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Lion Links: 5/12/19

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7 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers, but more importantly, happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing mothers out there. I’ll be spending the day with my mom and some of our family, and I hope that you all have a good one, no matter how you spend yours.

Not only is today a special day in the form of Mother’s Day, but it’s also the afternoon that marks the first clash between Atlanta United and Orlando City SC during the strange 2019 season. I’m sure you’re looking forward to it as much as I am.

All right. Enough of the small talk. Let’s get you your Sunday helping of Lion Links to hold you over until the Lions play in Georgia and the U.S. women play South Africa. Enjoy!

Pride Fall to the Thorns, 3-1

Entering the match as the team with the most goals conceded and fewest goals scored in the league, the Pride didn’t do much to improve upon those numbers as they fell at home to Portland, 3-1. Toni Pressley scored first, but goals from Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Andressinha, and Caitlin Foord allowed the Thorns to comfortably leave the Central Florida area with three points safely secured. This one got notably chippy as the night wore on, but ultimately no red cards were brandished. The Pride next see action against the Utah Royals on May 25 in Utah.

Orlando City B Fall to North Texas SC, 4-1

After taking the lead in the match, OCB fell apart defensively and allowed four unanswered goals to let North Texas SC run away with all three points. The goal did break a 282-minute scoreless streak and a 348-minute scoreless streak from open play, but unfortunately for the Young Lions, this match got out of hand late as North Texas SC scored all four goals in the 69th minute or later. OCB falls to 0-6-2, with a total of two points on the table.

James O’Connor Confident in Lions’ Attack

Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor has emphasized that he has confidence in his club’s ability to attack ahead of the Lions’ clash against heated rivals Atlanta United FC in Georgia today. The Lions have had issues in the attacking third so far this season, but O’Connor hasn’t lost faith in his attackers.

“I think the thing for us is, whether it’s Dom or whoever it is, if somebody doesn’t score in a particular game, people want to [say], you know, he hasn’t scored or he hasn’t done this, but we have every confidence in Dom, Tesho [Akindele], Nani, Chris Mueller. We feel as if we’ve created a good amount of chances in games,” Orlando City coach James O’Connor said.

Let’s hope he’s right, and the intense rivalry that’s to be played today proves it. One thing that O’Connor said that stuck out to me was especially important, and displayed patience and confidence in his team.

“The biggest thing for us is our belief doesn’t waver in the players whether somebody scores or doesn’t score,” O’Connor said. “For us, our belief is always there with the players. Whether somebody scores in a game or misses a chance or doesn’t score in a game, for us, you know, our belief in the players doesn’t fluctuate by game.”

Nani is Leading the Lions

The Lions’ Portuguese star is getting some attention from mlssoccer.com after showing off his 1-v-1 and attacking abilities for Orlando City this season. His power in the attack, as well as his passion for the sport on a daily basis, is what they credit to be some of his strongest attributes, and it’s hard to disagree with them. They even allude to a desire to see the Lions’ star man in the MLS All-Star Game in Orlando on Aug. 1. We’ll see, but if he keeps up his current run of form, it’s more than possible.

Free Kicks

  • Brazil and Orlando Pride star Marta is opening a dog shelter. Class, both on the field and off.

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Mais amor e menos ódio. More love and less hate. Pra galera que não viu meu ao vivo dêem uma olhada lá! For the people who watched my live story and are wondering what it is about… • I was talking about my initiative of opening a dog shelter which is currently being built, but while is not ready my brother was fostering a few dogs. • All the dogs were healthy and within 24h they all showed symptoms of sickness, one has even passed away. • This leads us to believe that they have been poisoned. • I will never stop helping these loving animals. For whoever is responsible for this please have more love in your heart. • If you don’t wish be apart of the solution then please do not be apart of the problem.

