Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/15/18

Published

8 years ago

on

Happy World Cup final Sunday, Mane Landers! Cherish these hours, because we won’t have the opportunity to experience the greatest sporting final on the globe for another 1,460 days; that’s 35,040 hours, 2,102,400 minutes, or 126,144,000 seconds respectively. If that isn’t a bit deflating, I don’t know what is.

Yesterday’s third-place match didn’t disappoint, with Belgium’s golden generation triumphing over England, 2-0. As I’ve mentioned previously, this has been the greatest World Cup I’ve ever witnessed, and I’m entirely sure that it has nothing to do with recency bias. I have a feeling that today’s final will live up to the rest of what has been a simply chaotic yet inspiring tournament.

With that said, here’s your Sunday helping of Lion Links. Eat up!

Orlando City Halts Skid with 2-0 Win vs. Toronto FC

Earl Edwards Jr. was named as the man in between the sticks for this home match against a struggling Toronto side, and he sure did give Head Coach James O’Connor something to think about in terms of who his true No. 1 will be going forward. Chris Shuler, of all players, opened the scoring on the night by heading home a deflected Dom Dwyer strike. Dwyer added another of his own just after the break off of a fine strike from just outside the box, beating Toronto FC’s and the USMNT’s young starting goalkeeper, Alex Bono. The Lions held on from there, winning 2-1 and adding much-needed points. Oh, and that godforsaken nine-match losing streak is over. Thank baby Jesus.

Check back later today for our player grades and Man of the Match from Michael Citro and a photo gallery from Deon Cooper.

Orlando Pride Fight Back to Beat Utah Royals

In the final match of the recent road stint for the Orlando Pride, it was the Utah Royals that found the back of the net first, and early, as Amy Rodriguez put the Royals up 1-0 in just the seventh minute with a nicely chipped volley from some good buildup play. Alex Morgan notched one to tie up the match just before the halftime whistle, with a spot kick. Kristen Edmonds scored from an excellent chip in the second half. From there, the Pride seized momentum and grinded out a gritty and much-needed 2-1 win — one that included seven minutes of heart-pounding stoppage time. Three points in the bag, and the women in purple (well, white yesterday) are still in the hunt for a playoff position.

Belgium’s Golden Generation Downs England for Bronze, 2-0

As I mentioned in the introduction, Belgium completed its best run in a World Cup yesterday by beating Gareth Southgate’s young England squad, 2-0, and securing the third-place honors and bronze medals. The match seemed like it could be split wide open after a fourth-minute Thomas Meunier volley from a beautiful cross by Nacer Chadli. It didn’t break wide open though, and instead turned into a standoff of playing styles. The Belgians were clearly ready to absorb England’s attacks and opted to strike on the counter attack — a tactic that proved to be the undoing of the Three Lions. An 82nd-minute strike from Belgian talisman and captain Eden Hazard (more on him later) sealed the deal, and England, despite controlling possession for the majority of the match and impressing during this exciting tournament, go home empty-handed.

Timothy Chandler Wants to Play for His Country Again

Tabbed as one of former USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s dual-national recruits, right back Timothy Chandler, who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, is prepared to don the Stars & Stripes again in the future should the opportunity arise. Chandler hasn’t been called up since Klinsmann’s firing, and age 28, he knows his World Cup opportunities are slowly dwindling.

“When they call me up for the national team, I’m there,” he said. “Of course I miss it. … I see all the players go to their national teams, and I want to fly to the States and play for my country. But the coach decides who plays, and I just wait for him to call me.”

Chandler has enjoyed a spectacular season with Frankfurt, which won the German Cup — the club’s first lifting of major silverware in 20 years. He’s also encouraged by the influx of American talent within the ranks of Bundesliga clubs, and views the moves as valuable experience for these young, developing players.

“It’s good for them to come over to Germany, to Europe, to try something different than the States,” he said. “When you go there, you have to live there for some months and get everything better [adjusting off the field], but it’s good to go there, play there, have some time in Europe, learn a lot, and then maybe they can come back to America and finish their careers.”

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to Orlando Pride defender Ali Krieger for making it to 100 NWLS appearances!

