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Lion Links: 9/1/18

Published

8 years ago

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Adios, August, and salud to you, September! As we turn the page on the calendar, there is renewed hope that Orlando City and the Orlando Pride can turn the page on their losing ways, find some hidden reserves of strength and fortitude, and give us a few more thrills before the long, dark tea-time of the off-season.

That page turn could start as early as tonight, as the Lions host the sizzling Philadelphia Union and their stingy defense that hasn’t allowed an opponent to score in three games. Orlando didn’t score the last time the teams met, in a 1-0 U.S. Open Cup loss. But that only makes tonight the rubber match as each team has conquered the other once this season.

Before we get to tonight, let’s wish Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor a happy 39th birthday. Cheers, Gaffer!

OK, time to take a look at what’s going on.

Meram: Orlando Move Was Not a Mistake

Look, nobody wanted Justin Meram to work out in Orlando more than I did. I’ve enjoyed his game for years and I love his willingness to take on defenders and score stunning goals from outside the box. We saw flashes of that in 2018 but never got the full Meram experience and now he’s back in Columbus and headed for the postseason while the Lions are mired in last place.

Sam Stejskal over at mlsssoccer.com delved into Meram’s thought process from his decision to leave C-bus in the first place to his return to the Crew. The most interesting part of the story (to me, anyway) was that it wasn’t Meram who wanted time away from Orlando City. It was the club that decided he should step away for three days in late June.

“That kind of was the starting point,” he said. “And then having the club thinking it’s best to send me away for a couple days when the team headed to Atlanta, that was tough because you want to play the games and you want to find your level again and any game can change that moment for you, you know?

“So that was tough when the club asked, when the GM [Niki Budalic] and the interim coach [Bobby Murphy] thought it was best for me to just get away for a couple days. And then coming back, I came back to a new coach. So, there were just a lot of little things that kept adding up, adding up, adding up and it was more or less, kind of just, OK, maybe this isn’t working out.”

I get the thought behind sending him away to clear his mind but I’m not sure the club got this decision right. It seems it only alienated an already struggling player even more. In the end, everyone moves on and it’s just another disappointing chapter in four seasons full of them.

Fun Chicks No. 4: Pride Meet Pride

The Orlando Pride’s Christine Nairn and Haley Kopmeyer were joined for their fourth installment of Fun Chicks by teammates Shelina Zadorsky and Carson Pickett, as they shuffled over to Space Coast Stadium to hang out and play softball with the USSSA Pride, a pro team based in Viera, FL. After watching this, it seems like they probably picked the right sport.

Baby Lions are Dressed for Success

Newborns at Winnie Palmer Hospital will be sporting purple from the beginning. From now until the end of October, babies born at the facility will be given Orlando City or Orlando Pride onesies so they can begin their lives the right way.

USWNT Rolls Against Chile

The USWNT met Chile for the first time ever and it was an ugly, lopsided game. The Yanks won, 3-0, and it could have been worse. A penalty kick goal was wrongly disallowed, the referee and assistant both missed a ball crossing the line off a shot that hit underneath the crossbar, and two other goals were waved off, although for more reasonable reasons. Christen Press scored the team’s third goal in her 100th cap to finish off a special night in her hometown, after seeing her penalty kick wiped out.

Former USL Lion Sapong Turned Around His 2018 Season

When CJ Sapong played a few games on loan for Orlando City back in 2013 during the team’s USL days, we didn’t know he’d go on to score more than 50 career MLS goals. Sapong fell out of form and out of favor earlier this year as the striker of the Philadelphia Union, but he’s regrouped and has come back strong playing out on the wing.

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  • Here’s a story about Orlando City’s barber.
  • Former Orlando City center back Sean St. Ledger has been added to the coaching staff of Ireland’s U-15 team.
  • Christian Pulisic may not join the USMNT for upcoming friendlies as he’s experiencing “muscular problems.”
  • Usain Bolt made his A-League debut in a preseason match with the Central Coast Mariners, registering one shot on goal in about 20 minutes.
  • Those born on this date include The Munsters actress Yvonne De Carlo (1922), boxing legend Rocky Marciano (1923), Lily Tomlin (1939), eldest Bee Gee Barry Gibb (1946), Gloria Estefan (1957), basketball’s Tim Hardaway (1966), and former Miami Dolphins greats Zach Thomas (1973) and Jason Taylor (1974).

That’s all my time on this fine Saturday morning. Check back later for full coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight against Philadelphia!

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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.

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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

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!

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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

on

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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