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Lion Links: 6/6/18

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7 years ago

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It is another Wednesday here at The Mane Land and I am currently reporting to you from Houston, TX for no other reason than that I was sick of the rain in Florida. So I plan on enjoying some quality new breweries (for me) like St. Arnold, hoping my Cavs might actually win a game, and maybe hunting down J.J. Watt and fanboy a bit.

Today we’ve got a look at tonight’s Open Cup match vs. Miami United FC, a look at why Orlando City is struggling, and Pro Soccer USA evaluates the big trades from the off-season — including the Sacha Kljestan deal. We’ve also got updates on Pride Month events and some interesting free kicks as always.

Orlando City Begins U.S. Open Cup Play Tonight

The Lions kick off their U.S. Open Cup play down in South Florida tonight against Miami United FC. Miami United has won three matches to get to the point of facing its in-state brethren in the fourth round of the competition. And if you're unfamiliar with Miami United FC and the NPSL, you can catch up here.

If you’re not familiar with the tournament, the Cup is a domestic competition where clubs from all professional leagues — including MLS, NPSL, USL — and amateur leagues alike compete for a piece of silverware and a place in the Concacaf Champions League. The age-old question is whether to prioritize this competition over the regular season and MLS playoff potential. Orlando has never really gone for it in this tournament since its USL days. With a lot of injuries and a tough run of form lately, I’ll be intrigued to see what type of lineup Head Coach Jason Kreis puts out there.

Some of us here think that any silverware should be the priority and that this event has the best chance for the Lions to garner some. Others believe the MLS playoffs, somewhere City hasn't ventured, have to be priority No. 1. I guess we’ll see tonight where the club stands on the season’s priorities.

Who is the Real Orlando City?

Benjamin Baer of MLSSoccer.com wonders about the cause of the Lions’ struggles over the past four matches. He does take a quick dive into some pretty geek-driven stats if you’re into expected goals and such. He touches on a lot of the obvious things with strength of schedule and injuries as well. Simply put: If Orlando was healthy, it probably doesn’t see four straight losses. Plain and simple. But it goes to show that a season will be up and down and Kreis may need to look to the transfer window for some additional help.

However, there are still 21 matches to go! That’s right, we are barely one-third of the way through the schedule and Orlando basically hasn't had its full team available at any point and still sits above the cut line with a game in hand. So take solace in that and breathe.

If MLS wants to knock Orlando down to No. 17 in its power rankings, so be it. I like this team with its back against the wall and with no one believing. The good news is that Kreis has stated the entire squad will be traveling this week minus Yoshimar Yotún who is on World Cup duty with Peru. So it looks like we’ve got the band back together and should see many of them this week against Miami, Vancouver, and Montreal.

Haley Kopmeyer Takes Save of the Week

In her first start of the season, backup goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer took the NWSL’s Save of the Week with this nice save and parry over the bar to preserve a shutout this weekend.

I will fully admit that I voted for the Emily Boyd’s fantastic save on the 1-v-1 in space, but it doesn't matter what I think. The fans have spoken.

Additional awards were:

Congrats to everyone on their weekly awards. In other news, the Pride stayed at No. 3 in the NWSL power rankings.

Orlando Supports Pride Month in a Variety of Ways

If you did not know, it is Pride Month across the country — an annual celebration of tolerance and acceptance for all, but namely those in the LGBTQ community. Orlando’s community, which includes its soccer fan base, has never been shy about its support, especially after the tragic events of the Pulse shooting. The city is bonded in this cause with a booming voice nationally.

Orlando City, in my opinion, has been a benchmark for professional franchises with its support. Orlando City and Pride will be supporting the local event on June 12 to remember those lost in the tragic events with a few additional activities:

  • The stadium will open its doors on June 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4-6 p.m., allowing fans to visit the 49 permanent #OrlandoUnited rainbow seats.
  • They will be releasing designated Pride merchandise on June 11, the proceeds from which will go back to five pride organizations.
  • Each organization will receive a unique ticket link available here, with $5 from every ticket purchased at each link donated to the respective nonprofit.

Please show your support in any way you can. To be honest, click here if you don’t want to support this and really give it some thought.

Sacha Kljestan Trade Evaluated After 11 Matches

Tutul Rahman from Pro Soccer USA takes an early look at MLS’s biggest off-season deals as we enter the second third of the season. One of the biggest deals obviously involved Orlando City and the New York Red Bulls in a blockbuster move for midfielder Sacha Kljestan. A reminder of that deal: Orlando City got Kljestan and $150,000 in General Allocation Money; New York Red Bulls got Carlos Rivas and Tommy Redding.

