final game before the summer break. The Pride closed out a string of road games with a 1-0 win against the San Diego Wave and will face a Bay team that has only scored eight goals this season. Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz and defender Aldana Cometti both received red cards in their previous match, while Pride midfielder Angelina will miss this match after being handed an additional suspension from the NWSL Disciplinary Committee. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team is preparing for this home game after a long road trip.

Pride Trio Called Up By Brazil

Orlando Pride players Marta, Angelina, and Rafaelle were all called up for Brazil’s pair of friendlies next month against the United States. Both matches will take place in Brazil as the two nations prepare for next year’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil. Marta and Angelina were both part of Brazil’s winning team in last year’s Copa America Femenina, with Angelina scoring once and Marta twice in the final against Colombia.

USWNT Roster Announced for Brazil Friendlies

The United States Women’s National Team roster for these friendlies was also announced, with Head Coach Emma Hayes calling up 26 players for the team’s training camp. Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Mallory Swanson were all called up together for the first time since dominating the 2024 Summer Olympics. While Naomi Girma, Catarina Macario, and Sam Coffey aren’t available due to injury, goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn and midfielders Croix Bethune and Riley Jackson are back in the mix. The USWNT will first take on Brazil on June 6 in Sao Paulo before a second match on June 9 in Fortaleza.

Philadelphia Union Part Ways With Bradley Carnell

Bradley Carnell’s time as the Philadelphia Union’s head coach has come to a close, with the two sides parting ways after only winning one game so far this season. Carnell was named MLS Coach of the Year last year after helping the Union win Supporters’ Shield, but the team has struggled mightily this year. Philadelphia also named John Scheer as its sporting director, removing the interim tag, and he will begin the hunt for a new head coach. Until then, Philadelphia Union II Head Coach Ryan Richter will serve as the first team’s interim head coach.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero was called up by Venezuela for friendlies against Turkey and Iraq.

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

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