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Lion Links: 6/17/18

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7 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers! With the World Cup in full swing, I find it difficult to express my pure joy for life right now, especially with that Portugal vs. Spain thriller going down the way it did in the most dramatic of fashion. Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick lifted his country to a well-earned draw with the Spaniards, while Lionel Messi’s failure to finish from the spot mired his country in a 1-1 draw against a far out-matched Iceland team.

Iceland held on for what may be one of the country’s most memorable World Cup results, and the stats really show you how incredible the feat was.

Meanwhile, France opened their account with a 2-1 win over Australia, Peru (OCSC’s Yoshimar Yotún’s home country) fell 1-0 to Denmark, and Croatia downed Nigeria, 2-0.

I’ve been so distracted by these enthralling World Cup matches that I’ve barely had the chance to reflect on the firing of Orlando City Soccer Club’s now former head coach, Jason Kreis. It doesn’t feel prudent to me. Why make this change now, after a franchise-record winning streak was on tap just a few weeks back?

It baffles me, and it worries me as a supporter. I want a coach that has the opportunity to install their system, acquire their preferred personnel, and then is given time to iron out the kinks over the course of the season’s journey to the playoffs. I would have been much more understanding of a sacking come the end of a playoff-less season, but these sorts of changes mid-season are good for nobody involved, and I can only hope that the next manager appointed to the hot seat is treated better, by both club and supporter. Things take time. But hey, that’s just me. (More on this later.) Who might replace Kreis? Well, Taylor Twellman says the Lions want to go Brazilian.

Scolari will turn 70 this fall.

With that said, here’s your Sunday helping of Lion Links:

Orlando Pride Defeat Sky Blue FC

Amidst the star power of the World Cup fixtures currently behind held in Russia, the NWSL had a major match last night that featured some of the world’s best women footballers pitted against each other on the same pitch. The Orlando Pride hosted Sky Blue FC in a bout that saw Alex Morgan, Marta, Carli Lloyd, and a plethora of world-class ladies take the field in an exciting match that ended in a 3-2 Pride win. Our very own Scott Carnevale has your in-depth match recap.

Be sure to check back later for Michael Citro’s five takeaways from the match and a photo gallery from the game.

Inchy on Kreis Firing

Original Orlando City boss Adrian Heath called the firing of Kreis a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ by the club.

“They’ve had a complete roster overhaul, a third of the season in, they’re above the playoff line. I think it’s a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction,” Heath said. “When you’re on that six-game losing streak, it’s not nice for everybody, and I get that. Ownership groups not just in Orlando but all over the U.S., it’s not a nice feeling, and with social media now, the pressure mounts up on the coach because everybody’s an expert. People who’ve never been involved in football have their little five minutes of fame because they’ve got a blog … and unfortunately, people listen.”

I’m not sure bloggers have quite that much power, but it’s understandable that Inchy would feel that way given that he was let go by Orlando City while a spot out of the playoffs and Kreis’ 2018 squad was still above the line.

Yoshimar Yotún and Peru Fall to Denmark, 1-0

In what turned out to be a surprisingly physical World Cup opener for the Danes and Peruvians, Denmark held on to a second-half lead to put the match away and gain its first three points of the tournament. Orlando City’s Yotún was, as usual, impressive on the day and served as a lynch pin for the Peruvian midfield. Unfortunately, La Blanquirroja were unable to capitalize on a bevy of chances, one even coming from a spot kick that Christian Cueva sent into Russian airspace. Denmark has won four of its five World Cup openers, while Peru is winless in seven straight World Cup fixtures, notching its last win in 1978. Despite the poor result, mlssoccer.com’s Dylan Butler wrote up a nice piece on Yotún’s performance, noting that he was one of the best players for his country on the day — and the stats don’t lie.

Peru and Yotún next face off against a stacked France side on Saturday, June 21 in Yekaterinburg.

Sam Stejskal’s Perspective of the Jason Kreis Sacking

Stejskal, a well-informed and talented sports journalist over at mlssocccer.com wrote up his thoughts on the firing of Orlando City’s second-ever MLS head coach, and if I may say, I completely agree with his assessment. As I mentioned earlier, the timing of the move really doesn’t make sense, and Stejskal’s assertion that the firing indicates that the club lacks a long-term vision is something that, personally, bothers me greatly. As Stejskal states in his piece, Kreis was given full control over the off-season moves, bringing in what was essentially a brand new team with a core of 14 fresh faces. He was given just 15 matches with that new group before he saw the chopping block. To be fair, head coaches are brought in and paid the big bucks to produce results. Even Kreis himself said that in an interview following his final match in charge of the Lions. Here’s his response following the defeat to Montreal when asked if there were any positives from their Canadian road trip:

“Zero. Zero points means zero positives really. I still think we’re doing some things right in the game but at the end of the day, we get paid to get points and we didn’t get the job done.”

