Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/13/18

Published

on

Happy match day, everyone! It’s another chance to stop the bleeding and you can’t get a win if you don’t play. That’s not likely to happen tonight but I have to be optimistic because I don’t want to stick my head in the oven today. It’s a poor alternative, in my opinion.

The Lions are at New England tonight (here’s a preview) and we’ll have full coverage for you here at The Mane Land, so keep your internet dial tuned in to www.themaneland.com. Also follow our Twitter feed because we post stuff there too.

While we wait for tonight’s kickoff, why not digest some Lion Links? I have some for you and we’ll get to those now.

OCB’s Coach Returns from Brazil Trip

Orlando City B Head Coach Fernando De Argila has returned from his trip to Curitiba, Brazil, where he spent time with OCSC’s partner club, Clube Atletico Paranaense. The new gaffer from Orlando’s USL League One team and OCB GM Mike Potempa met with coaches and leaders of Paranaense while in Brazil, and the visit was chronicled on the coach’s Twitter feed over the past several days. One theme of the trip was optimism for bringing top quality players to Orlando and his social media feed promises to be a good follow to learn about the future of Orlando City. You can’t help but get excited about his positive attitude.

Crew Saved?

The massive #SaveTheCrew movement may have finally found a breakthrough in keeping original MLS club Columbus Crew SC in central Ohio. Yesterday was an eventful day in Columbus with news breaking that a group including Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is close to an agreement to save the Crew. After a year of stressing out over losing their club, Columbus fans appear to have pulled off the feat of keeping their club.

“Major League Soccer and the Columbus Partnership have been working together for several months on a plan to keep the Crew in Columbus and we have made significant progress,” MLS said in a statement released on Friday. “MLS, the Columbus Partnership and the investor group all agree that for the Club to be successful, it requires strong local owners, long-term corporate support, a strong season ticket base and long-term plans for a stadium, practice facilities and associated sites. MLS is committed to keeping the Crew in Columbus should we continue to make progress on these critical components and agree to key terms with the investor group.”

This came on the heels of news that Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt had seen another deadline come and go without an agreement in place with the city of Austin over a stadium.

It’s obviously great news that an original club will remain in MLS. There’s still work to be done, but if this comes to pass, Precourt will have a new franchise in Austin while the Ohio group will pay an expansion fee yet keep the colors, logo, and likely the current roster and management as well. Precourt isn’t going to repair his relationship with Columbus fans after his statement yesterday.

Jill Ellis’ USWNT Plan Working

Say what you want about USWNT Head Coach Jill Ellis’ tactics or player selections, but after the team’s worst-ever finish in a major tournament in the Rio Olympics, she has the United States playing at a high level again in 2018. Caitlin Murray chronicles this in a story in The Guardian. Ellis’ squad has dominated Concacaf but also won both the Tournament of Nations and the SheBelieves Cup against top competition in 2018 — a year in which it hasn’t lost. The U.S. is 14-0-2, seems to have put all the experimentation in the past, and has a plan to not only get to the World Cup in France next year, but to make a deep run as well. The USWNT could clinch a spot in the World Cup as early as tomorrow with a win over Jamaica.

Usain Bolt Bags Brace in First Pro Soccer Game

If you want speed on the front line, they don’t come any faster than track star Usain Bolt. The 32-year-old Jamaican speedster is trying to make the first team and got his first start with the Central Coast Mariners in Australia’s A-League in a friendly against Macarthur South West United on Friday. He did OK, scoring a brace with goals in the 55th and 69th minutes in a 4-0 win.

“My first start and scoring two goals, it’s a good feeling,” Bolt told Fox Sports said after the match. “I’m happy I could come here and show the world I’m improving.

“I’m keen to be a Mariner, to play my best and get into the team.”

