Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/12/20

Published

6 years ago

on

Happy Thursday, Lionesses and Lions. As ever, I sincerely hope you overcame your hump day with ease. There’s a tropical storm winding through Florida at the moment so stay safe out there. Luckily, us Floridians are used to them and worse to be honest, but still, don’t do anything silly out in this dangerous weather.

Anyway, there is also a good deal of soccer news to discuss as well, so with that, let’s get right into the links.

Dike and Pareja Named MLS Awards Finalists

Daryl Dike and Oscar Pareja are both finalists for individual season-ending MLS awards. Dike, the Lions’ 20-year-old striker, has taken MLS by storm since his abrupt rise to stardom and is a finalist for the Young Player of the Year Award.

Dike, who was selected fifth overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, contributed to 12 total goals in his rookie season. His eight goals sit at second most on the team, while his four assists were the fourth most of any Lion in 2020. The Edmond, Oklahoma native was voted MLS Player of the Month in August after netting three goals and providing two helpers over a three-match span.  

Where he once might have been a favorite for the MLS Rookie of the Year award, the league has changed that to “young player,” which effectively eliminates Henry Kessler of New England and forces Dike to compete for the trophy with Brenden Aaronson and Diego Rossi, who have played two seasons (51 games) and three seasons (82 games), respectively. Dike has played 17.

Pareja is a finalist for the MLS Coach of the Year award after guiding the team through an incredible regular season. The Colombian manager, who was named as the 2016 MLS Coach of the Year, led Orlando City to its first ever postseason appearance. The hardware could be his again four years later.

Dike and Pareja have both had fantastic seasons and deserve all of the recognition being given. Best of luck to both of them!

Chris Mueller Honored in Writers’ MLS Best Xl Teams

Andrew Wiebe named Chris Mueller in his best MLS XI. The 24-year-old has managed an impressive 10 goals and seven assists in 22 matches (17 starts) during the regular season. The Illinois-born attacker has been a pivotal point of the Orlando City attack and is being awarded the recognition in which he deserves. But Wiebe isn’t the only one including Mueller in his Best XI. Calen Carr also selected the Money Badger:

Hopefully Mueller can maintain his form going into the postseason. All eyes will be on him against New York City FC.

Orlando City Offering Commemorative Ticket for Club’s First MLS Playoff Match

Orlando City has booked a spot in its first ever MLS playoffs and Lions fans will be able to pick up a unique, collectible souvenir with their ticket purchase. The Lions are offering a special ticket and lanyard.

A special commemorative ticket and lanyard brought to you by Orlando Health are included with a ticket purchase to our first-ever playoff match as a souvenir and reminder of your presence at this historic moment and experience at Exploria Stadium. While supplies last.

As expected, Orlando City season ticket holders will be guaranteed priority access to tickets for the Nov. 21 match against NYCFC. Non-season-ticket holders can also get access to the match but it is not guaranteed. Season ticket holders can access a pass into the game by logging into your respective account manager and non-season ticket holders can do so by clicking here.

Christian Pulisic Returns to Chelsea, Won’t Play in USMNT Friendlies

Gregg Berhalter announced that Christian Pulisic will be returning to Chelsea. The Pennsylvania-born winger picked up an injury with the Blues before a match against Burnley and is still fighting to reach full fitness.

“Christian Pulisic is leaving camp,” Berhalter said. “He had a great three or four days with the team. He was able to get treatment and be with the guys, connect with the staff again. It was great to see him. Unfortunately he won’t be taking part in the match. He is a player we are certainly going to miss and with his quality we wish we could have him on the field, but that is not going to happen.”

Whether or not the USMNT talisman will be fit for the next Chelsea game against Newcastle United on Nov. 21 is still to be determined. Get well soon, Pulisic!

Free Kicks

  • Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has suffered an injury on international duty with England. Given the fact that the Reds’ injury list is lengthening more and more, day in and out, the Premier League is completely wide open.
  • A recent survey indicates women in soccer have dealt with a lack of clarity from clubs and leagues, wage cuts, job losses, and a lack of mental health support during the ongoing pandemic. Hopefully this changes, as none of this is good.
  • Miguel Gallardo is ready to light the city purple coming into the playoffs and showed he is with this pretty dodgy new filter.

  • Kylian Mbappe is all of us during international breaks when Orlando City isn’t on.

That’ll do, pig. That’s all for this Thursday’s set of links. Stay safe out there and I’ll catch you on the flip side.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 21, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

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

on

August 20, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

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.

Published

4 days ago

on

August 19, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

Trending