Unfortunately for Kreis, he didn’t “get the job done,” and he won’t be getting paid to get points anymore. At least not by Orlando City. *sigh*

Philadelphia Union and Levi’s Partnership Adds Pride Patch to Collection

In honor of Pride Month, the Philadelphia Union and Levi’s have added a Pride patch to their growing collection of patches that supporters are able to use to customize their personal Levis clothing. The partnership — just one of three in existence between Levi’s and soccer clubs on the planet, the other two being France’s Paris Saint-Germain and Germany’s St. Pauli — is a unique way for the club to engage with their supporters. The club and apparel partnership is also adding patches that celebrate Military Appreciation Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and even rivalry matches. Cheers, Union and Levi’s. Classy move.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations are in order to Orlando City right back RJ Allen: she said yes!

  • Brazil’s manager Tite claims that superstar striker Neymar still isn’t quite 100%, but fully expects him to start and perform well in their opener today (the only questionable Brazilian right now is Fred, who is working his way back from an ankle injury).
  • After Iceland’s impressive draw against powerhouse favorite Argentina, why not check out what your Icelandic name would be? Personally, I’m Álekór Ingi Pierceson, and I love it. Check out how to find your own Icelandic name here.
  • Lionel Messi feels responsible for the shock draw with Iceland, blaming the negative result on his surprising miss from the spot.
  • Despite the opening round loss, Peru and Yotún will have an endless source of support from Orlando City and his teammates, and former Orlando City players, back in Central Florida.

  • And if you’ve made it this far, here’s one more for fun:

If we’re talkin’ MLS, I’d probably go green, swapping (insert best Lion here) for Sebastian Giovinco. If we’re talkin’ any other sporting league, I’m probably going orange and building the future. Which button are you pressing?

Well, that’s about all I’ve got for you this beautiful World Cup Sunday. Keep in check with The Mane Land for more news and updates, and then enjoy today’s fixtures: Costa Rica vs. Serbia, Germany vs. Mexico, and Brazil vs. Switzerland: the latter of the three almost guaranteed to live up to their lofty expectations of explosive offensive showings. You’ve got some great football to witness today, Mane Landers…make sure you do so.

Other than that, have a great week! Try your best not to let your boss catch you eyeing the matches too often…and definitely don’t stand up and celebrate when your country puts one in the back of the net. That might look weird to your co-workers.

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Lion Links: 2/21/25

Marco Pasalic’s soccer journey, MLS storylines to watch, USWNT shuts out Colombia, and much more.

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2 days ago

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February 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to the final day before the MLS season kicks off! I don’t know about you, but the off-season and preseason flew by for me. I’m ready to throw on some purple and cheer this weekend, even if I won’t have the pleasure of being there in person. Before we dive into today’s links though, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride forward Amanda Allen!

Marco Pasalic Prepares for First MLS Season

Many eyes will be on Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic this season after the club signed him as its latest Designated Player. The 24-year-old spoke on how a strong work ethic was instilled in him at a young age from his parents while growing up in Germany. He also talked about his injury while with Borussia Dortmund and the difficulties he faced both physically and mentally to overcome it. He’s now in the City Beautiful after playing for Rijeka in Croatia and the dual-national shared some insight about his decision to become a Lion.

“I think getting the chance to see a new league, to make the next step in my career, for me, it’s a better step to come here than to stay in Croatia. That’s my opinion,” he said. “I like it here a lot so far. It’s an honor when a club really wants you, and I wanted to come here, also. My decision didn’t take long, either. Maybe one day before I said yes. Now, I want to bring this league to another level, to bring this club joy and play good games.”

MLS Storylines Ahead of 2025 Season

The 2025 MLS season is finally upon us and there are already plenty of storylines to keep an eye on after an interesting off-season. For Orlando, it’s a simple inquiry into if the club’s new players can truly replace the players who won’t be on the field for the Lions this year. Facundo Torres is gone and Wilder Cartagena is out for the season, and only time will tell if Pasalic and Eduard Atuesta can fill those voids.

