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Lion Links: 8/4/18

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7 years ago

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Happy Match Day 23, everyone. The Lions will battle the Revolution of New England this evening at the beautiful purple stadium downtown and I plan to be there with or without bells on.

Hopefully I’ll see a stadium tonight full of purple-clad crazies hell bent on pushing the Lions on to victory in a crucial game. Now is the time if Orlando City is going to salvage the season, so every ounce of support is vital.

Meram Transfer Becomes Official

Justin Meram is officially no longer a Lion of Orlando City. The previous sentence is a sad one to me and probably many other City fans, as hopes were high with the acquisition of the former-and-again Columbus Crew winger prior to the 2018 season. The club sent him to Columbus in the traditional Friday news dump fashion, with a short, almost terse, press release.

Meram put on a great performance in the season opener and then began a season full of struggles. He’ll no doubt go back to flourishing under the familiar system of Gregg Berhalter — and probably make us all pay in October when the Lions and Crew meet again. Though the club likely got everything back it could from the original deal, it’s just another example of how you never know how a player will work out at a new team. It doesn’t mean Meram is a big baby or that he lacks mental toughness. For a good perspective on this, Bobby Warshaw writes about his own experience and points to Kevin de Bruyne’s stint at Chelsea as an example.

Hopefully the club can use some of those Garberbucks to bring in some help before the window closes.

Higuita Calls O’Connor a “Breath of Fresh Air”

Midfielder Cristian Higuita is having a breakout season for Orlando City. In addition to putting together a more consistent season defensively, the Colombian has added a career-high four goals on the year. He talked recently about Orlando City’s coaching change.

“Soccer is complicated at times. It’s tough to let go of a coach like Jason Kreis, who I considered a friend. But then comes James, and I see it more than just a benefit but a breath of fresh air,” Higuita said. “After suffering so many losses, we needed fresh air. I don’t know if it warranted a coaching change, but James arrives with a lot of hunger and the team through the last set of games has been wanting to show that same hunger.”

It’s interesting to see Higuita refer to Jason Kreis as a ‘friend,’ and to speculate about whether the change was warranted, but it’s clear that he’s embraced O’Connor’s arrival.

Another interesting nugget buried deep in the story is that Scott Sutter not only has dealt with knee and groin injuries this season, but also spent two nights in the emergency room with pancreatitis. Yikes!

Pride Welcome Home International Players

After an entertaining Tournament of Nations, eight Orlando Pride players have returned to Orlando as the team prepares for tomorrow’s match against Sky Blue FC. The only international who didn’t get game minutes in the ToN was goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, and Tom Sermanni said earlier in the week that he expects all eight internationals to be available. That could be in jeopardy with Alex Morgan’s late ankle injury against Brazil on Thursday night, but she did seem to be walking on that foot at the medal and trophy presentation.

Morgan had a great tournament, scoring four goals in the three matches and assisting on Tobin Heath’s strike Thursday night. Alanna Kennedy and Marta also scored for their countries, while Emily van Egmond missed the third round due to yellow card accumulation. So, van Egmond and Harris will be the freshest of the eight players and Poliana and Camila also didn’t see extended minutes. Marta, Kennedy, Morgan (if available), and Monica may be on the bench to start the match after playing extensively. It will be interesting to see how Sermanni deploys his international stars.

“They’ll want to play,” Sermanni said. “It is part of the things you have to deal with in soccer and these are players who are used to playing in multiple games in short periods of time. If they all come back healthy, they all will be considered for selection.”

New England Adds International Defender

Tonight’s opponents have been busy this transfer window. The New England Revolution announced the signing of English defender Michael Mancienne on a free transfer yesterday. Mancienne, 30, is unlikely to be available tonight as the former Nottingham Forest man has to wait for paperwork to go through. However, Bolivian midfielder Cristhian Machado may be available after his signing on July 23.

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  • If you want to meet Yoshi Yotún, you’ll get your chance on Tuesday at the team store.

That’s all my time for this morning. Keep it right here at The Mane Land for full coverage of tonight’s match and the Orlando Pride’s match tomorrow against Sky Blue FC!

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Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

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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: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

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  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

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 4/16/25

Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.

All the Rankings

With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.

OCB Falls to Inter Miami II

Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.

Generation Adidas Cup Matchups

Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.

U.S. Eyes Gold Cup

We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.

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

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