  • It’s a small world, folks.

  • Former Orlando Pride No. 10 Lianne Sanderson has made her move to Juventus official. Congratulations, Lianne!

  • Ever wonder why some clubs use race car seats as their bench? Here’s why.
  • I have no words for this one. Actually, I do. This seems wrong. This seems like a way to get one of your players intentionally injured. That said, I once played on a Sunday League team that won a match 15-0, and we stopped trying to score after the second goal (you can only hold 99% of possession for so long before you have to do something in the final third). I don’t know how I feel about either of the two results, to be honest.

That about wraps it up for me today, folks. Enjoy what is destined to be an exhilarating World Cup final in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium between Croatia and the heavily-favored French side. I’ve been trumpeting France as the winners since our Bearded Guy wrote up The Mane Land’s World Cup predictions.

“I see France taking home the cup. They’re loaded in every single position with world-class talent, and they’ve under-performed for some time now. I think this is the summer they finally put it all together and can forget Zizou’s red card in the 2006 final. As for who I’m rooting for, that’ll be Argentina, Brazil, and Portugal. I’d like to see Neymar, Messi, or Ronaldo lift the cup, and time is running low on the latter two. Quite frankly, I just want consistent quality football.”

I’d be more than happy with a Croatian triumph though, too. If I’m right, hooray! If I’m wrong, hooray!

Have a great week, Mane Landers. And good luck managing your impending World Cup hangover.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/25/26

Lions fall to FC Cincinnati, Pride and OCB win, USMNT World Cup roster leaked, and more.

Published

3 hours ago

on

May 25, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda fighting for the ball against LAFC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Memorial Day, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work over the holiday weekend, covering high school lacrosse playoff games. The Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend, and the World Cup is less than three weeks away. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get into the links.

Lions Suffer Heavy Defeat at FC Cincinnati

Orlando City fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium Saturday in another embarrassing road display. Martin Ojeda scored the opener for the Lions in the first half before Cincinnati scored twice to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. Ojeda equalized for Orlando early in the second half. However, it was all Cincinnati from that point as Evander scored his second goal of the match and added three assists as Orlando suffered a heavy defeat on the road for the fourth time this season. The loss snapped the Lions’ three-match unbeaten streak. Orlando City will be off until late July due to the MLS World Cup break. The Lions’ next match will be on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on July 22.

Payne’s Goal Lifts Pride over San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium Sunday and snapped their two-match losing streak. Nicole Payne scored the lone goal in the match for Orlando, which moved above the Seattle Reign on goal difference to eighth in the NWSL table with 14 points. The Pride will return home Friday to take on Bay FC at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Beats Inter Miami II

Orlando City B defeated Inter Miami II 4-1 at Osceola County Stadium on Sunday. The Young Lions got off to a flying start in the first half as Ignacio Gomez scored the opening goal. Bernardo Rhein added another, and OCB got an own goal by Miami defender Daniel Sumalla to take a 3-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Zakaria Taifi scored for OCB and Miami pulled one back, but the Young Lions had the match wrapped up by then. OCB will take on Chattanooga FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

USMNT World Cup Roster Leaked

According to Jeff Rueter and Pablo Maurer at The Guardian, the full 26-man U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was leaked over the weekend, just days before the official announcement. Former Lion Alex Freeman, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Tim Weah were notable mentions, while other players reportedly making the cut include Alejandro Zendejas, Gio Reyna, Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson, Mark Mackenzie, and goalkeeper Matt Turner. Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, and Aidan Morris were left out of the squad. The U.S. Soccer Federation will officially announce the USMNT roster Tuesday, while the final deadline to submit the roster to FIFA for the World Cup is June 1.

Free Kicks

  • Wilfried Zaha will reportedly depart from Charlotte FC this summer when his loan deal expires.
  • Josef Martinez will reportedly become a free agent after reaching an agreement to part ways with Liga MX side Tijuana.

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

Continue Reading

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

on

May 22, 2026

By

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.

Free Kicks

  • 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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

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

on

May 21, 2026

By

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.

Free Kicks

  • 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!

Continue Reading

Trending