There are many questions all over the league I’m looking forward to getting answers to as well. How quickly can Bruce Arena turn things around with the San Jose Earthquakes? Will Atlanta United’s attack live up to the hype? What will the Philadelphia Union look like without Jim Curtin at the helm? Can the Chicago Fire reach the playoffs under Gregg Berhalter? I have the feeling it’s going to be a really great season for the league.

USWNT Wins Against Colombia

In its first game of this year’s SheBelieves Cup, the United States Women’s National Team beat Colombia 2-0 in Houston. The first goal for the USWNT was wonderfully crafted and sparked by a nice ball over the top by Lily Yohannes to Yazmeen Ryan, who found Catarina Macario in front of the net. It’s great to see Macario scoring again for the U.S. after she missed out on the Olympics due to injury. Ally Sentnor scored her first international goal by doubling the USWNT’s lead with a great strike from distance that you can check out below.

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams didn’t come off the bench, but the defense still did well to shut out Colombia. The USWNT’s next match will come on Sunday against an Australian team that got beaten 4-0 by Japan.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

After a rough week that included many Americans getting eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, attention now turns to a weekend filled with soccer. Former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will host Oxford United on Saturday, with Josh Sargent, Brenden Aaronson, and Ethan Horvath as other Americans to watch in the EFL Championship. In the English Premier League, Antonee Robinson and Fulham will take on Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace. The usual suspects like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams are also set to take the field. If looking for a game off the beaten path, Damion Downs could score his 10th goal of the season when Cologne faces Fortuna Dusseldorf on Sunday in Germany’s second division.

Luis Rubiales Guilty of Sexual Assault

Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso following the 2023 Women’s World Cup. As a result, he was ordered to pay more than $10,400 in fines and is prohibited from being within 200 meters of Hermoso and from communicating with her for a year. The prosecution had asked for a prison sentence of a year for sexual assault and a year-and-a-half for coercion, the latter of which he was acquitted of. FIFPRO issued a statement standing in solidarity with Hermoso and other victims of sexual assault, while also stating that the courts must send a stronger message in regards to the level of punishment.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City and the Orlando Pride announced a partnership with Jameson Irish Whiskey. I’ve actually never tried Jameson, as I’m a bit more of a tropical cocktail kind of guy when it comes to libations.
  • LAFC has a new Designated Player after signing Turkish winger Cengiz Under on loan from Fenerbahce through June 30, with an option to buy. He should add even more firepower to a potent LAFC attack that includes Olivier Giroud, Denis Bouanga, and Jeremy Ebobisse.
  • This year’s MLS Competition Guidelines include an interesting addition where only a team’s captain should approach the referee. If crowded by multiple players, the ref is to signal that to the players and only the captain can be within four meters of the referee, with intruding players being shown a yellow card.
  • Former Orlando City B forward Ates Diouf is joining Detroit City FC on loan from Lexington SC for the USL Championship season.
  • Former Orlando Pride midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard has signed with Calgary Wild FC of the Northern Super League.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a great Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/20/25

Marco Pasalic named an MLS newcomer to watch, Houston Dynamo sign Nico Lodeiro, USWNT takes on Colombia today, and more.

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3 days ago

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February 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? We’re only a few days away from the start of Orlando City’s 2025 season and I can’t wait. There’s also plenty of women’s soccer to enjoy thanks to the SheBelieves Cup. It’s a great time to be a soccer fan here in the U.S. Let’s dive right into today’s links!

Marco Pasalic Noted as MLS Newcomer to Watch

Orlando City signed Marco Pasalic as a Designated Player this off-season to help fill the void left by Facundo Torres, and he was noted as one of the top newcomers in the league for 2025. While I don’t think he’s expected to fully replace the goal contributions Torres provided, I’m hoping he can unlock defenses and am looking forward to seeing some overlapping runs between him and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson on the right wing.

The rest of the list has multiple players on Eastern Conference teams who could have Orlando fans reaching for the liquor cabinet this season, including Charlotte FC’s Wilfried Zaha, FC Cincinnati striker Kevin Denkey, and Atlanta United’s shiny new striker, Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Nico Lodeiro Signs With the Houston Dynamo

Midfielder Nico Lodeiro, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Orlando City earlier this week, has officially signed with the Houston Dynamo on a deal through 2025 with an option for 2026. This signing was reported leading up to his departure from Orlando, and he should be able to get some solid playing time with the Dynamo. Lodeiro had 11 assists with the Lions last season and is great from set piece situations, so he should be able to help a Houston team that made the playoffs last season but only scored 47 goals.

