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Lion Links: 11/19/17

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8 years ago

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Good morning, Mane Landers, I hope you’re having a good weekend as we start to gear up for the holiday season. Today might as well be a holiday as Nov. 19 marks Orlando City’s MLS-iversary (name in progress). On this day in 2013, Orlando City was named as the 21st MLS franchise and, since then, we have seen some incredible football in our City Beautiful.

So, while it may sting that we haven’t seen our Lions in the playoffs, let’s take today to rejoice in the fact that we made it to MLS and don’t have to worry about fighting for a spot like Cincinnati, Nashville, or Detroit. Now, let’s get to some Lion Links!

Pride Players Continue to Shine in W-League

While the NWSL off-season continues, many players continue their campaigns over in the W-League in Australia. Round 4 has just finished up and the teams are starting to find their footing with four games already played. As many of you already know, the Orlando Pride have four players competing in the W-League and all have found their place with their Australian clubs.

This past weekend, Steph Catley and Alanna Kennedy were on the losing end of a 3-2 result as Melbourne City fell to Sydney FC, although Kennedy was able to “earn” a goal for her side by sending in a header that resulted in an own goal against Sydney.

Meanwhile in last night’s late night contests, Toni Pressley found the back of the net for the second straight week as she and Canberra United edged the Newcastle Jets 2-1 late last night. Rachel Hill’s hot streak continued as she scored a goal in the Perth Glory’s 3-1 win against the Melbourne Victory. After Round 4, Hill leads the W-League in both goals (six) and chances created (14).

If you missed out on this week’s W-League action, try to check it out next weekend in Round 5, when Catley and Kennedy face off against Hill and the Perth Glory on Nov. 25 at 12 a.m. ET.

USMNT Future May be Found in Orlando

While everything seems to be up in the air regarding the direction that should be taken for the USMNT after its shock exit from World Cup qualifying, the future of the national team will undoubtedly be in the hands of the current youth. Many players who are rising up the ranks of U-20 or U-18 teams are currently plying their trade in Europe but there are a couple of rising stars right here in Orlando that shouldn’t be overlooked. Both Tommy Redding and Pierre Da Silva have experience as “Baby Nats” and are steadily growing with Orlando City.

The MLS Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning

With the sudden departure of Caleb Porter from the Portland Timbers, the MLS coaching scene has a new, and lucrative, vacancy. Steven Goff over at the Washington Post took the time to write up each and every coaching situation in MLS, highlighting the vacancies of Colorado and Portland while also weighing in on some of the new kids on the block like Brad Friedel and Bob Bradley. As for Orlando City, Jason Kreis was described as having “full support” from management and likely has a longer leash than most once the 2018 season kicks off.

Going back to Porter though, the move has left many scratching their heads as they try to figure out why Porter left Portland. Maybe he wants to make a run at the USMNT position. Or perhaps he has his eyes on a job overseas with a bigger club in a bigger league. Or maybe he will take “personal time off” from coaching and wait around to pounce on a good coaching opportunity here in the U.S. If Kreis has another bad year and that aforementioned “full support” starts to wane, then Porter may be the leading candidate should he want it.

NCAA Soccer Tournaments Continue

The 2017 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament continues into its second round today and a few Orlando City academy products will take the field.

  • Eli Lockaby and No. 16 VCU is set to play Butler at 5 p.m.
  • Michael Melvin of No. 8 Clemson will take on Coastal Carolina at 6 p.m.
  • Raul Aguilera and No. 3 UNC will play against North Carolina Wilmington at 7 p.m.
  • Landen Haig from No. 1 Wake Forest faces off with Columbia at 5 p.m., although our Mane Land academy expert Sean Rollins doesn’t expect Haig to play in this one.

Meanwhile, the 2017 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament moves on to the third round. The UCF women have already been eliminated but there are still a couple teams from the Sunshine State to root for. Florida State, which has yet to concede a goal in the tournament, will take on Stanford, while the University of Florida will look to avenge UCF by beating the team that eliminated the Knights, Washington State University.

The Return of Zlatan

After battling a knee injury the past seven months, international superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovich took the field for Manchester United yesterday. The Swedish striker was subbed on late and didn’t impact the result but the crowd was all cheers as one of the game’s best returned to the pitch. After the game, Zlatan had some choice words when asked how he came back as quickly as he did.

This isn’t the first time he’s referred to himself as a lion. Now if we could only get him to call himself one in a contract.

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That’s all I’ve got for you guys today! Have a blessed Sunday, Mane Landers.

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Lion Links: 5/22/25

Orlando City ousted from U.S. Open Cup, OCB’s Justin Ellis named Player of the Matchweek, Tottenham wins Europa League, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

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May 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well, that could have gone better. It’s understandable to feel a bit deflated after Wednesday night’s game, especially after so many positive Orlando City results as of late. The good news though is that we’re another day closer to a holiday weekend that should include some good times or at least rest and relaxation. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Eliminated from U.S. Open Cup

The Lions lost 3-2 at home to Nashville SC in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16, ending the team’s run in the tournament. Orlando struck first in a rollercoaster of a match, and Ramiro Enrique pulled the Lions level after they fell behind, but rookie Wyatt Meyer scored the winner for the visitors. The loss snapped Orlando’s 12-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and Orlando looked like a team that played five other matches already this month. Orlando will need to shake off this loss as it prepares to host the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Justin Ellis Named MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek

Orlando City B midfielder Justin Ellis was selected as MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek for his role in the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami II. Ellis, who turned 18 years old last week, assisted on both of OCB’s first two goals before scoring from the penalty spot himself. It’s been quite the year so far for Ellis, as he also scored six goals in the Generation Adidas Cup to help Orlando win the U-18 title in April. The Young Lions are back in action Friday with a road match against rival Atlanta United 2.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 Results

Comebacks were a theme throughout the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16. Minnesota United took the lead, gave it up, and ultimately advanced thanks to defender Anthony Markanich scoring two late goals to beat St. Louis City 3-2 at Allianz Arena. Markanich was traded from St. Louis to Minnesota last year, adding a little salt in the wound for the visitors. D.C. United and Charlotte FC battled in a back-and-forth match that ended up with D.C. winning the penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw. The match between the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas also went the distance, with the Red Bulls winning the shootout. The Philadelphia Union won 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to eliminate the last team from outside MLS. The draw for the quarterfinals will take place this morning.

