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Lion Links: 9/23/17

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8 years ago

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Happy third anniversary, Mane Landers! That’s right, your favorite Orlando City blog was first published Sept. 23, 2014! Here are the first words written by Managing Editor Michael Citro:

“This is the first in what I hope will be a long series of posts about Orlando City Soccer Club. Enjoy it at your own risk.”

Welp, after three years, 104 podcasts, numerous staffing changes, and countless articles, we’re still here doing what we love. And we still caution you to enjoy it at your own risk. On a personal note, it’s certainly been a pleasure for me to be a part of The Mane Land staff, both as a writer and now as the co-host of the podcast. Here’s to many more years to come. Let’s hit the links!

Rumor: Kaká to São Paulo FC

There’s been plenty of speculation on the part of Orlando City fans regarding Kaká’s future with Orlando City. Ricky has said he’d like to stay with the Lions, but there’s been no talk about his contract, and we’re pretty close to season’s end (when GM Niki Budalic said those talks would happen). Now we have rumors that Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side São Paulo FC may try to bring him down there to finish his career (you’ll need to translate the page). It would be a fitting bookmark for Kaká since he started his career with the club when he was 18 years old. Will he stay or will he go? We may not have to wait very long to find out.

Pride’s International Players Key to Victory at Home

Coach Tom Sermanni plans to use his international players in the upcoming match against Portland. Given that those players include Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley who play for Australia, and Monica, Camila, and Marta for Brazil, it’s no surprise he wants these players on the field. The five squared off against each other in matches down under during the international break. Today’s match could clinch a playoff spot for Orlando, and you don’t hold anything back. Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris are also back from their stint with the USWNT.

The home field advantage is one aspect that Harris expects to help the Pride in the match. The Thorns play on turf, so Orlando City Stadium’s natural grass is different than they are used to. Not to mention that the Pride have been on a bit of a goal scoring bonanza recently. Harris even thinks Portland might want to be a little worried to come to Orlando at this point in the season.

Americans Clash in Borussia Battle

Christian Pulisic and Borussia Dortmund take on Fabian Johnson and Borussia Mönchengladbach today in a Bundesliga match at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS2. Pulisic scored his second goal of the season in the 3-0 win over Hamburg. Pulisic and Johnson are not the only USMNT players suiting up this weekend. The action continues Sunday when Bobby Wood of the aforementioned Hamburg looks to get back on the winning side against Bayer Leverkusen at 12 p.m. ET on FS2. Meanwhile, DeAndre Yedlin looks for a second straight start for Newcastle United when they take on Brighton at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN and Telemundo. There are also plenty of U.S. players in MLS this weekend, including our very own Dom Dwyer on Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1 and FOX Deportes.

Gulati Facing Challengers

Sunil Gulati has been the President of the United States Soccer Federation for 11 years. That may not be the case after the next election in February, since he will have at least two contenders for the position. Boston attorney Steve Gans and former indoor soccer team owner Paul Lapointe have both thrown their hat into the ring. Others considering entering the race include U.S. Soccer board member John Motta and, perhaps most interestingly, Eric Wynalda. Wynalda is a Hall of Fame member with over 100 caps for the USMNT. He scored the first goal in MLS history, and spent time in the Bundesliga. If fans had a vote, he might be a shoo-in.

Hope Solo and USSF Reach a Settlement

Remember Hope Solo? She is the oft controversial but skilled goalkeeper that played for the USWNT. After a match against Sweden in August 2016, Solo called the opposing team “a bunch of cowards” for their defensive tactics in the game the U.S. lost on penalty kicks. She was then suspended by the U.S. Soccer Federation, and her contract terminated. Details of the settlement have not been made public, however, her contract has not been reinstated and she is not eligible for selection. Solo has been rehabbing after shoulder surgery, and intends to play professional soccer again.

Former Orlando City Draft Pick Seeks Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief

Former Orlando City SuperDraft pick Sidney Rivera — now playing for the NASL’s Puerto Rico FC — is raising money for Puerto Rico following the hurricanes (Irma and Maria). Rivera was Orlando City’s fourth-round pick (63rd overall) in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. He didn’t play for Orlando City, seeing action in a few games with then-USL affiliate Louisville City in 2015. Rivera has built a home for himself with Puerto Rico FC over the last year and a half and has felt the shocking devastation to that island U.S. territory first-hand. He’s looking to raise $7,207 ($1 for every one of his followers on various social media outlets) and is already over $1,000 raised. If you’re able to give, please consider helping Rivera out with this worthy cause and assisting a former Lion (sort of) in reaching his goal.

Free Kicks

  • We lost one of our own during Hurricane Irma. Season ticket holder Brian Buwalda will be honored during next Wednesday’s match.

  • Here are some MLS playoff scenarios for some of the teams that are not Orlando City, evidently.
  • Evidently the match between Atlanta United FC and Orlando City garnered the lowest number of eyes for Univision in the matches they have aired so far. Regardless it was still the highest MLS match aired from Sept. 11-17, 2017.
  • Manchester United is the richest soccer club in the world. It turns out that they made $789 million during the 2017 financial year. That’s a lot of money. That’s what makes them the Yankees of soccer.
  • It turns out that the LA Galaxy are out of the playoffs after a very bad year. It also turns out that Giovani Dos Santos is a little bit frustrated that his teammates don’t seem to recognize the runs he has been making when trying to score. Saucy!

Whew! I’m not used to having this much stuff to write about during Lion Links, but it sure has been fun. I’ll see everyone on Monday’s Links! Go City! Go Pride! Go OCB!

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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.

Published

2 days ago

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April 25, 2025

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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.

Free Kicks

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.

Published

3 days ago

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April 24, 2025

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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.

Free Kicks

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.

Published

4 days ago

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April 23, 2025

By

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.

Free Kicks

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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