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Lion Links: 2/17/18

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9 years ago

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Happy Saturday, Mane Land readers! I’m glad that the weekend is here and I’m sure most of you feel the same.

Orlando City will have its fourth preseason scrimmage against Real Salt Lake today and it also signals that the season is only two weeks away!

Now on to the links.

Chioma Ubogagu Re-signs with Orlando Pride

Chioma Ubogagu will be in purple for the foreseeable future as the young attacking player inked a new deal with the Orlando Pride on Friday. No details of the contract were released but re-signing Ubogagu sets up the season nicely for the Pride. She contributed pretty heavily last year, playing in 20 games for the Pride as she scored four goals and added three assists. With Chi re-signed, the Pride has one remaining player to wrap up in Alanna Kennedy before their preseason. The Pride will get to work on Feb. 19, as preseason begins, and they will participate in a few preseason matches as well. Chi will look to contribute large minutes this upcoming season.

Pride Open at Home for the 2018 Season

For all of us National Women’s Soccer League fans, we have been waiting for the 2018 season schedule and it’s finally here (kind of — the league announced all the home openers). NWSL announced Friday that the Orlando Pride will open the 2018 season at home against Utah Royals FC on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. The following week the Pride will travel to Washington D.C. where they will take on the Washington Spirit in Washington’s home opener on March 31. After the FIFA break the following week, we also know that the Pride will travel to Portland to take on the Thorns on April 15, which will be Portland’s home opener. The rest of the NWSL schedule is expected to drop on Tuesday, Feb. 20, so expect more details then.

Another Move on the Horizon?

Orlando City CEO Alex Leitao dropped his classic eyeball emoji tweet on Friday about mid-afternoon, telling fans to look out for news on Monday. In the past, this normally signals some kind of move from Orlando City, so we’ll have to see what happens. It was announced at Media Day that the club was still looking to bring in a defensive piece but it has been relatively silent since the statement. Depending on the signing, this could be a great move for the club and solidify its back line going into the season which still remains a weak spot on the squad. 

Cyle Larin Could go out on Loan

Cyle Larin has had a rough couple of months and it appears to be getting worse for the young Canadian striker. After the Larin saga was resolved last month, he has been looking to get playing time with Besiktas but appears to be the fourth striker on the roster. According to reports, Larin could be on the move, as Besiktas is looking to loan him out so he can get playing time. China, Ukraine, and Russia are all leagues that are looking at his services. Regardless of what happens, it appears Larin’s tough beginning of the year will continue.

Kaku Saga Finally Comes to an End

The New York Red Bulls have been working on replacing Sacha Kljestan ever since he was traded to Orlando City and it appears they finally got their man. The Red Bulls targeted 23-year-old playmaker Alejandro “Kaku” Romero Gamarra to fill a need but there were some hiccups in the transfer. According to ESPN:

“the deal was held up while lawyers involved in the transfer refuted their payment for their participation.”

This saga has been going on for weeks and looked bleak for some time but they finally worked it all out between the club, the player, his agent, and the lawyers that were involved. This continues a trend of young South American players making the move to MLS this off-season. It should be fun to see what these young players can do in this league. 

Free Kicks

  • The first two teams have booked their tickets into the FA Cup quarterfinal with Leicester City edging out Sheffield United with a 1-0 victory and Chelsea blowing out Hull City, 4-0. The remainder of the round of 16 games will take place this weekend, so there will be some great soccer to watch. 
  • In a Ligue 1 match between AS Monaco and Dijon, the referee missed an obvious penalty kick call. In the 64th minute, Monaco’s Youri Tielemans was taken down in the corner of the 18-yard box. Tielemans immediately looked to the assistant referee and the head referee for the call but neither official called the PK. Take a look at the video and see what you think.

  • A few West Brom players allegedly stole a taxi from a McDonald’s drive-thru while in Spain. It was said that a few players took the taxi and drove it back to their hotel, where it was found parked outside a few hours later. The club acknowledged the incident and said that they would be investigating the situation.

Those are the links, but, as you all know, I like to end on a positive note, so I have a fun one for you. We know that a lot of fans out there have been wanting to see some preseason action and it looks like your wish is coming true. The Lion Nation Twitter account announced on Friday that the club will be streaming the final 15 minutes of the training scrimmage against RSL, for those that are Lion Nation premium members. So, be sure to tune in for the stream if you can!

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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.

Published

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

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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