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Lion Links: 2/23/18

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9 years ago

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Hey Mane Landers, I hope everyone is ready for the weekend. This month has been flying by but I’m sure the days are going to get longer as we start counting down for the 2018 season. Until then, enjoy some Lion Links from a busy yesterday!

Joe Bendik Weighs In; Orlando Injury Update

Most of the focus this off-season has been on the offensive talent brought in by the front office, but Joe Bendik remains one of the strongest parts of Orlando City’s roster and says the team as a whole is starting to come together. Although one of the players with the most job security on the squad, Bendik has had his work cut out for him this off-season with strengthening communication with the many new members of his back line.

In other training news, Bendik faced off with UFC superstar Raquel Pennington in a penalty shootout while she trains in Orlando. Dom Dwyer was not at yesterday’s training, but Josué Colmán and Richie Laryea were both present and running separately from the team. Kreis expects Colmán to be back at full training next week so he may be ready to go for the opener next Saturday if needed.

Cam Lindley Thrilled; Toia Challenged

It’s one thing to graduate college and immediately find work. It’s another to find work alongside some of the biggest names in your profession, but that’s where Orlando City midfielder Cameron Lindley finds himself with a roster filled with talent. A little in awe at first, Lindley is starting to fit in more with the team and is learning from the likes of Sacha Kljestan and Justin Meram.

Meanwhile, Donny Toia is looking forward to the competition at his left back position with Mohamed El-Munir and Victor “PC” Giro breathing down his neck for minutes. Regardless of who winds up winning the starting spot, it’s nice seeing the cool, calm demeanor from the 25-year-old that we saw in all of his 30 starts last season.

Orlando City Away Kit Leaked (Spoiler Alert)

I always feel a little dirty sharing leaked stuff, but Orlando City’s apparent away kit looks way too nice not to share. With a clean white finish and subtle purple detailing, the kit will have the Lions looking like royalty even outside the confines of Orlando City Stadium.

Orlando Pride Players Gear Up for SheBelieves Cup

With 2019 Women’s World Cup qualifying just around the corner, the USWNT is looking to take advantage of the SheBelieves Cup for some valuable games against some of the best nations in the world. With part of the event held here in Orlando, Orlando Pride and USWNT players Ashlyn Harris and Alex Morgan will be in familiar surroundings. Both are missing pride preseason training, but this is far from a vacation for the two as they prepare for the tournament during a critical time in U.S. soccer.

“We’re not taking this as a joke. We’re not taking it lightly. Every team we face, we have to gain something out of it. These are great games to have against some of the best teams in the world. I think this is going to prepare us for the big picture, and that’s qualification.” said Harris.

Lamine Sané Bids Bremen Farewell

Fire up those translators Mane Landers, because Orlando City’s newest center back took to Instagram to say goodbye to his former club, Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. In the message, Sané thanks fans for always making him feel comfortable at the club and wishes the team luck in its future.

Liebe Werder-Fans, wie ihr sicher mitbekommen habt, werde ich in Zukunft für Orlando City in der MLS spielen. Auch wenn ich mir einen schöneren Abschied aus Bremen und von euch gewünscht hätte, möchte ich ein paar Worte an euch richten. Ich möchte mich für eine tolle Zeit bedanken. Ich habe mich im Verein immer wohl gefühlt und voller Stolz im Weser-Stadion vor diesen unglaublich Fans gespielt. Eine Zeit, die ich nie vergessen werde. Umso trauriger macht es mich, wenn ich einige von euch zuletzt enttäuscht habe. Der Mannschaft sowie dem gesamten Verein und vor allem euch wünsche ich nur das Beste für die Zukunft und vor allem viel Erfolg! Am besten schon am Samstag: holt euch den Sieg gegen den HSV und damit drei wichtige Punkte im Abstiegskampf! Ich drücke von den USA aus die Daumen! Euer Lamine @werderbremen

A post shared by Lamine Sané (@laminesane) on

Free Kicks

  • While Sane says goodbye, midfielder Uri Rosell says hello to his new Orlando City fans.

  • Another kit was leaked yesterday, with LAFC’s home and away jerseys revealed. They’d look great if they didn’t have that logo plastered across the front with red coloring that doesn’t match the club’s branding at all. Compare it to Orlando’s seamless Orlando Health logo and it’s no question which kit is better.
  • FIFA’s U-17 and U-20 World Cups may possibly be streamlined into one big 48-team tournament.
  • I leave you tonight with this ominous tweet from Orlando City. It certainly looks like it could be the official kit release, but we may have to show up this morning to find out.

Have a great Friday, everyone! We’ve got our final preseason game to look forward to tomorrow so finish your week strong and let’s get after it this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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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.

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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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