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Lion Links: 5/20/18

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7 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers. A tough road loss in Toronto on Friday night seemed to set the tone for a bleak weekend here in the Central Florida area, and the weather surely didn’t help. But every team has peaks and valleys, and quite frankly, this isn’t much of a valley.

The Lions are still in an advantageous position on the MLS Eastern Conference table, and the more and more experience the boys in purple gain with each other in real-time match scenarios, the better. There’s a lot to be optimistic about with this squad, and I hope our audience here shares that sentiment.

The Pride, too, give us much to be excited about, with a home clash against the undefeated North Caroline Courage coming up Wednesday. A win in that match would be massive, and I can’t wait to tune in for the action.

Other than that, it’s been a pretty slow weekend, folks. But here’s your Sunday serving of Lion Links. Enjoy.

A Win Against the Chicago Fire Critical for the Lions

Orlando’s loss was, well how do you put it…deflating. Losses against teams that are surely going to be in the playoff race deep into the season have been upsetting to say the least, and the Lions must do everything possible to ensure they don’t fall into a slump (as they did around this time last season). The players are well aware of the foreboding possibility of a slump, too.

“We have to be mentally very strong,” said midfielder Cristian Higuita after Orlando City’s match against TFC. “We have a great team and I felt like today, for the first time in four seasons that I’ve been here, we were superior to Toronto here at BMO Field. Unfortunately, they won, but I think that we showed we’re a very mentally strong team. I think we’re going to be able to prevent [another slump].”

The loss sets up what some are calling a must-win match against the Chicago Fire in Orlando City Stadium next week. Regardless, prosoccerusa.com’s Jordan Culver does a great job breaking down some key factors in what the Lions do successfully.

Philadelphia Union Players Wear Names of Fallen Heroes at Training

The Union partnered with the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS) for an event that was held on Friday ahead of Military Appreciation Night, which was recognized at the Real Salt Lake match last night. The decision to partner with TAPS was a heartfelt move that emphasized the Union’s’desire to remain close to the local community, famous for its military roots. The Union’s players, typically outfitted in normal training gear, were provided specially crafted kits that were branded with the names of fallen soldiers on the back of them. The event also allowed victims of the fallen heroes the opportunity to share their stories of their loved ones with some of the athletes that they admire on match days.

“To see the Union players wearing their loved one’s name on the back of their jersey and just saying their name out loud and recognizing their loss and wanting to honor that is just beyond words, it’s so special for these families,” said Megan O’Keefe, TAPS entertainment and sports coordinator in a video released by the team. “Not that this is filling a void but it’s really giving them a new person to connect with and share their loved one’s story,” O’Keefe said.

NYRB Goalkeeper Luis Robles’ Ironman Streak Set to End

Luis Robles, arguably one of the best MLS goalkeepers of all time, will finally miss a match due to a knee injury. The keeper hasn’t missed a match in 183 straight, going the full 90 minutes in every single one of them. The legend started his first match near the end of the 2012 season, and there was simply no looking back. He seized the spot in between the sticks, and he quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with, posting 65 clean sheets through all competitions. Andrew Vazzano over at newyorkredbulls.com put together a handy little stat counter that emphasizes just how incredible Robles’ ironman streak was, and he also provides a more in-depth view of the streak ending, and even gets a quick word in with Robles himself. The streak ending is significant for the New York Red Bulls, who travel to face a streaking Atlanta team tonight. Ryan Meara will be the man to replace Robles on the evening. We’re rootin’ for ya, Ryan.

Timothy Weah Handed First-Ever Senior Team Start at PSG

Weah, the son of legendary striker and current Liberian President George Weah, was handed the first start of his senior team career for PSG as they traveled to Caen in the final Ligue 1 match of the season yesterday. The result on the day was a 0-0 draw, but Weah seeing out the full 90 minutes at striker (despite picking up a booking in the ninth minute) is significant and has two major implications. The first is that he’s now viewed as a talent that can break into the starting 11 of an elite European side, and that his ascendancy in exposure and stardom should surely follow suit. The second, which correlates directly with the first, is that the U.S. Men’s National Team may now have the young, budding stars it has lacked — and, most importantly, they’re being trained properly by some of the top clubs in the world. Ultimately, seeing Weah find success could prove vital to the development of the national team, the popularity of the sport in our country, and the future of our own national youth development. Plus, just imagine a fully-developed Weah, Cristian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams walking out for the Stars and Stripes together.