Bolt fired six shots — three on target — on the night. This is a great story and I hope Bolt can make the club and begin his second sports career while he still can. Here’s a look at his first goal:

Free Kicks


That’s my time for this morning but I’ll be back later as part of our comprehensive coverage of Orlando City at the New England Revolution. Have a great day and don’t let tonight’s match spoil your weekend.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/25

Orlando Pride prepare for the Portland Thorns, Vancouver Whitecaps reach Concacaf Champions Cup final, Lorne Donaldson fired, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to May, Mane Landers! The months are flying by and I’m all for it. I was able to get some belated spring cleaning done this week and have been flexing my interior decorating muscles a bit as well. My cat’s not a fan of all of the furniture being shuffled around, but I’m sure he’ll get used to it. Let’s get this month started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando Pride Prep for Portland

The Orlando Pride are back in action Saturday in a road match against the Portland Thorns. Orlando is coming off of a dramatic 3-2 win at home against Angel City FC, which featured the team’s stars and substitutes linking up to come back and win. As for Portland, the Thorns are unbeaten at home so far this season and have scored seven goals across their past two games. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on Orlando’s preparations for this match and how the Pride will need to maintain momentum against a young Portland team that’s finding its groove offensively.

Vancouver Whitecaps Seal Spot in Concacaf Champions Cup Final

The Vancouver Whitecaps went on the road and beat Inter Miami a second time, winning 3-1 to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup final. An early goal by Jordi Alba gave Miami life in the series, but Vancouver scored three unanswered goals in the second half to win 5-1 on aggregate. The star of the show was 23-year-old midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who provided assists on Vancouver’s first two goals before scoring one himself to put the nail in the coffin. The Whitecaps have had a brutal path to reach the final, taking down Monterrey and Pumas UNAM in the previous two rounds. In the final on June 1, they’ll face whichever Liga MX team comes out on top tonight between Tigres and Cruz Azul.

Chicago Stars Fire Lorne Donaldson

Lorne Donaldson’s time as the Chicago Stars’ head coach has come to a close, with the Stars firing him just six games into the season. The Stars have lost five of their six games this year, including a 6-0 defeat to the Orlando Pride to open the season. Donaldson joined the club in December of 2023 and helped the team squeeze into the playoffs in his first year as head coach. Assistant coach Masaki Hemmi will serve as interim head coach while the club hunts for a replacement.

Brian White Wins MLS Player of the Month

Scoring in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals capped off an impressive month for Vancouver forward Brian White, who was named MLS Player of the Month. The American had five goals in league games this April and became the first player in club history to score four times in one game when he did so against Austin FC on April 12. He’s been a major reason behind the club’s ascent to the top of the Western Conference this year. It will be interesting to see how his continued success this year factors into his role at the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it, enjoy this full interview from Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there, as this heat isn’t playing around. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/30/25

The U.S. Open Cup approaches, the Pride are back on top, USMNT and USWNT news, and more.

Published

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to the last Wednesday of April, Mane Landers. May promises to be a busy month for Orlando City. You will have as many matches as you want to watch over the next few weeks. I’m certainly not complaining, but we could use a little help here at The Mane Land if you’d like to join the staff. I promise you’ll enjoy it. For now, let’s get to the links.

The U.S. Open Cup Beckons

We’re only a week away from Orlando City’s match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies to start the Lions’ 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign. Of course, the Lions aren’t the only MLS squad entering the tournament in the Round of 32. Starting Tuesday, 16 MLS clubs join the competition, with Orlando City playing on Wednesday. While we’re waiting for the next Orlando City match, enjoy the sights and sounds from the victory over Atlanta United.

Pride Back on Top

The Orlando Pride back on top of the NWSL standings, though the Kansas City Current are technically listed No. 1 thanks to the alphabet. Of course, we all know that power rankings are actually more important than actual results. Fortunately, the Pride are top of the pops in the Goal.com power rankings and in the All For XI power rankings. Just so you know that sometimes the internet isn’t always accurate, Sports Illustrated kept the Pride in the No. 2 spot.