Tottenham Hotspur Wins Europa League Final

Tottenham prevailed in this year’s Europa league final, winning 1-0 against Manchester United in Spain. Brennan Johnson’s goal was enough for Tottenham to end its 17-year wait for a major trophy. It was a bit of an underwhelming finish to what was a fairly exciting knockout stage, and this was United’s only loss in this year’s tournament. Tottenham has now qualified for next season’s Champions League despite currently being 17th in the English Premier League standings.

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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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Lion Links: 5/21/25

The U.S. Open Cup journey resumes tonight, Javier Otero signs a new contract, Pride’s Sams and Abello called up, and more.

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1 day ago

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May 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day with Orlando City hosting Nashville SC tonight in Inter&Co Stadium. I hope you are able to make it out to support the club, since I will have to watch it on television. If you listen to The Mane Land PawedCast you know how much I want Orlando City to focus on the U.S. Open Cup — even at the expense of the Leagues Cup. For now, let’s get to the links.

Nashville is Next

As I mentioned above, the Lions take on Nashville SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match tonight. Orlando City is riding a 12-match unbeaten streak through all competitions and has scored 14 goals in the past four games going back to its 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions will look to continue their goal scoring ways to advance to the quarterfinals.

Javier Otero Has a New Contract

Orlando City signed goalkeeper Javier Otero to a new contract through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. Otero joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017, moving his way up to Orlando City B and, eventually, the first team. The signing secures Orlando City’s backup keeper for the immediate future.

Pride USWNT Call-Ups

Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to the USWNT training camp. This is Abello’s first call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. Sams and Abello make up two of Emma Hayes’ 24-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against China and Jamaica. Other notable players include Naomi Girma, Lynn Biyendolo, and Lo’eau LaBonta.

FIRST USWNT CALL UP FOR BELLO 🗣️

— Orlando Pride (@orlpride.com) 2025-05-20T15:06:37.081Z

USMNT Gold Cup News

Mauricio Pochettino has yet to name the final 26-player list for the Gold Cup. He has even put out there that he may give playing time to a goalkeeper other than Matt Turner. Pochettino sees the Gold Cup as a great opportunity for the team to bond during the last competition before the World Cup. Prior to the Gold Cup, the team has friendlies with Türkiye and Switzerland.

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  • The Kansas City Current may have defeated the Pride last match, but they paid dearly for it.
  • In sad news, former Sporting Kansas City player Gadi Kinda passed away. Kinda had been dealing with “a complex medical battle.”
  • In the “I’m not at all surprised” category, Lionel Messi was not fined by the league for any of his antics during or after the loss to Orlando City, including his criticism of officials, which is usually an automatic fine.

That will do it for today. Check back for our pre-match and post-match coverage tonight. You can also follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/20/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, preliminary Gold Cup rosters released, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Life always feels a little brighter after your team wins a soccer game, even more so when it’s against a hated rival, so I hope you’ve had as good a start to your week as I have. We have no time to rest on our laurels though, because Orlando City is straight back into action tomorrow with a U.S. Open Cup match at home against Nashville SC. Let’s get into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

Several Orlando City players are getting some deserved plaudits following the team’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami on Sunday. Pedro Gallese has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday, while Joran Gerbet is on the bench and Oscar Pareja is the coach of the side. Gallese made four saves while keeping a clean sheet and also assisted Luis Muriel on the first goal of the game. Gerbet did an excellent job of helping to minimize the impact of Lionel Messi, while Oscar Pareja was the man who who masterminded it all. Alex Freeman got some love as one of the standout young players of the matchday, and also had a nice piece written about him in The Athletic (paywall). All the Lions are deserving of their praise, and here’s hoping this isn’t the last time we see them getting some love.

Freeman Named to USMNT Preliminary Gold Cup Roster

The preliminary rosters have been announced for the 16 teams set to participate in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. Most of the usual suspects are present for the United States Men’s National Team, with the exceptions of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna, whose teams are participating in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Of note for Orlando City fans is Alex Freeman’s inclusion on the preliminary roster. That being said, this early list contains 60 names and will need to be cut down to 26 by June 4. With Sergino Dest and Joe Scally both on the 60-man list, Freeman is probably an outside shot to be included, but you never know.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing matches during the working week, so make sure you have everything marked down on your calendar. Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their penultimate Premier League game later today, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth do the same against Manchester City. Wednesday has Jordan Pefok and Reims visiting Metz in a playoff to decide which team will play in Ligue 1 next season. Alex Zendejas and Club America take on Toluca in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final on Thursday, and Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Valencia in La Liga play on Friday.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be upon us before we know it, so let’s take a look at what the transfer rumor mill is saying these days. Manchester United is said to be on the verge of signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and has reportedly agreed to terms on a deal. Man City has reportedly ended its interest in signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and has instead turned the club’s attention to Barcelona’s Dani Olmo. Finally, Rodrygo is reportedly considering leaving Real Madrid in the summer, with some outlets saying that he “has one foot out of Real Madrid”.

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That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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