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Lion Links: 10/23/20

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6 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope you all are hanging in there as October drones on. I’m still trying to get all my ducks in a row before a busy November and the holiday season. Thankfully, we have both Orlando City and Orlando City B action tomorrow afternoon to look forward to. Before we get started on today’s links, let’s wish a happy 23rd birthday to forward Benji Michel!

Daryl Dike Named to MLS 22 Under 22 List

While Michel turns 23 today, fellow Orlando forward Daryl Dike is 20 years old and has done well enough in his rookie season to land on the MLS 22 under 22 list. Ranking at number 10 on the list, Dike’s physicality and finishing ability has made him a strong contender for MLS Rookie of the Year and he’s done well for Orlando with four goals and three assists this year.

One of the top prospects heading into the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, Dike fell to Orlando with the fifth pick and has become a good fit in the center forward position. A season-ending injury to Dom Dwyer earlier this year and a knock to Tesho Akindele opened the door for Dike after he impressed both Oscar Pareja and Luiz Muzzi in training. With five games left this regular season and the playoffs on the horizon, there’s plenty of opportunity for Dike to continue his growth as a Lion.

Lions Near Debuts and Returns

Orlando supporters may get their first look at Matheus Aias tomorrow. After a long wait, the Brazilian forward is finally available for the Lions according to Pareja. Ecuadorian winger Alexander Alvarado is also up for selection, although he likely won’t play tomorrow as he’ll need some time to train under Pareja’s system.

They won’t be the only reinforcements for Orlando. The quarantines for both goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and midfielder Sebas Mendez are in their final day today, giving Pareja some needed help as the team jockeys for playoff position.

Battle for Florida Heats Up

Orlando City will take on Inter Miami tomorrow in the fourth match between the two sides this season and there is plenty to watch for. The Lions beat Miami 2-1 in Exploria Stadium on Sept. 12, but fell to the Herons on the road back on Aug. 22 in their only loss since the MLS is Back Tournament. Orlando will travel to Miami again this weekend, except Miami supporters will be allowed in the stands this time around.

The match is important for both sides as the playoffs near. With injuries and players gone for international duty, Orlando’s center back pairing of Robin Jansson and Antonia Carlos has held it down in defense as one of the more underrated units in MLS. As for Miami’s defense, center back Andres Reyes is ready to return after undergoing surgery for a facial injury earlier this season. I must admit, Reyes looks pretty darn cool with the mask he’ll be wearing in the match if he plays.

Crystal Dunn Traded to the Portland Thorns

With the National Women’s Soccer League season over, Crystal Dunn is heading west to join the Portland Thorns after a three-team trade. Formerly with the North Carolina Courage, Dunn was initially traded to OL Reign for goalkeeper Casey Murphy and $140,000 in allocation money. Then the Thorns acquired Dunn in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick, $200,000 in allocation money, and an international roster spot. The move was sparked by Dunn’s desire to be with her husband, the head athletic trainer for the Thorns. Dunn will also reunite with Thorns Head Coach Mark Parsons, who coached Dunn during her MVP season with the Washington Spirit in 2015.

The NWSL Broke Records in 2020

Despite all of the challenges that come from playing during a pandemic, the NWSL had a remarkable season. It was the first U.S. professional team sport to return this summer and the first to successfully play in a ‘bubble’ situation. In addition, the 2020 Challenge Cup did well during an uncertain time for sports. The league also signed a great broadcast and streaming contract with CBS and Twitch for the Fall Series. All seven of the games broadcast on CBS were the seven most-watched games in NWSL history. On top of that, NWSL mentions on social media skyrocketed by 152% and the league received more media coverage as well. Add in the growing excitement for Racing Louisville FC and Angel City FC, and it all shapes up to be an exciting future for the league.

Free Kicks

  • The Columbus Crew and center back Jonathan Mensah agreed to a multi-year contract extension. The Ghanaian defender has had a great season so far and is a leading candidate for MLS Defensive Player of the Year.
  • Given concerns about the coronavirus, Australia will no longer be making the trip to Europe next month for friendlies and training camps, including a planned friendly against the United States Men’s National Team.
  • Changes were made to the United States Hall of Fame election process to help keep the focus on who made each year’s class rather than who did not. Committees were made to aid in both the screening and voting process, and each class will feature two players, a veteran, and a builder.
  • MLS is collaborating with Girls Academy, a youth soccer platform with over 7,500 players across the U.S., to help develop young players for careers in the sport.
  • Phoenix Rising reinstated head coach Rick Schantz ahead of the team’s USL Championship playoff game tomorrow night. Schantz was placed on administrative leave for being dismissive after the incident involving San Diego Loyal midfielder Collin Martin being called an anti-gay slur during a match. After receiving an apology from Schantz, Martin urged for the coach’s reinstatement.

That’s going to do it for today, folks. I hope you all have a great Friday and a fantastic weekend!

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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.

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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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