Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/26/19

Published

6 years ago

on

What’s up, Mane Landers? It’s another Friday and the start to a wonderful weekend here in Florida. I don’t know if any of you have looked at the upcoming forecast lately but it’s really going to start getting hotter here. Luckily, things are heating up on the pitch as well with Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B all in action tomorrow. But for now, let’s start the day cool, calm, and collected with some links.

Robin Jansson Making the Most of Minutes

It’s not often that a player can come to a new league and fit in well with the team immediately, but Orlando City defender Robin Jansson is doing just that by starting in every game he has been available thus far. Jansson has been a welcome addition to an OCSC back line that was notorious for lacking consistency in 2018. With Orlando defenders often injured, it’s nice having some stability in the back and Jansson believes the team as a whole defended well in its recent matches.

“I think if you look back in the last game and the New York game, I think we worked in the defense as a team,” he said. “Because the defense starts higher up in the field and the whole team defends. So, I think those parts have been good and I think we need to do that all the time to control our defensive way of playing and then we attack from the defensive part. Because if you have a strong defense you will have good attacking as well.”

The Wild Wild…East?

With teams like Atlanta United, the New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, and the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference, it’s always a challenge to predict who will finish at the top of the conference standings. It gets even harder when none of those teams are even in the top six. Practically every team in the conference looks good enough to make a playoff run while also looking like they are one bad loss away from self-destructing.

For Orlando City, living on the brink of total collapse is second nature and success this year will be largely dependent on whether the signature summer slump will take this team down yet again.

Orlando Pride Focus On Discipline

With only one point to show from three tough games this season, the Pride are still searching for their first win of the season as they head travel to face the Utah Royals. There have been flashes of brilliance but Head Coach Marc Skinner is pushing the Pride to put together a complete performance on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

“You can’t build your castle on sand. That’s what we’ve got to be able to do — solidify our foundations and then move forward with flowing, attacking football. But you need to do the first parts first.”

Young Lions Head West

Orlando City B’s hunt for its first win of the season continues as the team travels to the old town roads of Frisco, TX for a match with North Texas SC, the affiliate club of FC Dallas, tomorrow at 5:50 p.m. ET. The Young Lions have a tough road test ahead of them as North Texas has won both of its games this season, but OCB has a few players who are starting to make their presence known. Defender Matheus Martins Silva, who made the USL Team of the Week last week, and goalkeeper Juliano Chade, ranked third in the league in saves, are both finding their form on the team while forward Ates Diouf remains a constant threat on offense (although he’s been dealing with a back injury of late).

Yanks Will Host Jamaica In Nation’s Capital

Listen, I love having the United States Men’s National Team play at Orlando City Stadium, but is there a better venue for the Yanks than in Washington D.C.? The USMNT will host Jamaica at Audi Field on June 5 in the final game before the Gold Cup begins later that month. It’s the 26th meeting between the two nations, with the most recent result coming in the 2017 Gold Cup Final when the Yanks defeated the Reggae Boyz 2-1.

Free Kicks

  • With Avengers: Endgame upon us (don’t worry, no spoilers), Stephanie Yang of All For XI did us all a favor and reimagined each NWSL team as a member of the Avengers. It’s a great read and finding out why Orlando is basically Ant-Man makes a lot of sense.
  • The Lions are set to take on New York City FC tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET and they will need to get past a surging NYCFC team that has found recent success with just three men in the back.
  • Toronto FC’s Alejandro Pozuelo scored another MLS Goal of the Week. This time the goal came against Minnesota United as the Loons gave the Spaniard far too much space, letting him bury the ball in the back of the net from outside the box.

  • The Professional Football Association's Premier League Team of the Year was announced. Let me know in the comments below what you think. Does Paul Pogba deserve his spot? Should the team be called Manpool City or Liverchester FC?

That’s all from me folks. I hope all of you have an amazing Friday filled with fun and joy. Stay cool out there.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

April 25, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

April 24, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

Free Kicks

That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

April 23, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

Continue Reading

Trending