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Lion Links: 7/22/18

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8 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers. We’ve got a lot on the docket today, so I say we just jump right in. You ready? Let’s do this.

Here’s your Sunday helping of Lion Links! Bon appetite.

Orlando City Done in at Columbus by Late Penalty, Rocket

The Lions fell 3-2 in Columbus after being just moments away from victory. Leading 2-1, Orlando City fell victim to a late penalty call that seemed softer than anything you’d see on a toilet paper commercial. The resulting tying goal from the spot gave the Crew a boost and Wil Trapp’s laser shot from 30 yards out in stoppage ripped out what was left of Orlando City fans’ hearts.

Check back later this morning for Dave Rohe’s five takeaways from the match. Spoiler: it might contain something about officiating decisions.

The Pride Draw the Reign Yet Again, 1-1

In what’s become a draw-fest over the years, the Orlando Pride and Seattle Reign played to their fifth consecutive draw in a 1-1 match at Orlando City Stadium yesterday afternoon. A few notable stars from both sides, namely the Pride’s Alex Morgan and Reign’s Megan Rapinoe, were not in attendance as they’ve been called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team to represent their country in the upcoming Tournament of Nations. Toni Pressley put the Pride ahead early in the first half, but a second-half surge from the Reign was imminent, and you could sense that a goal for the Reign would just be a matter of when, and not if. Jodie Taylor proved to be the difference maker, and it was her 70th-minute goal that stole a point for the Reign on the road. The fight for second place in the NWSL standings will come down to the wire with only a few fixtures left to play. Here’s a few words from Pressley, the only Pride player to find the back of the net on the day:

Pride Spotlight: Dani Weatherholt

I’m not sure there’s a better teammate than Dani Weatherholt. In this excellent write-up from OrlandoCitySC.com’s (and former TML writer) Meg Van Dyk, fans gain insight into not only the type of player Weatherholt is, but also the type of person she is off the field. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NWSL Draft out of Santa Clara University, Weatherholt was largely a mystery to Tom Sermanni and his staff, but they took a chance on the young midfielder anyway, and boy has it paid off. Weatherholt herself even explains how much it meant to her that the club would put their faith and valuable draft pick on her name.

“For him to believe in me before I even got here was big,” Weatherholt said. “Being a fourth-round draft pick, they never held that against me. I was able to prove myself just like everyone else and make the team.”

And Weatherholt has certainly brought much more than just talent to the pitch for the Pride. Her determination and work rate is second to none on the the squad, something she says she displays to inspire her teammates.

“I try to bring a work rate that inspires others to work harder, both on and off the pitch,” Weatherholt said. “I think that is what people respect about me and it allows me to have that connection with my teammates, to push them and encourage them.”

The Pride are lucky to have Weatherholt, and she’s proven crucial to this season’s push for a playoff appearance. She’s the ideal teammate, and all of the young men and women out there playing should take note of how she conducts herself both on and off the field. I mean, who else would stay back after playing 90 minutes for 47 additional minutes just to greet each fan individually, signing autographs and taking countless pictures in the process?

SIMA Bounced from USL PDL Playoffs

The SIMA Aguilas fell 2-1 in the Southern Conference final last night in extra time to The Villages SC. The two Central Florida clubs met and couldn’t decide the match in 90 minutes, with each side finding the net once. The Villages scored in the 105th minute through Alvaro Macias Raimundo, and held on from there to advance to the national semifinals. Leonardo Novaes scored for SIMA. Congratulations to the Buffalo. The Villages seemed pretty amped about the win.

The Pursuit of Alphonso Davies

With reports abound that Davies has been targeted by the German powerhouse Bayern Munich, speculation has been rising that the move is concrete and just a matter of time before made official. Davies was given permission from his current club, the Vancouver Whitecaps, to sit out yesterday’s match against the Seattle Sounders (and that attack sure did miss him). It’s been rumored that Bayern has offered $12 million for Davies’ services, and I think we’ll be seeing an official announcement in the coming days.

