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Lion Links: 10/4/20

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6 years ago

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Happy Sunday, everyone. It’s a trucker’s favorite day, because it’s 10/4, good buddy! Yep, I went there — a dad joke to open up your Sunday Lion Links. Hey, we’re all in a good mood after Orlando City’s big 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls yesterday, so why not have some fun?

Orlando has just eight matches left and sits in a great spot to make the MLS playoffs for the first time. Now if the lads will just heal a little quicker than they’re dropping, it would be nice.

Let’s get to the news of the day.

Orlando City Keeps Rolling

This train don’t stop. At least not yet. Orlando City got goals from Daryl Dike, Junior Urso, and Antonio Carlos to drop the New York Red Bulls, 3-1. Kamal Miller made one wayward pass that helped Florian Valot score for the visitors, but aside from that blip on the radar, the two replacement fullbacks — Miller and Kyle Smith — were excellent. Meanwhile, Andres Perea slotted almost seamlessly into the Sebas Mendez/Uri Rosell spot in the lineup. Orlando is 6-0-3 in the last nine games and it’s nice to have a bright spot in an otherwise horribawful 2020 calendar year.

And tune in later today as I bring you my five takeaways from the match and Jenn Glasheen provides our player grades and Man of the Match selection.

Gallese, Mendez to Miss Significant Time on International Duty

One bummer is that Mendez and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese will miss the next few games. It will be as few as three but could be up to five, depending on quarantining and arrival dates and such. Let’s assume four, since that’s the middle. The South Americans will join their respective national teams for World Cup qualifying matches.

  • Gallese and Peru will face Paraguay Oct. 8 and Brazil Oct. 13.
  • Mendez and Ecuador will face Argentina Oct. 8 and Uruguay Oct. 13.

MLS has a 10-day quarantine and players must go through testing to rejoin their teams. Orlando City cannot refuse the call-ups due to the state not having its own mandatory quarantine period of 10 days or more. So it would seem both players would miss the Atlanta, Columbus, New York City FC, and New York Red Bulls matches and potentially the Inter Miami game if there is any delay in getting them home.

Look for Brian Rowe in goal on Wednesday and who knows if anyone will be healthy enough to play central midfield after Urso and Mauricio Pereyra each left Saturday’s match with an injury.

Why Alex Morgan’s Spurs Move Happened So Quickly

Orlando Pride and USWNT striker Alex Morgan was headed to Orlando one minute and headed to London seemingly the next. Jonathan Tannenwald wrote about how Morgan’s move to Tottenham came together so quickly. In order to get ready for the Olympics — possibly her last with the national team — next year, Morgan felt she needed more than the four exhibition games offered up by the NWSL Fall Series and she was uncomfortable about how the pandemic was going.

“I didn’t feel comfortable with our playing situation and uncertainty with the NWSL,” she said. “I knew that after pregnancy I needed to get as many games as possible leading into 2021 [and] playing at the Olympics. Hopefully they’ll move forward next year.”…

“It wasn’t my intention to go to Orlando and then decide to play for another club in another country,” Morgan said. “But I wanted to give myself the best opportunity to get back to full fitness, get back to playing consistent matches, get back to feeling like myself and even surpassing that.”

U.S. Roundup: Gio Reyna Goes HAM on Frieiburg

In an era that may signal a rise in U.S. player development, Americans were in action across Europe yesterday with young USMNT rising star Gio Reyna leading the charge. Reyna notched a trio of assists in Dortmund’s 4-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday. His accomplishment was noteworthy in U.S. soccer history.

Christian Pulisic returned from injury, coming off the bench in Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Crystal Palace. Tyler Adams did not play for RB Leipzig due to a back issue. Josh Sargent started up top for Werder Bremen but did not score in a 1-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld.

Free Kicks

  • Tom Bogert of mlssoccer.com wants to know if Orlando City can crack the Brazilian market in a meaningful way.
  • Jade Moore of the Orlando Pride made her Atletico Madrid debut yesterday off the bench in her team’s win over Espanyol.

  • Phoenix Rising placed Junior Flemmings and coach Rick Schantz on administrative leave as the investigation continues regarding San Diego Loyal forfeiting a game which they led 3-1 due to use of a homophobic slur.
  • Sadio Mane joins Thiago Alcantara as Liverpool players to recently test positive for COVID-19.
  • There is a Ted Lasso Wiki.
  • Those born on this date include former U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822), legendary actors Buster Keaton (1895) and Charlton Heston (1923), author Anne Rice (1941), baseball’s Tony La Russa (1944), Susan Sarandon (1946), Triumph drummer/vocalist Gil Moore (1951), and Alicia Silverstone (1976),

That’s all my time for today, folks. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend and get yourself ready for Atlanta on Wednesday.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/19/26

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

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9 hours 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/18/26

Americans in midweek action, WAFCON takeaways, senior FIFA official fired, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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August 18, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda holding off a Washington Spirit defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It wasn’t a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three outfits combined to take just one point from the nine on offer. Fortunately, Orlando City gets an immediate opportunity to bounce back against the Chicago Fire Wednesday night, before all three teams are back in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to talk about today, so let’s have a look at the links.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing games during the working week, so get some of the highlights marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today when Tanner Tessmann and Lyon face Fenerbahce in UEFA Champions League qualifying. Wednesday features Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid kicking off their La Liga season against Malaga, before Folarin Balogun and Monaco face Gornik Zabrze in UEFA Conference League qualification play. The week then wraps up on Friday when Haji Wright and Coventry City open the Premier League season against Arsenal.

