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Lion Links: 12/19/17

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9 years ago

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Happy Tuesday, folks. I’m not used to talking to you so early in the week but I traded up to help Ben, so you’re stuck with me this morning. I hope that’ll do.

Yesterday was chock full of news, but some of it must be #FakeNews since all I’ve been hearing for a week is how Orlando City isn’t doing anything. Of course, the Lions have been working on stuff for quite some time, but negotiations can drag and sometimes it takes time for proper approvals and paperwork to become final. There was never any need to panic and there are sure to be more additions in the coming days, weeks, and/or months. It’s a long off-season, folks. Pace yourselves! Save some angst for the season opener.

Orlando Signs Pinho, Trades for Allen, Re-Signs Powers

Yesterday was an exciting day, as City added a forward and a fullback and brought back a defensive midfielder. Stefano Pinho showed off his scoring boots with a hat trick against Orlando City in the U.S. Open Cup. That alone isn’t why the Lions signed him, though. He’s a two-time MVP and Golden Boot winner in the NASL and is in the prime of his career, with his 27th birthday coming up in just a few weeks. RJ Allen joins from New York City FC and will provide depth at fullback and perhaps a challenge for Donny Toia. Orlando parted with a third-round pick in the upcoming SuperDraft to get his rights. He’s a guy Jason Kreis knows well. Powers didn’t get to show much of what he could do last year but he’ll battle for a position throughout camp and at the very least he’s an experienced backup.

Orlando City’s Opening Day Revealed?

One of the league’s most credible writers is Steven Goff over at the Washington Post. So when his sources tell him stuff, it’s usually pretty reliable. In this story about D.C. United’s schedule for 2018, it seems he’s dropped Orlando City’s opening day info. If Goff’s sources are accurate, the Lions will host D.C. on Saturday, March 3 to open their 2018 MLS schedule. If true, it would be Orlando City’s fourth consecutive year of opening the season at home after facing New York City in 2015 and 2017, and Real Salt Lake in 2016.

Cyle Larin and Cristian Higuita On the Move?

Look, I have no idea how reliable these sources are, I’m just letting you know they’re out there. First, a rumor about Cyl Larin being set to go to Besiktas in Turkey. Not the way I’d want to triumphantly arrive in Europe, but whatevs.

Also, there was nothing showing on their website as of last night so all we have is this tweet form Caracol Radio saying that Cristian Higuita is headed to Colombian side Millonarios F.C.

We’re keeping an eye on these, and neither would be shocking, but we’re not ready to say goodbye just yet. Stay tuned.

MLS Combine Coming to Orlando City Stadium

It’s been known for some time, but Major League Soccer officially announced yesterday that the 2018 MLS Player Combine will take place at Orlando City Stadium from Jan. 11-17. It’ll be yet another showcase for the Lions’ home grounds in a long line of prestigious events.

An invited group of top college, youth and international players will arrive in Orlando beginning on Thursday, Jan. 11 for the Combine. Technical staffs from all 22 current MLS clubs and incoming expansion team LAFC will be in attendance for the showcase, which will feature physical testing and interviews and full-field matches on Saturday, Jan. 13, Monday, Jan. 15 and Wednesday, Jan. 17. All Combine matches will be played at Orlando City Stadium.

The league also announced that the SuperDraft will take place in Philadelphia on Jan. 19.

Laurent Blanc Turns Down USMNT Job He Wasn’t Offered

It kicked up a bit of a stir on Twitter when ESPN ran a story about ex-France boss Laurent Blanc turning down the USMNT head coaching position. In truth, he never really was offered the job. At any rate, Blanc offered up an explanation on why he wasn’t interested.

“I was asked, but for a national team, it’s a no,” Blanc said to Le Parisien, which pointed out that he was talking about the U.S. position. “It’s especially difficult if you’re not from that country. A national team must make the national fibres shake. So, I declined it.”

Toronto FC Signs U.S. U-17 International as Homegrown

As if the Reds weren’t stacked enough after winning the treble in 2017, Toronto FC signed U.S. U-17 youth international Ayo Akinola to a Homegrown Player contract. Akinola, who was born in Detroit but lives in Brampton, Ontario, went through the club’s academy and is thus eligible to become a Toronto Homegrown. He was part of the United States U-17 team, scoring a goal and adding an assist. He also scored four goals in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in April 

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That’s it for me today. I leave you with three years of Kaká in 30 seconds’ worth of photos, courtesy of Orlando City SC.

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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.

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3 days ago

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August 21, 2026

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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.

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  • 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!

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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

4 days ago

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August 20, 2026

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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!

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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

5 days ago

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August 19, 2026

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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!

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