USMNT Concerns and Commendations

Various people in the U.S. soccer community are calling out the USMNT players for lacking the desire, drive, or passion to be successful. Former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez is the latest, though not only one to do so. At the same time, players like Christian Pulisic and Josh Sargent are making a difference at their European clubs. Pulisic is likely to sign a contract extension with AC Milan that will include a hefty pay bump. Sargent was named to the EFL Championship Team of the Season after scoring 15 goals for Norwich City. Alexi Lalas has suggested Mauricio Pochettino bring in Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. If Pochettino is looking for “characters” for his squad, perhaps he should give Orlando City’s Alex Freeman a look?

USWNT Players Thriving

USWNT players are making an impact on both sides of the pond as they wait for their next match against China at the end of May. Emily Fox’s Arsenal squad advanced past Lindsey Heaps’ Olympique Lyon Sunday in the second leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals. It’s not all bad news for Heaps, who was named to the Women’s French Premiere Ligue Awards Team of the Season. Meanwhile, Lily Yohannes continues her growth after becoming the youngest starter in group-stage history of the UEFA women’s Champions League late last year for her club, Ajax.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back with us as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/29/25

Lions earn weekly plaudits, Barbra Banda up for Goal of the Week, Orlando City announces affiliation agreement, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning everyone! It was a pretty good weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as two out of the three picked up victories to collect six out of the nine points available. In the process, Orlando City stretched its undefeated streak to seven games and the Orlando Pride got back to winning ways. There’s no time to rest on our laurels though, as Orlando City B returns to action on Friday. We’ve got plenty of things to talk through this morning, so let’s jump into the links.

Two Lions Garner Weekly Recognition

Marco Pasalic and Alex Freeman both played important roles in Orlando City’s 3-0 win over Atlanta United on Saturday, and they’ve each been rewarded with a place on the bench in the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday. Freeman scored his third goal of the season while Pasalic scored a goal and provided the assist for Freeman’s strike, and the Croatian was also David Rohe’s pick for the Man of the Match. The good vibes don’t stop there though, because Pasalic’s fantastic strike from distance was also named the Energy Moment of the Matchday, which I admittedly wasn’t aware was an actual thing until this week. Not to be outdone, Freeman got some props as one of the standout young players from the matchday, which is far from the first time he’s gotten some love in that particular category. Keep up the good work guys!

Barbra Banda Up for Goal of the Week

Continuing the trend of Orlando players earning praise for their performances over the weekend, Barbra Banda has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. She scored the Orlando’s Pride’s 76th-minute equalizer that drew the team level with Angel City FC after going into halftime down 2-0. Carson Pickett did a great job saving the ball before it went out of bounds, and then whipped a dangerous cross into the box. Banda did the rest, getting halfway around her defender and contorting her head low to meet the ball and send it into the upper corner off the post. It was the sort of outstanding finishing that we’ve come to know and love from Banda, and here’s hoping we’ll see plenty more of it.

Orlando City Announces Affiliation Agreement

Orlando City announced on Monday that it has begun an affiliation agreement with Black Knight Football Club that will focus on “player development, scouting operations, executive collaboration, and commercial opportunities across both organizations.” This is technically a multi-club partnership, as BKFC has a number of different clubs in its network, including Bournemouth, FC Lorient, and Hibernian. BKFC is a partnership that was formed in 2022 when Bill Foley and Cannae Holdings purchased Bournemouth. Representatives from both Orlando City and Black Knight were enthusiastic when talking about the opportunities that the partnership will provide players and staff members from both sides, so it’ll be very interesting to keep an eye out for if/how it affects the on-field product.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and cup competitions are a big point of focus. Things start on Wednesday with Barcelona taking on Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League, as youngster Diego Kochen will likely be on the bench for the Spaniards. Also on Wednesday, Brian White and the Vancouver Whitecaps will try to knock off Inter Miami in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie. Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis hosting Fiorentina in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League semifinals. Things then wrap up on Friday with Gianluca Busio and Fiorentina traveling to play Torino in Serie A.

Free Kicks


That’s all I have for today. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending