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Lion Links: 10/21/18

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7 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers. Chances are you’re here to bide your time while you await Orlando’s clash with the Columbus Crew, so I’ll do my best to keep your spirits high while you wait. Today’s match should be an entertaining affair, with Justin Meram making a potential eventful return to Orlando City Stadium. I would imagine that it’ll be an emotional one for him…and for the supporters in attendance. Just remember to keep it classy; that’s how you Mane Landers do it.

That said, I’ll do what I can to keep today’s serving of Links classy for you! Let’s dive right in.

Orlando City SC’s Home Finale

There’s bound to be some drama. With the Lions hosting the Crew for their last home match of the 2018 campaign, Meram, if present, will likely be front and center, but that’s not what Head Coach James O’Connor is focused on. He’s acknowledged the event, but certainly will have other things to work on. Namely: winning.

“It’s the same as any other player who comes back,” O’Connor said. “You shake his hand, you wish him all the best and it’ll have no bearing on what we’re trying to do. I think, for us, we’ve been very intentional about trying to make sure that whoever it is that comes here, we focus on what we need to do.”

Clearly, O’Connor doesn’t want the return of Meram to overshadow what’s really at stake for his side — ensuring that his team executes his game plan and ends the home finale with three points in hand. That’s been a difficult thing to do for the Lions since the appointment of O’Connor, and to be frank, there’s no guarantee that Meram will make the trip. Even Orlando’s star players, like Yoshimar Yotún, likely still in contact with their former teammate, have no inkling of whether or not Meram will travel with the Crew.

“If he does come, it’ll be nice,” Yotún said. “It’ll be nice to play against him. They’re a good club that includes an ex-teammate from Orlando City. It’s always good to play against ex-teammates.”

Regardless, O’Connor is well aware of the opposition’s strong season, and need for a positive result to potentially break into the MLS Playoff picture. He anticipates a challenging affair.

“Columbus, obviously, a very experienced team and having a very strong year, as well,” O’Connor said. “So, it’ll be a tough game for us.”

It should be a good one, Mane Landers. So make sure you’re tuned in!

Meram Reflects on his Orlando Tenure, Gives Supporters Credit

Speaking of the controversial former Lion, regardless of whether we see him today or not, he’s certainly reflected upon his time in Orlando. He’s happier now that he’s with the Crew again, and finally provided some insight into the trials and tribulations that he experienced as a Lion.

“Some negative things that happened when I was there made me mentally stronger, so that was a positive,” he said. “[Learning] how to handle situations better – that was positive. I wasn’t perfect; I can be a man about it. I could have done things a little better.”

Meram goes on to express regret over his then-controversial goal celebration of closing his eyes and putting his fingers in his ears; alluding that he’s blocking out the criticism of the supporters. He does, however, give the Lions supporters some credit.

“The fans kind of blow things up, but they’re passionate, and I respect their passion,” he said. “To have a fan base when results aren’t going well and they’re still out there every game, I give them credit…and I’m thankful for a lot of them who were supporting me even when I was in a slump.”

Unfortunately, that’s not where the interview ended. He also took a swipe at his former side, implying that while there was a high level of quality on the pitch, there was a lack of a strong culture that cultivates results.

“There’s a lot of quality in that locker room, and they spent a lot of money to bring in a lot of quality,” he said. “But just putting quality on the field isn’t going to win you games. You have to have a collectiveness, a family mindset. I think that might have been lacking a bit.”

That said, Meram also stated that he doesn’t feel that there’s any beef between he and the club. My opinion? I find that hard to believe. His response when asked if he would celebrate if he scored against his former side: “We’ll see when the time comes, I guess.” Prepare for fireworks, folks.

The Journey: Ashlyn Harris

We all know and love Pride goalkeeping stalwart Ashlyn Harris, but perhaps we all didn’t know of her humble beginnings. Harris began her meteoric rise from Satellite High School here in Florida, and was tabbed as a future goalkeeping prospect at the tender age of 16. In a series from U.S. Soccer, Harris is the feature of a The Journey, detailing the lives, both on and off the field, of USWNT stars as they work towards potential 2019 World Cup glory. Check it out, she’s got quite the story…and you’d never guess who inspired her the most during her formative years.

FC Cincinnati Looks to Enter MLS as Champions X2

Similar to Orlando City SC and its entrance into MLS play, FC Cincinnati is looking to take down the USL Cup before becoming an official MLS club in 2019. The club has already won the regular-season title, and will now attempt to add one more championship notch to its proverbial belt before leaving the league. The Ohio club needed penalties last night to advance. The Lions, who won the USL in 2011 and 2013 while also taking down the Commissioner's Cup in 2014, reveled in glory before entering MLS play to much fanfare. Unfortunately, as we all know, that success has yet to translate to the next level and the Lions have yet to break into the MLS playoffs.

Free Kicks

  • Friendly reminder: be sure to stick around after today’s match to cheer on the Orlando City Special Olympic squad!

  • Ready to catch a glimpse of the Orlando SeaWolves against the Brazil National Minifootball team…with a bonus match? Check this out.

