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Lion Links: 6/30/18

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8 years ago

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Happy double match day, everyone. Both of our purple teams are in action today with the Orlando Pride hosting the North Carolina Courage and Orlando City visiting Atlanta in what should be the final game of the second Bobby Murphy era (more on that below). Hopefully the lads can get Bobby a win before he turns over the team to the new gaffer.

Let’s get today’s party started.

James O’Connor Returns to Orlando City as Head Coach

It’s probably hard for many MLS-only Orlando City fans to fathom but it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to the original Lion faithful that James O’Connor is coming back to the team as the new head coach. O’Connor was a successful player/coach with the USL version of the Lions, helping the team win hardware under Adrian Heath. He then went off to take over Louisville City FC in 2015 and was immediately successful, leading LCFC deep into the playoffs for two seasons before finally breaking through and winning the whole damn thing last year. He also took this year’s Louisville squad into the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Those of us who have never stopped paying attention to the USL after the Lions made the jump have seen how well his teams have played over the years and this is not a case of the club “settling” by any means.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Here are the words of someone who played against O’Connor’s teams.

Hey Now, Yoshi’s an All-Star

Get your game on, go play, Mr. Yotún, because you’re an MLS All-Star. Yoshimar was named as a member of the 2018 MLS All-Star Team by Atlanta boss Tata Martino yesterday and he’ll get to return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Italian giant Juventus on Aug. 1. This is an excellent decision by Martino, because Yotún has had an excellent season so far for Orlando City. If not for helping his country reach the World Cup, perhaps the Lions would have grabbed a few more points over the last two months. Yoshi should be back this weekend and will hopefully be part of the starting lineup against LAFC on July 7.

Meram Given Time Off for Personal Reasons

Justin Meram’s transition from Columbus to Orlando hasn’t been as smooth as anyone would have liked. However, I really don’t get how much abuse the guy has taken. He was hired to come in and take on defenders, which he’s done. That’s who he is and what he does. It hasn’t turned into a lot of goals (just two in all competitions), but he’s among the club’s assist leaders (3) and I think he’ll get it turned around. The Lions gave Meram three days off for personal reasons, so he won’t start that turnaround tonight. I’m not reading too much into this because it’s not that uncommon for players to be given some personal time on occasion for various reasons. (Marta went to Brazil just last week, for example and Dani Weatherholt had an excused absence from the Washington game.)

Hopefully O’Connor will get Meram back to his old form, which an unfortunate number of Orlando fans have yet to see.

Ali Krieger Available vs. North Carolina

The Pride’s back line is getting a boost now that Ali Krieger is fit to play. Krieger injured her knee in Orlando’s 5-2 win at Chicago back in late May and Tom Sermanni says she’s good to go.

“She’s fit, healthy and ready to be selected,” Sermanni said after training Friday.

Camila has been on the bench for the last two matches but has yet to play. Is this the day we finally get all of the Pride’s biggest stars on the field? Maybe. The only player on the team’s injury report is Monica (hip contusion) who is listed as questionable.

Minnesota’s Collin Martin Comes Out on Pride Night

Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin came out as an openly gay MLS player yesterday, announcing it as the Loons were preparing for their Pride Night match at home against FC Dallas (ultimately a 1-0 Dallas win). Martin is the league’s first openly gay player since Robbie Rogers, who retired after the 2017 season. He made the announcement on Twitter, saying that his friends, family, and teammates had already known.

It may be 2018, but there is still a lot of hate, fear, and intolerance in our world, so I applaud Collin for having the courage to be himself and I applaud his teammates for accepting him for who he is.

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That’s all from me today. Keep it right here at The Mane Land for full coverage of today’s Orlando Pride and Orlando City games. Vamos!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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May 22, 2026

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Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

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  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

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Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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May 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

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  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

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

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Lion Links: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

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May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

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That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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