Again, this is very early in the season to be looking at this, especially considering how young Rivas and Redding are, but one can say that Orlando is certainly winning this deal if you must evaluate it today. Rahman brings up some good stats that have Kljestan projecting to have a better season in 2018 than 2017. Sacha may not be living up to the Designated Player impact level, but he's still there. However, Redding and Rivas are not contributing on just about any level.

Redding has been dealing with a labrum injury preventing him from getting minutes even at the club’s USL team, RBII, after a dreadful 90-minute showing in his only MLS match, while Rivas has only appeared in five matches to date. Maybe neither team is getting true value on the salaries, but at least Kljestan is on the field.

Free Kicks

  • Jordan Culver (ProSoccer USA) sat down with Jose Villarreal — acquired from LA Galaxy this season — on his first minutes of the season.
  • Yaya Touré going on the Pep Revenge Tour. I love it. Come on over to the Red Devils, sir.
  • FourFourTwo ranked every World Cup Kit. I vehemently disagree with Nigeria not being No. 1 and, considering it sold three million units in minutes, so do the fans.
  • And finally, I leave with a video of from the GK Nation. While it didn’t amount to much, I still enjoy any time a keeper wants to have a little fun.

That’s it for today! Have a great rest of the week. Find yourself a new beer like I’m doing. And just pray your sports teams win. Because really, what else can you do? Cheers!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/16/25

Lions and Pride win, USMNT beats Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup opener, FIFA Club World Cup weekend recap, and more.

Published

12 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you and belated happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. The Lions and the Pride both won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Colorado Rapids on the Road

Orlando City defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Martin Ojeda scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to snap their two-match winless streak. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves and earned his eighth clean sheet of the season. With the win, Orlando moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 30 points. Orlando City will be off this weekend but will be return to action June 25 on the road at St. Louis City.

Banda’s Goal Lifts Pride Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 1-0 Friday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. After a scoreless first half, Barbra Banda scored the only goal in the match — her eighth goal of the season — and the Pride held on for the win. It’s the team’s third straight 1-0 victory over Bay FC, and the Pride also claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season. Orlando has won three matches in a row and remains second in the NWSL table with 25 points. The Pride will be on the road to take on Racing Louisville Friday.

USMNT Dominates Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup Opener

The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 Sunday in the opening match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at PayPal Park. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. Malik Tillman scored twice, and Patrick Agyemang added one to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead before halftime. In the second half, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright each added a goal to extend the USMNT’s lead to 5-0. With the win, the Yanks snapped a four-match winless streak. The USMNT will take on Saudi Arabia Thursday night at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX.

FIFA Club World Cup Weekend Recap

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday, with Inter Miami and Al Ahly playing to a scoreless draw in the opening match of the group stage. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made eight saves, including a penalty kick saved in the 43rd minute against Trezeguet of Al Ahly as the teams split the points. On Sunday, Jamal Musiala scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10-0, Paris Saint-Germain routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Palmeiras and FC Porto ended in a scoreless draw. The Seattle Sounders battled Botafogo in the late match. Today’s matchups feature Chelsea taking on LAFC, Boca Juniors facing Benfica, and Flamengo taking on Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Tampa Bay Sun Wins USL Super League Championship

The Tampa Bay Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 after extra time to win the inaugural USL Super League championship on Saturday at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. Former Pride players Jordyn Listro and Erika Tymrak were part of the squad’s stellar run to its first championship title in the inaugural season of the USL Super League. After no goals came from either side during the 90 minutes of play, the match went to extra time, and Cecilie Floe scored the winning goal for the Sun. Sydny Nasello was named the 2025 USL Super League Final MVP.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their dads a surprise phone call on Father’s Day.
  • PayPal Park will host the 2025 NWSL Championship match on Nov. 22.