A post shared by martavsilva10 (@martavsilva10) on

  • FC Dallas honored former NBA star and Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki before the team’s 3-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls. He even took a spot kick, but it’s nothing to write home about.
  • USMNT and Wolfsburg defender John Brooks will sit out the remainder of the Bundesliga season due to medial ligament discomfort. Cheers to a quick recovery!
  • Christian Pulisic scored in his final match with Dortmund, netting an early goal against Dusseldorf in an eventual 3-2 win for the black and yellow. His next move? Hopefully conquering England, and maybe even Europe, with Chelsea.
  • Is Neymar fit to be captain? Well, according to his club’s manager, he isn’t of that “profile.” I wonder how the Brazilian striker will respond?
  • Tallahassee SC played its first-ever match in the Gulf Coast Premier League, drawing 2-2 against a strong and established AFC Mobile. Sy Fotenot scored the club’s first-ever GCPL goal, but it was Pete Love who provided the dramatics with a free kick from about 30 yards, pinged perfectly into the top left corner. Well done and congratulations, boys!

All right folks, that should hold you over until today’s early afternoon kickoff against rival side Atlanta United FC. Go Lions, and have a great night and a great week

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/21/26

Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, MLS playoff changes reportedly coming, Hall of Fame finalists unveiled, and more.

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2 days ago

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August 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a bit of a rough month for all three of Orlando’s soccer teams, but hopefully they can turn things around this weekend. Things haven’t been great, but surely that just means things can only go up from here, right? Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride are on the road this weekend for a match against the Washington Spirit on Sunday. It’s been a cruel summer for the Pride, as they’ve lost four of their past five games and are currently 13th in the league standings. Despite being on a three-game winless streak, the Spirit are second in the standings and will be a tough opponent for the Pride to face on the road. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on where the team needs to improve in order to get a result away from home against one of the league’s top teams.

Changes Reportedly Coming to MLS Playoff Format

For the umpteenth time, MLS is reportedly planning on overhauling its playoff format. The changes would go into effect when the league changes its calendar and they include allowing 20 teams to qualify for the playoffs, with the overall league standings being used to determine those top 20 teams. After a play-in round, the remaining 16 teams will play in a double elimination format that also features reseeding between rounds. If these changes do come to pass, hopefully the league decides to stick with it rather than constantly fiddling it with it.

National Soccer Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

The finalists for the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s class of 2027 were announced, with nine candidates making the list in their first year of eligibility. Former Orlando Pride player Ali Krieger is one of those nine, along with Megan Rapinoe, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore. Central Florida native Graham Zusi was also named as a finalist. The two players who receive the most votes and are on at least half the ballots will make the Hall of Fame, with a third player able to make it if they’re on 75% of ballots.

Storylines Ahead of English Premier League Season

The English Premier League season begins today with Arsenal starting its title defense at home against Coventry City. Arsenal has a talented team once again, but it will be interesting to see how much of a challenge Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City can pose with new managers at the helm. Managers seem to be a focal point this season, as other storylines include whether or not Michael Carrick and Unai Emery can keep succeeding at Manchester United and Aston Villa, respectively. I’m just hoping we have an exciting title race by the time spring rolls around.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann tied with Robert Lewandowski for the second-highest rating of all MLS players in EA Sports FC 27.

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: 8/20/26

Orlando City defeated at home, Simone Jackson loaned to FC Rosengard, U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup roster unveiled, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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August 20, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

I think we can confidently say Orlando City’s Wednesday night excellence has come to an end after last night’s loss. I’m not going to claim the new kits are cursed after just two games, but I’ve bought some sage just in case. Before we get to that match and more in today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman.

Orlando City Falls at Home

The Lions hosted the Chicago Fire and got burned in a 2-1 loss that included a lengthy weather delay that paused things right before halftime. The Fire struck first with an early goal, but Orlando leveled things after the lightning storm passed. However, Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty kick from a needless foul in the box for the winner, with the Lions failing to claw their way back a second time. It’s a disappointing result at home and Orlando will need to figure things out before hosting Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Simone Jackson Heads to Sweden on Loan

The Orlando Pride loaned forward Simone Jackson to FC Rosengard in Sweden through June of 2027. Jackson was signed by the Pride in 2025 after four years playing collegiately at the University of Southern California and she has since made 20 appearances for the club. Hopefully this move gives her some more minutes to develop her game abroad so that she can make an impact with the Pride when she returns next summer.