International Champions Cup Update

Bayern Munich started off on the right foot in their pursuit of the International Champions Cup by beating Paris Saint-Germain, 3-1. Despite the poor result for the Parisians, fans of the U.S. Men’s National Team are swooning over a beautiful goal from Tim Weah. Weah’s pace was on full display as a chipped through ball, won by Kevin Rimane off of an errant Bayern pass, found its way into the goal courtesy of Weah’s right boot. It was certainly an exciting moment for Weah, PSG supporters, and USMNT supporters alike, and can only serve as a springboard for Weah into more meaningful minutes. With that said, his attempted sliding celebration didn’t quite go as planned, but at least he found the humor in it:

Bayern took control of the match in the second half, and goals from Javi Martinez, Renato Sanches, and Joshua Zirkzee sealed a comfortable win. Dortmund also held off Manchester City, thanks to a goal from Mario Götze the day before. American sensation Christian Pulisic has impressed his new head coach, which isn’t the least bit surprising really. Enjoy today’s fixture, which features Dortmund and Liverpool — which is bound to have some flavor since Jürgen Klopp managed Dortmund before darting for an opportunity to manage Liverpool.

Free Kicks

  • The Portland Timbers have withdrawn their protest over the allegation that Los Angeles FC had one too many international players on the match day squad following their defeat in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
  • The Seattle Sounders have followed a strange trend this season with MLS clubs and recent international signings by waiving Norwegian midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem, who was signed on Jan. 30.
  • Didier Deschamps has praised Paul Pogba following their country’s triumph at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, specifically highlighting Pogba’s maturity in dealing with the constant media pressure.
  • Speaking of the World Cup, Neymar’s compatriot and teammate, Dani Alves, has come to his friend’s defense following Brazil’s crashing out of the World Cup and meteoric emergence of anti-Neymar memes, mocking the striker’s dramatics displayed in Russia. I love Neymar, but the memes and challenges that were birthed from his theatrics truly are hysterical.

That’s all I’ve got for you today, folks. Be sure to check back in periodically to remain up to date on all things Orlando City and Orlando Pride. And before I go, I just wanted to leave you with this little nostalgic gem, with a little bit of Rex Orange County mixed in. I know, I’m a Rex fanboy. Wanna fight about it?

You’ve got a friend in me, Mane Landers. Have an excellent week, and cheers!

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Lion Links: 7/10/26

Duncan McGuire reportedly being traded, Orlando Pride host Kansas City tonight, Steve Cherundolo named U.S. U-23 men’s coach, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

July 10, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The Orlando Pride are in action tonight and we also have an Orlando City B game on Sunday to look forward to. It’s been a bit of a hectic week on my end, but it’s at least helped make the U.S.’s World Cup loss feel like old news. Orlando City putting the Tampa Bay Rowdies to the sword in a friendly didn’t hurt either. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Reportedly Trading Duncan McGuire

Forward Duncan McGuire is reportedly being traded by Orlando City to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for $1.25 million in General Allocation Money, with another $1.15 million heading Orlando’s way if performance metrics are reached per Tom Bogert of The Athletic.

🇺🇸🟠 BREAKING: The Houston Dynamo to acquire forward Duncan McGuire from Orlando City, per sources.Orlando acquires $1.25m GAM + $1.15m GAM add-ons. ORL retains sell-on clause.Houston acquires new goal scorer, will fit seamlessly in Dynamo attack. www.nytimes.com/athletic/743…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-09T15:25:31.373Z

Selected by Orlando with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, McGuire has scored 29 goals across four seasons with the Lions. Injuries have plagued him in recent years, but let’s hope he can have a renaissance of sorts with Houston and hit those performance requirements if this move comes to pass. Orlando would be even lighter on options up top, but the money could help the club improve at a few positions.

Orlando Pride Host the Kansas City Current Tonight

Following a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC, the Orlando Pride will look to bounce back tonight when they host the Kansas City Current in the first meeting this season between the past two NWSL Shield winners. The Current are on a three-game win streak, with Michelle Cooper scoring twice in a 3-0 win over the Denver Summit last week. Temwa Chawinga also scored in that match to bring her tally to eight as she closes the distance on Pride forward Barbra Banda in the Golden Boot race. Hopefully the Pride can keep Kansas City’s offense in check and get back on track with a win at home.