From the home of legends to the stage of champions 🏆The 2025 NWSL Championship presented by Google Pixel is coming to the Bay Area and PayPal Park.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-13T12:14:48.657Z

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/13/25

Orlando City prepares for the Colorado Rapids, Concacaf W Champions Cup schedule released, USWNT tops FIFA rankings, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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June 13, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! We have some exciting soccer ahead of us over the next few days, starting with the Orlando Pride’s road game against Bay FC tonight at 10 p.m. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working and visiting family for Father’s Day. Let’s go ahead and get this Friday started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for the Colorado Rapids

The Lions are back in action on Saturday for a road match in high altitude against the Colorado Rapids. Orlando City is coming off a needed break in the schedule after losing two games in a row to close out a busy May. The Rapids have also lost their past two league games and will be without goalkeeper Zack Steffen due to injury. This will be the team’s first match against the Rapids since a 2-0 victory in Orlando back in 2023 and the first in Colorado since a 1-1 draw in 2022. Hopefully the Lions can get back on track with a win to kickstart another strong summer.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Schedule Revealed

The schedule was unveiled for the Concacaf W Champions Cup and we now know where the Pride will be playing this fall. Their campaign will begin at Inter&Co Stadium against Costa Rican club LD Alajuelense on Sept. 2. They’ll then hit the road for their next two matches, playing Chorrillo FC in Panama on Sept. 16 before facing Club America on Sept. 30. The Pride will close out their group play with a home game against Pachuca on Oct. 15. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semifinals, and the winner of the tournament will earn a spot in both the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. It’s going to make for some late-season fixture congestion for the Pride, but that’s the price of success and earning a spot in continental competitions.

USWNT Remains Atop FIFA Rankings

The United States Women’s National Team is still the best team in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings. The U.S. lost points overall in the time since the last rankings in March though, and the gap has narrowed between it and Spain and Germany. Brazil had a decent rise in the rankings, moving up four spots to fourth after beating Japan twice in recent friendlies. With notable international tournaments lined up for this summer, it will be interesting to see how much things shake up when the next rankings come out.

Michael Bradley Named New York Red Bulls II Head Coach

Former USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley was hired as head coach of the MLS NEXT Pro’s New York Red Bulls II. It’s the 37-year-old’s first professional head coaching job after spending time as an assistant coach under his father, Bob Bradley, at Stabaek in Norway. Bradley returns to where he began his professional playing career, as he was drafted by the MetroStars in 2004 at the age of 16.

“I couldn’t be more excited to come back to where my professional playing career began,” says Head Coach Michael Bradley. “This is a dream opportunity as a young coach. I’m looking forward to working everyday with this talented group of players, and I’ll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers. I’m thankful to the club for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

Free Kicks

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: 6/12/25

Reliving the Orlando Pride’s win, Orlando City B loses on the road, Jhon Solis Wins MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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June 12, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been enjoying a pretty good week so far and actually made pizza for the first time last night. It was burnt beyond belief in the end, but still edible, which is a huge win in my book. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links!

Sights and Sounds From the Orlando Pride’s Victory

The Orlando Pride beat the Houston Dash 1-0 at home in dramatic fashion and the club has released a video highlighting the action. Substitute Cori Dyke scored the winning goal deep in stoppage time to give the Pride all three points and second place in the league standings. The video includes Dyke being tossed in the air afterwards in celebration, as well as a pretty good pep talk from Marta. Let’s hope the Pride can win a bit more comfortably when they travel across the country to face Bay FC on Friday night.

Orlando City B Falls to Carolina Core FC

The Young Lions are returning to Orlando empty handed after a 1-0 loss to Carolina Core FC in North Carolina. A goal by Carolina right before halftime proved to be the difference, as OCB struggled to get much going offensively and couldn’t conjure some of the late magic it’s shown in recent matches. Ultimately, it’s a disappointing result after impressive wins over both Chattanooga FC and Huntsville City FC earlier this month. The Young Lions have a bit of a break to reset before trying to get back on track at home against Toronto FC II on June 25.

Jhon Solis Wins Goal of the Matchweek

OCB midfielder Jhon Solis won MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek for his strike in the club’s 3-2 road win over Huntsville on June 6. He curled a free kick towards goal with enough power behind it to beat the keeper and equalize things in the 84th minute. Solis also provided the assist from a corner kick on OCB’s first goal, so hopefully he can continue to make opponents pay in those instances this season.

Getting Ready for the Concacaf Gold Cup

The Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off this weekend and plenty of pressure is on the U.S. after a pair of losses in the friendlies leading into this tournament. The team is without many of its usual starters, and Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will have to figure things out in a group against Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and Trinidad & Tobago. As for other things to watch out for in this Gold Cup, I’m interested to see how Canada fares in its group and if Miguel Herrera’s Costa Rican team can make some noise against Mexico. Panama’s group could end up as the most enticing though, as it features fellow dark horse Jamaica and a pair of underdogs in Guadeloupe and Guatemala.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to the unbearable part of summer here in Florida. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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