U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster Announced

United States U-20 Women’s National Team Head Coach Vicky Jepson called up 21 players for the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next month, including eight from NWSL clubs. Goalkeeper Evan O’Steen, midfielders Kennedy Fuller and Nyanya Touray, and forward Emeri Adames are a few of the U.S. players to keep an eye out for this tournament.

The team will be without notable eligible players like Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, and Jordyn Bugg though, as youth tournaments take place outside of official FIFA windows when teams are required to release players. United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes also spoke on the importance of tournaments like this one to develop talent while uncertainty looms over the event due to UEFA’s boycott of FIFA competitions. The U.S. is set to start its campaign on Sept. 6 against Italy.

Americans to Watch in the English Premier League

The English Premier League season kicks off this weekend and there are a number of Americans to root for across the league. Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson are all still in the league but have new managers at the helm of their respective teams. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United avoided relegation last season and will look to build on that, while Haji Wright and Coventry City will fight to stay after earning promotion last season. Unfortunately, Wright will miss multiple weeks at the start of the season due to a quad injury.

Free Kicks

  • Alhassan Yusuf scored a hat trick in the New England Revolution’s 3-0 win over D.C. United, with Jack Harrison recording three assists.
  • Americans Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty both played every minute of Celtic’s 3-0 win over LASK in the first leg of its matchup against the Austrian club in UEFA Champions League qualifying
  • Bay FC announced that the club and midfielder Tess Boade mutually agreed to terminate her contract, which was set to end after this season. Boade had been with the club since being selected in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft and was the captain last season.
  • Aston Villa signed goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for a reported $40 million transfer fee. Suzuki played for Japan at the recent World Cup and it will be interesting to see what this move means for Emiliano Martinez’s future at the club.
  • Brighton is covering the cost of tickets for its fans who will be making the trip to the Arctic Circle for its UEFA Conference League playoff match against Tromso in Norway.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links: 8/19/26

Orlando City match day, Colin Guske reportedly being loaned to RSL, Banda is an MVP candidate, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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August 19, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Orlando City plays in a midweek match that thankfully isn’t a Leagues Cup match. There are those who will say they’re sad the Lions are out of Don Garber’s cash grab competition, but I’m not one of them. The U.S. Open Cup and the MLS regular season provide plenty of fixtures for now. The schedule congestion is real, as we can see this week. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Match Day

Orlando City hosts Robert Lewandowski and the Chicago Fire tonight in an Eastern Conference clash. Defending against Lewandowski and Philip Zinckernagel will be a tough task for the Lions’ defense. Orlando City will need its offense to keep pace with the Fire if the Lions are going to take any points from the match. It will be interesting to see both Antoine Griezmann and Lewandowski on the pitch at the same time. Here is your official match guide from the club. Our match preview will drop later this morning at 11 a.m. You can also listen to our thoughts on the match on The Mane Land PawedCast.

Go West, Young Guske

It appears that Orlando City is loaning midfielder/defender Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake, according to Tom Bogert. This is not entirely surprising given how crowded Orlando City’s defensive midfield is with Joran Gerbet and Wilder Cartagena healthy and Luis Otavio rounding into form, not to mention Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda once they return. It’s a good opportunity for Guske to get some minutes, given he’s a bit down on the depth chart with the senior team — far enough down to see more minutes recently at center back with the first team than in the midfield.

MVP Candidate Banda

Despite being away for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and not scoring in her first game back, Barbra Banda maintains her slim lead in the Golden Boot competition and is still a League MVP candidate. If she hopes to win either of those accolades, she will need to resume scoring. The upcoming match against the Washington Spirit this Sunday is the perfect opportunity to extend that lead.

U.S. National Team News

USMNT defender Mark McKenzie is reportedly returning to the Philadelphia Union and will occupy a Designated Player spot. Real Salt Lake’s 19-year-old forward Zavier Gozo has been signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace. Of course, there are other USMNT players already playing in Europe, and some are making a quick return to form following the World Cup. USWNT players are also experiencing ups and downs in the NWSL.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Nicholas Gioacchini is headed to CE Sabadell FC of the Segunda División in Spain.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates and we will also have a recap of the match. Vamos Orlando!

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