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Lion Links: 3/4/18

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8 years ago

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Hey there, Mane Landers, happy Sunday. This is my first official foray into the world of sports journalism, and I couldn’t be luckier to have the opportunity to join an established team of writers, editors, and most importantly; Orlando City supporters. I can’t wait to tackle the 2018 season with you, and I’m ecstatic that I’ll have the ability to share my experiences and opinions with the same passionate fans that I stand with and cheer beside at Orlando City Stadium.

Orlando hosts one of the most dedicated and inclusive MLS communities in the nation and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it. I am proud to be a Lion. Or should I say that I’ve got Lion Pride? Or perhaps that I’ve got Pride and I ain’t lyin’? Forget it; let’s go with all of the above.

I hope everyone is recovering well from last night’s season opener against D.C. United. I’m still struggling to find my voice…and I didn’t even leave my condo. My neighbors must hate me.

Anyway, here’s your Sunday serving of Lion Links:

More Opening Day Drama for Orlando City

The Lions have developed a strange opening day tradition of giving up the lead and then waiting to the death of the match to equalize. There was Kaká’s free kick in 2015, the two stoppage-time strikes in 2016, and, after a break last year to christen the new stadium, now we’ve got Stéfano Pinho’s late-game magic that led to a 1-1 draw against D.C. United in the 2018 opener. It was a crazy game filled with video review decisions that went the visitors’ way, lots of sick dribbling and nutmegging from Justin Meram, and a whole lot of new Lions. Here’s what you need to know:

Don’t forget to check back later this morning for Ben Miller’s five takeaways from the match and we’ll also have a photo gallery from Nick Leyva.

Orando Pride Down UCF in Preseason Action, 3-0

The Orlando Pride have only one preseason match remaining after posting a winning 3-nil result against the University of Central Florida. Sydney Leroux netted twice in the opening 21 minutes and Christine Nairn also got on the score sheet with a beautiful curling free kick. The Pride seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time with the season opener less than a month away, and with half the starting roster still away on international duty. Leroux has scored three times in the last two matches; be on the lookout for the USWNT star to be a constant goal-scoring threat this season. The Pride’s final preseason match will be at the University of South Florida on Thursday.

Here’s Nairn’s fantastic free kick for the Pride’s final goal:

Three Orlando Pride Players Named in the World XI Shortlist

The Women’s World XI is a prestigious distinction awarded only to the most transcendent and awe-striking talents in women’s football. Three of our Pride players have broken into the shortlist for this honor: Marta Vieira da Silva (Brazil), Alex Morgan (USA), and Alanna Kennedy (Australia). Both Marta and Morgan were named in last year’s World XI. The governing body and worldwide players’ union, FIFPro, will be announcing the World XI on Thursday, which is also International Women’s Day.

VAR Approved by IFAB for Use at World Cup Finals

Regardless of where your opinion falls on Video Assistant Referees (especially after last night), one thing is now certain: they’ll be used during this summer’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals, hosted by Russia. Long considered a controversial injection of technology into the beautiful game, video review has been fervently debated for decades. Traditionalists argue that they prevent the natural flow of the game and believe that they jeopardize the authority of the officiating crew. Others think that we might as well take advantage of the technological advances to ensure a fairly officiated match. All eyes will be set curiously toward Russia this summer to examine, scrutinize, or praise the contentious decision.

Potential World-Class Players Interested in David Beckham’s Miami Franchise

We should be keeping an eye on David Beckham and his Miami franchise — a very, very close eye. The word out of Miami, and Becks’ mouth himself, is that the club is generating interest from notable players worldwide that have competed with or against the former LA Galaxy skipper. Let that sink in for a moment as I briefly list sides that Beckham has been a part of: Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSG, LA Galaxy, and the English national team. Miami’s new franchise won’t begin MLS play until at least 2020, so we shouldn’t be anticipating any legitimate transfer news for at least another year, but we’ll want to monitor the situation to our south.

Free Kicks

  • Check out the new Lion’s Den club store at Orlando City Stadium, located near Gate A!

  • Our club’s first-ever captain, Kaká, provided some inspiration before the team’s season opener yesterday:

  • The American Women’s U-20 national team recorded a 1-nil win against France yesterday. Former Orlando City ECNL player Mandy McGlynn was between the sticks and achieved her first U-20 shutout. Congratulations, Mandy!

  • 18-year-old American striker Tim Weah, son of legendary striker George Weah, made his professional debut for PSG yesterday.

  • And check out this fantastic volley from Saint Louis FC’s Albert Dikwa, a former OCB player:

That’s all that was fit to print on this lovely Sunday, but as always, stay tuned for all Orlando City and Pride news. And hey, there are only about 150 hours until the Lions host Minnesota United!

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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

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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