  • Yesterday brought good news for USMNT and Schalke starlet Weston McKennie, as he was back in action as the German side hosted Werder Bremen.

  • Check out a sneak peak of USMNT legend Paul Caligiuri’s (and others’) induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, courtesy of Major League Soccer!

  • Don Garber, another Hall of Famer, has done a lot for MLS over the years. And I mean a lot.
  • Wayne Rooney has adjusted quite well to D.C. United and MLS play, as he tells the famed Men in Blazers.
  • The fears have been confirmed…walking icon Lionel Messi broke a bone in his right arm after a collision during the opening stages of yesterday’s match against Sevilla, and will miss three weeks, keeping the Barcelona talisman out of the famed El Clásico against Real Madrid next weekend. That’ll be good news for Madrid, which just recently ended a 465 minute goalless drought courtesy of a strike from (my personal favorite player of all time) Marcelo.

That’s all I’ve got for you today, Mane Landers. Enjoy the 3 p.m. kickoff against the Crew! Hopefully the Lions bring the heat…because lord knows the supporters deserve it for braving this Florida weather to see them play. It’d be one hell of a showing to see the Lions down a Meram-led crew, but it could happen, so do your best to remain positive and show out for your boys in purple.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/6/26

Biggest NWSL off-season moves, MLS transfer news, U.S. wins U-17 World Cup qualifier, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 6, 2026

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Image of Summer Yates dribbling the ball through the midfield against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Hopefully the week went smoothly for you as we all get ready for the weekend. I don’t have many plans beyond some baking and reading over the next few days. I can’t wait until we can fill the weekends with Orlando soccer and it’s hard to believe the Lions are back in action in just a couple of weeks. But for now, let’s dive into the links!

Biggest Moves of the NWSL Off-Season

The Orlando Pride’s signing of defender Hailie Mace ranked fourth in CBS Sports‘ top 10 moves of the NWSL off-season. The 28-year-old did well with the Kansas City Current last season and the Pride signed her to a three-year contract to help strengthen the defense. Emily Sams’ move to Angel City FC placed third on the list, with the Pride receiving a hefty $650,000 in exchange. The Washington Spirit re-signing Trinity Rodman predictably tops the list, while the Denver Summit’s signings of Eva Gaetino and Lindsey Heaps were also notable.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

While Orlando City fans sit on their hands waiting for the team to fill its open Designated Player slot, other teams across the league are adding some firepower for the upcoming season. Minnesota United’s move for Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez came out of left field but is reportedly being finalized and he would not be a DP for the Loons.

💣🇨🇴✅ BREAKING: Minnesota United is finalizing a deal to sign Colombian star James Rodriguez, per sources.James Rodriguez will NOT be a designated player. Short-term deal.James is coming to MLS.w/ @felipecardenas.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/702…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-02-05T17:22:19.269Z

FC Dallas is also reportedly working on bringing in a star midfielder, with the club in talks to sign Joaquín Valiente from Defensor SC of Uruguay. The 24-year-old has spent the past year in Ecuador on loan with Barcelona, recording five goals and five assists. The Vancouver Whitecaps signed Senegalese forward Cheikh Sabaly from FC Metz in Ligue 1. He had 15 goals last season to help Metz earn promotion to the top flight.

U.S. Cruises in Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifier

The United States U-17 Men’s National Team won 8-0 against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Concacaf qualifiers for the U-17 World Cup in November. Aaron Medina had a hat trick in the first half, while Paul Sokoloff and Malik Jakupovic scored braces in the game as well. Hopefully the U.S. can replicate this dominant performance when it takes on St. Kitts and Nevis on Saturday before wrapping things up against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

Leicester City Deducted Points For Breaching Rules

Leicester City was docked six points for breaching the profit and sustainability rules, dropping the club to 20th in the English Football League Championship standings. The club was charged for the breach by the English Premier League last May, and the timing puts it in danger of being relegated in back-to-back seasons. The Foxes are winless in their past four league games and without a manager after sacking Marti Cifuentes last season. Goal difference is all that currently separates Leicester from the relegation zone, and we’ll see if this point deduction is the difference maker in what could be a dramatic fight for survival at the bottom of the table.

Free Kicks

  • We now know what number a couple of the newest Lions will be wearing this season. Midfielder Luis Otavio will be wearing Cesar Araujo’s old No. 5, while Tiago will wear No. 7.
  • Former Orlando Pride forward Simone Charley is headed to England, signing with Newcastle in the Women’s Super League 2.
  • Ademola Lookman scored in his first match for Atletico Madrid, helping the club beat Real Betis 5-0 to advance to the Copa del Rey semifinals.
  • It was a record-breaking transfer window in women’s soccer this winter, although I wish the Pride were one of the big spenders.

