Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/2/18

Published

8 years ago

on

What’s up, Mane Landers? I hope you all are ready for the first weekend of the off-season. Even though the Lions will be off the field, there is still plenty to be excited about with the MLS playoffs heating up and plenty of soccer all over the world to keep us busy until 2019. But first, let’s kick off your Friday on the right foot with some links!

New Orlando City Training Complex to Open in Kissimmee

In surprising news, Orlando City announced that a new training complex is set to open in July 2019 in Osceola County. The announcement is unexpected to say the least considering Lake Nona was the rumored home for a training complex expected to rival the ones of other clubs in MLS. Instead it seems the club will be going with renovating the Osceola Heritage Park, which served as the spring training grounds for the Houston Astros.

The approximately 20-acre area will be set up to be the exclusive training ground for both the Lions and the Orlando Pride. The complex will feature four full-size grass fields, a film room, a lounge and dining area for players, and roughly 30,000 square feet of office space for staff. You can check out some of the early renderings released by the club.

James O’Connor Determined to Disprove Doubters

James O’Connor is well aware that his 2-12-3 record as head coach for the Lions is far from the future he, the OCSC front office, players, and supporters are expecting for this club. A lot will likely change this off-season, but O’Connor will remain at the helm of a team that needs an improvement both in performance and in attitude. Some don’t think that O’Connor can complete such an overhaul in just one off-season but he’s spoken to the front office and the players who will be staying with the team and the Lions are ready to prove the doubters wrong. This is what O’Connor had to say to fans whose faith may be lacking after 2018:

“I would ask for one more opportunity, to really be given an opportunity to show you what we will be like in preseason, what we will be like at the start of next year,” O’Connor said. “I would candidly tell you, you’re probably going to miss out on a fantastic and very, very special year.”

MLS Playoff Conference Semifinals are Set

Only eight teams remain in the MLS playoffs as the knockout round finished up last night. In the earlier game, it took penalty kicks to decide a winner in a tight match between D.C. United and the Columbus Crew. After 90 minutes, the score was level at 1-1 and both teams were able to score again in extra time to push the game into penalty kicks where the Crew held on to defeat Wayne Rooney and D.C. to move on to the next round.

Meanwhile in California, Real Salt Lake stunned LAFC with a 3-2 victory on the road. Real’s Damir Kreilach stole the show with a brace and a crane kick goal that would even make the karate kid jealous.

A deflected shot from Jefferson Savarino caused an own goal and that was all the difference for Real Salt Lake to make its way to the next stage and give LAFC an early exit.

The quarterfinals of the playoffs start this Sunday when the first legs of the round begin. The Columbus Crew are set to host the Supporters’ Shield winning New York Red Bulls while New York City FC will look to maintain momentum when Atlanta United heads to Yankee Stadium.

In the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake will hope to upset the best team in the conference when Sporting Kansas City comes to town. But the most exciting series will undoubtedly be the clash of rivals as the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers face off.

USL League One Schedule Format Unveiled

The competition format for the anticipated USL League One that will feature the return of Orlando City B has been revealed. The 28-game regular season will begin on March 29 and end by Oct. 13, with the playoffs consisting of four teams and starting on Oct. 17. Each of the 10 clubs will play eight other clubs three times and will have one club they play four times. More news is sure to follow in the time between now and the season starts so keep an eye out for when the full schedule will be released and who the 10th and final founding member will be.

Carson Pickett’s Resilience Leads to Australian Success

Born with a left arm that stops at the elbow, Carson Pickett has had to work harder than most to become a defender for the Orlando Pride and Brisbane Roar. The 25-year-old credits a strong support system and a “never say never” attitude, for why she refuses to back down from challenges. So despite her position as a defender, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when the Roar were trailing late against the Perth Glory it was Pickett who was there to level the score and get a result.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City Youth Soccer released a brand new website for you to check out where you can learn more about the academy system, the Little Lions program, and even check out upcoming tournaments.
  • Both Christine Nairn and Dani Weatherholt played a full game to help the Melbourne Victory win 2-1 against Emily van Egmond and the Newcastle Jets in the W-League. Although she didn’t score or have an assist, Nairn did all the little things and led the team in touches, passes, tackles, and she created eight chances. The game also featured this incredible goal by Melina Ayres from way out.

  • Voting is open for MLS Goal of the Year and Save of the Year. Although the Lions didn’t make the cut for a top save, Scott Sutter did land on the ballot for one of the best goals of the season
  • Another young Chicago Fire defender is hanging up his cleats as 25-year-old Christian Dean announced he will be retiring after a season plagued with injuries.
  • The United States opened the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship with a dominant 7-1 win over Puerto Rico. The U.S will need to finish at the top of its group to advance to the next stage and the Young Yanks will continue their campaign tomorrow night (6 p.m. ET) against the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Usain Bolt’s trial has ended with the Central Coast Mariners in Australia and the track superstar is leaving the team.

That’s all from me, I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a relaxing weekend.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

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.

Free Kicks

  • 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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

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.

Free Kicks

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!

Continue Reading

Trending