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Lion Links: 7/12/18

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7 years ago

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Happy Thursday, Mane Landers! Not my usual day on links so greetings to any new people reading away today. If you’re not familiar with me then let me tell you I am the exact opposite of your usual links master, primarily meaning I like good teams like Manchester United and not that other team in the town that will remain nameless.

Today we are talking the Pride’s result, City’s “new” and much needed center back, O’Connor’s coaching style, a New York Red Bulls former manager and current U-19 National Team player are making big news, Marta’s indispensable — shocker — and so much more.

Pride Lose 3-1 to Houston Dash

The Pride lost their third out of four matches on the road against the Houston Dash last night, 3-1. The result damages their playoff hopes while simultaneously giving the Dash some hope as they get back into the picture. The Pride fell behind early as a midfield turnover allowed Rachel Daly to get in behind a sleeping back line for her first of two goals on the night in the 17th minute. From there the Pride allowed a goal early in the second half when Ashlyn Harris couldn’t hold onto an aerial ball and in turn gave Daly an easy brace. Sydney Leroux pulled one back to throw the Pride a lifeline but it wasn’t enough in the end as the Pride fell 3-1 after a late goal was conceded.

O’Connor’s Coaching Style is Very Straightforward

New manager James O’Connor has plenty to learn in to his young coaching career. One thing he doesn't do is beat around the bush as that’s not his style.

“It’s black and white with him,” right back RJ Allen said about his “tell-it-like-it-is” style. “That’s what I respect a lot about [him]. If you can’t get the job done for him, then somebody else will.”

The new skipper is working with his new team quickly to develop trust and an understanding of his personal style:

“It’s all relationships,” O’Connor said. “I think the players need to understand that my intentions are always very good. Even though I’ll tell you genuinely straight, it’ll be coming from a place of good will and a kind heart.”

He's not just shy about his team, but also about the way the match went last Saturday against LAFC where we saw Orlando City have VAR call back a crucial game-tying goal:

“The way it finished, where we go from potentially 2-2 to then losing 4-1, that’s something that really frustrated all of us,” O’Connor said before Wednesday’s training sessions. “For us, it’s been very intentional on how we go about things and what we’re willing to accept and not accept.”

I love it. People can talk about wanting a player’s coach and how O’Connor will be that considering his young age. But this team needs a firm kick in the teeth and sugar coating anything won’t get City as motivated to get back into the playoffs picture. I’m looking forward to the O’Connor era of no bullshit.

Shane O’Neill is Nearly Ready to be City’s Next Center Back

If you’re reading the name Shane O’Neill and saying “wait a minute, wasn’t he already here?” you wouldn't be wrong. Unfortunately, the Lions just haven't been able to utilize him as his ITC — International Transfer Certificate — took a little longer than expected and he wasn’t eligible for selection until the transfer window opened July 10 anyway. It’s looking optimistic that this will happen this week and he will be available for Toronto FC at home. It’s a perfect time as well with Jonathan Spector and Lamine Sané out, as the team needs all the center back help it can get. Let’s just say he’s itching for the chance to get on field at this point:

“If somebody was telling you they’re here to provide depth, I think they’d be lying to you,” O’Neill said with a smile. “I’m just still extremely happy to be here and I just can’t wait to keep on proving myself in training. If the opportunity comes on Saturday, then fantastic. I’ll give it all I have out there.”

Peruvian International Christian Cueva to Orlando City?

Orlando City is reportedly back in the hunt for previously rumored Peruvian international Christian Cueva.

In an interesting way of going about the transfer, the Lions are trying to use buyout money that they are still seeking from Sao Paulo from the Kaká transfer.

You may recall that Orlando City tried the same strategy to get Paulo Henrique Ganso, but Sao Paulo disputes the amount the club owes OCSC so it’s unlikely to work this time either. Can GM Niki Budalic swing this unique deal? Probably not. It is nice to see however that the club isn't resting on its laurels if the report is true.

Jesse Marsch has National Team Hopes; Tyler Adams to Join Him in Germany

If you didn’t already know, Jesse Marsch — former manager of New York Red Bulls — has moved on to be an assistant at RB Leipzig. But it’s not this move we are talking about today as Marsch has big aspirations:

“I hope to someday be the manager for the U.S. national team. I think I’m still young. There’s still a lot for me to learn. I think this opportunity will help me grow and get better and ultimately prepare me for more jobs in the future.”

He did admit the conversation of him for the immediate opening is more conjecture than reality. However if he does take the job anytime in the next 8 years, he’ll most likely see a familiar face in NYRB and USMNT midfielder, as Tyler Adams is reported to be following Marsch to Germany more likely at the end of the season then in the current window.

This is great news for Adams as he goes into a league known for their youth development and time given on the pitch vs. the MLS which often makes it tough on young players. Also having a familiar face won’t hurt as well as he transitions overseas.

Marta is the Pride’s Most Indispensable Player

Dan Lauletta of Equalizer Soccer recently took a look at each of the nine NWSL teams and determined which player on each roster is the most indispensable on the roster.

For Orlando City, that player was none other than Marta, the Brazilian superstar and arguably the best player ever. He notes:

“It has not been the most productive season for Marta, but she is still the most dangerous offensive player around and one who demands the full attention of opposing defenses.”

Interestingly, he also called out a Longing For More — one who will need to be better for each team to take the next step.— category and named Alex Morgan as that player.

I can’t argue that much. While Morgan could be where Marta is rated, she hasn’t had the same year as when she came back from France. Partly to injury, but if the Pride are going to succeed Alex is going to need to be healthy and producing.

The Pride will be without the indispensable Marta on Saturday as she picked up a red card late in last night’s match.

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  • A quick City injury update before Saturday’s match.

And I leave you with the news that it is not coming home. Sorry to all of our English readers or those with the heritage (like me), but England bottled it again against a Croatian side that, despite playing 60 extra minutes before this match, dominated much of the last two thirds. England took the lead early but never found its rhythm after and Croatia climbed back.

What’s one man’s misery is his wife’s opportunity for savageness. Golf clap for Sydney Leroux.

The World Cup final will be this Sunday at 11 a.m. ET with France vs. Croatia. France hasn’t won since 1998, sporting one of the youngest teams in the tournament and Croatia has never been to a final so expect a good one.

That’s it! Let me know where you’ll be watching the match on Sunday and who you are rooting for. I took France in our Mane Land pre-tournament predictions and I’m sticking with it. Cheers!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 25, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

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That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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April 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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