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Lion Links: 12/13/18

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7 years ago

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Hello, dear readers! It’s Thursday once again and so I get the opportunity to let you know that the Orlando SeaWolves will be playing soccer tomorrow night — indoors! — at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. The indoor game is fun, fast-paced, and (best of all) quite affordable, so go give the lads some support as they take on defending champion Baltimore.

Lions Stockpiling Draft Picks

Orlando City added a fourth-round selection in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday in a trade with New York City FC for the rights to Tony Rocha. The Lions got back the fourth-round pick they traded to the Pigeons in 2017 for Josh Saunders, which is the No. 75 overall selection. Even though the club declined Rocha’s contract option, Orlando retains his MLS rights and those were shipped off to the Bronx. The Lions now have six picks in the SuperDraft and it’ll be interesting to see how those will be used.

Rocha made sure to thank Orlando City’s fans before he departs for the Big Apple.

Where Muzzi At?

Feathers were ruffled yesterday when ProSoccerUSA.com’s Jordan Culver reported that his league sources said that Luiz Muzzi was calling the shots for Orlando City’s recent slew of player moves. Some outlets covering FC Dallas questioned Culver’s report, as Muzzi has not yet been introduced officially as OCSC’s new general manager. Also, FC Dallas denies that he’s leaving the club until the Texas side can announce a replacement.

When asked about Muzzi’s departure, FC Dallas vice president of communications Gina Miller told Pro Soccer USA, “This isn’t true.”

However, a league source told Pro Soccer USA FC Dallas is hesitant to confirm Muzzi’s departure until the club can announce his replacement.

Jordan’s a solid dude and I don’t doubt for a second that he’s got a source he trusts. Our sources have indicated to us that Muzzi was serving in a consulting role during this recent series of moves so it’s clear he’s at the very least being kept in the loop while we await his official arrival.

Why Spector, Sutter Weren’t In Waiver Draft

Some sharp-eyed fans noticed that neither Jonathan Spector nor Scott Sutter were listed as available for the MLS Waiver Draft. That’s because of a loophole that Orlando City exploited (sorry, paywall).

Per MLS rules, teams can exclude a player from the waiver draft if they “have expressed interest in re-signing the player and/or bringing them into preseason.” In this case, Orlando City has done enough to convince the league that it intends to bring both Spector and Sutter back, meaning neither player has officially been waived. Considering a recent change in leadership in the front office at the club, Orlando may justify doing so by saying it needs more time to evaluate its roster and to see if Spector or Sutter may be willing to stay on for lower wages.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the two defenders will be back with Orlando, and both have publicly said goodbye to the fans on social media. But, as Paul Tenorio explains, the Lions could trade their MLS rights or do a sign-and-trade to get something for them if they opt to stay in MLS. Technically, their contracts expire at the end of the calendar year.

Orlando City U-18/19 Team Leads Division at the Break

It’s been a good 2018 portion of the season for the Baby Lions up at Montverde Academy. The U-18/19 team sits first in the Southeast Division at the break, with 22 points in 12 games (7-4-1). The squad has a +13 goal differential. Weston FC sits just two points behind with a game in hand, while third-place Chargers SC has 25 points but in two more games played. The standings are listed by points per game, of which OCSC has 1.8333 to lead the division. Academy Director and U-18/19 coach Mike Potempa said the academy’s move to Montverde is starting to pay dividends.

“I believe now that we are starting to see the fruits of our labor and we expect to see a continuation of our evolution in the second half of the season in 2019 across all age groups.”

MLS Waiver Draft Results

Orlando City passed on the 2018 MLS Waiver Draft yesterday and only four players were taken in total. The New York Red Bulls moved up via a trade with the San Jose Earthquakes and took former Philadelphia Union forward Marcus Epps first overall. The Chicago Fire chose two of the four players taken and they were two of the three guys that our own Guilherme Torres said Orlando City should consider — Cristian Martinez from Columbus and Marco Ureña of LAFC. We’ll have to keep an eye on how the duo fares in Chicago. Ricky Lopez-Espin was the other player selected, moving from Real Salt Lake to LAFC.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s Brazilian partner club has rebranded as Athletico Paranaense. They kicked off the second leg of the 2018 Copa Sudamerica final last night vs. Junior (Colombia) and former Lions defender Leo Pereira started. The first leg in Colombia was a 1-1 draw and the teams went to penalties last night after another 1-1 draw. Paranaense won the cup in penalties, taking the shootout, 4-3.

Here’s a look at the new uniforms:

  • The New York Red Bulls re-signed center back Tim Parker to a multi-year deal using Targeted Allocation Money.
  • FC Cincinnati sent $150,000 in General Allocation Money to FC Dallas for Homegrown midfielder Victor Ulloa.
  • Speaking of FC Cincinnati, the club announced that they have an official chili partner in Skyline. I grew up in Ohio and I love the stuff. Don’t @ me and don’t think of it like you think of “normal” chili. It’s its own thing.
  • Those born on this date include Mary Todd Lincoln (1818), Cleveland Indians legend Larry Doby (1923), Dick Van Dyke (1925), Christopher Plummer (1929), Ted Nugent (1948), pro wrestler Junkyard Dog (1952), Steve Buscemi (1957), football coaches Rob and Rex Ryan (1962), sportscaster Mike Tirico (1966), hockey’s Sergei Federov (1969), and Taylor Swift (1989).

That’ll do it for my time this morning. Thanks for reading. Enjoy your Thursday and let’s get to the weekend.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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!

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