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Lion Links: 8/5/18

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8 years ago

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How’s it hangin’, Mane Landers? Happy Sunday! I’ll do my best do distract you until this evening’s Pride match as the women in purple host Sky Blue FC at 7:30 PM. That’s a tall task but let’s do this.

Here’s your Sunday serving of Lion Links. Bon appétit.

Lions Draw with the Revolution in Dramatic Fashion

In a time of desperation to win all three points at home against the New England Revolution, the Lions started off on the wrong foot…or paw, I guess. Earl Edwards Jr., solid up to this point in replacing the formerly incumbent Joe Bendik, let a soft Juan Agudelo header slide in underneath him in just the eighth minute, and he surely should have saved it. Before they knew what hit them, the Lions were down 2-0, but they were able to come back. Twice! It was a dramatic night, and the Lions were bullied and fouled constantly facing a pressing Revolution side, but unfortunately Yotún saw red late in stoppage.

Check back later today for the bearded guy’s five takeaways and a photo gallery from Deon Cooper.

Altidore Views Alphonso Davies as Potential Role Model to Black Players

It appears Alphonso Davies has a fan in the form of Toronto FC’s Jozy Altidore. Altidore, speaking on the massive transfer that will see Davies head to German powerhouse club Bayern Munich for a large transfer fee, has stated that he views Davies as a potential star role model for young, black athletes, specifically those coming out of Canada.

“Huge congrats to him, especially to see him as a young black kid. You need more black role models, especially in soccer,” Altidore told reporters, according to SportsNet. “Hopefully [Canada Soccer] does a good job of advertising and promoting him in a way where kids who look like him say, ‘You know what, I can be Alphonso Davies, too.’ The transfer is spectacular, I’m a huge fan of his — his eagerness to learn, to play, that youthful exuberance, you love to see it,” Altidore added. “I hope he continues to grow and I look forward to watching his career.”

I’m with you, Jozy. I can’t wait to follow his growth. There’s no doubt that he has the pace, talent, and passion to rub shoulders with some of Europe’s elite.

Tim Weah Notches First Competitive Goal for PSG

In a match that was largely dominated by the Parisians, American forward Tim Weah, son of the legendary striker George Weah, scored his first official competitive goal for the French champions. The strike, which came in the 67th minute, sealed a comfortable opening Ligue 1 win by a final of 4-0. Check out Weah’s goal below.

It’s a great sign from a young, American talent who’s destined to become a real threat for the U.S. Men’s National Team soon. The fact that he’s even been handed first team minutes to start the season is massive, and is likely a result of his impressive preseason performances. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this young man in the near and distant future. It’s surely going to be fun to watch.

FC Cincinnati’s New Stadium Inspired by Old School Ballparks

It’s not too surprising if you really think about it. Having decided upon building a downtown stadium, it only makes sense for architects to look back into the past of the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park and the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field as examples to work from when designing their new grounds.

“It’s a lot like our [early] ballparks in the US,” Meis said in the profile. “There was a field, and as the club got more popular, they built a grandstand, and then added to it or built another grandstand. It’s kind of odd using baseball as an analogy, but that’s our heritage with parks like Wrigley and Fenway. It’s very much that model about how they connect to the community, and it starts to really influence the architecture.”

Dan Meis, the architect in charge of FC Cincinnati’s project, is also working on a new stadium for storied Italian side AS Roma, and he even sees comparisons between the two clubs, their history, and their supporters.

“They have an incredible fan base,” he said. “It’s a lot like working in Rome where you have very smart, rabid fans.”

And if it tickles your creative fancy, you can read more about the process of designing FC Cincinnati’s stadium at VenuesNow.

Free Kicks

  • It was one year ago yesterday that Yoshimar Yotún officially became a Lion. As I emphasized in a recent gushing piece, we’re lucky he dons the purple and gold. Cheers and happy anniversary, Yoshi!

  • Here’s your daily feels, presented to you by none other than Orlando City SC themselves.

I’m proud to support a club that gives back to its community, and while Orlando City’s struggles on the field persist, the club’s generosity and desire to connect with its supporters off the field is touching. #ForTheKids #ProudOfThePurple

  • Looks like Sky Blue had some trouble taking to the sky to make it down to Orlando for today’s match. Luckily, it appears that all of the players have made the trip.

That’s all that I’ve got on the docket for today, Mane Landers. Enjoy the Pride match later this evening — every point matters during these closing regular season matches, so you can bet that the Pride will show up hyped, ready to leave with three points in hand. I think it may be a high-scoring affair. Be sure to keep an eye out for Scott Carnevale’s in-depth match recap following the conclusion of the match. My prediction? 4-1, Pride.

Regardless, enjoy the rest of your Sunday, folks, and have an excellent week.

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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

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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.

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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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