Takeaways from WAFCON

WAFCON 2026 is officially in the books, so what did we learn from this year’s tournament? For one thing, expanding from 12 teams to 16 was largely successful, as Cameroon won the trophy after getting into the tournament on the strength of its world ranking after being eliminated during qualifying. We also saw a competitive tournament that had some upsets, with first-time participants Malawi making a run all the way to the final, and Zambia failing to get out of the group stage despite racking up six points. That said, attendance was non-existent for matches not involving host Morocco, and the video review process wasn’t exactly speedy for the most part. Still, it was mostly a great tournament and a great showcase for African women’s soccer.

Kevin Lamour Leaves Position as FIFA Executive

Kevin Lamour has been fired from his position as FIFA’s chief operating officer just several weeks after strongly condemning Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Lamour said that FIFA’s leadership had been “deceived” when it came to the plan and that losing his job over his opposition to it would be worth it since he would at least be able to sleep well at night. Before his two years at FIFA, Lamour had previously worked alongside Infantino when the two men were at UEFA. FIFA confirmed his departure with a brief statement on Monday afternoon.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Most summer transfer windows will be closing soon, but we’ve still got plenty of rumors to discuss. We begin with a piece close to home, as Breel Embolo has reportedly rejected the personal terms offered to him by Atlanta United and is said to be negotiating with Ipswich Town. Speaking of the Premier League, Manchester City is reportedly still in pursuit of a deal for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez despite missing the Blues’ stated deadline of Aug. 14 to get a deal done. Moving to Spain, Real Madrid is reportedly interested in signing Martin Zubimendi from Arsenal and has already had contact with his representatives. Finally, Inter Milan is said to be interested in signing Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.

Free Kicks

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/17/26

Lions draw FC Cincinnati, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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August 17, 2026

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Image of Orlando City's starters pose for a pregame photo wearing their Archive Collection third kits.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m back to covering high school sports again for the fall season, with golf, soccer, and football this week. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw FC Cincinnati at Home

Orlando City drew FC Cincinnati 1-1 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium. The Lions trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Tyrese Spicer’s early goal in the second half was enough for Orlando to secure a point at home. Orlando City hasn’t won in its last three matches across all competitions and will need to pick up wins down the stretch, with the club sitting outside the MLS playoff spots in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points. Before the match, Orlando City announced it had signed OCB midfielder Issah Haruna to a short-term contract. Haruna was on the bench but did not play against FC Cincinnati. The Lions have a quick turnaround, with two home matches this week. Orlando City will face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday and Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Pride’s Winless Run Continues with Loss at Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Portland struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the second half. Jacquie Ovalle scored the equalizer for Orlando, but in stoppage time, Caiya Hanks scored a late winner for Portland. Orlando has lost three consecutive matches. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Sunday against the Washington Spirit.

OCB Falls at Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B fell 2-0 to Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday. Robert Turdean scored the opening goal for Chicago in the first half, and the Fire took a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Damyan Villanueva added the insurance goal for Chicago, which won its third in four matches. The Young Lions have lost four consecutive matches. OCB will be on the road to take on Atlanta United 2 on Saturday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action abroad in Europe. Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten were both in action for Middlesbrough in a 2-1 win against Lincoln City on Saturday in the EFL Championship. Ricardo Pepi scored, and Sergino Dest notched an assist for PSV Eindhoven in a 2-1 win over Excelsior in the Eredivisie. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia as his side defeated Modena 3-2 in the Round of 64 in the Coppa Italia. Austin Trusty scored for Celtic, and Cameron Carter-Vickers was also in action in a 4-0 win against Dundee United, as the Scottish Premiership leaders advanced to the quarterfinals in the Scottish League Cup. On Sunday, former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench late in the second half for Villarreal in a 2-2 draw against Racing Santander in La Liga.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who is on loan at Dallas Trinity, scored her first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against the Tampa Bay Sun on Saturday in the USL Super League.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin scored for Southampton, but his side fell 2-1 to Watford on Sunday in the EFL Championship.
  • Atlanta United is reportedly close to signing forward Breel Embolo from Stade Rennes for an $18 million transfer fee.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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