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Lion Links: 1/14/18

Published

9 years ago

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What’s up, Mane Landers? Things are heating up here in Orlando with some exciting transfer news, the MLS Combine, and the Florida Cup. So, let’s not waste any time and hop right into today’s links!

Cyle Larin Transfer Gets Interesting

If you read yesterday’s links you’d know that Orlando City forward Cyle Larin is in Instabul, Turkey to presumably meet with Besiktas, the Turkish club Larin has been linked with for the past few months. But Besiktas went beyond “linking” by announcing that Larin is in contract negotiations to join the Turkish giants.

Orlando City quickly responded with a statement saying Orlando City has not agreed to terms on a transfer and that Larin is still under contract until 2019. Hopefully, this will all sort itself out but it may require a trip to the courtroom or a FIFA appeal after Besiktas made this announcement.

Ramos Gone? Lions May Pick up Cam Lindley

  • Paul Tenorio reports that Rafael Ramos and an unknown amount of allocation money could be on its way to the Chicago Fire for the rights to University of North Carolina midfielder Cam Lindley.

Lindley is a talented Chicago Homegrown midfielder who was named No. 5 in Top Drawer Soccer’s Top 100 men’s players (sophomores through seniors) back in December. He also made that site’s Best XI following his sophomore season in 2017. His accolades go on for miles. Lindley was ACC Midfielder of the Year, a first-team All-ACC selection, a member of the NCAA Men’s College Cup All-Tournament Team and a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. He scored seven goals and added 13 assists during his sophomore campaign.

While Ramos is young and has loads of potential, he’s had a miserable time staying healthy in his time in Orlando. He’s made just 39 appearances (37 starts) in his three years in MLS, without scoring a goal, producing five assists, and earning seven yellow cards and three red cards. He played in only two games in 2017.

This trade, should it happen, could be one of those that helps both teams. Or neither. Time will tell.

Orlando City Makes an Offer for Serbian Center Back

According to Mozzart Sport, Orlando City has made an 800,000 euro offer for Partizan Belgrade center back Nemanja Miletic. However, the offer was rejected as Partizan is reluctant to give up such an integral part of the team at that price. Partizan also took it upon itself to point out that Orlando City has already nabbed Mohamed El-Munir on a free transfer and that is playing into negotiations as well. The report also stated that Orlando City is still keeping tabs on Partizan defensive midfielder Everton Luiz.

Jordan Schweitzer Joins Switchbacks

Former Orlando City B midfielder Jordan Schweitzer has joined the Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the 2018 season. Although only getting one goal and one assist in his 24 appearances for OCB last season, Schweitzer made great strides in 2017 by serving as facilitator for OCB’s offense and earning his first call-up for the Canadian national team. Good luck as a Switchback, Schweitzer.

Rangers Win Florida Cup Thriller, Legia Warsaw Falls to Barcelona

Scottish club Rangers FC mounted a comeback after trailing by two goals at the half to defeat Corinthians 4-2 in yesterday’s Florida Cup action. Alfredo “El Bufalo” Morelos scored a brace and added an assist to help Rangers score four times in one half in what was possibly the greatest comeback in Florida Cup history. With the win, Rangers finish the tournament undefeated and in the driver’s seat of the tournament with six points and a +3 goal differential.

After the Rangers win, only three teams remained in contention to overthrow the Scottish club. And after Barcelona SC’s 3-2 victory over Legia Warsaw, only two remain. Barcelona will need to win by three goals to overtake Rangers, but don’t count out Atletico Nacional which starts its Florida Cup run today against Atletico Mineiro at 1 p.m. ET at Spectrum Stadium. Our Kevin Mercer will be out there to cover that one. Here are the goals from that Barcelona vs. Legia Warsaw match:

MLS Combine Day One Recap

The MLS Combine kicked off right here in Orlando yesterday with Team Predator beating Team Nemeziz 2-1 in the first game. It wouldn’t be a shock for Orlando City to use its No. 6 draft pick in the MLS SuperDraft next Friday on a forward and there was a fair bit of scoring for the Lions to take notice of. In particular, Albert Ruiz saw his draft stock rise a bit after scoring yesterday and the Florida Gulf Coast product could be an early target for Orlando City.

In the 1-1 draw between Team X and Team Tango, Orlando City and fans should take note of University of Cal center back Josh Morton who headed in Team X’s only goal. If the front office wishes to trade down, Morton would give the Lions a weapon in the box on corners and would be a smart addition given Tommy Redding’s recent departure to New York Red Bulls.

Outside of the games, there were a variety of performance tests that are worth checking out and MLSsoccer.com has you covered if you’re into tracking draft stocks like I am.

Free Kicks

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That’ll do it from me guys, we’ll keep you posted if any news breaks so make sure to check in with us throughout your Sunday. Let’s leave you with some new Orlando City shirt numbers:

Note: RJ Allen has worn 27 in the past and if Ramos is traded that number opens up for him.

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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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2 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

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

3 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

4 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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