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Lion Links: 12/30/17

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9 years ago

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Well, we’ve nearly run out of 2017. It’s been a crazy year and, like most, was full of ups and downs, highs and lows, good and bad. The turn of the year is often a time of optimism and I hear a lot of people say things like, “well, it’s got to be better than this year was!” I think if you take a good, long look at the year that was, most years you can find plenty of good in them, but everyone’s different and has their own prism to see things through.

Anyway, it’s time to see today’s piping hot soccer news through the prism of these Lion Links, so let’s get right on it as we enjoy our final weekend of 2017.

Sacha Kljestan: How Would He Fit with Orlando City?

As we await word on whether the mustachioed assist machine from New York Red Bulls will be wearing purple next year — and please, don’t @ me with your scalding hot takes on how you don’t want him on your team, when he would clearly be an attacking midfield upgrade — Jeff Rueter put together a piece on how he might best fit into Jason Kreis’ scheme. You may recall that it was Rueter who broke the news that Orlando City was finalizing a deal to bring Kljestan to Central Florida. Yesterday there was this:

I personally take whatever this account says with a gargantuan grain of salt, but it occurs to me if the clubs were ‘finalizing’ a deal, then you’re talking details more minute than players at that stage. Pierre Da Silva is a talented young prospect who I’d like to see kept and developed into a starter here. However, he’s also a guy the Lions didn’t protect in the recent MLS Expansion Draft. We’ll find out how this plays out in due time and even if a Kljestan deal doesn’t go through, isn’t it good to know the club is showing ambition? So many people were complaining just over a week ago about how the Lions weren’t doing (or at least seeming to do) anything.

First Ever U.S. YNT Summit Coming to Florida

Tab Ramos has named 153 youth players to U.S. U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19 and U-20 teams for what the federation is calling the “first ever U.S. Soccer Men’s YNT Summit Camp.” The camp will be held Jan. 2-11 in nearby Lakewood Ranch, FL. The camp includes nine players native to the state of Florida including Orlando City U-19 midfielder A.J. Seals. Why are they doing this? Per the USSF:

With the 2018-2019 player cycle officially kicking off at the turn of the new year, Ramos and the coaching staff will look to continue fostering a program-wide effort to develop world class players, coaches at the summit, which represents a first its kind youth training camp that will focus on integration between players, coaches and staff from the five oldest Youth National Teams, while laying the first foundational elements for qualifying the U.S. for the 2019 FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups.

National Boys and Girls ECNL Events to Kick Off in Central Florida

Orlando City will co-host the inaugural boys ECNL Florida national event in Sanford, FL from tomorrow through Jan. 2. The girls ECNL Florida national event, entering its eighth consecutive year in the area, will be held from Jan. 6-8. Games will be held at Seminole Soccer Complex, Sylvan Lake Park, and Central Winds Park. While events like World Cup qualifiers, the College Cup, and SheBelieves Tournament grab all the headlines, it’s the large number of major youth events like this one that makes Orlando the soccer capital of the south, in my opinion.

Blockbuster NWSL Trade Involves Kelley O’Hara     

New NWSL franchise the Utah Royals and Sky Blue FC completed a blockbuster trade yesterday that sends USWNT fullback/midfielder Kelley O’Hara, midfielder Taylor Lytle, and the 25th pick in the 2018 NWSL College Draft to Salt Lake City, in exchange for forward Shea Groom, defender Christina Gibbons and the fourth overall selection. This is an interesting trade that looks like it will help both teams. It will be interesting to see how Laura Harvey completes her Utah roster.

Free Kicks

  • Once rumored as an Orlando City target, it appears defender Jonatan Maidana may be headed to FC Dallas soon.
  • In case you’ve been busy, Charles Boehm gives an overview of the off-season signings so far.
  • ICYMI, Arsene Wenger equaled Sir Alex Ferguson's record of managing 810 Premier League games. That’s a lot of games (I’ll still take Fergie, though, despite the respect I have for Wenger’s accomplishments through the years.)

  • Those born on this date include Rudyard Kipling (1865), former Miss America pageant host Bert Parks (1914), Bo Diddley (1928), Sandy Koufax (1935), Michael Nesmith (1942) and Davy Jones (1945) of The Monkees, singer/poet Patti Smith (1946), ELO’s Jeff Lynne (1947), Tiger Woods (1975), Eliza Dushku (1980), Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk (1982), LeBron James (1984), and Carson Wentz (1992).

That’s all the time I’ve got for you today. Be sure to stick around this weekend to check out our top two moments of 2017 for Orlando City SC. In the spirit of these year-ending top 10 list thingies, here are my picks for best television shows of 2017:

10. Mindhunter
9. Better Call Saul
8. American Vandal
7. The Punisher
6. The Deuce
5. Legion
4. Game of Thrones
3. Stranger Things 2
2. Mr. Robot
1. The Leftovers

Honorable mentions: Fargo, Atlanta, The Expanse, American Gods, Lucifer, Friends from College, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Halt and Catch Fire.

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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.

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!

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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: 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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