Gianluigi Buffon Ends His 17-Year Playing Career with Juventus

The legend’s final match for the The Old Lady couldn’t have gone any better, either. Earning his 301st clean sheet for the club, Buffon was substituted off after an hour of play with tears in his eyes, his teammates at his side, and the entire stadium in complete adulation. The supporters showed their love for their club legend by displaying banners and adoring gifts as he mingled with his fans, and Buffon returned the favor as he took a lap to honor the fans in attendance at his substitution. He ended the day by winning his ninth Serie A title. Nobody truly knows what’s next for the 40-year-old; rumors are that he’s been offered a playing deal with France’s PSG, while others say that he’s been offered an influential role within Juventus’ highest offices. Regardless, the man is a legend, and if his playing days are over I’ll personally be selfishly depressed that he’s no longer making incredible saves on my television.

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  • Everyone’s favorite Italian enigma, Mr. Mario Balotelli, has been called up to the Italian national team for the first time since the 2014 World Cup. Personally, I can’t wait to see him don the famous blue kit again. His former gaffer during their time at Manchester City, Roberto Mancini, is the one who gave him the call.
  • ESPN FC put together an excellent presentation that highlights Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta’s impactful career.

  • Chelsea downed Manchester United, 1-0, to win the FA Cup final.
  • Portuguese legend and Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has officially struck 450 times for Real Madrid. That’s just for Real Madrid. Sheesh.

All right, folks. That’s about all I’ve got for you today. Before I go, I want to leave you with a clip of who I think will one day become the greatest football manager of all time. That’s one hell of a bold statement, but I’ll stand by it to my grave. Fergie, José, Pep…you fellas better watch out for this kid:

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Lion Links: 2/12/25

Leagues Cup Schedule released, Sams and Moorhouse called up, Champions League results, and more.

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11 hours ago

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February 12, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s new home kit reveal day, so get ready to potentially spend some money. I may end up getting one regardless of how it looks. I’ve lost some weight, and while that is good, none of my jerseys fit anymore. I hope it’s a good one.

We want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Jhon Solis. Additionally, I want to wish my son Chris a very happy birthday. Now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Fixtures Revealed

The official Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One schedule dropped Tuesday, meaning we now know Orlando City’s first three matches of the competition. All three matches will be played at Inter&Co Stadium against Liga MX squads. The Lions will face Pumas UNAM in the first match on July 30, followed by Atlas FC on Aug. 2, and then Necaxa on Aug. 6. Phase One of the competition is effectively a group stage. If Orlando City can advance out of Phase One, the Lions will head to the knockout rounds.

Pride International Call Ups

The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse received call-ups for the USWNT and the England Women’s National Team, respectively. USWNT Coach Emma Hayes included Sams on her 23-player roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The U.S. will play matches against Japan, Australia, and Colombia.

Moorhouse was selected by Lioness coach Sarina Wiegman for the UEFA Women’s Nations League. England’s first two matches are against Portugal on Feb. 21 and against Spain on Feb. 26. After that, the competition continues in April.

MLS Transfer Round Up

With Orlando City finally signing some new players, other MLS clubs continue to make moves in the off-season. Former Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso signed with the Houston Dynamo through 2025 with an option for 2026. Houston is the Bear’s third MLS club.

French second-division side Amiens SC is in a selling mood. The club sent defender Osaze Urhoghide to FC Dallas. Minnesota United FC signed midfielder Owen Gene from Amiens SC to an MLS U22 Initiative contract.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union signed Homegrown forward Eddy Davis III, and D.C. United signed midfielder Brandon Servania. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Daniel to a contract extension, and Nashville SC signed midfielder Matthew Corcoran from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC.