Steve Cherendulo Named U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team Coach

U.S. Soccer appointed Steve Cherendulo as the head coach of the United States U-23 Men’s National Team as preparations begin for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Cherundulo is no stranger to success in the City of Angels, leading LAFC to a league title and MLS Cup victory in 2022 before winning the 2024 U.S. Open Cup as well. He represented the U.S. as a player starting at age 18 and played in three World Cups, which should be valuable experience to get these younger players ready to make an impact with the senior team. Tahir Reid-Brown, Justin Ellis, and Colin Guske are a few Orlando City players to keep an eye out for as possible Olympic roster candidates as they develop their games.

France Advances to World Cup Semifinals

France became the first team to secure its spot in the World Cup semifinals, beating Morocco 2-0. After a scoreless first half, Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the tournament to give France the lead and then provided the assist on Ousmane Dembele’s goal a few minutes later. While the offense is understandably grabbing headlines, the defense has now had a clean sheet in three straight games during this knockout phase. In the semifinals, France will take on whichever nation advances from today’s match between Spain and Belgium.

Free Kicks

  • Less than 24 hours after scoring for Orlando City in a friendly, Antoine Griezmann was in Boston for France’s World Cup match.
  • Crystal Dunn, who set records at Florida State University before her storied professional career, joined the Tallahassee Reckoning’s ownership group. The organization aims to provide more opportunities for youth soccer players and improve the pathway towards playing professionally.
  • English defender Jarell Quanash was given a two-game suspension for the serious foul play that earned him a red card against Mexico. He’ll miss Saturday’s quarterfinal against Norway and also England’s semifinal if it advances.

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

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Lion Links: 7/9/26

Orlando City crushes the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Maxime Crepeau becomes an MLS All-Star, Anna Moorhouse recognized, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 9, 2026

By

Image of Justin Ellis after he scored a goal against Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

How’s it going, Mane Landers? After nearly a full month of daily World Cup soccer, it felt a bit weird not having a game to watch on Wednesday. Only eight games remain in this year’s tournament, and each one should be a doozy as some of the top nations square off. We also have plenty of Orlando soccer to get excited about as the summer rolls on. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Dominates Tampa Bay in Friendly

The Lions returned to action with a friendly against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and cruised to a 6-0 victory at home. It was Antoine Griezmann’s first game as a Lion and he showed Orlando supporters and Season Ticket Members what he’s capable of with a goal and an assist in the match. The team’s younger players picked up where the starters left off once subbed on in the second half, with Justin Ellis providing three assists to help pile on more goals. Friendlies should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s hard not to feel excited for the second half of the season. The Lions will play another friendly on the road against FC Dallas on Wednesday before league play resumes, and that match might give us a more accurate picture than Wednesday’s game.

Maxime Crepeau Named to MLS All-Star Roster

Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was chosen to be a part of the 2026 MLS All-Star roster as a coach’s selection by Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith. Crepeau started in all five of Canada’s World Cup games this summer and has recorded 63 saves as a Lion so far. While Orlando’s defense has done him few favors this season, it’s still a bit surprising to see Crepeau included, considering the Lions have conceded a league-high 44 goals this season. The All-Star Game will take place in Charlotte on July 29 and will once again pit the MLS against the top players from Liga MX.

Anna Moorhouse Nominated for Save of the Week

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was up for NWSL Save of the Week for catching a hard shot from Jun Endo at fairly close range in the team’s 2-0 loss to Angel City FC. She ended up finishing fourth in the voting, but it’s still nice to see a Pride player recognized in at least some capacity after a rough result.

The honor ultimately went to the Houston Dash’s Jane Campbell, who made a nice diving save to deny a glancing header following a corner kick. Moorhouse and the Pride will look to turn things around in a home match against the Kansas City Current on Friday.

