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Lion Links: 5/26/19

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7 years ago

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Happy Sunday, Mane Landers. I hope you’re all enjoying this holiday weekend despite the Lions dropping all three points to the Zlatan-less Galaxy on Friday night. It was a tough pill to swallow, and although I remain optimistic, significant improvements are obviously necessary to push this team over a hump that they can’t seem to overcome. Meanwhile, an extremely weakened Pride team will also be seeking to improve, as a decent sized list of players are missing to prepare for the upcoming World Cup. It’s a rough time to be an Orlando supporter, but then again, we’re resilient and used to it. Everyone keep your chins up. And hey, at least we all get to catch the USWNT in action today against Mexico!

Any who, now that my spiel is out of the way, let’s get to these Links. Enjoy.

Orlando Pride Lose 2-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium

The Pride players who didn’t earn a call-up to represent their country traveled to Utah where they took on the Royals last night. Let’s just say this one didn’t go well for the Pride, and a 2-0 loss was the final result. Amy Rodriguez (31’) and Makenzy Doniak (89’) scored for the Royals as the Pride failed to register a goal again. The Pride were outplayed in this match, losing in possession (60-40), passes completed (426 to 268), and pass accuracy (78% to 66%), and the missing players representing their countries were sorely missed. The Pride had 12 corners but failed to capitalize on such a large number of direct opportunities, and ultimately paid the price.

Flávio Augusto Da Silva to Sell OCSC in 2022?

The owner of the club recently declared that he may be open to selling the club when he becomes 50 years old, citing his desire to focus on philanthropy.

“I’m not making a sale announcement. The announcement is that I will dedicate myself to philanthropy,” Da Silva said in an interview with Brazilian outlet Estadão. “But I believe that the apex of a successful entrepreneur is when the market becomes interested in what he has created to the point of wanting to pay for it and fortunately I’m constantly being sought out by investors.”

It’s just a thought for now, but who knows what could happen down the road. It’s always a hectic roller coaster ride being a supporter of this club, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Shelina Zadorsky Named to Canadian National Team

To nobody’s surprise, the Pride’s No. 4 was named to the Canadian Women’s National Team for this summer’s World Cup in France. The team’s theme for the tournament, “Together We Rise,” comes after the Canadians were knocked out of the 2015 World Cup in the quarterfinals. While they’re not considered the favorite to win the tournament, Canada Head Coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller is confident in his team’s ability to compete and win, but also acknowledges that the team has done a good job of taking it a step at a time: a trend that the coach will continue to preach.

“We are going there to win it, but we have been very good at taking things one step at a time,” said Kenneth Heiner-Møller, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach and Women’s National EXCEL Director. “We didn’t look beyond the Algarve Cup and we didn’t look beyond matches against England or Spain; we only looked at what was right in front of us. Right now, there are three group matches in front of us and we are focused very clearly on Cameroon, New Zealand and Netherlands.”

A Team We’re All Proud Of

This summer’s World Cup crown is important to the U.S. Women’s National Team, but there’s a message that this team, these women, also wish to send: equality for all.

“I think equality for all requires people who have more [power] right now to give up some, which I think is a good thing for everyone. But some people don’t want to give that up, so they’re doing everything they can to keep all of it,” co-captain Megan Rapinoe said Friday morning during a pre-World Cup media day at Twitter’s New York City headquarters. “I don’t think it’s surprising. Maybe they feel like it is that moment where it is kind of a tipping point, … where things are becoming more equal for everyone, and I guess people are uncomfortable with that.”

In an increasingly divisive time for our country and the world we live in, this team refuses to sit quiet on issues of inequality; whether that be about their own compensation or defending the LGBTQ community. This team has honor, and are brave to speak out and use their platform to hopefully foster change in an unfair world.

“We do have such a big platform to be able to use our voices. And right now, all eyes are on us,” said Morgan, who received criticism and praise a day earlier for a Time magazine interview in which she spoke out about politics, specifically policies separating migrant families and visiting the White House. “… There are also a lot of important issues that are bigger than soccer in the world today, and definitely the abortion laws being changed in some states are one of them. And that’s definitely not one that I’m in agreement on.”

Abby Wambach Named to National Soccer Hall of Fame

Being revealed by a fellow American legend Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the class of 2019. Foudy did a great job with the video reveal, welcoming her and her 184 international goals to the prestigious class. Well deserved, Abby!

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  • This is just unfortunate, and I don’t really have much else to say about it.

  • Congratulations are most certainly in order to Celtic for winning the treble (the league, League Cup, and Scottish Cup) for a third consecutive time. It’s been dubbed the “treble-treble,” for obvious reasons.
  • Congratulations are also in order to Ocho Cinco, otherwise known as Chad Johnson (long NFL story), as he scored twice for Boca Raton to give the club a 2-0 lead against Breakers FC. Not too shabby for a former Bengals wide receiver. Here’s his first, which actually looks to be a decent header.

  • One more congratulations: way to go Tallahassee SC, taking down Pensacola FC 5-1 for the club’s first-ever historic win!

All right folks, that’s all I have for you today. To all of the veterans reading along, thank you for your service to this beautiful country of ours. You are truly appreciated. Enjoy the remainder of this long weekend while you can, because Tuesday is right around the corner.

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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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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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