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Lion Links: 5/6/18

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8 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers. I hope that your weekend has been going well so far; I know mine has, I just wish I had a few additional days tacked on after today. But alas, tomorrow is Monday and we should all be preparing ourselves for the week at hand (yuck). Luckily, we’ve got an Orlando City match sandwiched in between then and now, so I can’t complain too much.

With that said, I’m here for you as always to provide some semblance of a distraction while you wait for the Lions to take on Real Salt Lake in Orlando City Stadium at 5 p.m. ET. So, here’s your Sunday serving of Links.

Lions Enjoying Great Team Chemistry

The Lions may be enjoying each other on the pitch, but they’re also loving life as teammates off away from play. Comprised of several new faces, this current squad didn’t take much time in jelling and becoming what Amro Tarek would call a #family. The camaraderie is as apparent on the field as it is off, as the boys in purple are constantly going out to dinner and team events together. This sort of chemistry is vital to a strong team morale and overall confidence, and it’s an important thread in weaving a championship-winning side. It all started early, according to keeper Joe Bendik.

“This team…I think it started in preseason,” he said. “We all were really happy to get to know each other and start to get things going. The season started and we had a little bit of adversity and just the character in the group, I think, came out. And that’s why everybody enjoys being with each other.”

Local Artist Matt Stone Unveils New Game Day Poster

Matt Stone is a local artist who loved his city far before he was brought on with Orlando City’s Creative & Brand department. Now, he’s unveiling the most recent addition to the famous game day posters. He’s an artist of many talents and mediums, but Adobe Illustrator has been his recent weapon of choice. His works include the inaugural MLS match’s famous “Lion-naut” poster, and he’s currently working on a mixed medium series using spray paint, acrylics and inks. Stone’s poster will be available at The Den and at the several kiosks around Orlando City Stadium today when the Lions host Real Salt Lake.

Sir Alex Ferguson has Emergency Surgery for Brain Hemorrhage

In a bit of a somber note, Sir Alex Ferguson, the most decorated and celebrated manager in the history of Manchester United, the Premier League, and quite possibly the world, was rushed to the hospital for an emergency surgery due to a brain hemorrhage yesterday. The surgery went well for the Scot, according to several sources, but he will need intensive care over time to aid his recovery. His family asks for privacy during these trying times. From all of us here at The Mane Land: We love you, Fergie.

2018 NWSL Championship Set for Portland’s Providence Park

Providence Park has been chosen as the venue to host the 2018 NWSL Championship game. The game will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 4:30 p.m. ET on Lifetime. Providence Park, home of the Portland Thorns, typically sees around 17,000 fans at its home matches. This will be the second time that the venue has hosted the championship match – previously setting a league record in 2015 with 13,264 spectators turning up for that year’s final.

Free Kicks

As a kid who grew up playing soccer in Tallahassee, FL, I can’t wait to see what Tallahassee SC can bring to the table. I expect them to be competitive right away, knowing the strength of the talent pool in north Florida. Here’s some background information on why they chose their new logo and color scheme.

  • Yet again, the Orlando City youth teams are continuing to impress as the U-15s won, 1-0, and the U-17s won with the same score line against Chargers SC. The development of the young players in central Florida is paramount to future successes in MLS. Nothing makes me happier to see that the Orlando City youth sides are living up to the lofty expectations that comes with donning the purple kit. Keep it up, youngins!
  • One of Orlando City’s partner clubs, Stoke City, has officially been relegated from the Premier League to the Championship after a decade-long run. I have a feeling they’ll make the leap back sooner rather than later.
  • Congratulations, or just extra oats, are in order to Justify, the horse who won yesterday’s Kentucky Derby!
  • Here’s Stuart Holden’s take on the Christian Pulisic transfer saga. So, Mane Landers, “what say you?”

  • New York Red Bulls’ Connor Lade and his family came up with a clever way to reveal their baby’s gender. Congratulations, Connor!

  • Props are in order to Los Angeles FC for the team’s inclusive move in stamping out anti-gay chanting from fans. Love is love, folks.

  • Congratulations are also in order to Sporting Kansas City’s Roger Espinoza, who made his 200th appearance for the club last night.

Well, that’s about all I have for you today, Mane Landers. Have an excellent week, as always. Be positive and spread joy this week. Hold the door for your coworkers. Introduce yourself to someone you always see but never interact with. Smile at a stranger. Well, not in a weird way. Don’t creep the stranger out.

Actually, creep the stranger out.

‘Til next time, ML’ers.

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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: 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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