Gabriel Pec Transferred to Cruzeiro

The LA Galaxy have transferred Brazilian winger Gabriel Pec to Cruzeiro for a club-record transfer fee reported to be around $13.5 million. The 25-year-old joined the Galaxy prior to the 2024 season and was named MLS Newcomer of the Year that year, helping LA win the league title. He’s recorded 42 goals and 28 assists in 101 appearances with the Galaxy, and he now returns to Brazil’s top flight. Along with that hefty transfer fee, Pec’s exit notably opens up a Designated Player spot for the Galaxy as well.

Predicting the USMNT’s 2030 World Cup Roster

The United States Men’s National Team’s 2026 World Cup campaign came to a close a few days ago and the focus has now shifted on what the team will do to improve by 2030. While Mauricio Pochettino’s inclusion is arguably the biggest question mark looming over the team, Ben Wright from SixOneFive Soccer examined what the roster could look like for the next World Cup. Former Lion Alex Freeman was the youngest player on the USMNT this time around and was predicted to return in 2030, while aforementioned Orlando City forward Justin Ellis is in the mix of young attackers on the rise like Julian Hall, Zavier Gozo, and Cole Campbell. Plenty can change between now and then, and it will be interesting to see just how different the two rosters will be.

Free Kicks

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: 7/8/26

Antione Griezmann’s dream, Orlando Pride notes, World Cup results, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

July 8, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s match day! Orlando City hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a friendly at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. If you are a Season Ticket Member or member of one of the supporters’ groups, you can go. If not, we’ll cover it as best we can for you right here and on Bluesky. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Griezmann’s Dream

While Orlando City signing Antione Griezmann seemed to be a pipe dream sprung from multiple episodes of The Mane Land PawedCast, it was evidently a dream of Griezmann himself to play in MLS. It’s nice to hear that he and his family are settling into life in Orlando, and that he feels he is mentally and physically in very good condition as he joins the club. We may not have to wait long for his first appearance, given the friendly against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, next week’s friendly at FC Dallas, or at least the club’s next MLS match against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 22.

Orlando Pride Notes

I learned yesterday that the Orlando Pride have a league-high 14 players whom are free agents. Seems like a good time for some major personnel changes, given what the on-field results have been so far in 2026. It’s a bit surprising that a major overhaul is needed only two years after winning the double, but here we are. The Pride are sitting on the edge of the playoffs and will need to do better than last week’s result if the team hopes to end the season over the line.

USMNT Leftovers

As much as I wish I hadn’t seen what I saw in the USMNT loss to Belgium, I wasn’t the only one watching. The match was the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history. Over 30 million people watched the match with peak viewership reaching 36.8 million people.

We all know the suspension drama surrounding Folarin Balogun, but he wasn’t the only person suspended before the match. Two U.S. Soccer officials were reportedly suspended by FIFA ahead of the game, though neither received suspensions of their suspensions. The personnel in question are reportedly team manager Sam Zapatka and U.S. Soccer Vice President of Security Frank Pannell.

World Cup Results

The World Cup provided two entertaining if somewhat personally disappointing matches Tuesday. In the first match of the day, Egypt jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the defending champions before giving up three goals in the last 12 minutes plus stoppage to lose 3-2 to Argentina. Sadly, I tuned in right when Lionel Messi scored his goal. I’m pretty sick of that guy.

The second match between Colombia and Switzerland went to penalties with Switzerland coming out on top 0-0 (4-3) to advance. This was the first time that Switzerland has won a penalty shootout at the World Cup. The reward for the Swiss is to face Argentina in a quarterfinal match. As you can tell from the score, this was a tight defensive match with very few mistakes made by either team.

Free Kicks

  • How crazy is it to think that Alex Freeman won’t be one of the young guys the next time the World Cup comes around. Here is a list of MLS Homegrown Players who might make the jump by then. Spoilers, there are no Orlando players on the list.
  • Fireworks mishaps are often a joke around the Fourth of July, but what happened at the Orlando Pride at Angel City match was no joke.

Update from Angel City FC

— Angel City FC (@angelcity.com) 2026-07-07T16:32:45.359452011Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando Pride match Friday night, and follow us on Bluesky for updates of Orlando City’s friendly with Tampa Bay. Vamos Orlando!

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