USWNT Takes On Colombia Today

The 2025 SheBelieves Cup kicks off today and the United States Women’s National Team will face off against Colombia at 8 p.m. in Houston. It will be the USWNT’s first match of the year and Head Coach Emma Hayes’ first time coaching the U.S. during the SheBelieves Cup. The team will be without star players like Trinity Rodman, Naomi Girma, and Sophia Wilson (née Smith) but still has plenty of talented players to get the job done. Colombia should present a solid challenge for the U.S., as it reached the quarterfinals of both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. After this match, the USWNT is set to take on Australia in Arizona on Sunday before closing out the tournament in San Diego on Wednesday against Japan.

MLS Clubs Begin Champions Cup Campaigns

The Concacaf Champions Cup is underway and there are many MLS sides aiming to start the tournament off on the right foot. The Seattle Sounders’ new signings from FC Dallas linked up for a goal just three minutes into their match with Guatemalan club Antigua GFC, with Jesus Ferreira teeing up Paul Arriola’s goal at the top of the box. Antigua equalized later in the first half, but the Sounders struck twice in the second half for a 3-1 victory. In Costa Rica, Real Salt Lake and Herediano battled to a scoreless draw. Lionel Messi scored the lone goal in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win against Sporting Kansas City in a bitter cold game that exemplifies why MLS should not switch to a winter schedule.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

Only 16 teams remain in the UEFA Champions League after the latest round of matches. Most of Wednesday’s drama was in PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 win over Juventus. American forward Tim Weah scored for Juventus, but PSV advanced thanks to a goal from defender Ryan Flamingo in extra time. In Spain, Kylian Mbappe had a hat trick in Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory against Manchester City, eliminating the English club from the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain booked its spot in the round of 16 in convincing fashion as well, with seven different players finding the back of the net in a 7-0 home win over Brest. After a 3-0 win in the first leg, a scoreless draw at home against Sporting CP was enough for Borussia Dortmund to advance to the next round too.

The draw for the round of 16 is on Friday and should deliver on some fun matchups. Either Barcelona or Liverpool will face PSG, with the other getting Benfica. We may also get Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links: 2/19/25

Halliday and Lodeiro are out, Cartagena’s season is over, the SheBelieves Cup starts tomorrow, and more.

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4 days ago

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February 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! Orlando City continues to see more departures than arrivals to the roster with the season opener looming this weekend. Sure would be cool if the Lions added an experienced MLS striker this week. Alas, I feel it’s not in the cards. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

In better news, it’s Marta’s 39th birthday! Happy nirthday to the captain from all of us here at The Mane Land. Let’s get to the links.

Lions Say Goodbye to Halliday, Lodeiro

Both Michael Halliday and Nico Lodeiro have departed Orlando City. Halliday was traded to the Houston Dynamo for a first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. With Dagur Dan Thorhallsson starting at right back and Alex Freeman moving into the number two spot behind him, it made sense for Halliday to try to get minutes elsewhere.

Nico Lodeiro mutually agreed to terminate his contract with the club. Lodeiro’s departure will free up $800,000 salary for the club and allow Lodeiro to pursue more playing time at another club. According to Tom Bogert, that club may also be the Houston Dynamo. Given Lodeiro’s role off the bench for Orlando City, this is a move that makes sense for both the player and the club.

Cartagena Out for the Season

While the news was expected, Orlando City officially placed Wilder Cartagena on the Season-Ending Injury list. The midfielder suffered the injury in the preseason match against Atletico Mineiro. The surgery on his left Achilles tendon was successful, but he will still be out for the remainder of the season. Fortunately, the Lions brought in Eduard Atuesta to shore up the midfield. While Orlando City may even be better with Atuesta on the pitch, losing Cartagena still hurts the team depth.

Orlando City in the Top 10?

The off-season was not as long as usual, thanks to Orlando City’s run to the Eastern Conference final. Despite the shorter time frame, I had forgotten how useless, dumb, and yet fun power rankings can be. I’d warn you against spoilers, but these rankings mean absolutely nothing — especially before a match has been played — so I’ll just tell you that the Lions came in at number nine. However, I won’t spoil why they made the top 10, nor which Ft. Lauderdale based club is in the top spot.

SheBelieves Cup Starts Thursday

The USWNT plays its first match of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup Thursday at 8 p.m. The match will take place at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Unless you plan on traveling to Texas, you’ll have to watch it on TV or streaming. The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams is on the squad and will hopefully see some minutes for Emma Hayes.

Free Kicks

  • In the “isn’t that mildly interesting” category, Pete Mangione will appear for FC Cincinnati.

That will do it for today. Check back everyday as we get you ready for the season opener on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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