Champions League Results

UEFA Champions League continued Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain getting things going with a 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembélé scored a brace in the match to cement the victory. Borussia Dortmund also managed a 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon. All three goals came in the second half, including Serhou Guirassy’s 10th in the competition to equal Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid scored two goals to come from behind and defeat Manchester City 3-2. Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Weston McKennie got things going for Juventus in its 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal.

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That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the new kit. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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1 day ago

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February 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/10/25

Orlando City falls to CF Montreal in preseason scrimmage, latest OCSC transfer rumblings, MLS transfer roundup, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Under Armour has been keeping me busy, and I’ve been covering some high school basketball. We are less than two weeks away from the 2025 MLS season kicking off, with the Lions’ home opener on Feb. 22 against the Philadelphia Union. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. Before we do, we want to thank subscriber Dave Shine for upgrading to a Designated Player support level. We appreciate all of our supporters, and to see if one of our three levels of support is right for you, please visit our Buy Me a Coffee page.

Orlando City Falls to CF Montreal in Preseason Scrimmage

Orlando City suffered a preseason loss on Saturday, falling 2-1 to CF Montreal in a 120-minute friendly scrimmage at Inter&Co Stadium. The match remained scoreless after 90 minutes of play, and the two clubs played an extra 30-minute session. CF Montreal took a 2-0 lead before Nico Lodeiro scored a late free-kick goal for the Lions to make it 2-1. The Lions’ next preseason match will be Tuesday against USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in a closed-door scrimmage. Orlando will conclude its preseason friendly schedule on Friday in Tampa against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium.

Latest Orlando City Transfer Reports

The Lions have been busy as we get close to their home opener in 12 days. Midfielder Eduard Atuesta reportedly had his medical exam with Orlando City on Friday, but nothing is official until it’s official. Atuesta reportedly terminated his contract with Palmeiras two years before it expired, and the Brazilian club will keep 20% of any future sale as Orlando works towards finalizing the deal.

Meanwhile, the Lions have also reportedly submitted a transfer bid to Bolivian club Always Ready midfielder Moises Paniagua. Per the source post from Twitter, the bid was lower than the club is expecting for Paniagua.

Lastly, defender Noham Abdellaoui of Serie A side Genoa has reportedly signed a one-year contract to join Orlando City. This seems like more of a move the club would make to stock OCB than the first team, but we’ll wait to see if it becomes official.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. CF Montreal added a pair of defenders, signing former Lion Luca Petrasso through the 2025 season with options for 2026 and 2027. He played against Orlando City on Saturday. Montreal also signed defender Brandan Craig through the 2025 season with options for 2026, 2027, and 2028. New York Red Bulls forward Lewis Morgan has reached an agreement on a new contract, extending his deal through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028. The Chicago Fire have signed defender Omar Gonzalez on a contract for the 2025 season with a club option for 2026.

Keeping Up With Americans Abroad

We had another busy weekend featuring Americans in action in Europe. Norwich City forward Josh Sargent continues his stellar form as he scored in his third consecutive match in a 1-1 draw against Derby County on Saturday. Sargent has scored four goals in his last three appearances for the EFL Championship side. Christian Pulisic came off the bench for AC Milan in the second half and notched two assists as AC Milan defeated Empoli 2-0 and moved to seventh in the Serie A table. Cardiff City goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made three clutch saves in an FA Cup match against Stoke City. One was in the penalty shootout as Cardiff City defeated Stoke City 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw and move on to the Round of 16.

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  • Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena tweeted that he recently had surgery at the end of January. We here at The Mane Land wish Wilder a speedy recovery.
  • Former Lion Alexandre Pato visited his former teammates during preseason training last week.
  • Orlando City announced its theme night calendar for the 2025 season, featuring wrestling night, pride in our city night, and a video game night.
  • Plymouth Argyle defeated Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday to knock out the Reds in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
  • After multiple delays, the popular mobile game Football Manager 25 has been canceled just weeks before its March release. Sports Interactive issued the following statement on social media.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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