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

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Lion Links: 2/5/26

Orlando City preseason updates, Orlando City Academy goalkeeper Luan Silva called up, Concacaf Champions Cup results, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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February 5, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m hoping we’re in the tail end of winter, even if a certain groundhog thinks differently. Bring on the nice weather! Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire. This time two years ago we were all dealing with the circus of Blackburn’s clerical error that stopped his transfer to England. I’m glad he ended up staying in the City Beautiful and am excited to see him light it up this year.

Latest Orlando City Preseason News

The Lions will be without center back Robin Jansson for the start of the upcoming season, as the Beefy Swede underwent surgery for a foot injury. It’s rough news considering Rodrigo Schlegel is no longer on the team and the move for Dusan Stojinovic fell through. It’s not entirely gloom and doom at the position though. The Lions are reportedly finalizing the addition of Iago as an MLS U22 Initiative player and signed Nolan Miller to a first-team contract. Miller was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft and had a solid collegiate career at the University of Michigan. Hopefully the defense can hold things down while Jansson is out.

Luan Silva Called Up for Training Camp

Orlando City academy goalkeeper Luan Silva was called up for the United States U-15 National Team’s training camp in Cyprus. Silva was fantastic in net for Orlando’s U-15 team at the mtu Cup in Europe last year and was honored as the tournament’s best goalkeeper. He was also called up for the U.S. U-15 team last September, so it’s nice to see him continuing to get international attention. The camp will include a friendly against Cyprus on Feb. 12 before a friendly against England on Feb. 14.

Concacaf Champions Cup Roundup

San Diego FC’s Concacaf Champions Cup debut could not have gone much better, with the MLS club beating Pumas 4-1 at home. The visitors struck first and took that lead into halftime, but San Diego came out swinging in the second half to score four times and win the game. The job is far from finished though, with the second leg set to take place in Mexico on Tuesday.

The Mexican clubs are having slow starts to their tournament campaigns so far. Tigres was held to a scoreless draw against Forge FC in Canada, and Club America needed a late goal from Ramon Juarez to beat Olimpia 2-1 in Honduras.

Arsenal and Manchester City Reach Carabao Cup Final

The current top two teams in the English Premier League standings will square off in the Carabao Cup final on March 22, as both Arsenal and Manchester City won both legs of their semifinals. Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a goal in stoppage time from Kai Havertz to advance 4-2 on aggregate. Manchester City followed up its 2-0 win over Newcastle last month with a 3-1 victory in the second leg, with Omar Marmoush scoring a brace in the recent win. The final should be a great match between two teams who are contenders for plenty of silverware this year. We’ll see who knocks over the first domino in March.

Free Kicks

  • Let’s step into a time machine today to relive some of Martin Ojeda’s best goals with Orlando City. Hopefully we can enjoy even more this season.
  • Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda received her trophy for being named to the 2025 FIFPRO Women’s World 11. It was her second consecutive time receiving the honor.

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

Lion Links: 2/4/26

Orlando City transfer falls through, an Orlando City B preseason match scheduled, Concacaf Champions Cup begins, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

February 4, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I feel like all we do lately is deliver bad news. I really hope that changes soon, but unfortunately that is not going to happen today. I know I’m not doing a great job of selling today’s links, but I promise there’s a golden reward at the end. Let’s get to the links.

Stojinovic is a No Go

Orlando City’s off-season woes continued as the deal to sign Slovenian center back Dusan Stojinovic is off after the player failed his medical. As such, the club is still in need of additional center backs. Robin Jansson is a starter, but he has not been at training. David Brekalo might be a starter but has mostly been at left back recently. Rumors of adding Iago from Flamengo persist but it has not yet come to pass. All of that makes the Stojinovic news harder to take.

Sources: Orlando City’s deal to sign CB Dusan Stojinovic is OFF after failed medical.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-02-03T16:26:20.787Z

Orlando City B Preseason Match

We now know that Orlando City B will play at least one preseason match against Colorado Rapids 2 thanks to an announcement from the club. That club being the Rapids and not Orlando City. I find it a bit odd that Colorado didn’t know that all preseason matches are state secrets to be guarded at all costs. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the club will show the match. That club being the Rapids, of course.

MLS Transfer News

Orlando City isn’t the only club having deals fall through. New York City FC had signed a deal to move Moussa Sylla to MLS from Schalke 04. NYCFC claimed Sylla failed his medical and tried to negotiate a loan with options. Schalke 04 was not happy with the situation.

Proving that MLS clubs can sign DP forwards, Real Salt Lake acquired forward Morgan Guilavogui from French Ligue 1 side RC Lens. The big news of the day was the potential move of Colombia forward James Rodriguez to Minnesota United, as first reported by Tom Bogert of The Athletic. Rodriguez is a genuine star for Colombia, but it remains to be seen how he will fit in at Minnesota and in MLS.

Concacaf Champions Cup

The 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup bracket is out. While Orlando City won’t make this edition of the competition, nine other MLS squads will compete for the trophy. San Diego FC is one of the MLS clubs making a debut appearance in the tournament. The first match saw Forge FC and Tigres UANL play to a 0-0 draw.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Perhaps we’ll get some positive transfer news for Orlando City soon. Until then, Vamos Orlando!

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